Rack and pinions are used for lifting mechanisms (vertical movement), horizontal motion, positioning mechanisms, stoppers and to let the synchronous rotation of many shafts generally industrial machinery. However, they are also found in steering systems to improve the direction of vehicles. The features of rack and pinion systems in steering are as follows: simple structure, high rigidity, little and lightweight, and exceptional responsiveness. With this mechanism, the pinion, installed to the steering shaft, is certainly meshed with a steering rack to transmit rotary motion laterlly (switching it to linear movement) so that you can control the wheel. In addition, rack and pinions are used for several other purposes, such as toys and lateral slide gates.

As a mechanical element to transfer rotary into linear motion, gear racks tend to be in comparison to ball screws. There are advantages and disadvantages for using racks in place of ball screws. The advantages of a Spur Gear Rack equipment rack are its mechanical simplicity, huge load carrying capacity, no limit to the length, etc. One disadvantage though may be the backlash. The advantages of a ball screw will be the high precision and lower backlash while its shortcomings include the limit in length due to deflection.

There are applications where in fact the gear rack is stationary, while the pinion traverses and others where in fact the pinion rotates upon a fixed axis while the gear rack moves. The previous is used broadly in conveying systems while the latter can be used in extrusion systems and lifting/lowering applications.

To provide many variations of rack and pinion, KHK has various kinds of gear racks in share. If the application requires a long length requiring multiple equipment racks in series, we have racks with the tooth forms correctly configured at the ends. These are described as “gear racks with machined ends”. Whenever a equipment rack is created, the tooth cutting process and heat treatment process could cause it to try & walk out true. We can control this with special presses & remedial processes.