MRMC precision track User manual

Precision
Track
Quick Start Guide
Document version: TRKPRC-QSG-20160209
Part number: MRMC-1182-04

ii
Precision Track Quick Start Guide
Document version: TRKPRC-QSG-20160209
Part number: MRMC-1182-04
© 2016 Mark Roberts Motion Control Ltd. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or translated
by any means — graphical, electronic, or mechanical — including
photocopying, recording, taping, or storage in an information retrieval
system, without the express written permission of Mark Roberts Motion
Control.
Although every care has been taken to ensure that the information in this
document is accurate and up to date, Mark Roberts Motion Control
continuously strives to improve their products and may make changes to
the hardware, firmware, and software described in this document. Mark
Roberts Motion Control therefore cannot be held responsible for any
error or omission in this document.
All product names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.
Contact information
Mark Roberts Motion Control Ltd.
Unit 3, South East Studios
Blindley Heath
Surrey
RH7 6JP
United Kingdom
Telephone: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail] (sales and general enquiries)
[e-mail] (customer support)
Web: www.mrmoco.com
www.mrmocorentals.com

Precision Track Quick Start Guide
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Precision Track Quick Start GuidePrecision TrackQuick Start Guide
Contents
Chapter 1 Assembling the track ..................................................... 1
Safety........................................................................................1
Overview .................................................................................1
Before you start .............................................................1
Laying the first track section ................................................4
Anchoring the track...............................................................6
Laying subsequent track sections.........................................8
Mounting the rack ...............................................................10
Mounting the bearing rail joints ........................................12
Mounting Bolt on the track ................................................14
Mounting Bolt on the track bearings .......................14
Attaching the track motor pinch wheel to Bolt
On Track ......................................................................16
Mounting the bumpers on Bolt On Track...............17
Removing the trolley wheels from Bolt On
Track.............................................................................18
Mounting a Milo or Titan on the track.............................20
Mounting outriggers on the track ............................20
Mounting a Milo or Titan on the track
bearings........................................................................21
Attaching the track motor pinch wheel to a
Milo or Titan ...............................................................24
Mounting the bumpers on a Milo or Titan .............25
Mounting the Limit Switch and Datum Switch
magnets on the rack.............................................................27
About track limits.......................................................27
Mounting the magnets...............................................28
Mounting the weight wings and mechanical limits.........30
Mounting the mechanical limits without weights ...........32
Appendix 1 Specifications............................................................... 33

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Precision Track Quick Start Guide
1
Precision Track Quick Start GuidePrecision TrackQuick Start Guide
Chapter 1 Assembling the track
Safety
•Due to the size and weight of track sections, it is recommended that
you use at least two people to assemble it.
•Motion control rigs have powerful motors that can injure, so take
care not to get near the rig while it is switched on.
•Do not step over the track when the rig is switched on — walk
around it instead.
Overview
Thank you for using Precision Track from Mark Roberts Motion Control
(MRMC). The track is designed to help you achieve pixel-perfect
repeatability of your camera moves by supplying smooth, rigid support
when using large, heavy motion control robots such as the Milo, Titan,
and Bolt over long distances.
Before you start
When deciding on the location and orientation of the track, keep in mind
the following important points:
Before laying the track, assess the site to see how level and
firm the ground or floor is. You might need to use boards,
bricks, or crates to create a level surface or stop the track feet
sinking into soft ground. If you will be laying more than two
track sections on a reasonably level floor, laying the middle
section first and working outward can help prevent any
unevenness of the floor from accumulating from section to
section, beyond the ability of the track height adjustment range

Precision Track Quick Start Guide
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to cope. Beyond this range you will need to use additional
supports to keep the track flat and level.
The track is not reversible due to the rack, which has teeth on
one side. You must lay all sections the same way around. If
your track does not have the rack installed yet, look at the rack
clips on the track, which will grip the rail on the teeth side
when you install the rail later.
Some rigs have a sense of Forward and Reverse on the track. A
Bolt High-Speed Cine-bot, for example, executes moves going
Forward. Because its track motor gear is on the front left
underside of the rig, the teeth of the rack are on the left side as
you look in the Forward direction down the track.
Keep in mind where the umbilical cable comes out on the rig
(if this is important for your shot) and whether you can change
it by re-routing the cables on the rig. For example the umbilical
cable on Bolt comes out on the same side of the track as the
track motor gear (which is the same side as the rack teeth).
Umbilical side
Clip
Teeth Smooth
Rack
View looking
“Forward” down the
track with the gear
teeth on the left:

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Each Precision track section has ten feet for supporting and
levelling the track, and four anchor brackets for holding the
track down if you are using a high-speed rig such as Bolt.
If you are using a fast rig such as Bolt On Track then you must
hold the track down. You can either anchor the track to the
floor to get the best repeatable stability (page 6), or if this is not
feasible you can use weights on the ends of the track to give
you the safety margin that you need to perform the shoot (page
30). Anchoring the track to a concrete floor involves drilling
holes in the floor. If the floor is wood you can screw directly
into it. The anchor hole spacing is shown below but it is more
accurate to drill through the anchor brackets once the track is
in place using the procedures later in this guide.
Foot, which takes the
weight of the track and
rig Anchor bracket, which
holds the track down
on the ground.
Joint
873
1562 1562
1429
millimetres:

