The screw and nut are used as the transmission mechanism, and the forward and reverse rotation movement of the flywheel is converted into the up and down reciprocating movement of the slider by the screw transmission. When working, the motor accelerates the rotation of the flywheel to save energy, and at the same time pushes the slider to move downward through the screw and nut. When the slider contacts the workpiece, the flywheel is forced to decelerate to a complete stop, the stored rotational kinetic energy is converted into impact energy, and the workpiece is struck by the slider to deform it. After the strike is over, the motor reverses the flywheel and drives the slider up to return to the original position. The specifications of the screw press are expressed by the nominal working force.

The screw press is usually driven by a motor through a friction disc to rotate the flywheel rim. Therefore, this type of press is also called a friction press. The friction press in China is 25 MN. Larger screw presses use hydraulic systems to drive flywheels, which are called hydraulic screw presses. Larger screw presses have 125 meganewtons. Later, an electric screw press that uses a motor to directly drive the flywheel appeared. It has a compact structure and few transmission links. Due to frequent commutation, it has higher requirements for control appliances and requires a special motor.

Generally, the lower part of the screw press is equipped with a forging ejection device. The screw press has the functions of die forging hammers, mechanical presses and other forging machines. It is highly capable and can be used for die forging, blanking, drawing and other processes. In addition, screw presses, especially friction presses, are simple in structure and easy to manufacture, so they are widely used. The disadvantage of screw press is low productivity and mechanical efficiency.