Server racks, raised floors, wiring panels, and other data center and server room essentials aren't as standard as they used to be. New ideas are entering the market at faster rates, meaning that unless you stick to the major tech giants such as Cisco, Juniper, and EMC2, there's not much that you can do with the standard rackmount framework. If you absolutely must have specific components and devices that follow strange design dimensions, here's a few ways that a custom metal fabrication team can help you make it fit.

Rack And Frame Standards Are Changing

Throughout the 1990's and early 2000's, most devices designed for server rooms, data centers, and Information Technology (IT) equipment rooms would fit into standard server racks. Racks similar to the 19-inch device rack could accommodate a standard device with a set of bolts that could be connected to the pre-drilled sockets on the sides of the device. Although the height of the devices may change, the width was the proper size or at least smaller to fit into a rack. 

There was no law mandating a standard size, but it made sense for vendors to work with what most data centers used. Now, many devices are designed for more agile businesses that may or may not have a bigger device center to use. This meant that vendors didn't have to follow certain size guidelines.

Another issue is that some devices that have great features are designed for residential use. The vendor may not have a business-centric device ready, meaning that a vital data switching or processing device is a sleek piece of plastic that can't be safely mounted anywhere.

One solution is to install a flat shelf in the server rack—also known as a blank—to simply place the oddly-shaped or unmountable device. It works, but accidents happen and a worker may easily knock the device off the shelf or yank it down by the cables.

Custom Fabrication Can Make It Fit

To build upon the shelf design, a custom fabrication team can design a cage that keeps the device more firmly in place. The rack is bolted securely to the service rack, so any pulled cables or accidentally nudged devices won't be in any more danger than bolted-down devices.

Another option is to build a sliding shelf that clamps onto the sides of the device. This makes it easier to work with the device without having to open a cage.

There are a lot of different designs that can be fabricated for an existing shelf, but you could also have an entire custom rack built for your specific devices. Contact a custom metal fabrication professional to discuss different options for large-scale industrial use or click here for more information.