Plastic – wing nuts are key connecting components in the photovoltaic (PV) support system. They are mainly used for the fastening and installation of the main C – shaped steel support and the secondary support. A quick and stable connection is achieved through rotational snap – fit.
Their design fully takes into account the special requirements of PV scenarios, especially excelling in wind – uplift resistance, earthquake resistance, and insulation performance. They are widely used in ground – mounted power plants, distributed PV projects, and rooftop PV systems.
Material Characteristics and Application Scenarios Stainless Steel Material: Manufactured from 304 or 316 stainless steel, it has excellent corrosion resistance. It can withstand temperature changes from – 40°C to 80°C. It can still maintain stable performance in harsh environments such as high – humidity coastal areas and acid – rain areas. It can withstand hundreds of hours without rust in the salt – spray test. It is suitable for PV supports that are exposed outdoors for a long time, ensuring a service life of more than 25 years.
Carbon Steel Material: Using Q235B carbon steel as the base material, with a hot – dip galvanized or Dacromet surface treatment, the cost is 30% – 50% lower than that of stainless steel. However, the integrity of the anti – corrosion layer needs to be checked regularly. It is suitable for economic projects in inland dry areas. Through surface treatment, it can meet general weather – resistance requirements. Plastic – sleeve Design: Commonly made of nylon 66 (PA66), PVDF, or PP materials. The nylon sleeve has excellent insulation properties, which can avoid potential safety hazards caused by current conduction. It is especially suitable for the isolation scenarios between components and metal structures in distributed PV systems.
The PVDF sleeve is resistant to strong acids and alkalis, and the PP sleeve has a lower cost. Both can enhance the anti – ultraviolet aging ability and extend the service life. Spring – loaded Structure: With a built – in carbon – steel or stainless – steel spring, through the triple mechanisms of elastic clamping force, thread – meshing friction, and anti – loose tooth engagement, it can effectively absorb the vibration energy from strong winds, earthquakes, etc., preventing the nut from loosening and falling off.
The spring elastic coefficient can be optimized by adjusting the number of turns and wire diameter to adapt to different vibration intensity requirements. Structural Innovation and Performance Advantages Quick Installation: It can be manually rotated and snapped into the C – shaped steel flanging without tools.
The installation efficiency is increased by more than 50% compared with traditional welding or bolt – connection methods, especially suitable for high – altitude operations or complex terrains. Anti – loosening and Earthquake – resistance: In the strong wind – uplift test, the spring nut can reduce the opening expansion and deformation of the C – shaped steel by 70%. Together with the anti – uplift connection design, it can prevent the PV modules from being overturned, significantly improving the system safety.
Environmental Adaptability: Through weather – resistance tests (high temperature, low temperature, humidity, ultraviolet), the plastic sleeve and the metal base material are tightly combined. The anti – aging performance is better than that of pure plastic nuts, and it can be stably used for more than 15 years in outdoor environments.
Selection Suggestions High – corrosion Environments: Give priority to 316 stainless – steel or PVDF – sleeve nuts, such as coastal power plants and chemical – industrial park projects. Earthquake – resistance
Requirements: Spring – loaded nuts with an anti – loose tooth design are suitable for areas with an earthquake intensity of ≥7 degrees.
Insulation Scenarios: Nylon – sleeve nuts can meet the electrical isolation requirements between components and metal structures, such as rooftop distributed projects. Cost – sensitive Projects: Carbon – steel galvanized nuts combined with regular anti – corrosion maintenance can balance performance and budget. With material diversity, structural reliability, and installation convenience, plastic – wing nuts have become the mainstream choice for PV support connections. Their intelligent upgrades (such as built – in sensors to monitor the fastening status) will further promote the development of the industry.
Source: Haina Fastener
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