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Laying the first track section
1. Lay the first track section on the ground, on its feet.
2. If you will be using a fast rig such as Bolt and the floor already has
anchor holes from a previous installation then you would obviously
put the track anchor brackets over the existing holes.
3. Raise the six middle feet of the track section (three on each rail) and
the four threaded anchor sleeves so they do not touch the ground.
4. Level the track in both length and width directions using a spirit
level, by adjusting the four corner feet of the track. Make sure all
four corner feet are touching the ground (no wobble).
5. Tighten the lock nuts down against the track on the corner feet,
being careful not to change the height.
Hint
The four corner feet also determine the track height. If you are
laying track on a level floor, try to use the middle of the height
adjustment range so that subsequent sections have some leeway
(in their feet) to cater for any unevenness in the floor.
Lock nut
4
Height
adjustment
bolt
2
5
Middle feet
Anchor sleeve
3
6

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6. Lower the six middle feet until they touch the ground (finger tight
against the ground) and then tighten the lock nuts on them.

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Anchoring the track
If you are using a fast rig such as Bolt On Track you must either hold the
track down with weights (see page 30) or secure the track to the floor by
using bolts or screws through the four track anchor brackets. Anchoring
the track to the floor gives you more repeatable stability than using
weights. The following procedure tells you how to anchor the track to a
concrete floor.
2. On one of the track anchor
brackets, screw the sleeve all
the way down to the floor,
finger tight.
3. Insert the drill bit and guide
into the threaded sleeve on the
anchor bracket, so the drill bit
is against the floor.
4. Put tape around the drill bit 5
cm above the guide. This will
help you gauge the depth of the
hole in the next step.
5. Drill a hole 5 cm deep into the
concrete. When the tape reaches the top of the guide, drilling is
complete.
6. Remove the drill bit and guide from the sleeve and clean the hole.
1. Put the drill bit into the drill guide and attach
the bit to the drill. (The cutting end of the bit is
too large to fit through the guide, so you must
insert the other end into the guide, then into
the drill.)
1
Guide
15 mm drill bit
Guide
Sleeve
2
3
5 cm
Tape
4
5 cm
4
5

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7. Put the drop-in anchor insert,
threads upward, through the sleeve
and into the hole in the concrete, all
the way to the bottom.
8. Insert the anchor spreader tool into
the drop-in anchor insert.
9. Hit the top of the anchor spreader
tool with a hammer until the anchor
is fully spread in the concrete, being
careful not to hit the track.
10. Remove the anchor spreader tool.
11. With the sleeve still finger-tight
against the floor, insert the retaining
bolt through the sleeve and into the
drop-in anchor insert, and tighten.
12. Repeat steps 2 to 11 for the other three anchor brackets on the track
section.
7
Anchor
spreader
tool
Drop-in
anchor
insert
8
9
11

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Laying subsequent track sections
1. If any of your track sections already
have a rack installed, loosen the rack
clips so you can temporarily slide the
rack along the track and out of the
way when you are joining the track
sections.
2. Lay the next track section in line
with the previously laid track section
and as close to it as possible, making
sure it is the right way around (see
the notes on page 2).
Again, if you will be using a fast rig such as Bolt and the floor
already has anchor points from a previous installation, put the track
anchors as close as possible to the existing holes.
3. Raise the middle feet and anchor sleeves of the new track section so
they do not touch the ground.
1
Clip Rack
Section 1
Section 2
4
5
6
6
Joint 7
Joint

Precision Track Quick Start Guide
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4. Adjust the height of the new track section to match that of the
previous section by adjusting the two corner feet nearest to the joint
(one on each rail).
5. Level the new track section with a spirit level by adjusting the two
corner feet furthest from the joint (one on each rail).
6. Slide the new track section along the floor against the previous track
to firmly engage the ends of the rails. (Slide the new section — not
the previous section.)
You might need to repeat steps 4 to 6 until you get good alignment
of the rails at the joint.
7. Firmly tighten the six large bolts that hold the track sections
together at the joint (three on each rail). You can also use these to
help pull the track sections together, once they are at the same
height.
8. On the new track section, tighten the lock nuts down against the
track on the four corner feet.
9. On the new section, lower the six middle feet until they touch the
ground (finger tight against the ground) and then tighten the lock
nuts on them.
10. If you are using a fast rig such as Bolt anchor the new track section
to the floor as you did for the previous track section, using the
procedures in Anchoring the track on page 6.
Repeat steps 1 to 10 in this section to lay additional sections of track.

