Hanging the LED Frames

What we need to hang

We want to show our LED frames the way galleries show paintings: a rail near the ceiling, thin steel cables, and the frame floating at eye level. The difference is that a painting weighs a few kilos. Our frames weigh about 20 kg and need power.

Each frame is roughly 60 × 100 cm. In the sketch, the frame centres sit at about 165 cm above the floor. The rail is mounted either on the brick wall or on a wooden profile under the ceiling. Most picture rail systems sold in hardware stores are rated far below what we need, so the choice comes down to the "pro" versions of two Dutch brands: STAS and Artiteq.

The load per cable and per meter

Gallery systems have two ratings, and we need to pass both. The cable rating is what one cable plus its hook can hold. The rail rating is how much weight one meter of rail can carry.

With two cables per frame, each cable carries about 10 kg. Both systems below use cables rated 20 kg, which gives us a 2× safety margin. The rail rating is the one people overlook: our 20 kg hangs within roughly 60 cm of rail, which works out to about 33 kg per meter locally. That rules out the standard rails (20–30 kg/m) and leaves only the heavy-duty profiles.

The figure shows the split we're proposing: the rail and cables carry all the weight, and the power cable only has to carry itself. If the power cable runs along one of the steel cables, it should be fixed loosely to it, not tensioned.

The Eutrac track

Hanging the frames directly from our existing Eutrac track was the first idea, since it would also solve power. The numbers don't support it. A standard Eutrac 3-phase adapter is rated for 5 kg, or 10 kg with the matching mounting nipple. Two adapters per frame would each carry exactly 10 kg, with no safety margin at all, under constant load and right above people's heads.

The track itself is also limited. We didn't find Eutrac's own per-meter figure, but a comparable 3-phase track from LTS allows 3 × 10 kg/m when screwed directly to the ceiling, and much less when it's suspended. So the track stays what it is: a power source. One adapter per frame, carrying only a cable, is well within spec.

The track is a good place to get power from. It is not a good place to hang 20 kg from.

The two offers

Both quotes are for the same quantity: 10 m of heavy-duty rail (5 × 2 m, with mounting kits) and 10 steel cables of 150 cm with 20 kg hooks. That's enough for five frames.

The CHF figure for Artiteq is an estimate at roughly 0.93 CHF per euro; check the current rate. For a studio purchase brought across the border, Swiss import VAT applies and the German VAT can usually be reclaimed with an export form. That paperwork narrows the price gap a little but adds a step.

We looked for the STAS j-rail max (100 kg/m) as a third option, but couldn't find it for sale. It uses rigid rods instead of cables anyway, which doesn't match the thin-wire look of the sketch.

Mounting to the ceiling

Both heavy-duty rails above are wall rails. If some frames need to hang from the ceiling instead, for example free in the room, we need a different solution. We've assumed the wooden ceiling itself will be load-tested separately; this section is about the hardware between ceiling and cable.

The ceiling rail we found

Manutan sells a Smit Visual ceiling rail: two black aluminium rails of 1.5 m, designed to mount on the side of a suspended ceiling, with 24 screws included (8 per meter). It costs CHF 57.73 incl. VAT and is currently marked as temporarily unavailable. It uses the same kind of wires and hooks as the wall systems, and hook sets rated 15 kg per wire are available. No load rating per meter is published.

Why we don't trust it for 20 kg frames yet

1. The missing rating is probably low, not just unpublished. The comparable ceiling rails we found, STAS u-rail (also built for suspended ceilings) and Artiteq Up Rail, are both rated 20 kg/m. We need about 33 kg/m locally. Heavy-duty profiles usually advertise their rating, because that's their selling point.
2. 15 kg per wire is the cable rating, not the rail rating. Two wires at 10 kg each pass easily; that was never the hard part. What matters is whether the profile bends between its screws or a screw slowly pulls out.
3. It's designed for thin trim, not for our use. "Mount on the side of a suspended ceiling" means small screws into a light edge profile. Screwing it flat onto our wood ceiling puts it in a load case it wasn't designed for.
4. It would fail slowly. The likely failure is a sagging rail or a screw creeping out over weeks, not a drop on day one. That's the worst kind, because it happens after everyone has stopped checking.

Why the wall, or the side of a wooden beam, is better

The difference is the direction the screws are loaded. On a ceiling, the frame pulls straight down along the screw axis, so the whole weight tries to pull the screws out. That's the weakest direction for a screw in wood or a wall anchor, and it depends entirely on the thread's grip. On a wall, the weight pulls sideways across the screws. The screws are loaded mostly in shear, which they handle much better, and the rail is also pressed against the wall by the frame's own leverage.

