Rod Ends
Rod ends and heim joints join a tracker actuator or linkage arm to its frame. Each joint then swings through its own angle.
View product →Parts Catalog
Solar Parts Catalog
Open a product page for sizes and grades, or send a drawing for a part not listed.
Ball Joints
Ball joints let a linkage arm move in more than one plane as the frame shifts.
View product →
Spherical Bearings
Spherical bearings sit in tracker pivots, where a tube or arm must turn while the posts are slightly out of line.
View product →
Bushings
Plain and flanged bushings line pivot bores that turn every day. The metal sleeve then takes the wear in place of the bore.
View product →
Universal Joints
On layouts that link rows with a drive shaft, universal joints carry torque across the small angle between rows.
View product →
Spacers
Spacers and standoffs set the gap at rail brackets, junction boxes, and sensor mounts.
View product →
Custom CNC Parts
Custom CNC parts are made to your drawing when no listed product fits.
View product →Material Decision
Choosing the Grade by Site
Match the grade to the salt at the site, the metals the part touches, and how much it moves.
Inland grade
304 Stainless
Grade 304 suits racking hardware, spacers, and brackets at inland sites with low chloride exposure. It costs less than 316L, so it fits whenever no coast, salt road, or chemical plant sits nearby.
Inland sites · Rooftop brackets
Coastal grade
316L
Molybdenum gives 316L better pitting and crevice resistance than 304. That makes it the safer pick near the coast, on floating arrays, and at sites where soil or dust carries salt. Choose 316L when the part is welded after machining.
Coastal · Floating
High-strength grade
17-4PH
Heat treatment hardens 17-4PH, so pivot pins and shafts resist wear better than in 304 or 316L. Its pitting resistance is lower than 316L, which is why it stays out of standing salt water. For outdoor pins, ask for a tempered condition such as H1025.
Pivot pins · Shafts
On request
Duplex 2205
Duplex 2205 has more than twice the yield strength of 316L, with better resistance to chloride stress corrosion cracking. It is available on request for stressed parts at coastal sites.
Stressed parts · Coastal sites
| Grade | Minimum yield strength | Pitting resistance (PREN, typical) | Typical solar use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 304 | 205 MPa | 18 to 20 | Racking hardware, spacers, and brackets at inland sites |
| 316L | 170 MPa | 24 to 26 | Coastal and floating sites, salty soil, and welded assemblies |
| 17-4PH (H1025) | 1000 MPa | Lower than 316L | Pivot pins and shafts, kept out of standing salt water |
| Duplex 2205 (on request) | 450 MPa | 34 to 36 | Stressed parts at coastal sites |
Values are typical for annealed 304, 316L, and 2205 plate and for 17-4PH in the H1025 condition, given for comparison. The final grade depends on your drawing and your site conditions.
Design Notes
Where Solar Hardware Fails
Most failures start at an aluminum contact, a salty crevice, a loose thread, or a worn pivot bore.
Contact
Aluminum Contact
In a wet joint, aluminum corrodes where it touches stainless steel. A small aluminum part against a large stainless one corrodes fastest. A polymer washer or sleeve between them breaks the contact. Show that washer on your drawing.
Rails · Clamps · Fasteners
Salt
Coastal Salt
Salt spray leaves chlorides under washers, in thread roots, and in joint gaps. Pitting starts in those crevices, so a shape that drains helps. 316L also resists that pitting better than 304.
Washers · Thread roots · Joint gaps
Heat
Heat Cycling and Loosening
Aluminum rails expand more than stainless steel fasteners each day, so joint preload changes with temperature. Vibration then works a loosened thread free, which is why the lock nut and preload method belong on your drawing.
Lock nuts · Threads · Brackets
Wear
Pivot Wear and UV
A tracker pivot turns every day. If the bore is out of line, it wears faster. UV does not harm stainless steel, but it ages plastic washers and bushings. Where the pivot takes the wear, ask for a metal sleeve.
Bores · Pivot pins · Bushings
Quick Pick
Quick Pick by Mounting Type
Start from where the part sits in the structure, then take the grade from the fourth column.
| Mounting type | Parts that sit there | What goes wrong | Grade to quote first | Design check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed-tilt ground mount | Threaded rod, spacers, tube clamps, brackets | Aluminum rails corrode where stainless touches them. Base plates sit near wet soil | 304 inland, 316L near the coast or in salty soil | Isolation at aluminum contact and the mating metals on the drawing |
| Single-axis tracker pivots | Spherical bearings, bushings, pivot pins | Daily turning wears the bore. Misalignment loads the pin | 17-4PH pins in H1025, with 316L sleeves at coastal sites | Metal sleeve in the bore and the misalignment angle on the drawing |
| Tracker linkage and drive | Rod ends, ball joints, clevis, universal joints | Threads loosen with vibration and daily cycling | 316L ends and clevis, 17-4PH for pins | Lock nut, preload method, and thread lubricant on the drawing |
| Rooftop and C&I | Brackets, spacers, threaded rod | Aluminum rail contact and water ponding at brackets | 304 inland, 316L near the coast or industrial exhaust | Isolation washer and a bracket shape that drains |
| Floating and coastal | Brackets, clevis, tube clamps, threaded rod | Salt spray and constant wet crevices | 316L, with Duplex 2205 on request for stressed parts | Crevice-free joints and passivation after welding |
This table gives no wind load, snow load, or life figures, because those belong to your structural design. We review the grade with you once we have the mounting type and the site.
