Tracks, Ducts, Rails and Slides: Roller Track, Curtain Track, Seat Track & Shelf Tracks

* All Products are produced to order. No Stock Products.

About Tracks, Ducts, Rails and Slides

The parts produced as Roll Formed Tracks, Ducts, Rails and Slides, may not seem to be different. As a matter of fact, there are similarities, but they can differ in many ways as well. This page will concentrate on differences and similarities involving mainly Metal Roll Formed Tracks. How a Roll Formed Part is used and how the most important criteria that assigns the part is the title of "Tracks".

U-Channels, C-Channels, Hat Channels, Strut Channels, Open Seam Tubing and many other Profiles can all be used as, and called Tracks. The usage that labels a part as a Track is when something is riding inside or outside along the part used as a Track. Sorry, no railroad tracks here, except for tiny roll formed model train track profile sections. Railroad tracks do give a picture of the motion involved in the use of Tracks.

Roller Tracks and Curtain Tracks

A Roll Formed Metal Roller Track may be a Channel with rollers mounted inside it so something can move across it on those rollers. Roller Tracks are very common. Another Roller Track use would be a Channel that Rollers, attached to something else, travel on and across it such as with many types of conveyors. A Curtain Track is another great use of a Channel. There are many different types of Curtains used with these Curtain Tracks. You may automatically think of a curtain where you live that may be mounted on rollers and hooks or plastic parts that ride inside of a track. Yes, this is a very common use. In the non-residential world the types of curtains that move back in forth, in Track assemblies are used as room separators. Typically a large area is divided up by curtains instead of walls in a factory or even Schools. Gymnasiums are a popular place that Curtain Tracks are used as well.

Seat Tracks, Shelf Tracks, Drawer Tracks & Ceiling Tracks

Seat Tracks are used with most any vehicle that has a seat in it. The car you drive has them, as well as Trucks, Farm Vehicles, and more that use a Seat Track. Even aircraft have seat tracks but those are mainly used to slide seats in and slide seats out of the aircraft for different uses of that aircraft. Chances are you have a chair where you live that has a metal Seat Track inside as well. Drawer Tracks are used when a drawer may be riding on a channel that stays motionless, unlike drawer slides that ride in and out of each other and telescope out. Another usage is as a Shelf Track. Shelf Tracks can obviously be Tracks used to slide Shelves into and out of. However one of the biggest uses of a Shelf Track is as the Channel Mounted on a wall with location slots for shelf brackets to fit into. Shelves are then placed on those brackets. The term Shelf Track is not the best way to identify this roll formed metal channel`s use. A Shelf Standard would be a much more appropriate usage term in this case. Ceiling Tracks are also widely used, however, in this case, of course, ceilings do not ride on or inside of these tracks. A Ceiling Track may be mounted so curtains can ride on fixtures or trolleys that slide inside the track. Very similar to Curtain Tracks, a Ceiling Track may be used with curtains or fixed wall partitions, lighting or a number of other uses. The usage determines the type of metal used, how thick, what type of metal and how large this Ceiling Track will be.

Door Tracks and Barn Door Tracks

Another common use for Metal Roll Formed Channels as Tracks is in Door assemblies. Any door that moves up and down and side to side has a Door Track in use. Overhead Doors, Garage Doors, Emergency Doors, Ventilation Doors, Patio Doors, Clean Room Doors and more.  Barn Door Tracks use mainly a side to side motion and in some cases an overhead Barn Door Track may be used as well with trolleys and rollers fixed above. Some Door tracks are not made with Roll Formed Channels. Some are made with extruded parts not available at Johnson Bros. Roll Formed Door Tracks are much more widely used than extruded tracks. When Extruded Track is used, Johnson Bros. makes a part that will fit over the portion of that extruded track called a Track Cap, Track Cover, or Cladding to repair the extruded track or build into a door to prevent wear because extruded tracks always wear out more due to being made from softer aluminum. Please go to this page “Stainless Steel Sill Track Caps & Covers” if that is what you need or are looking for here in this page. You may also go to our Channels page to develop a part to be used as a Track.

Stock Tracks: Unfortunately, Johnson Bros. manufactures tracks to order and does not keep any on a shelf ready to ship. There is a 2,000 lineal foot minimum order requirement for all at once or blanket order release totals. Track Caps and Covers can be from stock, however.

Metal Thicknesses: can be from .005" thick through .125" thick.

Lengths and Multiple Lengths: from 3" long through 40 feet long, are cut to length inline, accurately.

Inline Fabricating accurately available for: Holes, Slots, Notches, Shear Forms, Identification Marks, Other Material Insertions, Cutouts, End Fabrications, Tabs, Miters, K/O’s, Perforating, Embossing, Knurling, Cladding and more.Stock Tracks: Unfortunately, Johnson Bros. manufactures tracks to order and does not keep any on a shelf ready to ship. There is a 2,000 lineal foot minimum order requirement for all at once or blanket order release totals, except for prototype requirements. Track Caps and Covers can be from stock, however.

Metal Prefinishes provided: Prepainted, Preplated, Preanodized, Prepolished, Prelaquered, Strippable PVC Coated, Prelaminated Vinyl, Galvanized, Aluminized, Galvannealed, Clad, Bright Finishes, Satin Finishes, Dull, and Plain Finishes available and much more.