Solar Energy Manufacturing
Precision-machined drivetrain interfaces, formed mounting structures, and weatherproof enclosures — built for utility-scale solar with the corrosion resistance and dimensional accuracy that long-term outdoor service. We serve tracker OEMs, inverter manufacturers, and BOS hardware suppliers.
Why Solar Hardware Teams Choose MakerStage
Solar hardware lives outdoors for decades through UV, thermal cycling, sand, and salt air. We combine the right alloys, surface treatments, and dimensional control so your tracker, inverter, and mounting parts perform through every weather cycle.
Corrosion Engineering
316L stainless, duplex 2205, hot-dip galvanized steel, and marine-grade aluminum 5052/6061 — selected for long-term desert and coastal solar installations.
Tracker-Grade Tolerances
±0.0005" on bearing seats and shaft interfaces; ±0.005" on structural brackets — critical for slew drive preload and actuator alignment under repeated cyclic loading.
Rapid Validation
3D-printed fit-checks typically in 1–3 days; CNC functional prototypes typically in 10–15 days — accelerate IEC 62817 and UL certification timelines.
Proto to Production
Prototype to production (100–10,000+ pcs) with full material traceability, dimensional inspection reports, and ASTM/ISO certifications.
Solar Hardware Manufacturing Capabilities
Three core processes — CNC machining for tracker drivetrain precision, sheet metal for mounting and enclosure structures, and 3D printing for rapid design validation.
CNC Machining
Tracker Drivetrain & Thermal Parts
Solar-Grade Specifications
±0.005" std, as tight as ±0.0005"
Ra 3.2 µm std, Ra 0.8 µm achievable
24" × 16" × 12"
Typically 10–15 days
Materials
Solar Applications
- Slew drive housings & worm gear components
- Torque tube couplings & bearing blocks
- Actuator mounting interfaces
- Inverter finned heat sinks & cold plates
Sheet Metal Fabrication
Mounting Structures & Enclosures
Fabrication Specifications
±0.005" kerf control
±0.010" standard
24 ga – 0.25" (6 mm)
Typically 10–15 days
Materials
Solar Applications
- Mounting rails, pier cap adapters & splice plates
- Inverter & junction box housings (IP65)
- EMI shield enclosures for power electronics
- Cable tray sections & bus bar assemblies
3D Printing
Rapid Design Validation
Prototyping Specifications
25 µm (SLA)
±0.1 mm typical
16" × 16" × 20"
Typically 1–3 days
Materials
Solar Applications
- Connector & cable routing fixture validation
- Thermal management duct mock-ups
- Sensor housing fit-check models
- Module clamp geometry validation
Solar Hardware We Build
We focus exclusively on fabricated components for three solar segments where our CNC machining, sheet metal, and 3D printing capabilities deliver the most value.
Single-Axis & Dual-Axis Tracker Systems
Tracker OEMs and Tier-1 subsystem suppliers building single-axis and dual-axis systems requiring precise rotational interfaces designed for long-term outdoor service.
- Slew drive housings and worm gear components
- Torque tube couplings and bearing blocks
- Actuator mounting brackets and linkages
- Pier cap adapters and post cap interfaces
- Damper and wind-stow mechanism parts
Inverter & Power Electronics Hardware
String and central inverter OEMs needing thermal management hardware, weatherproof enclosures, and power distribution components with tight thermal and dimensional specs.
- Finned heat sinks — extruded or CNC-machined
- IGBT module cold plates with flow channels
- EMI shield enclosures (aluminum / steel)
- Inverter junction box housings (IP65)
- DC bus bar assemblies — copper and aluminum
BOS Mounting & Racking Hardware
BOS hardware suppliers and racking companies building mounting structures with materials suitable for UL 2703 listed systems — utility-scale, commercial, and ground-mount solar.
- Mounting rails and module clamp brackets
- Splice plates and structural connectors
- Cable tray sections and grounding lugs
- Grounding bus bars and lug assemblies
- Weatherproof junction box housings
Solar Manufacturing FAQ
Technical questions from solar tracker, inverter, and BOS hardware engineering teams.
What materials do you recommend for solar tracker drivetrain components?
For slew drive housings and bearing interfaces exposed to cyclic loading and weather, we typically recommend 316L stainless steel for chloride resistance (critical in coastal installations), duplex 2205 for high-strength corrosive environments, or aluminum 6061-T6 for lightweight actuator brackets where load demands are moderate. Torque tube couplings are commonly machined from hot-dip galvanized carbon steel per ASTM A153 for long-term sacrificial corrosion protection. Material selection depends on your site class (IEC 61724), mechanical loads from wind stow calculations, and target design life.
What tolerances can you hold on tracker bearing seats and shaft interfaces?
For bearing bore seats and shaft mating surfaces on slew drives and linear actuator interfaces, we achieve ±0.0005" (±0.013 mm) with surface finishes of Ra 0.8 µm or better — critical for proper bearing preload and fatigue life under repeated cyclic loading. Structural mounting brackets and pier cap adapters are typically held to ±0.005" (±0.13 mm). Our 5-axis CNC capability handles multi-feature parts like worm gear housings where concentricity between the worm bore and output shaft seat is critical.
What surface treatments do you recommend for long-term desert solar exposure?
For aluminum tracker components, we recommend Type III hard anodize (per MIL-PRF-8625) providing a 0.002–0.003" abrasion-resistant oxide layer, often combined with TGIC polyester powder coat (2–5 mil) for UV resistance. For steel mounting hardware, hot-dip galvanizing per ASTM A153 provides 50–100 µm sacrificial zinc coating — the industry standard for utility-scale racking. Stainless steel parts benefit from citric acid passivation per ASTM A967. For extreme desert UV and sand abrasion, we recommend combining anodize + powder coat. Actual coating life depends on site conditions, maintenance, and exposure severity.
Can you machine inverter and string-level heat sinks?
Yes. We CNC-machine finned heat sinks from aluminum 6061-T6 (thermal conductivity ~167 W/m·K) with fin aspect ratios up to 10:1 and fin spacing down to 2 mm for forced-convection inverter designs. For natural-convection string inverters, we machine wider fin spacing (4–6 mm) with optimized surface area. We also machine IGBT module cold plates with internal flow channels from aluminum or copper C110. Typical heat sink dimensions range from 100 mm to 400 mm with ±0.005" flatness on the mounting interface.
What sheet metal options do you offer for solar mounting rails and brackets?
We laser-cut and form mounting rails, pier cap adapters, splice plates, and module clamps from galvanized steel (G90), aluminum 5052-H32 (excellent formability and saltwater resistance), or aluminum 6061-T6 (higher structural strength). Thickness ranges from 0.060" to 0.250" depending on structural requirements per UL 2703 and local building codes. Typical tolerances are ±0.005" on cut features and ±0.010" on formed dimensions. Powder coat or hot-dip galvanize finishing available for additional corrosion protection.
Do you support prototype-to-production for solar tracker hardware?
Absolutely. We handle the full tracker hardware development cycle: 3D-printed fit-check models (typically 1–3 days) for validating connector routing and sensor housing geometry, CNC-machined functional prototypes (typically 10–15 days) for tracker field testing, and production batches of 100–10,000+ pieces with full material traceability per ASTM/ISO standards. This lets you validate form, fit, and function at each gate before committing to production quantities — critical for tracker OEMs managing IEC 62817 certification timelines.
Power Your Solar Hardware Build
Get a quote for tracker drivetrain components, inverter thermal hardware, or BOS mounting structures — with corrosion-resistant alloys and full material documentation.