How is the MagTrack powered?

The MagTrack is electrically powered. It runs on an electric drive system that connects to an external power supply, giving it the consistent, controllable energy it needs to move across steel surfaces and operate high-pressure water jetting tools simultaneously. The sections below unpack how that power system works in practice, from movement to safety to cleaning performance.

What type of power source does the MagTrack use?

The MagTrack uses an electric power source. The crawler is electrically driven, drawing power through a connected supply to run its drive motors, control systems, and any attached tooling. This electric setup is central to the MagTrack’s design as a modular robotic system, giving operators precise, repeatable control in environments where reliability is non-negotiable.

Unlike combustion-driven alternatives, an electric power source allows for cleaner operation with no exhaust emissions at the point of use. This matters enormously in confined or sensitive environments such as cargo holds, oil storage tanks, and offshore platforms, where air quality and ignition risk are genuine concerns. The electrically driven architecture also makes it straightforward to integrate remote control functionality, which is a core feature of the system.

The MagTrack Mini, the most compact model in the range, shares this same electrically driven foundation. Its 2-wheel-drive system is powered and controlled through the main control unit included with the machine, keeping the setup simple and the learning curve manageable for field technicians who need to get operational quickly.

How does the MagTrack convert power into movement?

The MagTrack converts electrical power into movement through its electric drive motors, which turn the wheels of the crawler to propel it across steel surfaces. The magnetic system holds the crawler firmly against the surface while the drive motors push it forward, backward, and through turns, giving operators full directional control via a remote controller.

The four-wheel carrier at the heart of the standard MagTrack platform is designed for use on flat and slightly curved steel surfaces. Height-adjustable magnets underneath the chassis maintain a consistent grip against the steel substrate, and the drive system works against that magnetic holding force to produce controlled, steady movement. This balance between magnetic attraction and motor torque is what allows the robot to traverse vertical walls, overhead surfaces, and angled panels without slipping.

On the MagTrack Mini, the drive arrangement uses a 2-wheel-drive configuration, supported by omni-wheels at the rear and front. The rear omni-wheels carry additional height-adjustable magnets, while the front omni-wheels support the blast can. This layout distributes the load intelligently and reduces the drag that the blast can seal exerts on the surface, which is one of the key improvements introduced in the 2025 model. The result is a smoother, more responsive driving experience even on curved surfaces.

Can the MagTrack operate in areas without a fixed power supply?

The MagTrack requires an external electrical power supply to operate, so it cannot function in areas that are completely without power infrastructure. In practice, however, this is rarely a limiting factor on industrial job sites, where mobile generators or site power distribution systems are standard. The crawler connects to the power supply through its main control unit, which manages the electrical input and distributes it to the drive and control systems.

For offshore and remote applications, such as work on oil rigs or ship hulls at anchor, a portable generator is the typical solution. The MagTrack Mini is specifically noted as being suitable for offshore oil rigs, and its compact, lightweight design makes it straightforward to transport and deploy in locations where infrastructure is limited. The transport plate included with the Mini further simplifies logistics in tight or remote environments.

It is worth noting that the MagTrack Mini is available as a certified ATEX Zone 2 unit. ATEX Zone 2 certification means the equipment is approved for use in areas where explosive atmospheres may occasionally be present, such as petrochemical facilities or fuel storage sites. This certification applies to the electrical components and ensures they meet the strict requirements for safe operation in those environments, which are precisely the settings where a fixed, reliable power infrastructure is most likely to be present.

What safety features are built into the MagTrack’s power system?

The MagTrack’s power system incorporates several safety features designed to protect both operators and the surrounding environment. The most significant is the ATEX Zone 2 certification available on the MagTrack Mini, which confirms that the electrical components meet the standards required for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. Beyond certification, the remote-controlled operation keeps personnel away from the immediate work area, reducing exposure to high-pressure water jetting hazards.

High-pressure water jetting carries inherent risks, and organisations including SIR (the Netherlands), EWJI (Europe), WJA (UK), WJTA (USA), and DIRV (Germany) all publish guidelines and standards for safe operation in this field. The MagTrack’s electrically driven, remote-controlled design directly supports compliance with those standards by removing the operator from the blast zone during active cleaning cycles.

The vacuum system integrated with the blast can also plays a role in operational safety. By connecting the blast can to a vacuum unit, the system collects water and debris without leakage, preventing wet surfaces from creating slip hazards and stopping contaminated water from spreading across the work area. The redesigned blast can on the 2025 MagTrack Mini features a new vacuum seal that achieves a dry result with minimal vacuum draw, which reduces the load on connected vacuum equipment and keeps the overall system operating within predictable parameters.

The main control unit acts as the central management point for all electrical inputs and outputs, providing a single location from which operators can monitor and shut down the system if conditions change unexpectedly. Remote control operation means a technician can halt the crawler immediately without needing to physically approach the machine or the surface being cleaned.

How does the MagTrack’s power system affect cleaning performance?

The MagTrack’s electric power system directly enables consistent, high-quality cleaning performance by delivering stable, controllable drive speed and maintaining steady positioning of the cleaning tools against the surface. Because the crawler moves at a controlled pace, the high-pressure water jets can work at an even distance and angle across the entire cleaning path, producing uniform results that manual jetting cannot reliably replicate.

The MagTrack tools operate with water jetting pressures ranging from 500 bar up to 3,000 bar (43,500 psi), covering the full spectrum of industrial cleaning and surface preparation demands. At these pressures, precise positioning is critical. A crawler that moves erratically or drifts off line will leave inconsistent results, particularly when removing coatings or preparing surfaces for repainting. The electric drive system, combined with the magnetic holding force, keeps the robot on track and at the correct standoff distance throughout the cleaning pass.

The modular design of the MagTrack platform extends this performance advantage across different applications. The standard blast can covers a cleaning path of 180 mm per pass, while the curved blast can variant handles surfaces with a radius of up to 3 meters (approximately 10 feet), making it suitable for small storage tanks up to 6 meters (approximately 20 feet) in diameter and the curved hulls of vessels. The swing arm tools, used for open waterblasting or sandblasting, allow the distance from the cleaning head to the surface to be adjusted with an actuator while the crawler is in motion, giving operators real-time control over cleaning intensity without stopping the run.

All of this flexibility flows from the electric drive system. A consistent, controllable power source means consistent, controllable cleaning, which translates directly into faster job completion, fewer repeat passes, and surfaces that are ready for coating or inspection on schedule.

How the MagTrack supports your cleaning operations

If you are working in petrochemical, marine, energy, or general industrial maintenance, the MagTrack is built to address the challenges that matter most on your job site:

• Reduced operator exposure through fully remote-controlled operation, keeping personnel away from high-pressure jetting zones
• ATEX Zone 2 certification available on the MagTrack Mini for safe deployment in potentially explosive atmospheres
• Consistent cleaning results across flat and curved steel surfaces, with pressure capability from 500 bar to 3,000 bar (43,500 psi)
• Closed waterblasting with vacuum collection, leaving surfaces clean and dry without contaminating the surrounding work area
• Modular tooling including blast cans, curved blast cans, swing arms, and sandblasting attachments, all interchangeable on the universal carrier
• Compact transport and suitability for confined spaces, including offshore platforms and ship hulls

We at DERC Salotech have spent over 40 years engineering high-pressure water jetting solutions for exactly these environments. The MagTrack is the result of that experience, refined into a platform that works as hard as the teams using it. Explore the full MagTrack product range to find the configuration that fits your application, or get in touch with us to discuss your specific requirements.