The rack is equivalent to the index circle infinite cylindrical gear. At this time, the index circle, tip circle and root circle of the gear all become straight lines, and the gear becomes a rack . The tooth profile of a rack is straight (flat for the flanks) rather than an involute like a gear. The inclination angle of the tooth profile is called the tooth profile angle, and the standard value is 20° . The main parameters of the rack are tooth space width, tooth height, tooth thickness, tooth root circle radius and so on. The tooth thickness of the rack is equal to the slot width.
The processing method of the rack is similar to that of the gear, including hobbing, shaping, shaving, grinding, honing, etc.