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Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-09-24 Origin: Site
A solar structure is made on one of two industrial routes: extruded aluminium profiles that are anodised or powder coated, or cold-formed steel sections that are hot-dip galvanised after fabrication.
The route decides almost everything a buyer cares about — achievable profile geometry, stiffness per kilogram, tooling cost, the order quantity at which the price becomes competitive, and the kind of certificate the supplier can actually produce.
What separates quotations is rarely the headline material. It is whether "anodised" comes with a thickness class in micrometres, whether the galvanising certificate states a coating mass, whether the temper is named, and whether the mill certificate is traceable to the heat number on the delivered steel.
A solar structure is manufactured either by extruding aluminium and finishing the profile, or by cold roll forming steel coil and galvanising the finished section. Profile complexity, stiffness per unit mass, tooling cost and order quantity decide which route is competitive for a given part.
Route | What it produces | Engineering character | Commercial character |
|---|---|---|---|
Aluminium extrusion | Rails, purlins, clamps, carport beams and posts | Complex hollow and multi-cavity profiles in one pass; lower stiffness than steel, so deeper sections are used to compensate | Die cost is real but modest; competitive at moderate quantities and where profile accuracy matters |
Cold-formed steel | Rails, purlins, posts, piers and ground-mount substructure | High stiffness per unit cost; geometry limited to what can be formed from coil | Very high throughput and low cost per metre; competitiveness rises steeply with order quantity |
The route also determines which conformity system applies to a European project. EN 1090 is published in parts: Part 1 covers conformity assessment and CE marking, Part 2 covers steel structures and Part 3 covers aluminium structures. Solar rooftop and ground-mount structures normally fall into execution class EXC2, with EXC3 for large utility-scale work, and the CE mark has to be supported by a Declaration of Performance and traceable material certificates.
An aluminium solar structure is made by heating an alloy billet and extruding it through a die, cooling and ageing the profile to temper, cutting and punching it to length, and then applying an anodic or organic coating before assembly and packing.
Alloy selection. Structural profiles are normally made from the 6xxx series, with 6005-T5 or 6063-T6 used for rails and beams because they balance extrudability, strength and corrosion behaviour. The temper is part of the specification, not an afterthought, because it sets the strength the profile can be designed to.
Billet heating and homogenisation. The billet is brought to a controlled temperature before it enters the press; published process work on solar mounting profiles describes homogenisation in the region of 480 to 490 °C for several hours.
Extrusion. The billet is pushed through a shaped die at a controlled ram speed. Complex rail profiles with a slot for clamps and a cavity for stiffness are extruded in a single pass, which is the main technical advantage of this route.
Cooling and ageing to temper. Profiles are cooled from the forming temperature and then artificially aged in a controlled cycle to reach the declared temper. This is what converts a soft extruded shape into a structural component.
Cutting, punching and machining. Profiles are cut to project lengths, then punched or drilled for splice holes, bonding points and clamp slots. Hole positions matter to the installer, so tolerance control at this stage is a customer-facing property.
Surface finishing. Anodising or powder coating is applied after fabrication, because coating before cutting would leave bare metal at every cut edge.
Assembly, inspection and packing. Kit parts are assembled and checked, coated thickness is measured, and components are packed to survive container handling without abrading the finish.
The above sequence is generic to aluminium extrusion, and published process documentation for solar mounting profiles gives the typical window for each stage — die-face temperature around 470 to 480 °C, two-stage artificial ageing, and controlled extrusion speed. A supplier who cannot describe the ageing cycle for the temper they claim is not really quoting a tempered profile.
A steel solar structure is made by cold roll forming coated or uncoated coil into a section, punching and welding it while it is still flat or immediately after forming, and then hot-dip galvanising the finished component so that the zinc coating covers cut edges and welds.
Coil selection. The coil grade and thickness set the section capacity, and the coating on the coil determines whether cut edges are protected before galvanising. Pre-galvanised or zinc-aluminium-magnesium coil is used where the part will not be dipped.
Cold roll forming. Strip passes through a series of forming stations that progressively bend it into the finished section. Thickness and station count determine what geometry is possible, and line speed determines throughput.
Punching and slotting. Holes and slots are normally punched before forming, because forming after punching keeps slot alignment consistent along the length of the run.
Cutting to length. A flying cut-off produces fixed lengths, and the length tolerance is a specification item that installers feel directly when rails are joined on site.
Welding where required. Brackets and base plates are welded to the section, and welding quality is governed by a qualified procedure with qualified welders.
Hot-dip galvanising. The finished component is dipped, so the zinc coating forms on all surfaces including cut edges and weld zones. Coating thickness is then verified against the standard.
