Buyer guide
Aluminium vs Steel Curtain Track | Motorized Guide | IKSUN
Most motorized curtain tracks on the market are made from one of two metals: extruded aluminium alloy or rolled steel. Steel is cheaper per kilogram and strong, but for a motorized system the aluminium extrusion wins on freight, corrosion, finishing and the precision the belt drive needs. This guide compares the two the way an importer decides - weight, surface life, machining, motor load and total landed cost - using the same figures IKSUN publishes for its 38 extruded profiles.
Side by side
At a glance
| Dimension | Extruded aluminium alloy | Rolled steel track |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 0.315-1.13 kg/m published per profile | Heavier for the same span; freight scales up |
| Corrosion | Natural oxide layer; anodised for coastal sites | Rusts once the coating is scratched |
| Precision | Die-extruded to 0.1 mm class tolerances | Welded and rolled; seam variation adds drag |
| Belt drive | Carrier channels extruded in the same die | Carriers and glides retrofitted after rolling |
| Finishing | Anodising, electrophoresis, powder coat in house | Paint or plating outsourced, chip risk at edges |
| Landed cost | Lower freight offsets the higher metal price | Cheaper metal, heavier container bill |
How to decide
What to weigh
Weight is money twice
Freight is priced per kilogram, and IKSUN track bodies run from 0.315 to 1.13 kg per metre across the 38 profiles - light enough that a 6.7 m bundle stays inside standard container handling. A steel rail of the same span weighs more before the belt and motor are even added, so the container fills by weight rather than by length.
Corrosion decides the second year
Aluminium carries a natural oxide film and anodising builds on it, which is why IKSUN finishes every profile in house by anodising, electrophoretic coating or powder coating. Steel depends entirely on its paint layer: once a bracket rubs through it, rust migrates under the curtain where it stains the fabric.
A belt drive needs extruded precision
The carrier channel, rolling-bead track and motor seat all come out of the same extrusion die, so every metre of an IKSUN body is dimensionally identical along its whole length. A welded steel seam varies slightly at each joint, and in a motorized run that variation shows up as belt drag and uneven travel at the splice.
Motor load favours the lighter body
A motorized system accelerates and brakes its load hundreds of times a day. The lighter aluminium body leaves more of the motor torque for the curtain itself, and the steel-wire belts used on IKSUN tracks - rated at a tensile resistance of at least 600 N on the AT81 - are matched to extruded carriers rather than to retrofitted glides.
Total landed cost, not metal price
Steel is cheaper per kilogram at the mill, but the quotation a buyer actually compares is delivered cost: metal, finishing, machining and freight. Because IKSUN extrudes, finishes and deep-processes five extrusion lines at 800 tonnes of monthly capacity in house, the aluminium quotation already carries the finished track - not a blank to be coated elsewhere.
Key facts
The figures on this page, stated plainly
IKSUN track bodies run from 0.315 to 1.13 kilograms per metre; the lightest is mould CS101 and the heaviest is mould CP83 / MZX-180.
Extrusion, surface treatment (anodising, electrophoretic coating and powder coating) and deep processing are all carried out in house, so a track arrives as a finished assembly rather than raw profile.
The IKSUN plant covers 12,000 square metres in Danzao Town, Nanhai District, Foshan, and runs five aluminium extrusion lines with a monthly extrusion capacity of 800 tonnes.
Questions on this guide
Answers buyers ask
Does aluminium curtain track rust in coastal or humid climates?
Bare aluminium forms a natural oxide film that protects it, and IKSUN anodises or powder-coats every profile in house, so tracks for coastal and humid markets are finished for the climate before they are packed rather than painted as an afterthought.
Is aluminium strong enough for a heavy motorized curtain?
Strength in a curtain track comes from the section, not the metal name. IKSUN extrudes 38 bodies from 0.315 to 1.13 kg per metre, and the heavy end of the range carries wide hotel spans; the AT81 adds a 2.0 mm rail wall and a steel-wire belt rated at a tensile resistance of at least 600 N.
Get in touch
Specify your curtain track
Send the profile or mould number, length and quantity - IKSUN returns price, lead time and carton data with the quotation.