Now available from Micromech, Alpha’s new gearhead combines a rack and pinion and planetary gear arrangement, allowing feed rates of 60m/min with acceleration rates of 5m/s/s. These level 5 rack and pinion systems have a repeatability of less than 2 microns and a cumulative pitch error less than 2/3 of a ball screw. In addition to this exceptional accuracy, these rack and pinion systems remain extremely rigid thanks to electronic pre-load.