Mixing ordinary screws with dedicated PV fasteners will cause rust, looseness and fracture in the long run, threatening the safety of photovoltaic power stations. This article analyzes the core differences in materials, structure, surface technology and application scenarios for project selection reference.
Ordinary screws are mostly made of low-carbon steel, only suitable for dry indoor environments and easy to rust outdoors. PV fasteners mainly adopt 304 and 316 stainless steel. 316 stainless steel contains molybdenum element to resist salt fog and acid corrosion, meeting the 25-year service life standard. Titanium alloy is used for lightweight requirements on rooftop PV systems.
PV screws adopt integrated flange and anti-slip teeth design. The flange prevents damage to aluminum alloy frames, and anti-slip teeth avoid loosening caused by wind and temperature change. Fine threads are used for uniform stress distribution. Ordinary screws have no anti-slip structure and are easy to shift outdoors.
Ordinary carbon steel screws have thin and easy-to-fall coatings. PV fasteners adopt hot-dip galvanizing, passivation and special anti-corrosion coatings with strong adhesion, resisting UV radiation and rain erosion in harsh outdoor conditions.
Use dedicated stainless steel PV fasteners for rooftop, ground and coastal photovoltaic projects. Do not replace PV fasteners with ordinary carbon steel screws. Choose 304 stainless steel for inland areas and 316 stainless steel for coastal and industrial areas.