Contactless magnetic leadscrew: modeling and load determination

Magnetically coupled leadscrews with aerostatic suspension provide superior precision for motion control. The paper focuses on load capacity determination for such drives. Boundary conditions for airgap magnetic field are derived and used to solve the corresponding Laplace equation. The result is then used to calculate airgap permeance and obtain the operating point of the magnet. Finally relationships between load and design parameters are established for preliminary selection of component dimensions and material properties.