28 August 2015
 Categories: , Blog

There are times when the standard computer rack or standard cases aren't good enough. New devices from independent developers may not adhere to data center standards, or may not be designed for data centers at all. If there's a specific network device or piece of electronics that you absolutely must have in your data center, but mounting seems difficult, consider consulting a sheet metal fabrication team to make a few custom designs that could solve the problem.

Custom Shelving For A Quick Fix

For the basic data center or computer department setup, you'll need workstations and mounting racks to hold systems in place. If you're ordering equipment that doesn't quite fit, it's because many server and equipment racks are designed to hold as much equipment in a vertical, efficient way.

The problem with this design is that it's difficult to adapt. You can't simply screw in one or two corners of a device that is too small for a rack; even if it looks like it works, it's only a matter of time before the mounting screws give way to gravity and your device comes crashing to the ground.

Although many server rack companies include shelves, face plates and rolling rails that can hold larger devices, simply placing a small device on the shelf doesn't help with stability. A sheet metal fabrication team can design custom shelves to hold the device in place. By either adding adjustable side walls or designing a snug tray that holds the specific device size in place, you can keep the device well-mounted and safe from being knocked over by accident.

Full Device Cage For Accessibility

One issue with the basic tray idea is that it may block some device ports. Because of the walls needed to keep the device in place, some devices with ports located closer to the lower half of the device will essentially have their ports cut off, requiring technicians to lift or tilt the device to plug in anything. 

The more that you have to touch and move a device, the more likely the device may meet an unfortunate end on the floor. A sheet metal fabrication designer can create a cage mounted on a shelf that can hold the device in place while allowing access to the ports.

You'll need to send the specific dimensions of the device to the team, which can be done with either pictures, a model of the device or the device manufacturer's specifications in the manual or on their official website. From there, the fabrication team can create a cage with access holes for every port and button that needs to be used.

The device stays in place in a cage and your technicians can do their jobs without being blocked off. Contact a sheet metal fabrication team to begin designing your custom data center storage solutions.

For more information, contact a sheet metal fabricating company like J&E Metal Fabricators.