Where It Is Used
Solar Sectors
Each structure puts different parts in the salt, the wet joint, or the daily movement. Find yours, then open the product page.
01
Ground-Mount Racking
Fixed-tilt racking stands on posts and base plates in wet soil, with aluminum rails across the top. Threaded rod, spacers, tube clamps, and brackets brace and join that frame. The rail metal and the soil type set the grade.
02
Single-Axis Tracker Pivots and Linkage
A single-axis tracker turns each row at pivots on the posts, driven through an actuator linkage. Spherical bearings and bushings sit in the pivots, while rod ends, clevis fittings, and ball joints sit in the linkage. Send the pin diameter and the misalignment angle with your inquiry.
03
Rooftop and C&I Mounting
Rooftop and carport arrays hang their rails from brackets that sit close to wet roof surfaces. Sheet metal brackets, spacers, and threaded rod hold the rails off the structure.
04
Floating and Coastal Installs
Floating arrays and coastal farms see salt spray, splash, and wet crevices at every joint. Clevis fittings, tube clamps, threaded rod, and spherical bearings join the frame and the float connections. Against that salt, 316L is the first grade to quote.
Manufacturing Route
Built Around the Drawing
Three routes cover most solar hardware. Each links to its product page.
01 / MILLING
CNC Machining
We mill brackets, housings, and multi-face parts to your drawing, with tolerances typically held to ±0.01 mm. 5-axis machining is available on request when a part needs it.
View CNC Parts →
02 / TURNING
CNC Turning
Spacers, bushings, pins, shafts, and rod end bodies are turned to your drawing or sample.
View CNC Turning Parts →03 / FORMING
Stamping and Bending
We stamp and bend brackets and plates to your drawing.
View Sheet Metal Parts →How It Works
From Drawing to Delivery
Four steps take an order from drawing to shipment.
01
Send the Part
Send a drawing, a sample, or a worn part with the details in the checklist below.
02
Get a Quote
Engineering reviews the grade, geometry, and site conditions, then issues the quotation.
03
Approve the Sample
Sample parts are made for your approval before production starts.
04
Production and Shipping
Production follows the approved sample. Finished parts then ship by sea, air, or express courier.
Advantages
Why Profab
Tracker makers and EPC fabricators order small, mixed, drawing-based orders. These are the ways we make that easier.
Why Profab / 01
Direct From the Manufacturer
Tracker makers and EPC fabricators order straight from the factory that cuts the metal.
- Our Own CNC ShopWe turn and mill your pivot pins, bushings, and spacers in our own factory in Ningbo, so you deal directly with the manufacturer.
- Since 2005Profab has worked in stainless steel for 20 years, long enough to know how 304, 316L, and 17-4PH cut and finish.
- ISO 9001Our quality management system is ISO 9001 certified.
- Small Runs, No Hard MinimumA trial run of a new pivot or bracket design is fine, with prototype runs typically starting around 100 pieces.
Why Profab / 02
Built for Solar Hardware Orders
A tracker or racking frame rarely needs one part, so one order can cover the pivots, the linkage, and the supports together.
- One Quote for Several PartsRod ends, bushings, spacers, and tube clamps for one structure are quoted together.
- Same Drawing, Different GradesOne bracket drawing can be quoted in 304 for an inland site and in 316L for a coastal site.
- Copy From a SampleA corroded rod end or a worn pivot bushing works as the pattern. We measure it and quote a copy.
- Any Product on RequestA part that is not in the catalog is quoted from your drawing, together with the rest of the order.
01 / 02
Inquiry Checklist
What to Send With Your Inquiry
Send a drawing, a sample, or a worn part with the details below.
Send These Details
Include as many of these details as you have.
- Mounting type, and where the part sits
- Site: coastal, inland, desert, rooftop, or floating, and any chemicals nearby
- Material grade, or the grades you would accept
- Mating metals, such as aluminum rails and steel posts, and any isolation washer
- Thread, bore, pin diameter, and misalignment angle
- Finish needs and quantity
What Happens Next
We check grade, geometry, and finish against your site, then quote.
Procurement FAQ
Solar Buyer FAQ
These short answers cover the first engineering and purchasing questions.
Which stainless steel grade suits a coastal solar site?
316L resists chloride pitting better than 304, so it is the grade near the coast, on floating arrays, and where soil or dust carries salt. The site and the mating metals set the final choice.
Can stainless steel parts touch aluminum rails?
They can, but in a wet joint the aluminum corrodes faster at the contact point. A polymer washer or sleeve between the two breaks that contact. List both metals on your drawing.
Can you copy a worn tracker pivot part from a sample?
Yes. We measure a corroded rod end, bushing, or spacer and quote a copy. The structure and the position of the part let us check the fit.
Can you supply 17-4PH or duplex stainless steel?
17-4PH is a regular grade for pivot pins and shafts. For outdoor use, a tempered condition such as H1025 is the one to ask for. Duplex 2205 is available on request for stressed parts at coastal sites.
How do I stop stainless steel threads from galling?
Use different grades for the bolt and the nut, add thread lubricant, and tighten slowly. We machine the parts in whichever grades your drawing calls out.
Which finishes can you provide?
We offer passivation, electropolishing, blackening, and shot blasting as services for parts that need them. Other finishes are available on request. Name the finish in the inquiry so it is priced into the quotation.