When describing the flow in single-screw machines in mathematical terms, the screw is generally assumed to be standing still inside a rotating barrel. This study looks into whether and, if so, how far this principle of kinetic reversal falsifies the calculation result. It is performed both on an analytical basis and with the aid of comparative FEA simulations, taking the general case of a non-isothermal flow. It is shown that both kinematic boundary conditions lead to absolutely identical I calculation results.