Inspection and packing. Coating thickness, straightness and hole pattern are checked, and sections are bundled for container loading.
Coating on the steel route is a measurable quantity, not a claim. ISO 1461 sets minimum mean coating thicknesses by material thickness, at 85 micrometres for steel over 6 mm and 70 micrometres for steel between 3 mm and 6 mm, with permitted local minima below those averages; ASTM A123 expresses the same values as a grade number equal to the mean thickness in micrometres. The ISO 1461 minimum coating thickness tables are the reference a buyer should hold a supplier to.
The steel route is also the high-throughput one. Roll forming lines for solar mounting sections take strip in the thin-plate range, run through more than a dozen forming stations and produce lengths at metres per minute rather than metres per hour, which is why cold-formed rail is normally cheaper per metre than an extruded rail of comparable capacity — provided the order quantity justifies the setup.
The temper letter and number describe how the aluminium was strengthened. T5 means the profile was cooled from hot forming and then artificially aged; T6 means it was solution heat treated, quenched and then artificially aged. The temper, not the alloy number alone, determines the design strength.
Designation | How it is produced | What it means for the design |
|---|---|---|
T5 | Cooled from an elevated-temperature forming process, then artificially aged | The usual temper for extruded structural profiles; strength depends on section thickness, so thin and thick sections of the same alloy are not interchangeable |
T6 | Solution heat treated, quenched, then artificially aged | Higher strength for the same alloy, achieved through a more demanding thermal route; used where the section has to be smaller or stronger rather than simply bigger |
Published extruded-product property data illustrates why the temper has to be named. For alloy 6063 in the T5 temper, minimum yield strength is in the region of 130 MPa with tensile strength around 175 MPa for thin sections, rising to about 170 MPa and 215 MPa respectively in the T6 temper. Because those minima also change with section thickness, a quotation that states "aluminium 6063" without a temper leaves the strength of the structure undefined.
Every credible corrosion claim resolves to a number. Anodising is specified as an ISO 7599 class, powder coating as an AAMA performance level, and galvanising as a coating thickness or mass per unit area — and each of those numbers can be measured on the delivered goods.
Finish | How it is specified | What to verify on delivery |
|---|---|---|
Anodised aluminium | ISO 7599 thickness class, from AA5 to AA25, where the number is the minimum average coating thickness in micrometres | Thickness measured per batch; note that the permitted local minimum is below the class average |
Powder coated aluminium | AAMA performance level such as 2604 or 2605, which differ in weathering exposure, salt-spray duration, gloss retention and film build | Film thickness and the coating specification named on the certificate |
Hot-dip galvanised steel | ISO 1461 or ASTM A123 minimum mean thickness by material thickness | Batch coating thickness readings against the standard, recorded and retained |
Pre-coated steel coil | Coating mass designation applied to the coil | The coating mass on the mill certificate, and independent corrosion test data for the coating type |
The ISO 7599 anodising standard defines the thickness classes and the measurement rule in the same document, which is why specifying a class is more useful than specifying "anodised". AA15 means a minimum average of 15 micrometres, with a lower permitted local minimum, so a specification that names AA15 has already told the supplier exactly what to control.
Powder coating works the same way through the AAMA performance levels. The summarised AAMA 2604 and 2605 requirements differ in weathering exposure, salt-spray duration and gloss retention: 2604 is a super-durable polyester system, while 2605 requires a fluoropolymer system and longer exposure. Choosing between them is a site-corrosivity decision, not a marketing decision.
Accelerated testing is not a service life.
Salt-spray hours are a screening result, not a calendar prediction. Certification engineers state explicitly that accelerated testing does not translate into a defined number of years in service. A supplier claiming that a 3,000-hour salt-spray result equals a specific service life is over-reading the test, and the more defensible statement is a measured coating thickness plus the corrosivity category the coating was selected for.
A well-run production line leaves records: material certificates traceable to the heat number, coating thickness readings per batch, welding procedure and welder qualifications, calibration certificates for measuring equipment, and load or functional test results where the design requires them.
Material certificate. An EN 10204 3.1 certificate reports measured results from the actual heat and is validated by an inspection representative independent of production; 3.2 adds third-party witnessing. A trader's declaration without a heat number is not the same document.
Coating records. Micrometer readings per batch, with the instrument calibration current, referenced to the declared ISO 1461 or AAMA or ISO 7599 requirement.
Welding documentation. Welding procedure specifications and welder qualifications that are in date, particularly for EN 1090 projects where expired records are an immediate audit finding.
