Profile Rail mounting styles Training

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Design and Theory

In general, profile rails are manufactured with one of the three types of rail mounting:

Bolt from the top
Bolt from the top with a cover strip
Bolt from the bottom

The mounting method is determined by how the rail is manufactured. The rail mounting style does not affect the carriage compatibility.

Bolt from the top

A rail with bolt from the top mounting has counter bored through mounting holes from the top. This rail can be mounted to a surface with socket head cap screws. If desired after installation, the mounting holes in the rail can be covered with hole caps or a thin film (tape).

Bolt from the top is the most popular rail mounting choice. Some profile rail designs are only supplied in bolt from the top versions.

Bolt from the top rail cross section and picture

Bolt from the top with a cover strip

Bolt from the top with a cover strip rail is the same as bolt from the top rail with the addition of a groove in the top of the rail for a cover strip. The cover strip can be pressed into the groove after installation.

Bolt from the top with a cover strip cross section and picture

Bolt from the bottom

Bolt from the bottom mounting has tapped holes in the bottom of the rail. This leaves the top of the rail smooth and clean with no potential for debris to collect or rail caps to worry about. The disadvantage is that there needs to be access to the underside of the mounting surface to install the bolts.

Bolt from the bottom cross section and picture