A repair customer came to us with only a used ball screw assembly, a short video and basic hand tools. There was no drawing, no nameplate and no exact model number. By guiding simple on-site measurements and using our experience with SFS series ball screws, we quickly narrowed the options down and prepared a fully machined SFS1610 replacement solution.

The customer is a small machine repair shop. They had removed a worn ball screw from a machine and needed a drop-in replacement, but:

• No original drawing or model label was available.
• Only a short mobile-phone video and a few photos could be shared.
• On site, the customer only had simple measuring tools such as a basic caliper.

In this situation, choosing the wrong ball screw would mean more downtime, extra shipping cost and repeated disassembly. A quick and accurate identification was critical.

Instead of asking for a long list of technical parameters, we started with three dimensions that are easy for a repair technician to measure:

1. Ball screw shaft diameter
2. Nut outside diameter / general nut shape
3. Total shaft length

The customer measured these values with a caliper and sent us approximate numbers and close-up photos. Even though the readings were not laboratory-accurate, they were enough to narrow down the possibilities.

From the measured shaft diameter and nut design, we could already see that the screw matched the SFS 16 series family, whose actual shaft diameter is 15 mm.

Lead is the key dimension to confirm the exact model, but many repair users are not familiar with terms like pitch, lead and number of starts. To avoid confusion, we sent the customer a very simple hand sketch showing how to measure the thread:

We explained in one sentence: “Measure the distance between two neighbouring thread valleys – that is the pitch. Lead = pitch × number of thread starts.”

Using this method, the customer could roughly estimate the lead. The result clearly showed that the lead was far smaller than 20 mm, so we could safely rule out the 1620 type and focus on SFS1605 and SFS1610.

Next, we sent standard drawings for the SFS16 series ball screws, including SFS1605, SFS1610 and SFS1620, and asked the customer to compare:

• Nut outside diameter and flange shape
• Bolt hole pattern on the flange
• Approximate screw length and machined ends

By matching the photos with the drawings and combining them with the estimated lead, we narrowed the candidate down to an SFS1610 ball screw (10 mm lead) for this repair application.

When we quoted a fully machined replacement assembly, the customer was not sure what “machining” meant. To make it clear, we took a screenshot of his ball screw photo and highlighted:

• The threaded section – the standard rolled / ground screw part.
• The machined sections – turned shoulders, grooves, chamfers and any special end features.

We explained that a non-machined ball screw blank would be completely threaded, with no shoulders, no journal diameters and no keyway. To install it on the machine, custom end machining is necessary. For this reason, we prepared a quote for a fully machined SFS1610 ball screw assembly that could be installed directly.

After this step-by-step communication, the customer felt confident in our understanding of the application and in our ability to reproduce the original design. To avoid any remaining risk, they decided to ship the used ball screw assembly to us so that we could:

• Verify all dimensions against the SFS1610 standard drawing,
• Duplicate the end machining exactly, and
• Supply a ready-to-install SFS1610 ball screw replacement.

The customer appreciated that we did not push for a quick order with incomplete data, but instead used a professional approach to identify the correct ball screw and propose a safe solution.

• Even with only simple tools, measuring shaft diameter, nut diameter and overall length is enough to narrow down the ball screw family.
• A rough lead measurement, plus photos, can quickly separate SFS1605, SFS1610 and other lead options.
• Sharing clear photos of the machined ends helps us quote a complete, ready-to-install assembly instead of just a raw screw.
• When in doubt, sending the sample ball screw for duplication is the safest and most time-efficient option.

If you only have an old ball screw, a few photos and no drawing, our engineering team can still help. Send us:

• Photos or a short video of the ball screw assembly,
• Approximate shaft diameter and nut outer diameter,
• Overall length and any visible end machining.

We will work with you to identify the correct SFS1610 ball screw or other suitable model and provide a fully machined replacement that can go straight onto your machine. For more information, visit our ball screw product page or contact us for a quotation.