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The Challenge

Marshall Tufflex is a manufacturing company, based in East Sussex, that produces PVC trunking, cable trays and a range of other products for the construction industry. 

It was proposed that an area within the factory floor, currently used as a workshop, could be re-purposed as a space for a compact IT computing system that would run the factory’s automated machinery. 

Normally, systems like Edge data centres require separate, secure, brick-built rooms to protect the servers‘ delicate internal electrical components.  In busy industrial environments, the risks to the circuitry are amplified through repeated exposure to significant temperature variations as well as dust in the atmosphere. 

Rittal’s expert IT team reviewed the site and discussed their findings with the company’s IT manager. 

A solution was proposed using remotely monitored IP55 racks and a redundant ‘IT specific’ N+1 cooling system.  Combined, they would create the required controlled environment for the IT equipment, while avoiding additional building costs and any disruption that can be associated with on-site construction works.

The Solution

The final result, built using standard Rittal products, included:

• 2 x TS-IT 800 x 2000 x 1200 racks (IP55) on 100mm Flexblock plinths
• 1 x LCU-DX 6.5kW ‘on demand’ close-coupled cooling system with redundant condensers.
• 1 x CMCIII monitoring with an additional LTE unit providing a parallel path for alarm messaging
• Sundry accessories
  

Rittal’s team also supported the installation by:

• Installing DX system pipework and electrical works (via a Rittal partner).
• Installing and setting up of racks, CMCIII, LCU-DX internal unit and controls.
• Heat-load testing, using server simulators heaters

The installation of the Rittal hardware was completed in under two weeks, ready for the client to install the IT system.

Fred Adams, Marshall Tufflex’s IT manager, advises, “Working with Rittal has been a good experience. We received cutting-edge technology along with great support at a cost-efficient price. We’re extremely grateful to them.”

Further information at www.rittal.co.uk and www.friedhelm-loh-group.com or on twitter @rittal_ltd.