T-Drive Motor - UniTrack, UniBeam & E-Rail System

T-Drive Motor - UniTrack, UniBeam & E-Rail System

The TDrive motor is designed to fit the UniTrack, UniBeam and Erail tracks for both straight and curved system layouts and is intended as a quick plug and play installation. The motor and the control system are incorporated into one compact unit that can attach directly beneath the different tracks.

The TDrive is intended for curtains with a:

1)  Maximum curtain weight: 300kg on straight track, 200kg on curved track
2)  Maximum linear speed: 0.70m/s

Installation is very simple; there is one Neutrik type power connector, a motor reverse switch and XLR connections for the following functions:

1)  1 x 6 pin XLR for variable speed pendant (standard pendant)
2)  1 x 4 pin XLR for additional pendant (either wired or wireless)
3)  2 x 3 pin XLR for track mounted limits

The motor reverse switch corrects the curtain direction in relation to the control buttons. A standard control pendant has open, close and stop functions and includes an XLR connector for adding an optional second pendant for use either on stage or in a control room. The remote pendant also incorporates speed control as standard. A wireless remote controller can be purchased as an additional option. This can simply be added to the unit by using one of the XLR sockets.
The TDrive uses a 0.4KW, 50 Hz motor and requires a 230V, 13Amp, 50Hz single phase supply.

TDrive – in Detail

The TDrive is intended for large curtains in all environments. There are numerous curtain effects possible with both the UniTrack and UniBeam tracks which includes rearfold and side cording systems. The image below shows the overall dimensions and weight of the TDrive unit.

The TDrive is designed as a bolt-on extra and provides a simple solution to the problem of where a track motor drive unit can be located. It can be either easily mounted directly beneath a track system or to a wall using additional brackets.

Track Mounting on Erail
TDrive attached to an Erail track system of which the Erail head pulley can be used for both straight and curved track layouts. It is important to support the motor unit with an M12 stud as the motor unit weight of 25kg cannot be solely suspended by the Erail track.

All available cording options, i.e. straight (single and overlap), curved and side cording options can be motorised using the TDrive. Details for which are shown in the figure below.

The TDrive unit can be supplied with a set of brackets and Unistrut sections allowing the motor housing to be directly attached to a wall as shown in figure 4. Two 1.2m long Unistrut channels in conjunction with the supplied wall brackets allow for vertical adjustment and simplifies the cord tensioning process by simply sliding the whole motor unit vertically up or down the Unistrut.

The TDrive unit is a maintenance free system but periodic checks should be made to ensure all components are still working safely. It may also be necessary to re-tension the drive cord as it could stretch when being exposed to continuous high tensile loads. The TDrive is fitted with a spring tensioning system to compensate for the elasticity of the cord. The drive cord may also need replacing depending on how often the system is used and what loads are applied. Periodic checks of the drive cord is also advised.

Mechanical Installation

The cording method for the TDrive unit. The rope tensioner spring must be compressed during the cording process but remain only partially compressed afterwards. This helps to compensate for any rope stretch. The TDrive is also equipped with a free spinning pulley which aids in the cording process. The pulley can be “released” from the motor by removing the 3 shoulder bolts shown. This allows the pulley to freely rotate but still remain part of the motor assembly during the cording process.