As demand for robotics, automation equipment, machine tools, and electric actuators continues to grow, so does the need for high-precision ball screws and roller screws.
Unfortunately, many manufacturers are still producing internal ball screw threads using a process that hasn’t changed much in decades: machine the profile, heat treat the component, and then spend valuable time finish grinding the thread.
The result?
Long cycle times. Expensive grinding equipment. Production bottlenecks. And increasing challenges when manufacturing smaller thread sizes.
What if you could eliminate the grinding operation entirely?
That’s exactly what a growing number of manufacturers are exploring through ball screw thread cold-forming technology.
Ball screws are found in some of the world’s most demanding applications, including CNC machine tools, industrial robots, medical devices, aerospace systems, and precision automation equipment.
Unlike conventional threads, ball screw nuts contain a specialized “Gothic Arch” thread profile that creates precise contact points for recirculating balls. This unique geometry allows ball screws to deliver:
The challenge is producing that profile accurately and efficiently. Traditionally, that has meant thread grinding.
For years, thread grinding has been considered the standard method for achieving the precision required in ball screw manufacturing.
The traditional process typically involves:
While effective, grinding comes with tradeoffs.
Manufacturers must invest in specialized grinding equipment, dedicate valuable machine time to a secondary finishing operation, and manage increasingly complex setups—particularly when producing smaller thread diameters.
In many production environments, grinding becomes the bottleneck that limits throughput.
Recent advances in ball screw manufacturing have introduced an alternative approach: precision cold-forming.
Instead of grinding the final thread profile after heat treatment, the thread is pre-machined through thread milling or tapping and then finished using a specially engineered ball screw cold-forming tap before heat treatment.
The cold-forming tap precisely forms the Gothic Arch profile, eliminating the need for a separate grinding operation.
The result is a simplified manufacturing process that can reduce cycle time, improve efficiency, and streamline production.
One of the most compelling advantages of cold-forming is the potential reduction in processing time.
According to EMUGE process data, finishing a KG 13 x 4.5 ball screw thread through traditional grinding required approximately six minutes. The same profile could be completed through cold-forming in approximately three seconds.
Even when actual production results vary by application, the difference highlights the potential impact on throughput and machine utilization.
For manufacturers producing hundreds or thousands of ball screw nuts annually, those savings can translate into significant productivity gains.
The benefits of cold-forming extend beyond cycle time reduction.
Because material is displaced rather than removed, the resulting thread profile can provide excellent surface quality and improved load-bearing characteristics.
Additional benefits may include:
For manufacturers focused on lean production and operational efficiency, these advantages can have a meaningful impact on both productivity and profitability.
As ball screw and roller screw demand continues to expand, manufacturers across multiple industries are looking for ways to improve production efficiency without compromising precision.
Applications include:
In each case, manufacturers face the same challenge: producing highly accurate thread profiles while controlling cost and lead time.
Every ball screw application is different. Thread geometry, material, heat treatment requirements, production volume, and tolerance specifications all influence whether a cold-forming solution is the right fit.
That’s why evaluating the current manufacturing process is the first step.
Wondering if cold-forming could replace grinding in your process?
Our application engineers can review your current ball screw manufacturing process and evaluate whether cold-forming technology can help reduce cycle time, eliminate secondary operations, and improve thread performance.
Request a Ball Screw Process Review →
The right solution may not be a new machine or additional capacity. It may simply be a better way to produce the thread.