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Flexible-Track Welding Carriage — RG Series

A high-elastic stainless-steel belt track with magnetic blocks that clings to curved shells and large-diameter workpieces — weld vertical, horizontal and circumferential seams on tanks from Ø2000 mm upward.

Also known as: flexible track welding carriage, flexible-track welding tractor, rail welding carriage for curved seams.

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Flexible track welding carriage with control panel
Flexible track welding carriage climbing curved tank shell seam
Flexible track carriage welding circumferential seam on large tank
Flexible track carriage welding on ship hull panel

Climb the Shell. Weld the Seam.

Purpose-built for tank and shell work: the belt track is held by strong magnetic adsorption on carbon steel plate from 3 mm — inside or outside the tank, welding horizontal, vertical and flat-position long straight seams on shells from Ø1800 mm upward.

  • Tank diameter Ø1800 mm and above — welds inside and outside the shell
  • Horizontal, vertical and flat-position long straight seams on carbon steel ≥ 3 mm
  • Integrated type includes intermittent welding; split type can add it as an option
  • Optional battery power pack for work sites without easy power access
  • Straight-swing and angle-swing torch versions; sprocket drive climbs without slipping
Request RG Series Quote
Watch It Work

Application Videos

Flexible-track carriage welding on a tank shell
Specifications

RG Series Technical Data

ItemSpecification
Carriage modelRG-III-Q1/Z (straight swing) · RG-III-Q1/J (angle swing)
Drive modeChain-sprocket drive (main unit travel)
Welding speed0–1100 mm/min (digital display)
Minimum workpiece diameterØ1800 mm and above (magnetically permeable material)
Minimum suction thickness3 mm
Carriage dimensions (L×W×H)RG-III-Q1/Z: 240 × 365 × 302 mm · RG-III-Q1/J: 260 × 503 × 302 mm
Carriage weight8.7 kg
Swing modeStraight swing (Z) / angle swing (J)
Swing width0–32 mm (digital, simulated value)
Swing angle30° (angle-swing version)
Swing speed0–2700 mm/min
Dwell time left / right0–4 s each
Centre offset compensation±5 mm
Torch adjustment — vertical65 mm (vertical slide)
Torch adjustment — horizontal90 mm (main unit left/right adjustment)
Oscillator rotation±60°
Torch nozzle travel angle±25°
Flexible track (type C)Custom stainless steel belt, 1784 × 102 × 2 mm, 2 kg per rail
Magnetic blockV-type 12 T metal-handle magnetic base, 120 × 50 × 55 mm, 2 kg each, holding force 35 kg per block (room temperature, thick plate, vertical)
Track assembly weight10 kg; quick-plug joint, approx. 15 s to mount one rail
Standard configurationCarriage ×1 · Type-C flexible tracks ×2 · Power unit ×1 · Power cable ×1 · Tool kit ×1 · Documents ×1 · Packaging ×1
PackingFoam packing 1850 × 140 × 30 mm, 5 kg · Wooden case 510 × 410 × 420 mm, 40 kg

Options & Customization

  • Track variant /C (magnetic) for carbon steel, /X (vacuum suction) for stainless steel, /B (clamping) for Ø700–2000 mm range
  • Floating support rod set for extra stability on thin or lightly curved plate
  • Battery power pack for sites without convenient mains access
  • Custom torch fixtures and track lengths built to your workpiece

Download the Datasheet

Full technical data for this machine in a printable English PDF — specifications, configuration and options. Hand it to your engineering team.

Download Datasheet (PDF)

Values are taken from the product operation manual. Custom configurations — track length, torch fixture, dual-torch setup, expanding-head size — are quoted to your workpiece.

Naming guide: RG-III-Q1 = flexible-track magnetic · RG-III-Q1/Z-B, /J-B = clamping type · "Z" = straight swing, "J" = angle swing · first letter uppercase = integrated type, lowercase = split type.

How to choose the fixing: "/C" magnetic — tanks from ∅1800 mm, carbon steel, welding inside and outside the shell. "/B" clamping — smaller tanks ∅700–2000 mm, stainless or carbon steel, welding on the outside of the shell. "/X" vacuum-suction — for stainless and other non-magnetic shells from ∅1800 mm.

ModelTrackTypeSwing
RG-III-Q1/Z-CMagneticIntegratedStraight swing
RG-III-Q1/J-CMagneticIntegratedAngle swing
Rg-III-Q1/Z-CMagneticSplitStraight swing
Rg-III-Q1/J-CMagneticSplitAngle swing
RG-III-Q1/Z-XSuctionIntegratedStraight swing
RG-III-Q1/J-XSuctionIntegratedAngle swing
Rg-III-Q1/Z-XSuctionSplitStraight swing
Rg-III-Q1/J-XSuctionSplitAngle swing
RG-III-Q1/Z-BClampingIntegratedStraight swing
RG-III-Q1/J-BClampingIntegratedAngle swing
Rg-III-Q1/Z-BClampingSplitStraight swing
Rg-III-Q1/J-BClampingSplitAngle swing
FAQ

Questions Engineers Ask About This Machine

What is the minimum diameter the RG flexible-track carriage can weld?
Ø1800 mm and above for the standard configuration. The carriage rides a stainless-steel belt track fixed by magnetic blocks, so it follows the curvature of the shell instead of needing a straight run. Below that diameter we recommend the CX magnetic crawler or the RG /B clamping-track version for Ø700–2000 mm.
Can it weld vertical seams as well as horizontal ones?
Yes. Choose the angle-swing model RG-III-Q1/J-C for vertical and inclined seams — the oscillator rotates ±60° and the torch nozzle travels ±25°, so the torch angle can be set to suit gravity. The straight-swing /Z model is the usual choice for horizontal circumferential seams.
Do I need to buy a new welding power source?
No. The carriage controls only travel and oscillation. It connects to your existing MIG / MAG / FCAW power source, wire feeder and torch through a two-pin ignition control lead — the carriage takes over the trigger, and manual triggering still works. Continuous welding with CO₂, MAG or MIG gas-shielded processes is the standard application.
How fast can the track be installed and moved?
The type-C flexible track uses quick-plug joints — roughly 15 seconds to mount one rail — and rails can be linked to any length. Magnetic blocks hold 35 kg each in ideal conditions (room temperature, thick plate, vertical), so re-positioning between seams takes minutes and reuses the same set of rails.
What material thickness and magnetic conditions are required?
Minimum suction thickness is 3 mm, and the workpiece must be magnetically permeable. No insulation layer, anti-corrosion cloth or similar non-magnetic material may sit between the magnetic block and the steel. For stainless steel, choose the /X vacuum-suction or /B clamping track.
Where It Works

Applications for the RG Series Flexible Track

Machines are specified by weld type and workpiece, not by catalogue page. See how this series is used in real fabrication work:

Need a Flexible-Track Carriage for Your Tank or Shell?

Tell us the diameter and plate thickness — we'll confirm the right track type and send you a direct quotation.

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