That's also why the strongest rails, Cliprail Pro and Click Rail Pro, are wall rails, and why they come with published ratings of 45–50 kg/m. Mounting the same wall rail on the vertical side of a wooden beam or a solid wooden profile gives us the same favourable load path while keeping the rail up at ceiling height. It also matches the wooden profile shown in our sketch. Wall and beam mounts are also easier to inspect and re-tighten than screws pointing up into the ceiling.

Options for frames that must hang from the ceiling

1. Ask for the rating. Email Manutan or Smit Visual for the kg/m rating and the maximum load per screw point. If they confirm 30 kg/m or more, the rail is usable.
2. Cables straight into the joists (preferred). Skip the rail and fix each cable directly into a joist, using a Zumtobel steel cable set (rated 20 kg) or Gripple loop kits (11–45 kg). Frames can't slide sideways, but the load path is short and every part has a published rating. Zumtobel 1.8 mm cable set · Gripple HF-series kits (RS Switzerland)
3. Test it ourselves. Mount one 1.5 m piece, hang about 40 kg (2× safety) on two wires 60 cm apart, and leave it for a few days. We're already planning to load-test the ceiling, so this adds one afternoon.

Checks before ordering

1. Cable length. With frame centres at 165 cm, the frame tops sit at about 215 cm. The 150 cm cables work if the rail is below roughly 3.6 m. If the rail sits higher, order the 300 cm versions instead. rail height − 215 cm + ~10 cm hook = minimum cable length
2. Fixing into the building. The rail is only as strong as its screws. On the brick wall, use proper brick anchors. On the wooden profile, screw into the joists, not the boards. Five frames add up to about 100 kg along the rail.
3. Power. If the frames have an external power supply, mount it up at the track and run low voltage down the cable. That's lighter, safer, and avoids running 230 V down a hanging cable, which in Switzerland counts as an electrical installation.

Recommendation

Both systems meet the requirement. We'd go with Artiteq Click Rail Pro: it's about CHF 75 cheaper, the rail is slightly stronger, and the reversible cover gives us a clean place to hide the low-voltage cables for the frames. STAS is the right choice if we'd rather avoid the border pickup and VAT paperwork; the extra cost buys simplicity, not safety.

Where possible, mount the rail on the brick wall or on the side of a wooden beam rather than flat on the ceiling. For frames that must hang from the ceiling, fix the cables directly into the joists until we have a confirmed rating for a ceiling rail.

Either way, the Eutrac track provides power through one light adapter per frame, and carries none of the weight. That keeps the display safe without giving up the clean "floating frame" look of the sketch.

Glossary

Terms used in this document, in plain language.

Gallery rail

An aluminium profile mounted near the ceiling. Cables hook into it and can slide sideways to reposition frames.

Rail rating

The maximum weight per meter of rail, given by the manufacturer.

Cable rating

The maximum weight one cable plus its hook can safely hold.

Eutrac

The German brand of the 3-phase lighting track already installed in our ceiling.

Adapter

The plug that clicks into the lighting track to tap power. Rated for 5 kg, or 10 kg with a mounting nipple.

Joist

A load-bearing wooden beam in the ceiling, as opposed to the boards or panels attached to it.

Shear / pull-out

Two ways a screw can be loaded: sideways across the screw (shear, strong) or along its axis (pull-out, weaker).

Suspended ceiling

Zwischendecke. A lowered ceiling hung below the real one, usually with light trim profiles.

Twister / Zipper

The Artiteq and STAS names for their cable fittings and adjustable hooks.

VAT

Value added tax. 19% in Germany, 8.1% in Switzerland.

Sources

• Quotes from artiteq.com and the STAS Swiss web shop, checked 6 Oct 2026.
• STAS Cliprail Pro product sheet — 45 kg/m rating
• STAS Cliprail steel cables — 20 kg per cable
• Artiteq Click Rail Pro — 50 kg/m, reversible cover for cables
• Artiteq steel cables — 20 kg per cable
• Eutrac 3-phase adapter data sheet — 5 kg, 10 kg with nipple
• LTS 3-phase track data sheet — comparable track load limits
• Smit Visual ceiling rail at Manutan — 2 × 1.5 m, 8 screws/m, no load rating published
• STAS u-rail sheet — suspended-ceiling rail, 20 kg/m
• Zumtobel steel cable suspension set — 1.8 mm, max 20 kg
• Gripple loop kits at RS Switzerland — 11–45 kg working load
• STAS Cliprail Max sheet — 25 kg/m, why the standard rails are too weak