Quick Facts
Who: Commercial car maker/energy company awarded US Navy contracts
What: NEMA 12K cabinet integrated with access control and EIA equipment
Where: Indoor manufacturing facilities that produces engines and propulsion systems
Why: Protect rack mount equipment from airborne hazards and accidental/intentional physical threats from user access
The US military awards multi-billion dollar contracts to commercial companies to help fulfill its need of goods and services. One car maker/energy company, a market leader for aerospace equipment in the UK, could not meet US contract requirements without operational upgrades. An initiative to improve infrastructure, eliminate unused space, and consolidate operations in its Midwestern US manufacturing plant helped the company secure more that $100 million in contracts from the US Navy, including production of engines and propulsion system components. The manufacturing process would require specialty IT and network infrastructure, all which must be safe from airborne contaminants and physically protected from unauthorized access. Great Lakes helped meet the need with a standard product design and value-add integration services.
Free-standing NEMA 12K cabinets from Great Lakes are independently tested and certified to provide a degree of indoor protection to equipment from flying dust, dirt, and dripping liquids. The 84″H cabinet consists of removable gland plates to accommodate various size AC units. Internal baffles on the side panel facilitate the flow of conditioned and exhaust air to rack mount equipment. The AC unit, combined with brush grommet and filler panels inside of the cabinet create a safe operating environment for equipment, despite fluctuating temperatures on the shop floor.
The customer utilizes STACK integration services from Great Lakes to configure each cabinet with network switches, patch panels, batteries, and specific EIA equipment. An elevation drawing identifies where each piece of equipment belongs in the cabinet. Great Lakes orders the third-party product, stores it, and manages inventory specifically for the customer.
To mitigate accidental and intentional harm to the rack mount equipment, Great Lakes installs IP-rated security handles and a RFID card reader on the front and rear cabinet doors. Software regulates the intelligent access control system and provides real-time audit trail reports of authorized access, unauthorized attempts, and length of time the door is open. Metal channels along the inside perimeter of the door conceal handle cables to ensure that the handle is not compromised.
The customer places an order with Great Lakes by using a single part number that encompasses the cabinet and all third-party products. A Great Lakes serial number in each cabinet corresponds to complete assembly instructions and shipping locations, helping the customer maintain a current logistics report.
Standard product and STACK services from Great Lakes allow the customer to create a configured and secure cabinet ready for immediate deployment when it arrives onsite. Great Lakes adheres to a strict assembly/delivery schedule which helps the customer stay on track with critical manufacturing needs of the US Navy.
. 