Rittal CSM is Rittal’s manufacturing facility in the UK and is one of 13 global factories in the group.
We make metal cabinets for servers and data centres in the IT sector as well as for mechanical and electrical equipment used in a wide variety of manufacturing and processing industries. The term “metal cabinet” is, therefore, deceptive and minimises the importance of a professionally designed, precision-engineered, steel framework that protects some of the world’s most sensitive electronic equipment, and all the data that these contain.
The metal cabinets we make are commonly known by two different names. In the IT sector they are known as ‘racks’ and they house the multiple servers, networking devices, power distribution units (PDUs) and rack cooling systems used by data centres as well as other IT applications. Our most famous IT Rack, the TS IT, is an award winning standard-bearer for our business, and a stalwart of data centres, for many years.
In the manufacturing and engineering sectors, the cabinets are predominantly known as enclosures. Floor standing or wall mounted, they are used to house switchgear and control gear. One such example would be the automation systems that run factory production lines. Our TS 8, recently replaced by the new VX25, is an industry-leading enclosure, used by a rich and diverse range of global businesses across many sectors from vehicle manufacturers to food and beverage producers to airports.
As we’ve indicated, racks and enclosures are highly specialist units, specifically designed and engineered to protect the sensitive electrical equipment installed inside them. The units shield this equipment from physical damage, as well as dust, dirt and water ingress, as well as dissipating heat.
Not surprisingly therefore, racks and enclosures are manufactured to meet the needs of the environment in which they are to be placed. For example, an enclosure in a food factory may need to be lockable and certainly offers a higher degree of protection against water and cleaning solvents during wash down for its costly internal electronic components than, say, an IT rack in an office building running the servers.
Racks and enclosures are also designed to protect the operatives and engineers who use the systems within them, ensuring they are not at risk from the dangers of electric current.
Racks and enclosures need cooling systems to dissipate the heat which is produced by the operations of their electrical and electronic components. When this heat causes temperatures within an enclosure to rise above a critical threshold, it can seriously damage the sensitive equipment, causing it to fail. Such a systems failure, not surprisingly, can be disastrous for any organisation from the shut-down of the operation to a fire.
Rittal produces some of the most efficient and innovative IT and engineering cooling systems in the world, including the award-winning Blue e+.
“Rittal – The System.” is our fully integrated, system platform. It incorporates our range of enclosures, power distribution, enclosure climate control, IT infrastructure and software and services, all of which are supported by innovative production, pioneering engineering and global distribution.
As we’ve indicated, “Rittal – The System.” supports a huge and diverse array of industries, and some of the world’s leading brands, from IBM to Network Rail to Jaguar Land Rover
Rittal-CSM manages the whole process of racks and enclosures production, including designing, developing and testing involving state-of-the-art automation and robotics alongside skilled engineers and operators.
The actual making of our racks and enclosures is a round the clock operation that starts with metal sheets, and involves cutting, punching, welding, folding, painting and final assembly. Indeed, outside of the automotive industry, we have the longest paint line in the UK. With 524 employees, we currently produce about 950 cabinets a day, with the production line operating continuously from Sunday night to Friday.
Once completed, the majority of our finished enclosures and racks are supplied to our UK customers and exported across Europe.
Find out more about working at Rittal-CSM.
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