LED track light track classification and use method and place

Track lights (also known as track lights and track lights) are one of the most commonly used lighting fixtures in commercial lighting, museum lighting, etc. They are characterized by convenient installation and flexible adjustment. The soul of the track lights is not a light fixture but a track. The application place of the track light is actually determined by the track. For example, the high-pressure pipe is suitable for museums, art galleries, etc.; the low-pressure pipe is suitable for the space of micro-windows, showcases, etc.; the soft track is suitable for special occasions requiring large-angle bending.

First, the classification and use of the lighting track Daquan

First, the classification of the track

There are many types of tracks, which can be classified according to different methods. In general, the classification by voltage will be clearer. We can divide the track into two categories: high pressure and low pressure.

1 first category: high pressure track

The high-voltage track can be divided into 2 lines, 3 lines, 4 lines, 5 lines, and 6 lines according to the number of internal copper cores.

2-line track

One hundred and one fires are not grounded. The halogen small track lights that were used ten years ago are the most commonly used such tracks. They have been basically eliminated in the past few years and are rare.

Figure: 2-wire track with 2 copper cores and a schematic cross-section.

Picture: In the early years, the 2-line track halogen spotlights, many children who have been in the market may not have seen the goods, and it is not easy to find a real application map.

3-line track

One hundred and one fires and one earth line are the most common in domestic commercial lighting. From the metal halide lamp era to the current LED lighting era, it has been used for many years. Conventional 3-wire orbits are only single-loop, that is, it is not possible to separate the lamps on one track separately (but there are also 3 lines for foreign trade customers to set the circuit to two fires and zeros to separate the circuit.) Because it is almost standard Product, so the domestic 3-line track price is transparent, and there is little difference between brands. Conventional black, white, gray, mostly surface-mounted, the specifications are mainly 1 meter, 2 meters, 3 meters.

Figure: Schematic diagram of a 3-wire track with 3 copper cores.

Figure: Application of 3-wire track and lighting in clothing stores. The picture is from the Sidon Lighting case broadcast clothing.

4-wire track

Three fires and one zero, it can form a multi-loop, to meet the requirements of group control on a track. This is also the track configuration commonly used in domestic museum art museums and foreign commercial spaces. Available in surface mount and insert mount versions. Relatively speaking, the construction of the embedded installation will be more troublesome, and the price of the product is higher, but the advantage is that the surface of the ceiling is flat and beautiful.

Figure: Surface-mounted 4-wire track and flush-mounted 4-wire track.

Figure: 4-wire track with 4 copper cores and a schematic cross-section.

Figure: Through the 4-wire 3-loop track, different luminaires on the same track can be placed on different circuits to switch between different effects. Image courtesy of Mayalit · Maya light effect display.

5-line track

Less common, I have only seen ERCO's orbit for a 5-wire, 3-loop orbital hybrid system track.

Figure: The fifth line of the five-wire rail is slightly thinner and is the protective grounding wire. The remaining 4 thick lines can be connected to three loops, or only one loop + DALI signal line.

Figure: ERCO track section and its application in the museum. Image from ERCO Case: Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art.

6-track

It is also rarely used in China, mainly for high-end museum art galleries, as well as foreign trade customers. Its characteristics are the same as those of 5-line tracks, which satisfy both sub-loop and system control. The price is much higher than the previous ones, but it is very convenient in the long run. In particular, some venues have no system control requirements in the early stage. If the system control is to be changed later, the 6-line 3-loop hybrid system tracks. There is no need to replace it.

Figure: The four thick lines of the six-wire rail are used for three loops, and the two thin wires are DALI signal lines.

Figure: Left: Embedded 6-wire track; Right: Surface-mounted 6-wire track. Image courtesy of the 2016 ONE TRACK brand booth at the Frankfurt Fair.

Soft track

The soft track is a special shape and craft track. It is suitable for some special shapes where the track can be softly bent. It is rarely used in China today, so there are fewer manufacturers of soft tracks, and many are for export products.

