As mentioned in our previous post, Types of Racks, Fixtures, and Cable Access Designs, a swing gate wall mount rack is one of the many different racks that rotate the mounting rails to provide access to the rear of equipment for cabling in the back. Swing gate wall mount racks are often used for mounting equipment such as patch panels, internet hubs, switches in network wiring closets, back offices, and other secure areas with limited floor space where a locked enclosure is not required. Although swing gate wall mount racks usually have a lower weight capacity than their standard wall mount rack counterparts, the benefit of easy rear access is substantial.

If the weight capacities of the swing gate racks do not meet your needs, consider NavePoint’s 12U Vertical Rack Rail Pair Kit. If you only need a few rack units, check out NavePoint 4U Vertical Wallmount Rack for gaining rear access.

Rear Access

The significant advantage of swing gate wall mount racks is the ease of access for serviceability. The design is gaining popularity for networking setups used in-home/office closets or other secure areas with limited floor space where a locked enclosure is not required. Having rear access can potentially save you hours of maintenance time in the long term. Unlike the hinged wall mount racks mentioned in our previous article (Introduction to Hinged Wall Mount Cabinets & Racks), NavePoint Swing Gate Wallmount Racks can swing from either direction after the rack assembly is complete. In contrast, the hinged wall mount racks are designed to turn from the direction of choice during assembly.

Cable Management

Unlike standard wall mount racks, you need to reserve extra length for the cables to extend when the rack swings open. Unlike the hinged wall mount racks, the two pivoting corners for swing gate racks can turn from either direction. Therefore, to route all cabling to the pivoting corner so the cables will rotate with the mounting rails, the user will have to choose one rotating direction over the other.

The best method to extend cables for swing gate wall-mount racks is to cut the cable lengths after testing the swing gate to make sure it fully opens from either side. Doing this will help visualize cable length in the worst-case scenario.

For those who prepare their cables before assembling the system, one needs to decide the fully opened position.

Consumers need to reserve at least 35” of extra cable length if planning to use the perpendicular position as shown:

One needs to reserve at least 65” of extra cable length if planning to use the inline position as shown:

How to Choose a Swing Gate Rack

Like choosing other wall mount racks, consumers should keep in mind their setup rack units, equipment depths, weight capacity, and wall mount anchor locations. Furthermore, consumers should beware of the swing gate wall mount rack’s turning radius.

Weight Capacity Limitations

Unlike standard wall mount racks, swing gate wall mount racks need to support the equipment load with two joints when the rack is rotated to allow rear access. Therefore, swing gate wall mount racks often have lower weight capacities than their standard cabinet counterpart.

Currently, NavePoint Swing Gate Wallmount Racks have a weight capacity of 110 lbs.

Turning Radius

Unlike swing gate racks like NavePoint 12U Hinged Open Frame Wall-Mount Network Rack 22in Depth (unless you plan to use the inline position as mentioned previously), swing gate wall mount racks do not require space on the turning side to rotate the rack. For example, NavePoint 12U Swing Gate Wallmount Rack with 24in Depthneeds an extra 22” of space when the rack is in the inline position but 0” of space when the rack is in the perpendicular position. Check out the details spec sheet drawings for more information.

Summery

The significant advantage of swing gate wall mount racks is the ease of rear cable access for serviceability, which could save you hours of maintenance hours in the long term. When choosing a swing gate wall-mount rack, other than the standard limitations such as rack units, equipment depths, weight capacity, and wall mount anchor locations, consumers should beware of the turning radius and the extra length needed for cable management.

Contact NavePoint’s sales team for more information!

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