gears and ratchets

[stevefran88]

I am interested in finding an engineering firm to design the internals to a product I am developing. I envision the use of a gear/ratchet system. The parts are small and very customized. I am having problems finding an engineering design firm that does this type of work. Searching gears and ratchets on google results in manufacturers, but very few engineering firms. Am I using the incorrect search term? It seams like all the search results are centered on automotive gears....

 

[MikeHalloran]

You need a mechanical designer to fit a ratchet into your product.
Then you need a mechanical engineer to correct the geometry, select the right materials, and evaluate how the ratchet stresses the remainder of your product.
Nobody can make a living designing and engineering just ratchets, so they'll probably both claim to engage in some kind of 'mechanical product design' work.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[unclesyd]

Have you checked out Lowell for a custom design. the made a lot of specials for us. I believe you could have a confidentiality agreement to cover you.

http://www.lowellcorp.com/applications.html

 

[MikeHalloran]

I second unclesyd's suggestion.

I have seen too much effort, time, and money wasted on ratchets that didn't quite work right. They only appear to be simple.




Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[TVP]

Here are some companies that offer the services you mention:

http://www.geartechnology.com/dir/Gear_Engineering_Consulting.htm

 

[ornerynorsk]

Mechanical instrumentation firms would also be familiar with clockworks and small mechanisms.