Figure: Since the main body of the track is made of aluminum, the 2-wire and 3-wire tracks mentioned above can also be stretched to meet the needs of specific places. (Image from the network)

Independent small track

Some of these products are also called ceiling disks. When a certain area only needs one track light and does not need to adjust the position frequently, you can use this kind of independent small track to make the surface installation of the luminaire, avoiding the waste and unsightly of a track with one lamp. These products are also available in clear and embedded versions, and the embedded unit price is higher.

Figure: Embedded independent small track installed in the Picasso Museum in Paris.

Figure: The effect after installing the luminaire.

2 second category: low-voltage track

These kinds of tracks are all connected to 220V high-voltage mains. The second one to be talked about is to connect low-voltage rails. Now there are two kinds of mini-tracks and magnetic tracks. If you miss them, please leave a message at the message. Add it.

Mini 2 line track

Small size, generally used in miniature window, showcase and other display space, generally connected to 12V or 24V voltage, this design is designed to facilitate flexible access to multiple lamps on one track, easy loop control, and mini-track can be installed in people Where it is touched, low pressure is also considered for safety.

Figure: Cross section of the low voltage mini track.

Figure: Low voltage mini track and luminaires.

Figure: Application of low-voltage mini-track lamps in high-end goods stores.

Figure: Application of low-voltage mini-track lights in museum showcases (picture is Hubei Provincial Museum)

Magnetic track

It is the new favorite in recent years. Since the introduction of the magnetic series products by FLOS XAL, it has been favored by designers in high-end office and commercial clubs due to its ease of installation, modularity of matching lamps and other advantages. . The main design principle of the magnetic track is to use the adsorption of positive and negative magnetic poles to fix the track and the lamp, so the lamp is required to be small and light. Magnetic rails and luminaire systems are also often designed with low voltage.

Figure: FLOS's magnetic track and luminaire module system, taken at the 2016 Frankfurt show.

Figure: XAL's magnetic track small spotlight application and close-up of the conductive points of the wall washer.

Second, the installation and application scenarios of the track

We have been saying that the application of track lights is flexible. What is the point? First of all, in terms of track installation, there are many ways to achieve hoisting, surface mounting, embedding, and hiding in the slot.

Figure: Lifting, surface mounting, and embedding installation from left to right.

Figure: The most common and simple installation: surface mount (picture from Barcelona H&M store)

Figure: Track light installation in high-end commercial shops: Ceiling slots, deepen the tracks and lamps into the slots, keeping the ceiling clean and beautiful (picture from the CHANNEL store on Beverly Hills)

As for the design of the track layout, it can be based on demand.

In commercial shops, most of them are arranged in rows according to shelves;

In the museum art museum, considering the flexibility of the temporary exhibition, the ceiling will set more tracks;

Figure: In the Sichuan Art Museum (WAC case), the dense track above the ceiling of the temporary exhibition hall is convenient for flexible exhibition.

Of course, in the beautiful window, the vertical track is also very common, as shown below, this is the window with the highest density of lamps I have seen.

Picture: A small window, a dozen lamps to help out...·····

Third, the track related accessories and some application notes

Because the track needs a variety of different ways of splicing, there are different kinds of accessories, commonly used are the input head, tail plug, I-shaped connector and so on. It is worth noting that the tracks and accessories between different manufacturers may be different in size, so they are not all common. The matching degree between the accessories and the track, whether the gap fits these details, is also the quality of the product.

Figure: Part of the track application accessories.

There are a few common issues to be aware of when installing and using:

1, 3 line - 6 line track lights When installing, you need to align the raised side of the track light head with a groove or other indicated side of the track, and the light in the opposite direction is not bright.

2. When installing the 3-circuit track light, pay attention to whether the light is on the corresponding circuit. If it is not bright, you can switch the circuit and try again.

Figure: Internal structure of multi-circuit track feed head.

3. The copper strip in the track has two kinds of round core and flat core. It seems that the contact area of the flat core is larger, so some people say that the contact of the flat core is better than the round core. In fact, as long as the products are designed and manufactured in a formal way, there is no such thing as the core track.

4. The track and the connecting head before the different manufacturers may not be universal, especially the 4-wire, 5-wire, and 6-wire products. If a project uses the A-brand track, if you want to use the B-brand track light, please test and confirm. General.