Screw-driven jacks are the most popular devices used to convert the rotary motion of a motor into linear movement. However, there are two common types of screw-driven systems to choose from: ball screws and lead screws. In this blog, we’ll cover the benefits, drawbacks, and applications of both ball and lead screws to help you determine which option is best for your needs.

A screw jack is known by many names — machine screw jack, worm screw jack, lead screw jack, or jack screw — but it has one primary purpose: to take rotational motion and transform it into linear motion. These products allow you to efficiently lift, lower, push, pull, tilt, hold, or otherwise position a load as heavy as 250 tons. Screw jacks' reliability and capacity for synchronization surpass that of comparable alternatives, facilitating a variety of mechanical applications.