Enclosures, Cabinets & Racks for Data Centre Efficiency

Lenovo to supply HPC for research at Southampton Uni

Lenovo, a Chinese multinational technology company making servers and AI infrastructure systems, has signed a four-year agreement with the University of Southampton in the UK to supply high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure, supporting the university's research programmes. Through and in addition to this, the company says it also plans to return to the 'Top500' ranking of the world's most powerful supercomputers. Under the agreement, Lenovo will become the university's preferred supplier of HPC infrastructure following a competitive tender process. The partnership builds on a relationship between the two organisations spanning more than a decade. The first order, valued at approximately £7 million, is scheduled for delivery during summer 2026. New systems to support AI and scientific research The initial deployment will include Lenovo ThinkSystem SR675 V3 servers equipped with NVIDIA H200 GPUs and NVLink technology, designed for artificial intelligence, simulation, and other compute-intensive workloads. A second phase is expected to introduce a cluster based on NVIDIA Grace Blackwell architecture using Lenovo ThinkSystem SC777 V4 Neptune servers, further increasing the university's computing capacity. According to Lenovo, the systems will support research across a range of scientific disciplines and help expand the university's computational capabilities. Andy Rhodes, Managing Director of Lenovo UK & Ireland, says, "As research demands continue to grow in scale and complexity, access to powerful, scalable computing is critical. "Lenovo's latest HPC solutions, including next-generation GPU-accelerated systems, will enable the University of Southampton to tackle data-intensive workloads and accelerate breakthrough research. We are proud to support their ambition to further elevate their global research standing." Partnership extends beyond infrastructure Alongside the deployment of HPC systems, the agreement includes opportunities for collaboration on end-user computing, researcher engagement, and the adoption of new technologies across the university. Professor Mark Spearing, Vice President Research and Enterprise at the University of Southampton, comments, "This partnership represents a major step forward in strengthening our research infrastructure. "These new HPC capabilities will play a vital role in enabling cutting-edge research and innovation, helping to raise the global profile of Southampton's research community and compete at the highest international level." The organisations also expect to work together on activities linked to the British Science Festival, which will be hosted by the University of Southampton in September 2026. For more from Lenovo, click here.

Vertiv unveils high-capacity rack platform

Vertiv, a global provider of critical digital infrastructure, has introduced the Rack Extreme, a rack platform designed to support high-density computing, AI workloads, and next-generation IT deployments. The new rack has been developed to accommodate increasingly large and heavy computing equipment while supporting airflow management, cable organisation, and deployment flexibility within data centre environments. According to Vertiv, the platform is intended to address growing infrastructure requirements driven by higher compute densities and the adoption of AI applications. Giuseppe Leto, Senior Director, IT Systems at Vertiv, says, "The Vertiv Rack Extreme reflects our expanded capabilities in rack and enclosure designs for high-density and AI-driven deployments. "The platform also draws on Vertiv’s long-standing rack engineering expertise, including solutions historically developed under the Knürr brand, to support scalable next-generation IT infrastructure." The Rack Extreme is available in multiple sizes and configurations, allowing operators to tailor deployments to specific application requirements. The units are shipped fully assembled and are designed to integrate with a range of compatible cable management and airflow optimisation accessories. Designed for high-density deployments Vertiv says the Rack Extreme offers both static and dynamic load ratings of up to 2,045kg, enabling it to support high-density equipment installations while maintaining the same load capacity when being moved or when stationary. The company states that this provides greater flexibility during deployment and infrastructure changes, particularly in environments where heavy equipment must be repositioned after installation. The rack features a welded frame construction, integrated cable management options, high open-area mesh doors, flexible mounting rails, vertical cable bars, and corner mounting bars for rack power distribution units. Vertiv has also incorporated shipping features designed to simplify installation, including shock-absorbing pallets and reusable ramps intended to reduce the risk of equipment damage during transportation and deployment. The Rack Extreme has been designed to integrate with Vertiv's wider portfolio of data centre infrastructure products, including uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), rack PDUs, rear-door heat exchanger systems, coolant distribution units, and KVM management platforms. For more from Vertiv, click here.