Dimensional inspection. Profile, length and hole-pattern checks recorded against the drawing tolerance, because hole alignment determines whether the structure assembles on site.
Traceability through the lot. A certificate that cannot be linked to the delivered batch does not support the claim, however impressive the certificate looks.
Packing and loading record. Quantities, bundle weights and photographs, because transit damage is far more common than manufacturing defects on long profiles.
Quality management certification alone settles less than buyers expect. ISO's own guidance states that ISO 9001 does not define specific requirements for the products or services being purchased, and that a statement of conformity to ISO 9001 should not be treated as a substitute for a declaration of product conformity. A supplier with ISO 9001 and no product-level certificate is telling you their process is controlled, not that the product has been verified.
Product-level certification has its own limits, and they are worth reading. The UL marking guidance for alternative energy equipment sets out that a racking listing covers defined attributes — the bonding and grounding path, mechanical loading and fire classification — and applies in combination with specific modules. The certificate therefore has to be matched to the product family and the module model, not just cited.
Verify six things in a quotation before price: the material and temper or steel grade, the coating specification with a number, the certificate types and their scope, the project-specific load calculation, the tooling and order-quantity position, and the packing and loading plan.
Price differences between quotations usually trace back to identifiable inputs rather than to margin. Metal price is a market figure, extrusion die cost is amortised over the order quantity, surface treatment is priced by area or by tonne, and order quantity changes the unit price because setup is spread over more output. A quotation that separates material, conversion and finishing can be compared against another; a single lump-sum per kilowatt cannot.
Freight and packing should be part of the technical discussion, not an afterthought. Long rails are normally cut to container-friendly lengths, and the loading plan determines how much steel or aluminium actually fits in a 40-foot high-cube container. A design that saves five percent on material but loads at eighty percent volumetric utilisation can lose more than it saved on freight.
Material and temper named. Alloy plus temper for aluminium, or steel grade plus coating for steel, on the drawing and in the quotation.
Coating specified numerically. An ISO 7599 class, an AAMA level, or an ISO 1461 or ASTM A123 thickness requirement.
Certificates with scope. Which standard, which body, which execution class, which product family, and which module models where the listing is module-specific.
Project-specific load calculation. Wind and snow loads with the code edition and the location assumptions, rather than a catalogue headline figure.
Tooling and quantity position. Whether a new extrusion die is required, how its cost is amortised, and how the unit price moves at the quantity you actually intend to order.
Packing and loading plan. Cut lengths, bundle weights, loading diagrams and the container utilisation the quote assumes.
Documentation package. Confirm up front which certificates, drawings and inspection records are included and which are chargeable.
Next step: review the solar structure configurations and accessories that can be quoted against these documentation requirements.
Review solar structure product ranges
Making a solar structure is a controlled industrial process with two main routes, and the differences that matter to a buyer are all recordable: alloy and temper, extrusion or forming route, coating thickness, certificate scope and traceability to the delivered batch. None of those differences is visible in a product photo, which is why the documentation package is the most reliable way to compare suppliers.
The practical test is simple. Ask for the temper, the coating number, the certificate scope and the mill certificate heat number, and see whether the answers arrive as values or as adjectives. Suppliers who manufacture to a specification answer with values.
It depends on the part. Extruded aluminium suits rails, clamps and carport members because complex profiles can be produced in one pass and the material is naturally corrosion resistant with an anodic or organic coating. Cold-formed galvanised steel suits posts, piers and long rail runs where stiffness per unit cost matters more than profile complexity. The material route is chosen per component, not per project.
Both are extruded aluminium alloys in the T5 temper, meaning they were cooled from hot forming and then artificially aged. 6005 delivers higher minimum strength than 6063 for a given section, while 6063 extrudes more easily into complex shapes. The choice is usually driven by whether the design needs a smaller section at higher stress or a more intricate profile at moderate stress.
Anodising is specified as an ISO 7599 thickness class rather than a single figure. AA15, for example, means a minimum average coating thickness of 15 micrometres, with a lower permitted local minimum. Coastal or heavily polluted sites justify a higher class, and the thickness should be measured per batch rather than assumed.
ISO 1461 sets minimum mean coating thicknesses by material thickness — 85 micrometres for steel over 6 mm and 70 micrometres for steel between 3 mm and 6 mm — with lower permitted local minima. ASTM A123 states equivalent values as a grade number in micrometres. The delivered batch should come with thickness readings, not just a process description.
No. ISO's own guidance says the standard does not define specific product requirements and that a conformity statement should not substitute for a declaration of product conformity. ISO 9001 demonstrates a controlled process; product-level certificates such as a racking listing or an EN 1090 declaration are what address the product itself.
