Racks and spur gears

Racks and spur gears can be used to transmit power and motion between rotating shafts or convert rotational motion into linear motion.

The most common situation is for a spur gear to mesh with another spur gear of a corresponding module, but a gear can mesh with any device having compatible teeth, such as moving linear racks. One of the most important features is that gears of unequal diameters can be combined to produce a mechanical advantage, so that the rotational speed and torque of the second gear are different from that of the first.

Racks and gears are manufactured in many materials including a special range produced specifically for the food industry manufactured from either plastic or stainless steel.

Plastic racks and gears are commonly used where weight, corrosion resistance and quietness of operation are required. They run without the need for lubrication, making them suitable for food and pharmaceutical industries. There are two types of plastic available, polyamide and acetal copolymer (POM). TEA’s standard range of plastic gears starts at a Module 0.5 up to a Module 3 with various teeth numbers available from 12 up to 140 teeth in the smaller modules, produced only from the material Acetal Copolymer (POM). There are two ranges available for plastic racks with standard lengths available of 250 mm produced from POM or 1000 mm (longer lengths available on request) produced from polyamide.

Stainless steel racks and gears are commonly used for their strength to weight ratio, corrosion resistance and durability. They are available in either 303 or 304 stainless in standard lengths up to 2000 mm with the option of continuous mount racks available to enable unlimited lengths. Rack sizes available are Module 1 up to Module 5 in either a square or round profile. There is a standard range of gears available in various teeth numbers starting at 15 up to 40 teeth with specials made on request.