Condition Monitoring of Rack and Pinion Drive Systems: Necessity and Challenges in Production Environments

Rack and pinion drives are linear actuators commonly found in feed axes of machine tools and handling systems. Despite their use in demanding production environments and the possibility of failure due to foreseen or unforeseen cause, as of this writing, no condition monitoring systems are used in such applications. This paper shows the prospects of condition monitoring of rack and pinion drive systems concerning predictability of faults and saving of resources. Additionally the current state of the art of science and technology in this field and the challenges of condition monitoring of such drive systems under the circumstances of production environments are outlined. The publication concludes the need for action and gives an outlook on ongoing developments in condition monitoring of rack and pinion drives.