Mechanisms
Linkages, cams, indexing units, rack and pinion sets, gears, chain and sprocket drives, and the miscellaneous motion components that make a machine do something other than move in a straight line.
This is the category people search when they know the motion they need but not the name of the part that produces it. A machine that has to stop precisely at eight positions per revolution wants an indexing unit, not a servo and a controller. A machine that has to convert a rotating shaft to a long linear stroke wants rack and pinion, not a ball screw, because a ball screw long enough will whip. A mechanism that must hold position without power wants a worm drive, which is self-locking above a certain ratio.
So the practical route is to describe the motion — stroke, positions, cycle rate, and whether it must hold without power — and let the mechanism follow. Sizing follows from torque and duty cycle, and chain drives in particular need the duty class stated, since a chain rated for continuous drive is a different part from one rated for occasional indexing.
Sourced to order, with custom linkages and brackets machined in-house.
Lines in this category
- Spur, helical and bevel gears
- Worm and wheel sets
- Rack and pinion
- Chain and sprockets
- Timing belts and pulleys
- Indexing and rotary tables
- Cams and followers
- Linkages and rod ends
- Clutches and brakes
Products
We source this line to order
We do not hold this category in stock, and we would rather say so than list parts we cannot ship. Send a part list, a specification or a photograph and we will quote it with a lead time — this is a line we supply regularly to order.
How to choose
Describe the motion, not the part: stroke or angle, number of positions, cycles per minute, and whether it must hold position with the power off. That last one alone chooses between a worm drive and everything else. Then size on torque at the slowest speed, since that is where torque peaks, and apply the duty class honestly — a mechanism indexing once a minute and one indexing once a second are different components even at identical torque.
Frequently asked
I know the movement I need but not the part — can you help?
Yes, and it is the normal enquiry here. Describe the motion: stroke or angle, how many positions, how often, what it carries, and whether it must hold with the power off. We will name the mechanism and quote it.
Rack and pinion or ball screw for a long axis?
Rack and pinion beyond about two metres. A ball screw long enough to cover that will whip at speed and its critical speed limits the feed rate. Rack and pinion has more backlash but no length limit.
Which drive holds position without power?
A worm and wheel above roughly a 20:1 ratio is self-locking, which is why it is used on gate and lift mechanisms. Do not rely on self-locking as a safety device, though — a proper brake is what a safety case needs.