
Enclosure Cable Entry

Cable management is essential in creating an organized and accessible environment for cables and wires inside a server rack or enclosure. Proper cable management helps prevent damage, low performance issues, and difficulty in maintenance and completing simple tasks.
Enclosure cable managers protect and organize cables, reduce signal interference and facilitate airflow. Horizontal cable managers secure and organize cables that go to the front or rear of a server rack or enclosure. The horizontal cable manager is placed above or below the device where the cables are plugged into and each cable is kept in place and separated by D-rings or other support options. Vertical cable managers secure and organize cables in a vertical pathway in a server rack or enclosure. The vertical cable manager is installed on the inner sides of an enclosure, saving space and allowing cables to bend safely when exiting.
Enclosure entry cabinets can be attached to the side of a modular enclosure for cable management. The full-height side opening can be covered with a side cover or a solid door. Closure plates seal the ends of the cable entry cabinet to maintain environmental integrity. DIN and adjustable closure plates are available to facilitate cable connection into the cabinet.
Products
4 best practices when fabricating a control panel.
- Use a larger enclosure whenever possible. This allows room in the panel design to properly space all of the hardware and to install larger wire ducting. Panels that have ample space tend be me more organized, while panels that have everything crammed into a small space tend to be more difficult to work in and are often less organized.
- Tap holes instead of using self-tapping screws. It is common for panel builders to use self-tapping screws to save time during the fabrication process. While it can save time, this type of fastener does not always provide the consistent, strong connection that may be needed for the mounted hardware. This is especially true when hardware may need to be removed at some point and then later reattached. Holes that have been tapped prior to hardware installation will offer a stronger, more consistent connection point that will last longer.
- Ensure that wire ducting is large enough. It is very easy to undersize wire ducting when designing a panel. It is important to always plan for wire ducting to have extra room available once all wires have been run through it, including field wires.
- When in doubt, label it. It is a very good practice to label wires in a control panel, but it is not always required to label the other types of hardware in the panel to meet code. It is important to understand that any operators that may access this panel at a later date may not understand what the hardware in the panel is intended for. To make the panel is as safe as possible, and to allow operators to function in the panel more efficiently, it is a good idea to label everything that may come into question.