2022 Annual EPTDA Convention focuses on sustainability: a reflection on Unimec Screw Jacks

The 2022 Annual EPTDA Convention is almost here: this year the event will take place in Warsaw, Poland, September 28-30.

As mentioned earlier, this year Unimec will have a stronger presence at the event, not only as an attendee but also as a co-sponsor.

The 2022 theme of the event is more relevant than ever: “Mainstreaming Sustainability: a Climate for Change".

The leitmotif of the convention will be climate change and its impact on production: great attention will be given to new technologies, new perspectives, opportunities and strategies that businesses will have to implement and embrace to deal with the current climate trends.

This is a multifaceted topic for Unimec: we could begin by talking about our State-of-the-Art, water-based painting process, or the non-hazardous materials that we use in compliance with the most recent REACH regulation, or even our testing benches capable of recycling the electric power used during their operation.

However, it is Unimec’s main product, the Screw Jack, the inspiration that leads us to a more complex discussion in terms of “sustainability”: Alessandro Maggioni, General Manager at Unimec, will share his thoughts at a round table with all of the EPTDA attendees.

Due to the inherent internal friction, converting 75% of the input energy into heat, one of the main technical prerogatives of the mechanical screw jack is its ability to support a load without the help of brakes requiring a constant feed of power: with such a significant dispersion of energy, how can a screw jack be considered “sustainable”?

1. Unlike hydraulic devices, a mechanical screw jack does not require pressurized lubricant to operate: therefore, the risk of oil dispersion in the environment is virtually non-existent.
2. Given its compact design, a screw jack requires less material to be built, less manufacturing steps and a minimum envelope for installation.
3. A screw jack does not require pipelines or control modules, but only a motor and an electric plug
4. If correctly maintained, a screw jack is a so-called LLC (Long Life Component) capable of offering 20+ years of service: over the span of its life, this greatly reduces the number of spare and maintenance parts, as well as consumables.

Another important aspect of environmental sustainability involves human wellbeing in terms of quality of life, ergonomics and safety: there are very few machines in the world that can compete with a screw jack in terms of safety!

In reality, only one internal component requires close attention to guarantee the inherent safety offered by a screw jack: the threads of the worm wheel. If this component is intact, the load always remains fully supported, regardless of any malfunctioning such as motor failures, power supply disruption, failed seals, worn or damaged bearings, etc.

With a high level of linear and positioning accuracy, as well as a low input frequency, the mechanical screw jack has no rivals when it comes to moving and supporting heavy loads: while it does require a significant power input during its initial linear travel, once the position is reached and the load is in place and statically supported, the power demand is absolutely zero.

In fact, unlike hydraulic systems, requiring constant power to maintain pressure, or other mechanical devices, requiring self-braking motors or external support systems, a screw jack requires no additional power to guarantee its operation and safety.

Finally, we can’t avoid mentioning an additional “sustainable” aspect linked to the use of polymer-based power transmissions: lightweight and characterized by an extremely low-energy production requirement (a technopolymer screw jack does not require further mechanical finishing steps), the choice of the right technopolymer allows a dry and lubrication-free operation with evident environmental advantages.

All these aspects make the mechanical screw jack – a machine that was originally designed 500 years ago by Leonardo da Vinci – a unique product with simple and practical functionality, high reliability and extreme longevity.