nLighten launches rapid colocation deployment service

European data centre operator nLighten has launched ReadyCabinet, a standardised colocation offering designed to reduce deployment times for organisations requiring edge infrastructure across Europe. The service provides customers with a pre-built, fixed-price colocation cabinet and is designed to enable deployments within three working days of an order being placed. According to nLighten, ReadyCabinet is intended to simplify the process of procuring colocation capacity by replacing bespoke design and engineering processes with a standardised offering. Customers can choose a full or partial cabinet configuration, including up to 5kW of power and access to nConnect, the company's connectivity platform. Joachim van Collenburg, Vice President of Enabling Services at nLighten, says, "We are moving colocation away from bespoke engineering and turning it into a scalable product. "ReadyCabinet reflects that reality. It's a deliberately simple product, built to be the entry point to a much longer journey with our customers." The deployment process consists of a quotation with real-time availability, a service order agreement, and cabinet handover within three working days. Standardised approach targets edge infrastructure growth nLighten says the service has been developed in response to increasing demand for rapid, repeatable infrastructure deployments across multiple locations. The company cites the growth of AI inference, low-latency applications, and edge computing as drivers behind the need for faster provisioning and more standardised colocation services. ReadyCabinet forms part of nLighten's wider colocation platform, which allows customers to expand from a single cabinet deployment to higher-density and liquid-cooled environments across its European data centre portfolio. All ReadyCabinet deployments operate across nLighten's European edge platform and include metered power billing. The service is currently available at selected nLighten facilities, with further expansion planned throughout 2026. For more from nLighten, click here.

Supermicro launches liquid-cooled NVIDIA HGX B300 systems

Supermicro, a provider of application-optimised IT systems, has announced the expansion of its NVIDIA Blackwell architecture portfolio with new 4U and 2-OU liquid-cooled NVIDIA HGX B300 systems, now available for high-volume shipment. The systems form part of Supermicro's Data Centre Building Block approach, delivering GPU density and power efficiency for hyperscale data centres and AI factory deployments. Charles Liang, President and CEO of Supermicro, says, "With AI infrastructure demand accelerating globally, our new liquid-cooled NVIDIA HGX B300 systems deliver the performance density and energy efficiency that hyperscalers and AI factories need today. "We're now offering the industry's most compact NVIDIA HGX B300 options - achieving up to 144 GPUs in a single rack - whilst reducing power consumption and cooling costs through our proven direct liquid-cooling technology." System specifications and architecture The 2-OU liquid-cooled NVIDIA HGX B300 system, built to the 21-inch OCP Open Rack V3 specification, enables up to 144 GPUs per rack. The rack-scale design features blind-mate manifold connections, modular GPU and CPU tray architecture, and component liquid cooling. The system supports eight NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs at up to 1,100 watts thermal design power each. A single ORV3 rack supports up to 18 nodes with 144 GPUs total, scaling with NVIDIA Quantum-X800 InfiniBand switches and Supermicro's 1.8-megawatt in-row coolant distribution units. The 4U Front I/O HGX B300 Liquid-Cooled System offers the same compute performance in a traditional 19-inch EIA rack form factor for large-scale AI factory deployments. The 4U system uses Supermicro's DLC-2 technology to capture up to 98% of heat generated by the system through liquid cooling. Supermicro NVIDIA HGX B300 systems feature 2.1 terabytes of HBM3e GPU memory per system. Both the 2-OU and 4U platforms deliver performance gains at cluster level by doubling compute fabric network throughput up to 800 gigabits per second via integrated NVIDIA ConnectX-8 SuperNICs when used with NVIDIA Quantum-X800 InfiniBand or NVIDIA Spectrum-4 Ethernet. With the DLC-2 technology stack, data centres can reportedly achieve up to 40% power savings, reduce water consumption through 45°C warm water operation, and eliminate chilled water and compressors. Supermicro says it delivers the new systems as fully validated, tested racks before shipment. The systems expand Supermicro's portfolio of NVIDIA Blackwell platforms, including the NVIDIA GB300 NVL72, NVIDIA HGX B200, and NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition. Each system is also NVIDIA-certified. For more from Supermicro, click here.

