Made from welded steel or aluminum, for floor- or wall-mounting, our open relay racks help secure and simplify integration of your project. Offering maximum airflow and easy installation, our open relay racks speed installation and give a secure platform for your networking and communications equipment.
Relay racks are commonly used in offices to house IT equipment such as phone systems, patch panels, network switches and servers. Of course, they may also be found in data centers and telephone central offices. A two-post rack is the most economical style. Four-post racks provide more stability.
Relay racks originated in the 1800s when they were used to house signaling equipment for the railroads. The signals were controlled by electrical relays. The industry settled on a standard 18-inch width for the equipment and a standard 19-inch inside width for the relay racks. For this reason, relay racks are sometimes referred to as 19-inch racks. A century later, to accommodate larger equipment used in telecommunications, the industry created 23-inch wide racks.
The industry determined the height of the equipment as well, defining 1.75 inches as one unit or “U.” The vertical mounting rails have mounting holes spaced to this standard. In addition to standard sizes, Bud offers custom welded steel racks to your specifications.
