Press Release

Press Release

October 11, 2013

NSK Ltd.
Public Relations Department

NSK Develops a Ball Screw with Minimal Grease Splatter

Reduced Grease Splatter for Cleaner Device and Working Environment

China-Produced Tapered Roller Bearing for Construction Machinery Travel Reduction Gears

Tokyo, Japan, October 11, 2013 – NSK Ltd. (NSK; Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Norio Otsuka) today announced that it has developed a ball screw that minimizes grease splatter thanks to the new L1 seal, an original seal NSK is positioning as an industry-first which greatly reduces the amount of grease splattered by ball screws. NSK will launch this product in January 2014 and is targeting 500 million yen in sales in 2016.
NSK will be exhibiting this product from Wednesday, October 2, 2013 to Friday, October 4, 2013 at the 16th Mechanical Components & Materials Technology Expo Osaka being held at INTEX OSAKA.

Development Background

Electronic device mounting machines, semiconductor- and LCD-conveyance equipment, medical devices, and equipment for food products and related packaging are used in clean environments, and as such, require features that prevent grease from splattering. In recent years there has been an increase in grease splattering due to the increase in the rotation speed of ball screws driven by the demand for shorter production times.

In response to this, NSK has developed a ball screw that minimizes grease splatter thanks to an L1 seal, which reduces the amount of grease splattered without increasing friction loss.

Product Features

1. Dramatic reduction in grease splatter
The newly developed L1 seal is a non-contact seal that employs a structure that prevents grease from accumulating on the screw shaft surface, which in turn reduces the amount of grease splattered without increasing friction loss. This newly developed seal reduces the amount of grease splattered by ball screws to 1/10th that of NSK's previous product.
2. Standard seal cover
A cover designed to cover the outer circumference of the seal comes standard. This prevents grease that has pooled up in the circumference of the seal from dripping, delivering an even cleaner result.
3. Can be applied to existing standard inventory ball screws
Current Situation of Grease Splattering
New Seal Structure
Feature: Reduced Grease Splatter
Scope of Application for Ball Screw with L1 Seal for Minimizing Grease Splatter