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Mounting the rack
1. If your track sections do not yet have the racks mounted on them,
do this now for each track section as follows:
1.1 Loosen all the rack clips on the track section.
1.2 Lay the rack into the brackets on the track, tilted as shown,
making sure that the clips on the track go into the groove on
the rack, just under the teeth.
1.3 Twist the rack to lay flat in the brackets. Do not tighten the
clips yet.
1.4 Repeat steps 1.1 to 1.3 for each track section.
2. In the middle of the track, slide two of the racks together
end-to-end, so that the joint between them is centred over one of the
rack mounting brackets near the main rail joint.
3. Make sure the rack joint has the correct spacing by clamping a rack
matching block to it, teeth meshed, using a vice.
4. Insert the two retaining bolts through the ends of the racks and into
the mounting bracket (one on each side of the joint), and tighten.
5. Remove the vice and rack matching block.
1.1
Groove
Teeth
1.2
1.3
1.2
Clip

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6. Tighten all rack clips on the two adjoining sections of track.
7. If you are using a high-speed rig such as Bolt, also secure the rack
with an extra bolt through the rack at every mounting bracket. This
is not usually necessary for slower standard rigs.
8. Repeat steps 1 to 7 to mount the rack on all remaining sections of
track, working outwards from the centre track section.
Main rail joint
Rack mounting bracket
2
3
4
6
22
7
Rack matching block 5

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Mounting the bearing rail joints
1. At one of the track joints, slide two track bearings over the ends of
the bearing rails.
2. Put one of the long bearing rail joints onto the track.
Hint
Always mount and remove the track bearings with care. Try to keep
them squared up and in-line with the bearing rail to avoid damaging
them or loosing a bearing.
1
Track bearing
Track joint
2
3
4
3
Bearing rail joint

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3. Align the bearing rail joint with the existing rail by sliding the track
bearings partially over the joint at each end.
4. Insert the bolts and tighten them.
5. Slide the track bearings along the rail to the next joint and repeat
steps 1 to 4 for all remaining joints. For the track ends you use the
short bearing rail pieces (with only two holes) and only one track
bearing to help with alignment.

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Mounting Bolt on the track
This section tells you how to mount Bolt On Track onto Precision Track.
Mounting Bolt on the track bearings
4
5
6
Teeth
3
Rack
Track
motor
gear
7
5 1
1
2

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1. Roll the rig to a position just off the end of the track, raise the rig on
its wheels high enough to go over the track using the wheel cranks,
and rotate the rig on its wheels to be the correct way around so that
the track motor gear on the rig underside is on the toothed side of
the rack. Do not engage the teeth yet; just make sure the rig is the
correct way around for the track.
2. On the underside of the rig, remove the pinch wheel if you haven’t
already done so and push the track motor out of the way on its
sliding bearings, so that the track motor gear will not interfere with
the Rack on the track. (For details of removing the pinch wheel,
follow the procedure on page 16 in reverse order.)
3. Push the rig on its wheels over the track about a metre, being careful
not to push the track motor gear against the rack while moving.
4. Push the four track bearings onto the ends of the track (two on each
rail) and into position under the four corners of the rig base.
5. Carefully lower the rig onto the four track bearings, making sure
that all four bearings are aligned with the corners of the rig base,
and the track motor gear on the underside of the rig clears the rack.
6. Tighten the four track bearing mounting bolts at the corners.
7. Apply the brakes to the wheels to keep them from pivoting against
the track (the brakes affect both rotation and pivot), and raise the
wheels off the ground so the full rig weight is taken by the track.
8. Feed out enough umbilical cable from your control area to reach the
entire length of the track without stretching the cable. Make sure the
area alongside the track is clear so that the umbilical cable doesn’t
catch on anything when the rig drags it alongside the track.
9. Attach the track motor pinch wheel on the underside of the rig,
described in Attaching the track motor pinch wheel to Bolt On Track
on page 16.

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Attaching the track motor pinch wheel to Bolt On Track
1. On the separately supplied pinch wheel assembly, remove the brass
retaining pin by pulling on the ring.
2. Mount the pinch wheel assembly onto the track motor on the rig
underside, by sliding the track motor gear against the rack and
putting the pinch wheel Socket onto the track motor Mounting bar.
3. Replace the retaining pin in the pinch wheel assembly by pushing on
the ring (not the sleeve), to hold the assembly in place on the track
motor.
4. Hand-tighten the pinch wheel adjustment bolt so that the rubber
wheel presses firmly against the smooth side of the rack. This holds
the track motor gear firmly against toothed side of the rack.
5. Connect the pinch wheel cables for the Limit Switch and Datum
Switch to their corresponding connectors (usually labelled Land D)
on the rig underside, and use cable ties to hold them securely up
away from the track.
Hint
The Limits and Datum magnets on the track are physically
swappable (see page 28). Make sure you connect the Limit cable
from the rig to the pinch wheel switch that is over the Limit
magnet position on the track, and ditto for the Datum cable.
Mounting bar
1
2
5
4
Socket
2