Important Details to Remember When Ordering a Cabinet

Once you’ve narrowed down your choices of cabinets and are ready to order, keep in mind that you’ll need to have more information at hand than just the item number. Whether you are speaking with a sales representative or filling out an order form, there are a few key questions you will need to have answered, to ensure the cabinet you purchase will be perfectly suited to your application.

Here is a list of a few important things to keep in mind when ordering your cabinet or enclosure, complements of CableOrganizer®:

• • Will the cabinet be used indoors or outdoors?


• • Which color would you like your cabinet to come in? You generally get to choose between a few basic stock colors, but some manufacturers are willing to accommodate custom color orders.


• • What type of equipment will the cabinet be housing and how deep is it? Most rack-mount components installed into cabinets are around 11 inches deep, but some can be almost twice that. Be sure to measure your equipment before ordering, so you know you’ll be able to close the cabinet door.


• • How much rack space do you need?This is where you reach for a tape measure and a calculator. Figure out the amount of rack space you’ll need in inches, then divide that number by 1.75: the resulting number is the amount of rack space units you will need (one rack space unit = 1.75 inches).


• • Are you going to need rear access to equipment?To make your life easier when it comes to maintaining cabinet-housed components, you can often select options like swing-out racks, doors and removable panels when placing your order.


• • Does the cabinet you selected require special mounting hardware? Depending on your application and the cabinet you’ve chosen, you may need to order additional mounting hardware. Mounting bases, risers, brackets and casters are a few examples of options available from just about any cabinet vendor.


• • How will you be supplying power to the cabinet?All the equipment you’ll be keeping in your new cabinet will need electricity, as well as protection from power surges. Don’t forget to choose the right combination of power strips, raceways or modules, surge suppressors and breakers to keep your electrical components safely and effectively powered.


• • Which types of cable and thermal management will your cabinet need to have? A “must” for cabinets, thermal management devices like fans, air conditioning units, vented panels and heat exchangers are needed to keep enclosed equipment cool and running to its fullest potential. In addition, cable ladders, lacer bars, cable trays and grommets can be installed in cabinets to keep cables neatly routed and organized.