Posted by A & J Manufacturing on | Comments Off on How To Choose the Right Isolator For Your Military Rack
Choosing the right isolator for your rack is crucial for minimizing vibrations and enhancing equipment stability. It protects sensitive military equipment from vibration, shock, and environmental stress. The isolator selection directly impacts the durability, stability and performance of the equipment it protects. Isolators, sometimes called stabilizers, can be added to the base or sides of a rack, cabinet, or enclosure to buffer vibrations.
Here, we’ll look at how to assess the risks of vibration and shock and the different types of isolators used to mitigate them.
Equipment Sensitivity
Electronic equipment can be weakened or damaged by physical shock and vibration in a number of ways. Sometimes a single large incident, such as a drop or bump, causes components to crack or dislodge. In other cases, exposure to vibration over a period of time causes problems.
Left unchecked, vibration and shock can cause equipment to malfunction, lose data, or fail entirely. It can be difficult to detect when internal electronic components have been damaged, which means it is even more important to prevent damage by reducing exposure to vibration by installing appropriate isolators on the base of the rack, cabinet, or enclosure.
There are several key considerations to ensure optimal performance and protection:
Purpose: determine WHY you need an isolator
Environment: consider the operating environment (temperature, humidity, dust)
Weight: calculate the total weight of the equipment to be supported, including center of gravity
Performance specifications: consider isolation frequency, damping ratio and load capacity
Mounting options: check compatibility within the physical dimensions of your setup
The load capacity of an isolator is crucial to ensure it can effectively support the weight of your rack and equipment without bottoming out or overloading. Consider:
Total weight of the equipment plus any accessories
Load distribution to avoid excessive strain on any single isolator
Dynamic load adjustments if equipment shifts during use
Consider Sources of Vibration and Shock
When determining the type, size, and configuration of an isolator for an application, it’s important to anticipate typical sources of vibration and plan for the unexpected as well. Keep in mind that vibrations can cause damage before equipment is even installed and in use.
Vibration and physical shock come from many sources. These can include things in the equipment’s local environment, unanticipated incidents, or even vibrations generated by the equipment itself. Depending on how delicate electronic components are, and how robust the racking, enclosures, or cabinets that hold them are, vibrations will have a different effect.
Some sources of vibration and shock include:
Pulsing from nearby machinery or motors in manufacturing or industrial facilities
Rattling and airflow from fans or HVAC equipment
Traffic from heavy vehicles driving past a building
Transportation of enclosures or cabinets over rough roads or unpaved ground
Air turbulence that jostles or bounces avionics instrumentation during flight
Rocking motion and crashing waves on a ship
In outdoor applications, thunder, heavy rain, strong winds, or seismic events
Generally, there are two types of vibrations to consider when selecting an isolator. One is sinusoidal vibration, which occurs predictably at a regular, cyclic frequency. The other is random vibration. As its name suggests, this type of vibration occurs at many different frequencies and amplitudes, with no predictable cycle or period. It’s important to plan for both types of vibration.
Military equipment is exposed to both vibration and shock, especially in mobile settings like vehicles, aircraft or ships. Key requirements include:
Frequency range of vibrations that the isolator needs to handle
Amplitude and direction of shocks to absorb (random, axial, angular)
Required damping properties to prevent resonance and prolong equipment life.
Isolator Material and Properties
Most isolators consist of two primary components: a spring and a damper. The spring is often made from wire rope, or a similar material, that is coiled and absorbs movement due to vibration and shock, helping the enclosure maintain its correct position. The damper is a plate that is connected to the spring and mounted to the base of a rack or enclosure and reduces the amplitude (i.e., energy level) of the waves.
Depending on the application, the frequency and amplitude of the vibration, anticipated loading, and operating conditions, one of these isolator designs may be appropriate:
Wire rope isolators. Known for their high tolerance to temperature extremes and resistance to environmental conditions. They provide reliable protection against both shock and vibration.
Spring Isolators. Wire rope is strong and flexible to withstand heavy loads and a long service life, especially for high-frequency vibrations. They must be carefully selected to avoid resonance at specific frequencies.
Elastomer Isolators. Often used for small or lighter-duty applications, materials like nitrile rubber and neoprene offer good low-frequency vibration isolation and are cost-effective. However, they may be less durable under extreme temperatures and UV exposure.
Active Isolators. Active isolators are electronically controlled isolators that use a combination of sensors and actuators to mitigate vibrations.
Air and fluid dampers. Suitable for heavier loads with customizable damping properties, but require regular maintenance.
