RACKS AND ENCLOSURES
Reducing the cost and carbon footprint of your data centre Flat Packed Racks By Alan Lewis, Business Development Manager, Retex UK
Alan Lewis explains how flat packed 19” racks can reduce the cost and carbon footprint of your data centre.
Introduction When designing a new data centre the last thing that anyone will want to compromise on is the quality of the racking; the potential losses that can be accrued due to failures will easily dwarf any saving made by opting for budget components. However, it’s important to consider how savings can be made by reducing the associated costs, such as transport and installation time. Using innovative designs and high quality materials, some flat pack rack products can offer significant cost savings over traditional racks while delivering the same levels of reliability.
Backbone 19” racks are the backbone of the modern data centre. They are used to support and house hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of servers and routers; equipment which is responsible for the storage and transfer of data which can be priceless. In total some racks house up to a tonne of electrical equipment which means that
a product’s strength and stability is of greater importance than its potential cost saving. Steel and aluminium racks are favoured due to the inherent strength of the materials; the standard dimensions are 2215mm(42U) x 600mm x 1000. Once installed, the strength and size
of the racks are a huge positive in terms of guaranteeing the protection of the electronics that they house. However, transporting the products to site and moving them into position can often prove costly and time consuming. If a standard rack has 1.3m3 of volume then approximately 50 racks can be carried by a single 40 foot lorry. It’s not uncommon for hundred of racks to be required for a single Data Centre installation, meaning that delivery costs quickly stack up – especially if the products have to be imported.
After Delivery Racks can prove equally as awkward once they have been delivered onsite. Data Centres are often located in rooms
with limited access or, more often than not, in a building’s basement. Negotiating corridors, stairs and narrow doorways will require at least two people at a time and can add days to the installation process as the products are moved into position. As we all know, time is money, and this extra installation time can quickly start to eat at the budget. By specifying racks that are delivered
flat packed, it is possible to take days off the installation process; while reducing delivery costs and the project’s overall carbon footprint at the same time. For example, the Logic2 from Retex UK offer a volume reduction of up to 70% during delivery, meaning that almost 170 units can fit in a single lorry; more than trebling the efficiency of each delivery load. Once delivered the racks can be stored out of the way until they are ready for installation, at which point they can be quickly moved into position and easily navigated through tight doorways.
Scepticism The concept of flat pack racks is quite new to the industry and is still met with an inherent degree of scepticism as thoughts turn to wobbly coffee tables with the inevitable single unused screw left over. However, it’s important to remember that in an industry where reputation is king. No respectable company would risk its name by releasing an unreliable product. A good quality flat pack system should be made using the exact materials that one would expect to find in a traditional rack and offer the same load capacity and mounting options. The Logic2 is constructed entirely
64% Flat packed racks can take days off of the installation process. 16 NETCOMMS europe Volume III Issue 3 2013
from aluminium panels which makes is light, but extremely robust, while ensuring that it carries the aesthetics of a high quality product. Aluminium was chosen as it offers a 30 percent weight reduction when compared to a steel rack, thus further cutting the carbon footprint during delivery and making the product even easier to move around on site. Once it has been built the frame’s structural integrity is no different to a traditional rack and the product is able to bear over 1,500kg of static load.
www.netcommseurope.com
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