IronRidge, Inc., a manufacturer of solar mounting products, presents the Universal Fastening Object (UFO), a product designed to accelerate installation of residential, commercial and ground-based solar installations. IronRidge is exhibiting in booth 9333 at Intersolar.
The UFO was introduced with a complete family of supporting products, all of which have been evaluated to the newly effective UL 2703 standard. “This is not a clamp. The UFO is space-age technology built to go at warp speed,” said David Taggart, VP of Products at IronRidge. “It incorporates six different design innovations that solve real-world problems experienced by solar professionals every day.”
Inside the UFO The IronRidge UFO arrives fully-assembled and fully-lubricated, and features a low-profile circular clamp that is attractive and eliminates the need to orient the clamp as it is fastened. Instead, the circular clamp spins down and lands in perfect position on module frames.
The UFO also possesses an advanced T-bolt that allows it to stand freely in the rail while modules are placed. This completely eliminates the need for one person to position clamps as another person installs modules. Instead, the UFO allows one person to do both; then, as he or she fastens the UFO, an integrated Nylok patch auto-rotates and locks the T-bolt in perfect position in the rail. Once fastened, the UFO electrically bonds with solar modules through an innovative 360° bonding washer.
This washer design prevents displacement of the module as it’s fastened while also creating secure bonds in any orientation. The UFO has been certified as a bonding method for over 400 solar module products. What makes the UFO truly universal is its versatility. It is compatible with module frame heights between 30mm and 48mm, eliminating the need to stock multiple clamp sizes. As well, the UFO instantly transforms from a mid- to an end-clamp, simply by snapping on a Stopper Sleeve.
On July 29th, Design Assistant, IronRidge’s free web-based design tool, has been upgraded to support the new products. In addition, Design Assistant will introduce the third and final product in its visual software suite. The visual suite makes it easy for users to input and review mounting system designs, saving time and reducing materials costs.