R&M introduces radio-based access control for racks

R&M, a Swiss developer and provider of infrastructure for data and communications networks, is introducing radio-based access control for data centres. The core product is an electromechanical door handle for the racks of the BladeShelter and Freenet families from R&M. Technicians can only open the door handles with authorised transponder cards, while administrators can control them remotely via encrypted radio connections and data networks. R&M says it is thus integrating high-security digital protection into its "holistic infrastructure solutions" for data centres. Package details One installation comprises up to 1,200 door handles for server and network racks, as well as radio and control modules for computer rooms. The door handles do not require any wiring in the racks. Their electronics are powered by batteries whose power is sufficient for three years of operation or 30,000 locking cycles. The personalised transponder cards communicate with the door handles via RFID antennas. In addition, there is software to manage users, access rights, the transponder cards, and racks. The software creates protocols, visualises alarm states, and supports other functions. It can be operated remotely and integrated into superordinate systems such as data centre infrastructure management (DCIM). The new offer is the result of the collaboration with German manufacturer EMKA, being based on the company's 'Agent E', an intelligent locking system. The R&M offering aims to integrate complementary systems from selected manufacturers into infrastructure for data centres. In Europe, R&M notes it is already working with several independent partner companies that pursue comparable medium-sized business models and sustainability goals. For more from R&M, click here.

Fused connectors increase system availability for data centres

IT systems are only ever noticed when they fail. The new Han Protect connector solution from HARTING, a German manufacturer of electrical and electronic connectors, cable assemblies, and industrial networking equipment, aims to help simplify troubleshooting in the event of failures. Large buildings like data centres require a Building Automation System (BAS) to control Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), lighting, power supply, core IT, and security systems. The control cabinets for those subsystems are built with fused terminal blocks or circuit breakers to protect the automation devices against short-circuits or overcurrent. In the event of a short circuit, fixing the fault and finding the broken fuse is a time-consuming task that must be performed by expensive skilled workers. The fault may not even be in the switch cabinet, it could also be in the device itself. Both possibilities must therefore be checked and sometimes several control cabinets need to be examined before the fault can be isolated. With Han Protect, HARTING have developed a new connector that seeks to simultaneously simplify protection and reduce installation space in the control cabinet. Inside the connector (designed in the Han 3A format), there is an insulation body that adapts an M12A-coded five-pole connector and integrates a 5x20 mm miniature fuse. In the event of a short circuit, the fuse ensures that the supply to the connected units is quickly interrupted. A red LED on the Han Protect clearly identifies the blown fuse and should enable quick, simple, and tool-less replacement without opening the cabinet. Due to the external mounting of the housings, up to 30% of installation space for connectors can be saved inside the cabinet. The main advantage of Han Protect is that extensive fuse terminal blocks are no longer required. The control units remain protected while the connected systems can be started up again quickly. Some benefits include:• Increased system availability due to reduced Mean Time To Repair (MTTR).• Increased efficiency in maintenance due to visual identification of blown fuses outside of the control cabinets.• Space savings of up to 30% for control cabinets by eliminating extensive fuse terminal blocks inside of the control cabinet. For more from HARTING, click here.

