Rackmount Cases

Rackmount cases, also commonly referred to as rackmount enclosures, rackmount chassis, or simply a rack case, are specialised enclosures engineered for the robust protection and mounting of electronic equipment into standard 19-inch equipment racks.

Their primary role is to house devices such as servers, industrial computers (using a rack mount PC case), network switches, and audio gear, ensuring a standardised, stackable, and secure physical environment.

A well-designed rack mount computer case facilitates organised cable management and promotes proper thermal dissipation, which is essential for maintaining the operational lifespan and reliability of computing and networking systems.

Rack Case Sizes

Rackmount cases adhere to highly standardised dimensions, allowing for universal compatibility within the 19-inch equipment rack format. The size is primarily defined by the vertical height unit, ensuring effective space planning and system scalability.

• U (Rack Unit) Height: The vertical height of a rack case is measured in standard units called “U“ or “RU“, where 1U is equal to 1.75 inches (44.45 mm). Typical heights range from 1U for thin network appliances up to 4U or more for large server rack PC case applications requiring extensive cooling or internal component space.
• 19-inch Width: All standard rackmount enclosures are designed to be exactly 19 inches wide at the mounting ears. This standardised width ensures compatibility with virtually every industrial and data centre equipment rack globally.
• Depth: The depth of a rackmount chassis varies based on the internal components it must house, ranging from shallow network device enclosures to deep rack pc case units required for large motherboards and extensive server hardware.

How Rackmount Cases Work

Rackmount cases provide a rigid, structurally sound housing that matches the physical mounting standards of an equipment rack. They incorporate mounting flanges or "ears" that bolt directly to the vertical rails of the rack, securing the equipment and providing physical protection from the external environment.

This standardised mounting enables high-density stacking, concentrates equipment into a manageable area, and, when used as a rack mount computer case, often includes features like filtered air intakes and dedicated fan mount points to ensure optimal, directed cooling across all internal components.

Configuration and Design

Our rack cases are available in various depths and sizes giving you the opportunity to tailor and custom build a rack mount case system suited to your needs. When putting them together you should also consider enclosure accessories required to complete your component storage.

Enclosure accessories are available from rack cable management, hardware, rack panels, and rails, server cabinets, rack drawers, shelves, chassis plates, server, and sub-racks.

Applications for 19” Racking and Cases

The standardised 19-inch format for rackmount enclosures and cases makes them universally suitable across diverse industries that require centralised, protected, and high-density mounting of electronic equipment.

• Data Centres and Server Farms: Rackmount cases are essential for housing servers, storage arrays, and networking gear in a space-efficient and thermally controlled manner.
• Industrial Control and Automation: Used within factory floors and processing plants, sensitive controllers, I/O devices, and industrial PCs housed in a rugged rack mount computer case protect sensitive components from dust, vibration, and temperature extremes.
• Telecommunications and Networking: Rackmount enclosures are used for mounting routers, switches, patch panels, and optical fibre distribution units in central offices and remote communication sites.
• Audio, Video, and Broadcast: Professional studios and live event venues rely on the use of a rackmount chassis to securely house amplifiers, mixers, signal processors, and recorders. The rack structure allows quick setup, teardown, and transport of valuable A/V equipment.
• Security and Surveillance Systems: Employed to consolidate network video recorders (NVRs), power supplies, and control units for large-scale CCTV and access control systems. A secure rack mount case protects the integrity of critical surveillance data and hardware.

Order Rackmount Cases from RS

RS is a trusted supplier and distributor of high-quality rackmount cases in New Zealand. Our range includes rackmount enclosures from industry-leading brands such as nVent SCHROFF, ABB, METCASE and many more.

RS also offers complementary products like server racks, rack cooling and rack cable management for all your server needs.

View our extensive catalogue today and visit our delivery page for comprehensive information on delivery options and fees.