Nexen Group, Inc. recently introduced the Versa thermoplastic rack – an alternative to traditional metal racks that are designed to deliver high-corrosion resistance and durability, low maintenance requirements and medium accuracy and load-carrying capacity at a relatively low cost point. The Versa Rack is made for applications such as CNC routers and conveyers, as well as many picking, part-marking and gantry-based automation systems.
Made of self-lubricating polymer, the Versa Rack is able to run at full speed without additional lubrication. It can withstand washdown, outdoors operation (even in coastal climates with salty air) and other challenges, making it an option for usage in dirty environments, clean rooms, and food/pharmaceutical production.
The Versa Rack features backlash less than 3.2 um and positional accuracy of +/- 580 um, depending on the pinion selected. It can be used with any of Nexen’s pinions – either its value pinion or its higher performance premium pinions. The Versa Rack withstands loads of 500 to 1200 Newtons depending on pinion size. The speed rating of value pinions and thermoplastic racks is 480 to 750 rpm and 2 m/s.