In order to fully adapt to market demands and expand market share, Japan's NSK Import Bearing Company continuously strengthens its internal capabilities and invests significant human resources, material resources, and financial resources in technology research and development. According to information from NSK Import Bearings' official website, NSK has developed a fast-responding ball screw for small motorcycle braking systems.
NSK announced the development of a new compact and lightweight ball screw for motorcycle braking systems. In motorcycles’ brake-by-wire systems (Brake By Wire System), a structure is used that converts motor rotational motion into linear motion, utilizing the screw shaft to push the piston to generate oil pressure. This improves reliability, and compared to the 270g ball screw used in motorcycle CVTs, the weight has been reduced by approximately 70%, to 70g.
The company has developed a structure that allows unused thread grooves (Thread Groove) to become shallower, preventing balls from entering areas outside the thread groove which could cause the ball screw to lock. By using a circulating component — thrust bearings; where the insert material has been changed from resin to metal, reliability and durability have been improved. Besides adopting the insert-type ball screw that enables miniaturization and eliminating the insert fixing components, the company also adopted a structure that uses the screw shaft to directly push the piston, eliminating the need for a rod to push the piston, thereby achieving compactness and lightweight design. Additionally, apart from significantly reducing inertia through miniaturization and lightweight design, the low-friction performance of the ball screw has also improved responsiveness.