ME311 Machine Design

Lecture 9: Screws
(Chapter 16)

W Dornfeld
05Nov2009

Fairfield University
School of Engineering

Thread Geometry
Thread Pitch

Crest
Major
Pitch

n (Threads / inch )

Thread
Angle

1
p

Thread Height

Root
Minor
Diameters

The Pitch Diameter

is midway between
the Major and Minor
Diameters.

Hamrock
Page 707

Thread Types
Lead =
1 x Pitch

Lead =
3 x Pitch

Single-, double-, and triple-threaded screws.

Also called single-, double-, and triple-start.

Acme
Thread

Acme threads are used in C-Clamps, vices, and cartoons.

Square
Thread

Hamrock
Page 708

Details of Thread Profiles

Thread Height

ht

0.5 p
0.8660 p
tan(30)

Relationships for M (metric) and UN (unified = US) screw threads.

Example:
UN: -20, means 0.25in. Major diameter & 20 threads/inch.
M: M8x1.25, means 8mm Major diameter & pitch of 1.25mm
Hamrock
Page 708

Power Screws
W

Load
on nut

Thread
friction

Lead

rm

Looking at a square
thread screw, we unwind
one turn:
a

Lead

2p rm

Mean
thread
radius

mc
r

Mean
c
collar radius

Collar
friction

The Mean Radius is midway

between the Crest and Root Radii.

This shows an inclined

ramp with angle
1 Lead
a tan
2p rm

Square Thread Screw Torque

The torque required to

raise the load W is

m tan a

Traise W rm
m c rc
1 m tan a

and to lower the load, we

flip two signs:

Tlower

Lead

rm

mc
rc

m tan a

W rm
m c rc
1 m tan a

Hamrock
Page 715

Power Screw Thread Angle

If the thread form is not square but has an angle b,
replace the thread friction m with the effective friction

m
me
cos( b / 2)

The effect:
Square: b = 0, b/2 = 0, 1/cos(0) = 1.0
Acme: b = 29, b/2 = 14.5, 1/cos(14.5) = 1.033
Unified: b = 60, b/2 = 30, 1/cos(30) = 1.15

The thread angle effectively increases surface friction between 3 and 15%
Note: Instead of b/2, Hamrock uses n tan 1 (cos a tan b 2)
The difference is negligible.

Power Screws - Overhauling

If the collar friction is small (e.g., it may have a
ball thrust bearing), too small a thread friction
may let the weight screw down on its own.
Lead
This can happen when m tan a
2p rm
(the numerator m tan a goes negative).

Tlower

0
m tan a
W rm
m c rc
1 m tan a

m
a
2p rm

This is the same case for a weight sliding down a ramp

when the incline angle a exceeds tan-1m.

Lead

Ball Screws Have Low Friction

Recirculating balls roll between ball screw

and ball nut to minimize friction.

These almost always overhaul.

Our Scissors Jack

1015 Lb
1522 Lb Tension

Handle End with ball

thrust bearing

End with nut

Scissors Jack Analysis

Thread ID = 0.398 in.
Thread OD = 0.468 in.
Estimate dp= (0.398+0.468)/2
= 0.433 in.
Handle length = 135/25.4 = 5.31 in.

Lead = 0.10 in.

Thread angle b = 29
Guess m = 0.20
mc = 0 due to bearing
W = 1522 Lb.

What torque is required to raise the jack?

What force is required on the handle?

C-Clamp Analysis
Thread ID = 0.391 in.
Thread OD = 0.480 in.
Handle length = 3 in.
N = 8 Threads/Inch
Thread angle b = 60
Guess m = 0.15
mc = 0 to simplify things
W = 500 Lb.

What torque is required to cause

the 500 Lb. squeeze?
Note: If Acme, could use Eqn. 16.4
d p dc 0.5 p 0.01 0.48 (0.5)(0.125) 0.01 0.4075 in.
But with a 60 thread angle, this is NOT an Acme.
Estimate dp= (ID+OD)/2 = (0.390+0.480)/2 = 0.436 in.

Using Dornfeld Lecture Equations

dp= 0.436 in.
N = 8 Threads/Inch
Lead = 1/N = 0.125 in.

a tan 1

Thread angle b = 60
m = 0.15
W = 500 Lb.

Lead
0.125
tan 1
tan 1 (0.09126) 5.21
2p rm
2p (0.436 / 2)

Because this is not a square thread, must use effective coefficient of

friction = m/cos(b/2) = 0.15/cos(30) = 0.15/0.866 = 0.1732
0
0.436 0.1732 0.09126
m tan a
Traise W rm
mc rc 500

m
tan
a
2
1

(
0
.
1732
)(
0
.
09126
)

(500)(0.218)

0.26446
29.29 Lb.In.
0.9842

Using Hamrock Equations

dp= 0.436 in.
Thread angle b = 60
N = 8 Threads/Inch
m = 0.15
Lead = 1/N = 0.125 in.
W = 500 Lb.
Lead
a tan 1
5.21 ; tan(a ) 0.09126
2p rm
b
n tan 1 (cos a tan ) tan 1 (cos 5.21 tan 30) tan 1 (0.9959 0.57735)
2
1
n tan (0.57496) 29.897
How close is this to b/2 = 30?
0
(d p / 2)(cos n tan a m )
(0.436 / 2)(cos 29.9 tan 5.21 0.15)
Traise W
mc rc 500

cos

m
tan
a
cos
29
.
9

0
.
15
tan
5
.
21

(500)(0.218)

(0.866)(0.09126) 0.15
0.22903
(109)
29.29 Lb.In.
0.866 (0.15)(0.09126)
0.85231

[Eqn. 16.10]
The equations are equivalent. Pick whichever one suits you best.

