Frequently Asked Questions: Server Racks, Enclosures & Data Center Infrastructure
AMCO Enclosures has been engineering server racks, electronic enclosures, and containment systems for more than 80 years. Below you’ll find answers to the questions we hear most often from IT managers, data center engineers, and procurement teams across industries. Whether you’re planning a new data center deployment, upgrading a telecom facility, or need a custom enclosure built to spec, this FAQ page covers the essentials. Contact our team directly for project-specific guidance.
General
We proudly serve a wide range of industries, including AI/Data Centers, Financial Institutions, Government and Military, Telecom, Aerospace, Education, Industrial, Testing & Measurement, and Custom Solutions.
Yes. With millions of configurations available, AMCO specializes in creating custom racks and enclosures tailored to your specific requirements, whether for a brownfield retrofit or a new greenfield deployment. Our engineering team supports projects from concept through production.
We are an ISO9001-registered company, ensuring the highest standards of quality in our products and processes.
Our 290,000-square-foot manufacturing facility is in Des Plaines, Illinois, just 5 miles from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
AMCO designs and manufactures a wide range of electronic enclosures and infrastructure solutions, including server racks and data center cabinets, network racks, MDF/IDF enclosures, hot and cold aisle containment systems, and custom enclosure solutions for both standard and specialized applications. Products are available in standard configurations or built to spec.
Yes, we provide design engineering services to assist with all your project requirements, ensuring your solution is optimized for performance and efficiency.
With over 80 years of experience, AMCO Enclosures has been a trusted leader in the industry, delivering innovative and reliable solutions since our inception.
Our goal is to ship every time—on time. We work diligently to meet your project deadlines and ensure timely delivery of your products.
Yes, we welcome visits to our facility. Please contact us to schedule a tour and see our operations in action.
A server rack is an open frame structure with two vertical mounting rails for mounting servers, switches, and other rack mount equipment, while a server cabinet is fully enclosed with front and rear doors and side panels, adding physical security, airflow control, and protection from dust and unauthorized access. AMCO Enclosures manufactures both open frame racks and fully enclosed cabinets, including the Titan DT server and network rack, which supports data centers, colocation facilities, and enterprise IT environments that need flexible configurations and industry leading load ratings. Choosing between the two usually comes down to whether your environment calls for open access and airflow or full enclosure and added security.
The number of servers that fit in a rack depends on the rack’s height in rack units (U), the height of each server, and how much space is reserved for cable management, power distribution, and airflow. A standard 42U rack can generally hold around 40 1U servers, though most data centers reserve U space for PDUs, cable management panels, and patch panels, which lowers that number in practice. AMCO’s Titan DT server and network rack is available in 52U, 48U, 44U, and 42U heights, giving data center and IT teams the flexibility to match rack capacity to their server density and growth plans.
AMCO offers a wide range of standard rack sizes, plus custom dimensions for unique requirements. The Titan DT server and network rack is available in 52U, 48U, 44U, and 42U heights, with widths of 24, 29, and 32 inches and depths of 36, 42, 45, and 48 inches, covering the majority of data center, colocation, and enterprise IT deployments. If your project calls for something outside these standard configurations, our custom solutions team can design a rack to your exact specifications and help you select the right footprint before you commit to an order.
AMCO enclosures typically ship as individual modules with major components pre-assembled on the frame, which keeps shipping efficient while minimizing on-site assembly work. Larger console arrangements may ship crated. Because shipping format affects project timelines, it is a common question for buyers coordinating delivery and installation across a data center or facility build-out. Our team can confirm the exact shipping configuration and lead time for your specific rack model and order size, so it is worth raising shipping and installation details early when working with our custom solutions team on a larger project.
You can reach us at (847) 391-8100 or visit our Contact Us page for more information.
AI / Data Centers
High-density AI environments require welded racks with high load ratings and optimized airflow management. AMCO’s Titan DT series is designed for data center and AI deployments, with configurations that support heavy GPU and compute loads. Contact our engineering team to discuss load requirements and thermal management options for your specific deployment.
Hot aisle and cold aisle containment are data center cooling strategies that use physical barriers, such as ceiling panels, doors, and enclosure walls, to separate hot exhaust air from cold supply air. Cold aisle containment encloses the aisle where cool air enters equipment, while hot aisle containment captures the hot air exhausted from the back of servers and channels it back to the cooling system before it can mix with cold air. Preventing that mixing keeps intake temperatures stable and lets cooling systems run more efficiently, which can meaningfully cut energy costs in high density environments. AMCO’s containment systems are built to integrate with our server racks for both raised and non-raised floor data centers.
