RackSolutions Builds Custom Military Products for the Navy
RackSolutions and the Navy… for Over 20 Years
For over 20 years, RackSolutions has built custom military products for the United States Navy. The Navy first connected with RackSolutions to build mounts for workstations and monitors that could withstand a Mil-Spec barge test. This means that if a ship is hit with explosives, our mounts will keep electronics safely in place.
Our company’s founders have a history in the defense industry, as well as many engineers. Because of this, we have always been enthusiastic about working with the military. Throughout the years, we have continued to develop our relationship and work to support the Navy in a variety of ways.
One of the most important aspects of our partnership is the way we collaborate during the design process. We push to get the design finished and then send a free prototype for testing. If that prototype requires adjustments, we will revise and re-shape until it becomes a perfect fit. Because of this process, engineers at RackSolutions and the Navy virtually work side by side – a service we would be enthusiastic to offer any branch of the military.
Meeting MIL-S-901D Specifications
A unique aspect of creating custom military products is the stringent MIL-S-901D specifications they adhere to. MIL-S-901D is a type of shock testing that is particular to products used by the Navy. Test categories are broken down into three tiers:
- Lightweight test – for items weighed less than 550 lbs
- Medium weight test – for items weighed less than 7400 lbs
- Heavyweight test – tested to withstand explosions
The lightweight and medium weight tests are known as “hammer tests” because the durability is assessed by swinging a several hundred pound weight at a platform where hardware is mounted. The heavyweight test, known as the “barge test,” involves placing the equipment on a barge while explosives are detonated nearby.
From the test categories, MIL-S-901D is further broken-down into Grade, Class, and Type of equipment..
| Equipment Grade | Grade A Essential to the safety and combat | Grade B Not essential to safety and combat | |
| Equipment Class | Class I Must pass without the use of mounting | Class II Must pass with the use of mounting | Class III Must pass with and without mounting |
| Equipment Type | Type A Attached to the foundation of the ship | Type B Subsidiary components such as the motor inside of an air conditioning unit | Type C Subassembly parts like thermometers, gauges |
Bringing Rugged Mounts to the Military
RackSolutions has developed several rugged mounts which meet a variety of the previously described standards. One in particular is a shock-proof mount that houses three PCs. This equipment usually takes up 11 units of rack space, but we reduced it to 9 units while maintaining security, airflow and cable management.
Since this new mount required significantly less U-space, racks were able to fit more IT equipment, or potential reduce overall space needed to mount computing devices. Over time, we have continually updated this mount according to new server generations so it remains current.
More Custom Military Products
Our ability to create custom products isn’t limited to workstation equipment. For enterprise and commercial customers, we build all sorts of server racks, cabinets and rack accessories that can be tailored to the military’s standards.
We place as much importance in efficiency as we do security because of our experience in multiple markets. With RackSolutions, you will receive a product that lasts in the most extreme environments and is compact for the times it is simply a utility.
It has been a privilege to provide custom solutions for the Navy and we hope to build a relationship with the military for years to come.
