Many users may not yet understand what a yoke plate is. It's a heavy-duty, flat or angled metal component primarily used in overhead power lines. Its main purpose is to evenly distribute mechanical loads across multiple insulators or hardware components, while providing safe mounting points for connecting conductors to transmission towers or poles. Unlike adjustment plates, which focus on fine-tuning position, yokes prioritize load-bearing capacity and structural integrity-both essential requirements in high-voltage power systems.
Yokes are designed according to specific applications. Standard products typically feature:
Multiple mounting holes: Pre-drilled holes for mounting insulators, U-joints, or conductor clamps, ensuring even load distribution.
Reinforced edges: Thickened or chamfered edges resist stress concentration, preventing cracking under long-term tensile or environmental stress.
Corrosion-resistant coating: Hot-dip galvanizing or epoxy coating resists corrosion from outdoor factors such as rain, moisture, and industrial contaminants-crucial for extending service life under harsh conditions.
Material compatibility: Manufactured using metals with strength and corrosion resistance matching adjacent components.
When purchasing yoke plates, it's crucial to avoid blind procurement and ensure the specifications align with your needs. For high-voltage applications, they must meet stringent industry standards to withstand the extreme conditions of power transmission, including high mechanical tension, temperature fluctuations, and environmental abrasion. Relevant parameters are as follows:
Load Capacity: Measured in kilonewtons (kN), maximum working loads are 50kN, 100kN, and 200kN for different voltage levels;
Breaking Load: The minimum load required for the yoke plate to break, typically 2.5 to 3 times the MWL (Mean Multi-Level Load) to ensure a high safety margin-compliant with international standards such as IEC 61482 or ANSI C135.1;
Material Selection: Hot-dip galvanized steel is used in high-voltage transmission lines, offering excellent strength and corrosion resistance, with a service life of 20-30 years in most outdoor environments. Stainless steel is suitable for coastal or industrial environments with high salt spray or chemical corrosion; its excellent corrosion resistance prevents rusting, but it is more expensive and slightly less strong than galvanized steel.
Dimensional accuracy: Mounting hole accuracy is ±0.5mm to avoid misalignment with insulators or clamps, which could lead to uneven load distribution. Flatness is ≤1mm/meter to prevent bending under load, ensuring all connecting parts remain straight. Thickness ranges from 8mm to 25mm depending on the load – the greater the tension, the greater the thickness. Weight is optimized to avoid excessive tower stress.
Yoke plates are key components in power fittings, mainly used in overhead transmission lines to connect and fix insulator strings, conductors, etc., to transmit mechanical and electrical loads. They are used to fix suspension clamps, support conductor weight, and adapt to dynamic loads such as wind sway and icing. For example, the cross-shaped connecting plate used in UHV lines reduces weight through a split structure while supporting the installation requirements of eight-split conductors. V-shaped connecting plates and other designs can quickly connect insulator strings via hooks, suitable for live-line replacement operations, reducing power outage time. Directional column connecting plates are used in steering system scenarios to ensure the stability and uniform stress distribution of insulator strings. If you also need such products, you are welcome to visit our company to discuss business.