In heavy-duty applications, including military, maritime, aerospace, or communications industry settings, a spring isolator is often the most appropriate choice. They can be manufactured from different gauges of wire rope to different coil diameters and loading capacities. Dampers can be made from a variety of materials and thicknesses to provide adequate amplitude reduction. Isolator rack attachment is precise because many configurations are available for mounting and securing to cabinets, racking systems, or enclosures.
Military applications must comply with strict standards to ensure equipment reliability. Common military standards such as MIL-STD-810, MIL-S-901 and MIL-STD-167 covers the environmental tests, shock tests and mechanical vibrations requirements. Isolators tested and certified to meet these standards will offer the assurance of quality and reliability needed.
Learn More About Isolators From A&J Manufacturing
Selecting the right isolator for your military rack involves a careful assessment of environmental, operational, and load-specific requirements, as well as compliance with military standards. By considering factors like load capacity, vibration and shock demands, and environmental resistance, you can choose an isolator that will protect your equipment effectively.
At A&J Manufacturing, we work with a range of industrial partners (including ShockTech & IDC) that provide isolators in different sizes and configurations for light- to heavy-duty applications for the maritime, military, communications, and other industries.
Our design engineers can also provide expertise when it comes to consultations and recommendations to help tailor to your needs; as well as helping coordinate computer analysis or physical unit testing to ensure performance and compliance. We also manufacture racks, cabinets, enclosures, and accessories including drawers, shelves, slide hardware, cooling fans and blowers, power strips, and exterior panels and hardware. Both commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and custom products are available.
Posted by A & J Manufacturing on | Comments Off on What Are the Best Rack Components for Each Industry?
A&J Manufacturing Company is a leader in electronic equipment enclosure design and manufacturing. We have served various industries since 1953, developing unique solutions over the years that accommodate a wide range of project requirements. Our clients in defense, research, and other key sectors trust us to provide exceptional quality and timely delivery.
Equipment racks are highly customizable to meet industry-specific requirements. The right components for your project will vary depending on the operating environment, type of equipment, and your unique housing needs. We will highlight the top rack components and builds our clients depend on, along with the customization capabilities they support.
The Best Rack Components for Your Enclosure
Rack components are a key design consideration. The right components can come together to promote functionality and effectively secure critical equipment. Designing a quality electronics rack requires careful consideration of your application’s requirements.
Military & Defense
Military and defense applications rely on our electronic enclosures to protect mission-critical equipment in the field and during transport. We design our parts and products to comply with rigorous military specifications such as MIL-STD-167, MIL-STD-810, and MIL-STD-901D. Whether you’re concerned about corrosion resistance or environmental factors, there is a build that can meet your unique operational needs.
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) and shock (or vibrational impact) are key factors we consider when designing a rack for military and defense clients. Interference caused by inclement weather, nearby wireless devices, and other sources can disrupt functions in devices and equipment. Our ruggedized aluminum builds help protect against EMI and shock, as well as moisture, impacts, and vibrations.
Racks for military and defense are typically constructed from a medium or heavy-duty frame system with isolators to absorb shock and vibration. They may feature honeycomb panels, filters, or gasketing to increase functionality and shield electronics from EMI. We can also add ground studs to cabinet chassis and copper busbars for extra stability (per 810G requirements).
These types of applications should consider these types of accessories:
Cooling solutions (ex: liquid cooling)
Power distribution units (PDUs)
Environmental monitoring
Rackmount shelves and drawers
Security locks
Shock & vibration absorbers / isolation
EMI/RFI shielding
Best practices for implementation:
MIL-STD compliance: ensure all components meet relevant military standards for durability and reliability
Redundancy: incorporate redundant power suppliers and cooling solutions to ensure continued operation in critical situations
Customization: look for accessories that can be customized to fit specific operational needs and environmental conditions
Research & Testing Facilities
Rack enclosures play a crucial role in the research and testing industry, providing structured, secure and efficient environments for housing sensitive equipment. They shield from dust, moisture, and other contaminants, ensuring optimal operating conditions. Our racks come in various sizes and configurations, allowing for customization based on specific research needs. Using RETMA rails and a modular framework allows for unlimited vertical spacing configurations, as well as easy expansion and reconfiguration as research requirements evolve.
Common applications include housing servers and networking equipment to support data processing and storage; in laboratories to store testing instruments and provide a secure workspace; or in field testing conditions to ensure protection and accessibility.
