A Review and Comparative Study on the Design and Analysis of Magnetic Lead Screws

A magnetic lead screw (MLS) is a device that utilizes the magnetic field of permanent magnets to convert between linear and rotational motions while achieving the gearing action simultaneously. This offers a conversion between high-speed low-torque rotational motion to low-speed high-force translational motion. This paper provides a comprehensive review of works on MLSs describing the state-of-the-art designs and various manufacturing aspects. Moreover, the main approaches for computing the thrust force and torque of MLSs are presented along with an analysis of the main parameters and factors which affect the performance of the MLS. Furthermore, machine integration and control are discussed as well. Finally, various types of MLSs were designed based on 3-D finite element analysis and a comparative study between the different types is presented.