Our team of custom commercial craters was approached by Comcast, the American multinational telecommunications conglomerate headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, to conceive and build custom reusable crates to protect their massive server racks for safe domestic transit. A server rack is a structure that is designed specifically to house technical equipment including routers, switches, hubs, and of course, servers. Servers are high-powered computers built to store, process, and manage network data, devices, and systems. The rack makes it possible to securely hold multiple pieces of equipment in one area. Server racks are typically used by businesses and kept either in data centers or communications closets.

Challenge:

Servers are the engines powering organizations by providing network devices and systems with adequate resources. It was imperative that the Precision Crating custom craters design packaging to succeed in protecting the racks that house these critically important pieces of equipment.In addition to their large size, the server racks are incredibly heavy. The team was required to create custom reusable crates that not only protected these cumbersome and overweight pieces of technology equipment but also enabled them to be transported with relative ease.

Process:

After analyzing the server racks, including their dimensions, weight, and fragility, the Precision Crating crew created a custom design for reusable crates for shipping that featured a removable ramp door and a 4-sided surround with handles. This unique design not only protected the equipment but also enabled the client to have full access to the server during the packing process. The reusable server rack crates also featured:

• Heavy-duty construction utilizing 4×4 runners, ½” plywood walls, and a ¾” fully supportive zero clearance ramp
• Shock mount base with 1” foam and ¾” plywood
• Anti-static foam cushioning to further protect the servers. Anti-static (ESD) foams help dissipate electro-static charges, which can easily damage sensitive electronic devices and parts.
• Custom design to allow for easy rolling of the very heavy equipment up the reinforced, zero clearance ramp, utilizing safe jacks that also shipped with the crate.

Results:

Our team of custom commercial craters provided Comcast with a reliable and practical method to safely handle high-value, fragile technical equipment.  Contact MSS’s commercial crating division to learn more about how we assist commercial industries with exceptional reusable crates for shipping technical equipment and machines.