These types of facilities should consider these types of accessories:
Cooling solutions (ex: blanking panels and fans) to help with airflow and efficiency
Cable management
Rackmount power strips
Environmental monitoring
Rackmount shelves
Best practices for implementation:
Scalability: ensure that your rack setup can grow and change with your needs without additional heavy investments
Security: lockable enclosures to prevent unauthorized access
Redundancy: consider redundant power supplies and network paths for critical systems
Energy & Utilities
Oil, gas, and utility applications depend on electronic enclosures to protect equipment from environmental hazards. Racks serve to house, protect and organize equipment essential for operations, monitoring, and control. They’re designed to accommodate various types of equipment including servers and control systems critical for energy generation, transmission and distribution. Common applications include housing control systems to enable real-time management of energy distribution; to protect and organize transformers, switchgear, and communication systems within a substation; and portable field operations in remote locations for temporary installations, monitoring, and data collection.
Our racks safeguard sensitive equipment from harsh environmental conditions, including dust, moisture and temperature fluctuations commonly found in utility settings. Customizable solutions can be designed to support cooling systems, ensuring the electronics operate with optimal temperature ranges.
These types of facilities should consider these types of accessories:
Cooling solutions (ex: liquid cooling and direct direct expansion systems; blanking panels)
PDUs
Environmental monitoring
Rackmount shelves and drawers
Security locks
Rackmount power monitoring
Adjustable RETMA rails
Best practices for implementation
Redundancy: ensure components have redundancy features where necessary, such as dual power supplies and cooling systems
Compliance: verify that components meet industry standards and regulations (e.g., UL, IEC, NEMA)
Integration: choose accessories that can integrate seamlessly with existing systems and scalable for future expansion
Rack Components for Every Industry From A&J Manufacturing
A&J Manufacturing is a woman-owned family business with over 70 years of experience serving various industries. We offer custom and commercial off-the-shelf electronic rack solutions, as well as a range of rack installation kits and accessories to meet your unique design requirements.
Our racks and components are used in demanding sectors such as military and defense, research and testing, and energy and utilities. We can help you select the ideal rack components for your application.
Contact us or request a quote to speak with a specialist about your electronic rack component needs.
Posted by Courtney Pardal on | Comments Off on Power Distribution Units (PDUs) 101
What is power distribution?
Power distribution is facilitated through different pieces of equipment that take the power conditioned by your uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and send it to your electronic components. Power distribution solutions can manage and even control energy consumption, distributing power efficiently to help reduce your operating costs and increase reliability.
Types of PDUs
There are several types of PDUs available but are often classified as either non-intelligent or intelligent.
Non-intelligent PDU
Basic PDUs: typically a power strip that accurately distributes the correct voltage and current to multiple outlets.
Monitored PDUs: visually displays the current electric information, but it can only be viewed locally and lacks remote capabilities.
Intelligent PDU
Metered input PDUs: displays metered power locally and over a secure network. Helps managers avoid overloading circuits and calculate Power usage Effectiveness (PUE).
Metered output PDUs: also displayed locally and over a secure network. Not only does it monitor power usage, but can identify the power consumption at the device, server and rack level.
Switched PDUs: similar features as the Metered output PDUs, while providing the control needed to power on / off switches to specific outlets. It increases remote capabilities and creates power sequencing delays that minimize the risk of inrush currents and allows operators to power off devices that aren’t being used.
Single-phase vs. three-phase PDU
This term describes the number of electrical phases that a PDU receives and transmits. Over the past few years, average power consumption per server or device has rapidly increased. The typical power required at a rack has increased from 2 kilowatts to 12 kilowatts and continues upward.
Cabinet vs. rackmount PDU
PDUs come in two form factors: floor standing / cabinet and rackmount.
A floor standing PDU is a larger, three-phase power distribution unit that comes enclosed in its own cabinet. They’re often used to take incoming power and distribute it to an individual rack or group of racks.
Rack PDUs effectively distribute power to racks where multiple outlets are necessary. Beyond the capabilities of a basic power strip, a rack PDU can be used in 120V, 200-240V environments with a variety of plug and outlet configurations.
PDU checklist:
Number of power outlets needed – every device within your rack will require a power source
Type of sockets needed – most devices are powered from C13 or C19 outlets using plug-in cables, but some PDUs are available with color-coded and locking socket outlets
Phases needed – single and three-phase
Power load needed – include a safety margin of 10-20%
Type of mounting needed – smaller PDUs can be installed horizontally within a 19-inch wide frame, but others with a large number of power outlets may require vertical mounting