Yes. AMCO racks are optimized for hot and cold air management through our aisle containment systems and can be configured to support liquid cooling solutions where required. Our engineering team works with customers early in the planning process to define airflow and thermal management requirements. Visit our AI/Data Center page or contact us to start a conversation about your cooling needs.
Yes. AMCO offers one of the most comprehensive hot and cold aisle containment solutions in the industry. Our containment systems are designed to integrate with standard rack deployments and are scalable to accommodate different room layouts and density configurations.
AMCO’s Titan DT server rack, our primary platform for data center and high density compute deployments, offers a static load rating of 5,400 pounds and a dynamic load rating of 3,300 pounds thanks to its multi-formed channels, fully welded frame, and side uni-struts. That load capacity supports the heavier switching, storage, and compute equipment found in modern AI and data center environments, and it is backed by a 10 year warranty on materials and workmanship. If your deployment has unusual weight, height, or footprint requirements, our engineering team can also design a custom rack solution built around your equipment.
AMCO racks are engineered to support the airflow, cabling, and structural requirements of modern high density and liquid-cooled AI and data center deployments, including compatibility with containment systems that manage the thermal loads liquid cooling infrastructure is designed to offset. While AMCO does not manufacture the liquid cooling equipment itself, our engineering team works with data center and AI infrastructure customers to design rack and containment configurations that support liquid-cooled and hybrid-cooled environments. If you are planning a liquid cooling deployment, our team can help configure a rack and containment system suited to your specific AI and data center cooling architecture.
Aerospace
Yes. AMCO offers enclosure solutions with EMI and RFI shielding options designed for sensitive aerospace and avionics applications. Our shielded military-grade enclosures provide protection against electromagnetic interference for mission-critical and flight-qualified environments. Contact us to discuss shielding performance requirements and testing documentation.
AMCO rack systems are designed to support environments requiring vibration, shock, and environmental performance in accordance with applicable standards.
Yes. AMCO supports custom integration of displays, panels, and specialized electronics as part of spec-driven enclosure designs. Our engineering team works from customer drawings and performance requirements to design enclosures that house all required components. Visit our Aerospace industry page to learn more about our capabilities in this sector.
Lead times vary based on project requirements. AMCO works with customers early in the design process to establish realistic development and production schedules.
Financial
Secure financial environments benefit from fully enclosed, lockable cabinets with strong structural integrity and reliable airflow management. AMCO’s Titan DT series supports configurations with locking doors, blanking panels, and cable management accessories suited for colocation, trading floor, and enterprise data center deployments. See our Financial industry page for more.
Yes. AMCO offers custom rack configurations to support space constraints, branding standards, and operational requirements.
Lead times vary by configuration, but AMCO supports predictable manufacturing timelines for both standard and custom solutions.
AMCO Enclosures delivers engineered rack solutions designed for reliability, compliance, and long-term performance in financial IT environments.
Education
For classrooms and small closets, we recommend our compact enclosures. They save floor space and can be equipped with sound-dampening features to minimize noise disruption during lectures.
Yes. We offer a variety of frame sizes, including shorter height (12RU) units that fit under workbenches or on countertops, making them perfect for electronics labs and testing stations.
Absolutely. We have the manufacturing capacity to handle large-volume orders for district-wide upgrades, aligning with academic calendars and summer construction projects.
Security is a priority. All AMCO enclosures can be fitted with keyed or electronic locks. We also offer side panels and doors designed to prevent unauthorized access, which is essential for equipment located in student-accessible areas.
Government & Military
Yes. AMCO designs enclosures to meet specified military standard requirements. Our military-grade shielded enclosures are engineered for environments where vibration, shock, EMI shielding, and environmental performance are required. Contact our team for documentation on specific MIL-STD compliance for your program.
AMCO provides custom labeling, serialization, and documentation aligned with defense procurement needs.
Shielded enclosure options are available for EMI/RFI-sensitive applications.
AMCO supports NDA- and security-compliant engineering processes for sensitive programs.
