Custom Racks

The rack is a fundamental element in mechanics because it allows you to transform a circular motion into a straight or curvilinear one depending on the type of profile, with the possibility of selecting different cogs.

The most common ones are those with straight teeth, which can be considered low cost, although in many cases they are the best choice, precisely because of their very predictable performance during the design phase, together with the helical ones, which instead guarantees a better starting point and greater adhesion during translations, thus preventing very risky phenomena such as non-linear oscillations.

Custom-made racks are the solution to avoid problems, even serious ones that can occur, for example in the case of a sudden stop, or the use of high-powered stepper motors.

Customised and precision racks

Our company is responsible for designing and manufacturing each type of rack with a square or flat section, up to a length of 6 linear metres, with the possibility of different types of design in addition to the standard ones.

The parameters that can be modified are many, starting from the type of starting material that can be selected from a wide range of steel alloys, from simple to alloyed, with specific characteristics of resistance to chemical and physical aggression, as well as mechanical strength in the face of an environment rich in solid particles.

We create custom-made racks for critical applications such as, for example, with the presence of debris and dust, ensuring that the quality of surface processing and tempering phases limits the risk of blockages or damage.

We prepare every fundamental step for your creations to recover the damages related to the tears on the alloy’s shallow levels caused by abrasion. Although the tungsten carbide bits of the milling cutters are always carefully and abundantly lubricated and kept at a low temperature, they are still an element to be reckoned with during the design phase.

The other fundamental factors on which we can act for the creation of custom racks are, of course, all those related to their geometry, both with regard to the density of teeth, the height, the thickness and the inclination of the clivial and lateral planes.
Our managers start from your project, also in the form of a CAD sketch, if they are implementations in progress, formalising them to bring the realisation back to the optimal level.

We rely on the instrumental data at our disposal regarding the mechanical and chemical strength of the different alloys, the force transmission capacity and other characteristics that may be difficult to predict in the design phase, but that for us are everyday life.

Our technicians and engineers, both those who work actively within the workshop and the design office, are at your complete disposal to help you in the correct formalisation of your projects, for the optimisation of profiles, especially for those who do not comply with standard guidelines regarding measurements.

We also offer you all the essential tests to ensure that from a prototype you can move to mass production with a reliable yield profile and with an easy cost to reabsorb and justify in your design plan.

We make all kinds of changes for you concerning ordinary racks, including drilling for fittings, the implementation of joint elements for interlocking and possibly even reworking the side planes, to allow your devices to operate at their best.
In addition, you can also count on our consultancy for the creation of racks intended for nylon applications, both for straight and curved profiles.

What are the critical elements for custom racks?

Carrying out a tailor-made project means having to solve different problems, in particular concerning the amount of force available, once the custom rack is produced.
Materials, geometries and mechanical modules can reserve unpleasant surprises if you do not have a thorough knowledge of the specific subject. We have been working for years in the field of precision mechanics in Officine Meccaniche Zanatta and we have developed our verification plans, based on direct experience in this field, matured over time and with the fiduciary relationship with our customers.

The elements that are taken into account in the formalisation phases of a project for a custom rack are mainly related to the amount of material removed compared to the original bar.

It is only a simplifying and indicative parameter, but it is necessary to understand how there can be significant drops in performance if, for example, the teeth are too high compared to the residual thickness, their unsuitable inclination or simply the support base is too tight.

For this reason, we carry out not only formal checks on custom projects but also essential laboratory tests to guarantee the security you need and to be able to provide you with both single pieces and batches of exclusively reliable material.

Among the various tests that we reserve for the productions, we can list the controls for the lateral deviation, a phenomenon that is linked to the internal tensions of the crystalline lattice of the material, aggravated by the rotating machine removal and the torsion, as well as the lateral deviation.

For each type of project, especially for those at the limit of the possibilities of the machines and materials, we verify up to 0.01 degrees/m of lateral torsion, we carry out tests with our precision equipment and we provide for the alignment of the tooth crests, to avoid vibrations and oscillations, even in the case of helical racks that present particular difficulty from the point of view of estimates.

All the creations and verifications are carried out by instrumental means by qualified technicians specialised in this type of intervention on the semi-finished and finished products and that guarantees you the right degree of reliability with tolerance intervals that can be selected to work with gears from module 0.5 to module 30.

Custom-made racks can be prepared with modulus values ranging from 6 to 10, to have low noise and the absence of vibratory events with stepper and high torque motors.

Obviously, depending on the type of work we ensure you the certainty of reducing the acoustic events of engagement and traction, as well as stress for the entire system where the rack will be inserted. One of the most important factors of the project is what allows us to guarantee that in case of intense inspiration, there will be no dispersions or a lack of training.

Consultancy and implementation

If your rack needs specific characteristics we always recommend you consider the possibility of using a helical profile, which guarantees better tightness and greater adhesion of the cogs. Although this system has some implementation limitations it may be the best response for your problem.

For any type of intervention do not hesitate to contact our technicians, who will carry out a quick evaluation, suggesting the optimal solution even during the design phases, because one of the fundamental factors for half and full-custom productions is always that of an active exchange between the skills present in our company and those of the two technicians.

Collaborative information management is necessary to minimise product waste and the possibility of design errors, thus allowing better use of the possibilities of alloys and materials.

We are also at your disposal for the processing of alloy steels and other metals for applications in chemically aggressive environments or with poor stability, such as for making racks for zones 1 and 2 in chemical plants and for any type of processing intended for heavy-duty service or outdoor assembly.

You can ask us for finishes that can improve the response even to unpredictable phenomena such as the presence of solid and hard particles, which could break normal teeth and any type of rack processing, up to a maximum of 6 metres in length per single piece.

In addition, the guarantee that in the case of larger elements, the alignment will be maintained within its optimal tolerance levels with constant checks and supervision by our appointees.

The solution for your custom racks

Rely on us to design and build your standard racks. We put our staff of highly trained professionals at your disposal, ready to provide you with the answer to your every need.

We can optimise your projects starting from a sketch or work directly with your CAD file, also carrying out the tests you require from us regarding alignment, precision and material durability.

This is both for full custom realisations for single pieces and entire batches, also thanks to our ability to take advantage of a material procurement service with a high degree of pre-emption, which allows us to reach the required volumes in an accurately estimated time and to always guarantee you can count on a post-sales service ready to answer all your doubts and questions.

Ask us for a free and no-obligation quote for your creations, even starting from a general sketch. We will be happy to provide you with accurate and reliable data based on our experience and the ability to manage all factory processes, from cutting to alignment and corrections, as well as the delivery of finished materials.