• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Linear Motion Tips

Covering Linear Motion Systems, Components and Linear Motion Resources

  • New
    • Editor’s blog
    • Industry news
    • Motion Casebook
    • Video
  • Applications
  • Slides + guides
    • Ball + roller guides
    • Track roller (cam + wheel) guides
    • Crossed-roller slides
    • Linear bearings
    • Plastic + composite guides
  • Drives
    • Ball + lead + roller screws
    • Belt + chain drives for linear
    • Rack + pinion sets
  • Actuators
    • Ball + leadscrew driven
    • Belt + chain driven
    • Linear motors
    • Mini + piezo + voice coil
    • Rack + pinion driven
    • Rigid-chain actuators
  • Encoders + sensors (linear) + I/O
  • Stages + gantries
  • Suppliers

Gallery: Rack and pinion systems – designs and applications

February 28, 2018 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

Rack and pinion drives are commonly used in large gantry robots and material handling systems for their ability to achieve high-speed movements over long travel lengths. The most common rack and pinion systems for industrial automation consist of a linear rack (also referred to as a “linear gear”), a pinion (also referred to as a “circular gear”), and a gearbox.

Rack and pinion system
A rack and pinion system consists of a linear rack, pinion, and gearbox.
Image credit: MS-Graessner GmbH & Co.

Although rack and pinions can use either straight- or helical-cut teeth, helical teeth are often the preferred choice since they provide higher load capacity and quieter operation. Helical gears also have very small tooth pitch errors – in the range of single microns – for very low backlash.

rack and pinion
Rack and pinion assemblies with helical teeth provide high load capacity and quiet operation.
Image credit: MultiCam Canada

NEXT PAGE →

You may also like:

  • profiled rail guide
    10 resources for selecting the right profiled rail guide

  • Linear actuators: belt driven vs. rack and pinion driven
  • gantry robot
    The world’s largest gantry robots
  • Profiled Rail Rack & Pinion
    Profiled rail + rack & pinion = integrated solution
  • Hepco-HDS2-slides-for-long-strokes
    Designing (seventh-axis) linear motion tracks for robotic positioning
Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5

Filed Under: Applications, FAQs + basics, Featured, Rack + pinion driven, Rack + pinion sets

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

DESIGN GUIDE LIBRARY

“motion
Subscribe Today

RSS Featured White Papers

  • Evaluating actuators for washdown in food & beverage applications
  • Identifying Best-Value Linear Motion Technologies
  • Introduction to accuracy and repeatability in linear motion systems

RSS Motion Control Tips

  • Encoders from SIKO support Industrial Ethernet
  • Draw-wire encoders from SIKO measure position, speed and inclination
  • Incremental encoders configurable via NFC (near-field communication)
  • Low-cost motion control offered with CLICK PLUS PLCs from AutomationDirect
  • Compact 4-axis controller for highly dynamic applications

Footer

Linear Motion Tips

Design World Network

Design World Online
The Robot Report
Coupling Tips
Motion Control Tips
Bearing Tips
Fastener Engineering

Linear Motion Tips

Subscribe to our newsletter
Advertise with us
Contact us
About us

Follow us on TwitterAdd us on FacebookAdd us on LinkedInAdd us on YouTubeAdd us on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Privacy Policy