AMCO’s shielded military enclosures and select rack platforms are tested against multiple military standards, including MIL-STD-810 for environmental durability such as shock and vibration, and MIL-STD-901 for shipboard shock resistance. Our shielded enclosures are also tested against MIL-STD-285 to verify electromagnetic shielding and attenuation levels for EMI and RFI sensitive applications. These tests support the defense and government procurement programs that require documented compliance before an enclosure can be specified into a program. Full test reports are available on request to support your program’s documentation requirements.
Yes. Shielded enclosure options are available for EMI and RFI-sensitive applications in both military-grade and commercial-grade configurations. Contact our team to discuss shielding attenuation requirements and available test data.
Telecom
NEBS, or Network Equipment Building System, is a set of standards developed by Telcordia that define the physical, environmental, and safety requirements for equipment installed in telecom central offices and network facilities, covering areas like seismic protection, fire resistance, and electromagnetic compatibility. AMCO’s telecom rack and enclosure line is engineered to support NEBS Level 3 criteria, including GR-63-CORE for physical protection and GR-1089-CORE for EMC and electrical safety, along with UL listed options for general safety compliance. This makes our racks well suited for carrier central offices, co-location facilities, and fiber hubs where NEBS compliance is a procurement requirement.
Our telecom line is engineered to support NEBS Level 3 criteria, including GR-63-CORE for physical protection and GR-1089-CORE for electromagnetic compatibility and electrical safety. We also offer UL-listed solutions for general safety compliance. See our Telecom industry page for product details.
Yes. AMCO works closely with original equipment manufacturers to design custom enclosures that house specific telecom hardware. We can modify dimensions, mounting rails, and cooling profiles to create a fit-for-purpose solution for proprietary equipment. Visit our custom solutions page or contact our team to start the conversation.
Yes. We offer versatile cable management accessories that can segregate fiber and copper runs. This prevents crushing or bending of delicate fiber optics while managing the bulk and weight of copper bundles.
Because we manufacture in the USA, we offer competitive lead times compared to global suppliers. For standard NEBS-ready configurations, we can often ship quickly. Custom designs will follow a specific project timeline, which we will define during the consultation phase.
Test & Measurement
Yes. AMCO offers enclosure solutions with EMI and RFI shielding options designed for sensitive instrumentation and test environments. Both military-grade and commercial-grade shielded enclosures are available depending on the shielding performance required for your application.
Yes. AMCO supports a range of rack and cabinet configurations suitable for bench-adjacent and floor-mounted lab applications. Our FX Series is well suited for test and measurement environments and is available in configurations that fit under workbenches or can be mounted in lab racks. Contact our team to discuss height, depth, and rail options for your setup.
AMCO supports controlled configuration options to align enclosures with specific instruments, layouts, and workflows.
AMCO enclosure solutions are designed to support stable mounting and can accommodate vibration isolation considerations based on application needs.
Custom Solutions
Project timelines vary based on complexity and requirements. AMCO works with customers early in the process to establish realistic schedules for design, approval, and production.
To scope a custom rack or enclosure project, we typically ask for your target dimensions, load requirements, mounting or accessory needs, environmental or compliance requirements such as NEBS or MIL-STD, expected order volume, and timeline. If you have existing drawings or a reference design, that speeds up the process, but many customers start with a rough sketch or spec sheet and work with our engineering team to finalize the design. The more detail you can share up front, the faster we can turn around an accurate quote and design for your custom rack or enclosure project.
Yes. AMCO offers custom color matching, including RAL and other standard color references, along with logo branding and silk screening for racks and enclosures that need to match a customer’s corporate colors, data center color-coding scheme, or brand standards. Custom colors are quoted based on your project’s volume and finish requirements, and our team can work from a color reference, swatch, or RAL code you provide. You can see examples of past custom color and branding projects in our project gallery.
Yes. AMCO supports CAD design and concept review as part of the custom engineering process. Our team can provide drawings for review and approval before moving to production. Once a project is underway, drawings and Revit files are available for qualified programs through our Revit Files page and DWG and Visio Files page. Contact us to begin a custom project discussion.
AMCO supports both prototype and production-scale custom projects depending on application needs.
AMCO offers U.S.-based engineering, manufacturing, and customer support, which provides greater control, collaboration, and responsiveness throughout the project lifecycle. Our 290,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Des Plaines, Illinois gives us the capacity to handle both standard and highly custom orders with consistent lead times. Learn more on our About Us page or visit our custom solutions page to explore what AMCO can build for your project.
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