Key takeaways
- Stud and track are thin (0.5–1.2 mm) partition members; CZ purlins are structural (1.5–3.0 mm) and carry roof load.
- Stud machines run at 20–40 m/min because the section is simple; purlin machines run at 8–25 m/min because the material is thick.
- Stud and track are always produced as a pair; purlins are produced to a span table.
- A purlin machine typically costs considerably more than a stud machine because of drive power, roll size and station count.
What each product does
Stud and track are the members of a drywall partition. The C-shaped stud is the vertical that carries load and forms the wall skeleton; the U-shaped track is the horizontal fixed to floor and ceiling that the studs slot into. They are always used as a pair and are thin — normally 0.5–1.2 mm.
CZ purlins are structural members. They span between rafters to carry the roof cladding and the loads on it, in 1.5–3.0 mm steel. They are sized from a span table against wind, snow and construction loads.
The dividing line is simple: if the member carries roof or floor load, it is a purlin. If it forms a partition or a ceiling, it is a stud or a track.
| Criterion | Stud & track | CZ purlin |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 0.5 – 1.2 mm | 1.5 – 3.0 mm |
| Structural role | Partition, non-structural or lightly loaded | Primary roof / floor load |
| Typical web width | 41 – 152 mm | 60 – 350 mm |
| Line speed | 20 – 40 m/min | 8 – 25 m/min |
| Stations | 10 – 14 | 16 – 20 |
| Drive power | 7.5 – 11 kW | 15 – 22 kW |
| Produced as | A pair (stud + track) | Sized to a span table |
Why the machine classes differ so much
Material thickness drives machine design more than anything else. At 0.5–1.2 mm, a stud machine needs only 10–14 stations, a modest drive and comparatively light rolls, and can therefore run at 20–40 m/min because forming is not the bottleneck.
At 1.5–3.0 mm, a purlin machine needs 16–20 stations, a 15–22 kW drive and much heavier rolls, shafts and bearings. Line speed drops to 8–25 m/min because each metre requires far more forming work. The inline punch also has to punch through 3 mm steel rather than 0.8 mm.
The practical result is that a purlin machine costs considerably more than a stud machine, and the two are rarely bought together unless the producer serves both the structural and the fit-out markets.
A line for a complete light steel building
Where the two do overlap is in a full light steel framing operation. A building needs structural CZ purlins for roof and floor members, stud and track for internal partitions, and often wall angle and ceiling profiles as well.
In that case the normal configuration is a CZ purlin machine as the main line, a stud and track machine for partitions, and small accessory machines for angle bead and ceiling grid. They share decoilers and coil stock, which is why producers in this segment tend to buy them together over time rather than all at once.