nVent rear door coolers offer solution for high-density racks

nVent has announced the launch of its RDHX PRO rear door cooling unit, a new high-performance solution offering the capability to upgrade data centres with up to 83kW high-density racks, meeting the requirements for the growing use of AI-enhanced applications, demands for higher energy efficiency and sustainability, and the need for greater data centre space utilisation. Rear door cooling solutions are increasingly popular as a pay-as-you-go method for retrofitting increased data centre cooling performance, in many cases without the need for additional re-engineering of the existing facility mechanical design. When installed as a primary method of heat removal, rear door coolers eliminate much of the need for mechanical equipment including fans, blowers and CRAHs, to provide a more optimised cooling solution aligned with the exact requirements for individual racks, at the same time reducing noise and energy waste. Bringing flexibility to rack cooling One of the features of RDHX PRO RDC is the ability to operate comfortably with 57°F (14°C) warm water cooling, making it environmentally friendly. By utilising free cooling, the device significantly reduces the amount of energy required to cool the data centre, not only reducing overall data centre power consumption but also the carbon footprint of operations. The future-proofed solution can also be combined with direct-to-chip (D-2-C) liquid cooling deployments, for customers who are moving towards a hybrid approach to cooling, and especially those looking to maximise heat reuse opportunities, combined with NVent’s liquid cooling CDU 800. Maximum compatibility and availability The new rear door cooling units from nVent are offered in a range of standard sizes for use with 42U, 47U, 48U and 52U data centre racks, in both 600mm and 800mm widths. The coolers themselves are 250mm deep, one of the features of rear door coolers is that they are compact and do not require any additional floor space or ceiling headroom, it can free up white space compared to other competitor RDCs and cooling devices CRAH and CRAC units may be eliminated from the data centre. Each unit has a maximum power draw of 1800W and features 12x axial brushless DC fans – more than any competitive unit. However, the large number of fans mean they individually do less work than a smaller number of large fans, reducing stress on the electromechanical devices and increasing their lifecycle. In the event failures do occur, nVent has developed an innovative, tool-less and hot-swappable method for fan replacement as well as other critical components such as PSUs. This feature allows uptime to be maximised at the same time as reducing service callouts and associated costs. For ease of integration with data centre management applications as well as BMS software, the new rear door cooling units also feature a newly designed controller which is compatible with most popular network and control protocols including Web Interface, Ethernet, SNMP, Modbus TCP, RTU, and Redfish. The new RDHX PRO RDC is available from September and will be on demonstration at DCW Paris and SuperComputing in Denver, Colorado, US.

Inspur Information and JD Cloud launch liquid-cooled server

Inspur Information and JD Cloud have announced they have jointly launched the liquid-cooled rack server ORS3000S. The server utilises cold-plate liquid cooling to reduce data centre power consumption by 45% compared to traditional air-cooled rack servers, making it a green solution that dramatically reduces total cost of ownership (TCO). Cold-plate liquid cooling technology allows ORS3000S to improve heat dissipation efficiency by 40%. It adopts a centralised power supply design with N+N redundancy that is capable of meeting the demands of whole rack power supply, and can function at the highest efficiency throughout operation due to power balance optimisation. This results in an overall efficiency increase of 10% when compared to a distributed power supply. Pre-installation at the factory, plus efficient operations and maintenance (O&M) allow for 5-10x faster delivery and deployment. The ORS3000S has been widely deployed in JD Cloud data centres, providing computing power support for JD during major shopping events. It brings a performance increase of 34–56% while minimising power usage effectiveness (PUE), carbon emissions and energy consumption. Inspur Information has been a pioneer in direct and indirect cooling. With new heat conduction technologies such as phase-change temperature uniformity, micro-channel cooling and immersion cooling, Inspur achieves a 30–50% optimisation in the comprehensive energy efficiency of the cooling system. This is achieved via cooling improvements throughout the server design, including a micro/nano-cavity, phase-change, and uniform temperature design for high-power components such as the CPU and GPU. This improves heat dissipation performance by 150% compared to traditional air cooling technologies. Experienced in the industrial application of liquid cooling, Inspur has built one of the world’s largest liquid-cooled data centre production facilities with an annual manufacturing capacity of 100,000 servers. This includes a full-chain liquid-cooling smart manufacturing solution covering R&D, testing, and delivery for the mass production of cold-plate liquid-cooled rack servers. As a result, the PUE for data centres is less than 1.1, and the entire delivery cycle takes five to seven days. Inspur Information’s cold-plate, heat-pipe, and immersion liquid-cooled products have been deployed at a large scale. In addition, Inspur offers complete solutions for liquid-cooled data centres, including primary and secondary liquid cooling circulation and the coolant distribution unit (CDU). This total solution enables a full-path liquid cooling circulation for data centres with the overall PUE reaching the design limit of less than 1.1. Inspur holds more than 100 core patents in the liquid cooling, and has participated in the formulation of technical standards and test specifications for cold-plate and immersion liquid-cooled products in data centres. The company is committed to and will continue to lead the rapid development of the liquid cooling industry and the large-scale application of innovative liquid cooling technology.

