Determining a linear drive with rack and pinion is not always easy due to the many variables. For example, the rack must be able to supply the feed force and be accurate enough. The gearbox is an important component between the pinion and the motor and the motor itself must supply a suitable nominal and maximum torque at a certain speed. Eric Megens tells more about it in this video.
Determining a linear drive with rack and pinion is not always easy due to the many variables. There is a close interplay between rack, pinion, gearbox and the motor. These components and the variables are important to be able to meet your design specifications.
The rack and pinion
First the rack. This must be able to supply the feed force and be accurate enough for the application. The pinion rolls over this, which transforms the torque into the feed force. Empirically, around 20 teeth is the most optimal number of teeth for a pinion. It is the optimum between backlash on the one hand and wear on the other.
The gearbox and the motor
The gearbox is the component between the pinion and the motor and ensures the reduction of the speed, a proportional increase of the torque, and not unimportant, a better mass-inertia ratio. Finally, there is the motor which delivers a suitable nominal and maximum torque at a given speed.
Apex Dynamics is happy to calculate the drive for you, in this way we come up with a complete proposal, possibly including a fully automatic lubrication unit. We can also calculate what the accuracy of the entire system, based on the selected components, will be.
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