Enclosures vs. Racks: What is the difference?

Since 1985, Great Lakes Case & Cabinet Co., Inc. has been meeting evolving market demands for high quality cabinet enclosures, racks and open-frame workstations. We are often asked by customers which platform they should use to install, network and support their electronic, voice, data communication,broadcast, sound and security equipment. The following are a few areas for consideration in determining the right platform to meet your needs.

Do you wish to have an Open or Closed Equipment Storage System?

Racks are open storage systems, either in a two-post or four-post design. Equipment installed in a rack can not be fully protected from tampering, or exposure to the environment in which the rack is located. An enclosure is a closed storage system.

Is Physical Security Important?

Enclosures provide a frame structure to support rails for equipment mounting, along with the option for a variety of side panels, door configurations and top panels. The enclosure provides a more secure environment for installed equipment. Enclosures can also be locked, to help prevent unauthorized access to equipment, providing an additional layer of security. An enclosure also conceals all cable management and networking techniques from anyone who may happen to be in the space where equipment may be installed.

Will the Equipment be Exposed to the Possibility of Incidental Contact?

A rack system can be very functional for the installation of equipment if it is in an area with little or no traffic or with little risk of the equipment being disturbed, either incidentally or intentionally. However, in the use of a rack, someone could accidentally remove a cable or damage equipment. If there was to be any impact to a rack, that force is directly absorbed by the same rails that support the installed equipment.

Enclosures limit the exposure of cabling and hardware to prevent this situation from occurring. While in a rack the frame is the only substrate for mounting and support, an enclosure offers mounting rails within the frame of the structure for additional protection of the equipment. That frame is then protected further through the installation of side panels, and doors. If an enclosure is accidentally bumped, that impact is absorbed by the frame and the external panels of the enclosures and the transfer of force to the rails inside the frame is greatly reduced.

What types of Networking and Power Cabling might be Required?

While there are a number of cable management options for equipment installed in rack systems, enclosures are designed to accommodate a wide range and high density of cabling for the equipment installed within the platform.

An enclosure also offers a number of additional mounting opportunities for the installation and management of power and cooling systems to manage the installed equipment, assist in air flow and cooling and to facilitate cable management.

Is the Space Conditioned? How Important is Air-Flow in the Application?

Often times, the environment in which the equipment will be mounted can help determine whether a rack or an enclosure might work best. While a rack is open and allows air to flow completely around installed equipment, it does not offer a means to direct existing or add greater airflow. In a conditioned space, a rack can not direct airflow to the installed equipment and conditioned air often bypasses the equipment entirely.

Enclosures provide better managed airflow by directing conditioned air toward the intake of the equipment while minimizing bypass airflow. An enclosure also offers the opportunity for the installation of fans in the doors, in the base and in the top of the enclosure to accelerate airflow and to direct hot air away from the equipment so that it will not overheat.

Is there a Need for Adjustability or Flexibility?

As mentioned earlier, the frame of a rack is also the rail to which equipment is mounted. Because of this structural design, the rail is not adjustable. Rack mounted systems sometimes must use shelving or support brackets to accommodate equipment depths. Enclosure rails are mounted to the frame and are adjustable to fit equipment of different depths.

Is Platform Stability and Weight Capacity of Concern?

Racks were traditionally designed for lighter weight networking and telephony equipment. Their needs and capabilities have grown over the years and now Great Lakes offers a heavy duty four-post rack which can support 2,000 pounds.

While this is clearly an exception, this type of weight capacity is very normal for an enclosure. As mentioned earlier, the frame structure of an enclosure provides greater structure and support for the rails, allowing them to concentrate on supporting the equipment mounted to them. Great Lakes rails in our E and ES series are constructed from #12 gauge cold rolled steel for even greater strength.

Both racks and enclosures are designed to support electronic equipment, but only an enclosure is designed to protect that equipment. The type of equipment, the environment in which the platform will be placed, and the level of physical security desired will help determine the right type of support which will ensure the equipment has the best opportunity to perform its function under the most stringent conditions it might be exposed to during its lifetime.

If you are unsure as to which platform will best suit your needs, call 1-866-TRY-GLCC. With more than 23 years of experience in the design, engineering and manufacture of high quality cabinet enclosures, racks and open frame workstations a Great Lakes technical specialist can help you identify the right products and accessories to meet your needs.

If you have a unique or highly specialized need, we also have in-house design, engineering and custom manufacturing capabilities which can allow us to develop a custom product to meet your application requirements.