A 200MW ground-mounted solar farm in the Middle East sits in a desert environment with extreme heat, blowing sand and large day-night temperature swings, placing severe demands on the heat resistance, anti-vibration loosening and long-term reliability of the racking fasteners.
Surface temperatures can exceed 60℃ in summer, and steel structures undergo continuous cyclic loading from thermal expansion and contraction. Sand abrasion accelerates wear and preload loss of ordinary fasteners, while conventional bolts loosen under wind-induced vibration and threaten array safety.
FASTKING supplied batch-galvanized U-bolts, hexagon flange bolts and anti-loosening nuts. The zinc coating provides baseline corrosion protection; the flange face increases bearing area and reduces crushing of the connected parts; combined nylon-ring and serrated flange designs deliver double anti-loosening. All fasteners passed a 2000-hour salt spray test and were torqued in graded stages for the thermal-cycling condition.
Zero unplanned loosening across the 25-year design life, about 30% faster installation, and markedly lower inspection frequency secured stable generation revenue for the plant.
U-bolt, hexagon flange bolt, anti-loosening nut, T-slot nut.