When a part is longer than one reach radius, or when several stations must be served, there are two ways out: put the robot on a track, or buy another robot. The right answer comes from the cycle time, not from the price list.
The trade
| One robot on a track | Two fixed robots | |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | One robot, plus track at a per-metre price | Two robots, no track |
| Cycle time | Travel time is added to the cycle | Both robots work in parallel |
| Booth space | A track occupies floor length | Two positions, no travel path |
| In a classified booth | Ex motors and Ex cable carriers add cost | No extra Ex items beyond the robots |
| Programming | One program with an external axis | Two programs to keep in step |
| Redundancy | One failure stops everything | One robot can keep the line half running |
Where each one wins
- Track wins when the part is long and the takt is generous — a 72 m floor track carrying five robots was engineered exactly that way, one robot covering several stations along a line.
- Track wins when the stations are used at different times, so the robot is never idle while another station waits.
- Two robots win when takt is tight: travel time comes straight off the coating time available per part.
- Two robots win in a booth where floor length is scarce and the extra Ex-rated track hardware would cost more than an arm.
Do this calculation before deciding
Add up the coating time per part from the coated area, film build, fan width, overlap and gun speed. Then add the travel time the track would impose, at a realistic acceleration rather than the catalogue top speed. If the sum exceeds your takt, the track has already failed and the second robot is the answer.
Then price the track per metre, including the Ex-rated motors and cable carriers if it sits inside a classified booth, and compare it with an arm plus its controller, cabling and safety devices.
Frequently asked questions
Can one track carry two robots?
Yes, and it is common — a long track with two carriages, or one carriage carrying a painting robot with a second robot opening doors, as on a delivered car-body interior line with two 11 m axes.
How fast do these tracks move?
The standard track is rated 600 mm/s and the heavier project-built axes run at 1 m/s with repeatability ±0.2 mm. Use the real acceleration profile, not the top speed, in a cycle-time estimate.
Is a track worth it for a single station?
Rarely. Its value is in covering length or serving several stations; for one station in one position it adds cost, complexity and a maintenance item.
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