As the year comes to a close, the editors here at linearmotiontips.com (as, apparently, editors everywhere are prone to do) like to look back over the past year to see what our readers clicked on and read the most. As in years past, readers found our “back to basics” articles quite useful and so it’s no surprise that once again these were some of the most read articles on the site.

In case you missed — or want to re-visit — any of our most popular topics over the past year, here are the top 5 most-read linear motion articles of 2022.

#5: Screw handedness: When do you need a left-handed screw?

Ball and lead screws can be either right-handed or left-handed. But in screw terminology, handedness indicates the direction in which the nut moves relative to the direction of the screw’s rotation. This article explains what screw handedness is and looks at when a left-handed screw makes sense.

#4: Troubleshooting V-belt wear and failure

Although there are more than a dozen symptoms of premature wear and impending failure for V-belts — ranging from visible damage to audible noise — this article looks at the several key ways that these friction-based belts can fail during operation.

 

#3: When are stepper motors paired with ball screws (rather than lead screws)?

Stepper motors can be used to drive ball screws. And although ball screw + stepper motor combinations are less prolific than lead screw + stepper motor pairings, some of the performance characteristics of ball screws allow them to make better use of stepper motors’ strengths for torque production and precision.

 

#2: What is torque ripple and how does it affect linear motion applications?

In the real world, there are a variety of factors that cause torque output to be inconsistent — even if only by a small amount. This periodic fluctuation in output torque of an energized motor is referred to as torque ripple. This article explores torque ripple and its effects on linear motion systems.

#1: What do the belt section designations H, J, K, L, and M mean for ribbed V-belts?

For belts manufactured in English dimensions (often referred to as “American” or “UK” belts), belt sections are designated by the letters H, J, K, L, and M. This article looks at what those designations mean.