The Portuguese manufacturer unveiled Maxi-Lock, an autonomous hydraulic mechanism that locks solar trackers during strong wind gusts or high-amplitude vibrations, and Smart-Slope, a universal joint-style system designed for uneven terrain. The company claims the technologies can reduce supply and maintenance costs, lower component counts, improve plant availability, and enable higher PV module integration in both conventional and agrivoltaic projects.
Image: AlphaTracker
From pv magazine Spain
Portuguese tracker manufacturer AlphaTracker has developed and patended an autonomous hydraulic mechanism that blocks solar trackers’ movement during strong wind gusts or high-amplitude vibrations, preventing axis displacement and mitigating aeroelastic instability..
Once the adverse weather event has passed, the system automatically unlocks without requiring electricity or electronic components.
According to the manufacturer, the Maxi-Lock system enables the integration of up to 60% more PV modules per tracker, reduces supply costs by 20%, and cuts the number of electronic and mechanical components in the assembly by 40%. Its design also allows adaptation for installations on steeply sloped terrain.
No more technical details on the new product were revealed.
The manufacturer also explained that conventional tracker installations on uneven terrain typically require projects to be divided into shorter units, each with its own motor and control system, increasing installation and maintenance costs. In order to adress this issue, it developed Smart-Slope, a universal joint-style mechanism that transmits motion along the tracker axis even when sections are not perfectly aligned. This allows a single tracker unit to operate continuously in scenarios where two units were previously required.
The company said the result is a simpler, more reliable, and easier-to-maintain installation. Because the system requires no additional machining of structural components and attaches to the axis via a clamp, Smart-Slope can be installed at any point along the tracker without being limited by the original design specifications. According to AlphaTracker, this eliminates the need for additional motors and control systems, reduces maintenance costs and failure probability by 50%, and increases overall plant availability.
Both solutions are designed for conventional PV projects and agrivoltaic installations, the company said.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
More articles from Pilar Sánchez Molina
Please be mindful of our community standards.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


Δ
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.
Legal Notice Terms and Conditions Data Privacy © pv magazine 2026
Δ
This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. ×
The cookie settings on this website are set to “allow cookies” to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click “Accept” below then you are consenting to this.
Close

source