K2 Basic Rail Connector

Rows of panels are often longer than a single bar. The connector is the part that joins two rails end to end, so that they behave as close as possible to a continuous bar, not like two pieces merely placed side by side. It is mounted at the joint and remains discreet once the installation is finished.

Instead of cutting bars to size and throwing away the offcuts, you extend the rail by exactly as much as you need and use all the material. The set includes the screws with a Torx T25 drive, so nothing else has to be added, and the three fixing holes leave freedom in positioning, depending on where the joint falls relative to the support clamps. The installation rule is simple: the joint is placed as close as possible to a support point (the BasicClip clamp), not in the middle of the span, where the bending stress is at its maximum. The same part also allows the later extension of an already installed BasicRail system.

Rail Connector Set BasicRail, made of aluminium and A2 stainless steel, with 3 fixing holes and Torx T25 screws included in the set. The joint has a structural role, transmitting the bending moment between the sections; the aluminium - A2 stainless steel combination ensures electrochemical compatibility with the rail profile and mechanical and corrosion resistance under permanent exposure on the roof. In the BasicRail system, which works with controlled thermal expansion, the position of the joints and of the BasicLock 22 fixed points is established according to the K2 installation instructions and the sizing carried out in K2 Base.

Who it suits

Useful in any installation on trapezoidal sheet with rows longer than a standard bar, as well as in the extension of an existing K2 BasicRail system.

Terms explained

• Bending moment: The bending stress that appears in a loaded bar; the joint must take it up, not merely align the ends.
• A2 stainless steel: General-purpose stainless steel, used for screws permanently exposed to rain and damp.
• Electrochemical compatibility: The choice of metals which, when in contact, do not corrode each other.

Technical specifications

Recommended applications

• Extension of the BasicRail rails on long rows of modules
• Continuous photovoltaic arrays on industrial sheet metal roofs
• Reduction of material waste compared with cutting the rails to length
• Extension of an existing K2 BasicRail system

Technical details

Specifications confirmed from the manufacturer's datasheet

The K2 Rail Connector BasicRail set is the element for joining two K2 BasicRail rails end to end. It is made of aluminium and A2 stainless steel and has three fixing holes, which allows flexible installation depending on the position of the joint relative to the support points. The screws with a Torx T25 drive are included in the set.

The role of the connector is structural, not merely one of alignment: the joint must transmit the bending moment between the two sections, so that the assembly behaves as closely as possible to a continuous rail. The aluminium - A2 stainless steel combination is chosen deliberately: the aluminium body remains electrochemically compatible with the rail, and the A2 stainless steel assembly elements ensure mechanical and corrosion resistance under conditions of permanent exposure on the roof.

During installation, the rule is that the joint should be placed as close as possible to a support point (the BasicClip clamp), not in the middle of the span, where the bending stress is at its maximum. In the BasicRail system, which works with controlled thermal expansion, the position of the joints and of the fixed points (BasicLock 22) is established according to the K2 installation instructions and the sizing carried out in K2 Base.