Answer:  Yes, 4140 HT lead screws have excellent uniformity of hardness, resists creep in temperatures up to 1,000 0F (538 0C) and have good wear resistance and toughness.

Relatively speaking, materials with high surface hardness levels exhibit greater wear resistance. In lead screw applications equipped with metal nuts, this translates into longer operational lifetime.

Nut materials are typically specified with a surface hardness less than the mating lead screw and so generally experience the most wear. This is usually not an issue since the replacement cost of a nut is typically much less than a lead screw.

Care must be taken to avoid similar hardness levels between the nut and lead screw in order to prevent galling and/or premature lead screw wear. We recommend the lead screw surface hardness is “at least” 100 BHN greater than the nut material. Refer to Lead Screw Hardness Guidelines for Common Nut Materials for recommended levels.

For more detailed discussions about this topic, contact Rempco.