Overhauling Revisited
Power screws can lower all by themselves if the friction
becomes less than the tangent of the lead angle, a.
This corresponds to the numerator in the Tlower equation going
negative, with the transition being where the numerator is Zero.
You can use either Dornfeld or Hamrock equation, but
remember that the Dornfeld equation is Effective friction, and you
must multiply by cos(b/2) to get the actual friction.
Hamrock:

Tlower

(d p / 2)( m cos n tan a )

W
mc rc
cos n m tan a

Dornfeld:

Tlower

m tan a

W rm
mc rc
1 m tan a

Transition when:

m cos n tan a

me tan a
m me cos( b / 2) cos(b / 2) tan a

The equations are equivalent. Pick whichever one suits you best.

Failure Modes: Tensile Overload

When the tensile stress on a bolt exceeds the
materials Proof Strength, the bolt will
permanently stretch.

P
At

Where At is the Tensile Stress Area for

the bolt the equivalent area of a
section cut through the bolt.

For UN threads,
0.9743

At (0.7854) d c

dc = Crest Dia (in.)

n = threads/in.

For M threads,
At (0.7854)(dc 0.9382 p) 2

dc = Crest Dia (mm)

p = pitch (mm)
Hamrock
Page 731

Failure Modes: Thread Shear

Shear of Nut Threads

Ashear pdcrestl

The shear strength

of the bolt and nut
material may not
be the same.

Shear of Bolt Threads

Ashear pd rootl

Failure Modes: Shank Shear

Ashear

pd

2
shank

Ashear 2

2
pd shank

2
pd shank

Bolts are not really intended to be used this way unless they are
Shoulder Bolts:

Typically the preload from tightening the bolt clamps the joint,
and the friction between the members holds the joint.

Bolt Preload
JH Bickford explains :
'When we tighten a bolt,
( a) we apply torque to the nut,
( b) the nut turns,
( c) the bolt stretches,
( d) creating preload.'
So the bolt is really a spring that stretches
and creates preload on the joint.
We use the Power Screw equations to determine how torque results
in preload. This can be approximated simply by:

T KDcrest P
Where T is torque, Dcrest is the bolt crest diameter, P is the preload,
and K is a dimensionless constant. K = 0.20 for clean, dry threads
and K = 0.15 for lubricated threads.

Bolt Stiffness

Lshank

A bolt looks like two

springs in series: one
rod with the Crest
diameter and one with
the Root diameter.

Lthread

Their lengths are

increased to reflect the
head and nut.

1
4 Ls 0.4d c Lt 0.4d r

2
kb pE
dc
d r2

Hamrock
Page 725

Bolt Stiffness Exercise

Calculate the stiffness of a 3/8-16 screw that is
4 in. long and clamps 3.5 of material. Use
Eqn. 16.23 to determine shank length.
Lshank
Lbolt

Lclamp

Lt in
16.22/23

Lthread
Lthread
Lt in
16.21

Note: Hamrock uses Lt in Eqns. 16.21 and

16.22/23, BUT THEY ARE DIFFERENT THINGS!
In 16.21 it is the Clamped thread length;
in 16.22/23 it is Total thread length.

Hamrock
Page 726

Joint Stiffness
The material clamped by
the bolt also acts like a
spring in compression.
Effectively, only the material
in the red double conical
area matters.
There are many methods to
calculate this stiffness.
Compare these calculator
stiffness results from
tribology-abc.com with
Hamrocks Example 16.6
Hamrock
Page 727

How Bolt Preload Works

Preload isolates the bolt from most of any external loads.

The joint stiffness factor, Cj, determines what fraction of
external loads the bolt actually sees.

Cj

kb
kb k j

Hamrock
Eqn. 16.17
From Norton, Chap. 14

Bolt Strength

For Metric grades, the first number x 100 = Sut in MPa. The
fraction x Sut = Sy. Ex: grade 12.9 has Sut 1200 MPa and
Sy 0.9x1200 = 1080 MPa.
Hamrock
Page 731

Bolt Loading
Ultimate

Generally, bolts are preloaded to:

75% of Proof Load for reused
connections
90% of Proof Load for permanent
connections

0.2%Yield
Proof

where Proof Load = Proof Strength x At.

The Proof Strength is approximately at

the elastic limit for the material.

Hamrock
Page 733

Recommended Site:
BoltScience.com