Benefits/Features

Experience extended service life and eliminate screw replacement in harsh environments, high speed/high load crashes, and lubrication system failures.

TranTek drive systems outlast other drive types because the threads of the nut are cast from a trade secret epoxy composite yielding long nut life and eliminating the need for screw replacement. With 100% epoxy composite interface there is no metal-to-metal contact as with rack and pinions or ball screws.

Even with heavy loads, the screw does not wear or get damaged. Instead, the epoxy composite wears at a slow and predictable rate, eliminating scoring, galling, and brinelling. Furthermore, these drives can survive multiple high-speed, high load crashes due to unique shock absorbing characteristics of the epoxy composite and because of significant contact area between the nut and the drive screw, as compared with a ball screw. (See Diagram)

High-lead, multiple-start screws provide a very large screw/nut contact surface area, with up to 32 individual screw thread paths contacting the nut at the same time.

A DriTran epoxy composite nut will wipe weld flash, metal debris, and other large contaminants from the screw during each index of an operation. TranTek strongly recommends using an air knife and/or a splashguard to increase drive life by preventing any foreign materials such as microscopic metal chips from entering the thread path. If kept well lubricated, the composites predictable wear rate allows very accurate life calculations to be performed. In the event of a lubrication system failure, the low friction DriTran epoxy composite will wear faster but will allow continued operation without suffering a sudden catastrophic failure.

Once a DriTran nut does reach it's maximum suggested thread clearance of .030", it can simply be replaced with another nut. TranTek suggests initially purchasing a spare nut to avoid unnecessary downtime. In most cases, a DriTran nut can be replaced in less than an hour. Additionally the original nut can be returned to TranTek to have the threads re-cast; a considerable advantage, considering the high costs associated with downtime and replacement of the entire drive system necessary when a ball screw drive fails.

Position heavy loads quickly and accurately with no critical speed concerns or extended transfer distance limitations.

TranTek drive systems are superior when moving a large load quickly and accurately due to the large amount of surface contact area between the epoxy composite nut and the multiple start high lead drive screw. Furthermore, due to the shock absorbing qualities of the composite, TranTek drives can be repeatedly driven into hard stops to achieve exact positioning. When using this positioning technique, use of shocks is highly recommended, and deceleration is necessary.

Applications such as machine tools that require precise dynamic positioning of small loads at slow rates may require a ball screw drive. However, ball screws are limited to leads that do not exceed their diameters. TranTek's standard 2.75" diameter drive system, for example, has a 6.00" lead providing greater than twice the linear transfer speed of a 2.75" diameter ball screw turning at the same rpm. Thus, rapid transport of substantial loads is possible without critical speed concerns.

If the critical speed of single screw drives must be exceeded or their lengths will not accomplish a desired task, TranTek Drive Systems Inc. has standard multiple screw systems. Exclusive to TranTek, these setups make use of unique standoffs that permit multiple reduced length screws to be joined together in series and allow the composite nut to pass right over. If necessary, custom multiple screw systems can be designed to eliminate critical speed concerns and achieve unlimited transfer distances.

Custom Drive Systems can be manufactured for special applications or for retrofitting an existing piece of equipment.

• Up to 7.5" of travel per revolution for very high speed applications
• Screw diameters of .25" to 3.5", and single screw lengths up to 20 feet
• Standoffs available for 1 7/8" diameter and larger screws, for unlimited indexes
• Hard stops and shocks available for precise positioning or over travel protection
• Custom bearing housings and nut styles can be made for retrofitting purposes
• Vertical lifting systems available using DriTran nuts and high lead screws