The recent high growth in the demand for data storage, and in turn the surge in construction of Data Centres both in the UK and globally, has led to a need to change the way we think about CMS systems in this type of installation
Armorduct’s ability to manufacture and develop bespoke Cable Basket systems and interface with different equipment has seen us evolve into a preferred choice of manufacturer by a number of Blue Chip clients and large contractors
The drive to remove on site fabrication and hot works has been instrumental in Armorduct’s development of complete Cable Basket Systems with a full range of manufactured modular accessories all to meet the stringent client demands
Working closely with our clients we have been able to clearly demonstrate the value of manufacturing a product designed to suit the installation and client’s needs, rather than trying to adapt standard catalogue items
With the future development of the cable management systems used in Data Centres, Armorducts contribution in designing specific products to suit each different application is a key part of our success in this challenging and exciting market sector
Data Centre Case Study – Vodafone
The rise in construction in the Data Centre Industry over recent years has been dramatic. Our increased demand for data storage has been to say the least, meteoric
Armorduct’s ability to meet the needs of the client in this area has also radically changed. We constantly aim to recognise and fully embrace the clients design needs
Vodafone’s Data Centre at Uxbridge incorporated a number of design criteria. These included a tamperproof CMS system running through the data centre, clear colour coded CMS systems for ease of client identification, manufactured accessories with suitable data cable radiuses, and bespoke interfaces between the CMS system and the data cabinets themselves
The mixture of CMS systems included Cable Trunking, Ladder Rack, Cable Tray and Cable Basket
The Cable Basket systems used a mixture of manufactured bends and were designed to integrate with Cable Tray. This was achieved by means of locating the basket with solid connections inside specially made cable tray fittings
Armorduct’s unique fully adjustable waterfall units were designed to give maximum adjustment both vertically to the data cabinet and horizontally and still maintaining the desired cable radius
These units also used a retaining system to ensure cables were retained within the waterfall at all times. The clear epoxy powder coating applied after manufacture also meant that any cables were prevented from being snagged or damaged during installation
The system, unique to the Vodafone installation, was also rolled out in three further data halls in Germany as well as several upgrades in the UK. It shows a clear corporate identity as well as meeting all of their design requirements
Armorduct has employed elements of this system in Data centres across the UK and Europe. It is having a clear understanding of our client’s requirements and our willingness to say yes that sets us apart as a manufacturer of cable management systems
Zinc Whiskers
Armorduct advises the use of a pre-galvanised finish to eliminate the possibility of zinc whiskers in your data centre installation. It is commonly accepted that zinc whiskers exist on steel surfaces that are zinc plated i.e Bright Zinc Plated (BZP) or Hot Dip Galvanised (HDG)
The process of electroplating or hot dip galvanising results in the growth of tiny zinc filaments known as zinc whiskers. When they detach and come into contact with hardware equipment they can cause severe damage in IT and data installations
By selecting a pre-galvanised (PG) finish you eliminate the possibility of zinc whiskers as the zinc is applied to the surface of sheet steel in one long continuous process before being formed into the final product