Kohler launches design solutions to enable access to high-power gen sets

Kohler has launched its range of walk-in Power Optimised Design Solutions (PODS) in response to the increased market demand for high-power gensets. They offer the highest standards of performance, reliability, robustness, safety, modularity, and competitiveness. Crucially, their size allows for enough internal cooling power to accommodate Kohler’s KD SERIES generators, giving customers the power to utilise generators without compromising on installation and maintenance. The walk-in PODS have generous spacing with a 4m width and height for the base module. The enclosures offer optimal access to different elements of the diesel genset allowing personnel to perform all operations and maintenance tasks with ease. Single swing doors with locks and anti-panic bars facilitate daily access into the enclosure. A push-button located near the access doors controls the interior lighting system. Adherence to noise standards was a critical design consideration, with 85 dB(A) sound reduction at 1m, with 75 and 65 dB(A) configurations also available. Soundproofing panels are made of mineral wool with an M1-class fire rating covered by glass fibre and metal sheet. Rain barrier grilles fitted with an anti-volatile barrier protect air inlets and outlets from harsh weather conditions. A specialised primer coat and polyurethane finish enhance the durability of the enclosures.   “Our first walk-in PODS have been delivered to their new homes in Germany proving the success of the enclosures,” says Cédric Briand, product manager, industrial generators. “The innovative, modular design enables mounted radiators on the generator base-frame even for the KD4500 model. Units are installed onto an external slab with all the options already previously connected and tested in factory, making for a quick and adaptable installation. Our walk-in PODS are inspired by our customers, and we offer a wide range of options and specific adaptations to meet customer needs.”

Enclosure-based infrastructure offers 80% reduction in deployment time

In an age where speed to market is of greater importance than ever, the continuing disruption caused by COVID-19 still impacts global supply-chains. Manufacturers, integrators, and customers are developing new business processes whilst working together to maintain efficient delivery and installation of critical IT infrastructure. Many manufacturers are reassessing supply-chain and plant capabilities in important customer regions. Across the supply-chain the requirement to simplify the ‘order-to-installation’ process is gaining momentum as resources are stressed and national and international restrictions continue to constrain logistical capabilities. In today’s complex technology space environments, data centre enclosures can require up to 35 additional products to complete the deployment of each rack. Untested infrastructure components, cables, hardware, grounding, and blanking plates each contribute a risk to effective functionality and fit to the solution. Supplying preconfigured modular solutions based on a single SKU allows customers to reorder assessed, tested, and optimised enclosures containing all the components required for specific solutions. This capability ensures infrastructure that provides reliable, high performance results in a given technology space.  Preconfigured cabinets can save up to 80% of on-site deployment time. Figure1: Delivers up to 80% reductions in time to deploy Rack densities are increasing and the need for effective thermal and device management is paramount as hot spots are potentially fatal to active technology. Chiefly, the pre-configured option is a tier one customer solution which reduces ordering complexity and the need for onsite construction and so offers a system solution rather than a box of parts that require manpower and hours of on-site construction. The cabinet configuration is pre-engineered and validated to the customer’s specifications. In many cases complete cabinet systems are tested within Panduit’s extensive thermal lab facility to ensure customer and safety thermal and environmental parameters are met. This guarantees cabinets arrive on site ready to populate with active components whilst optimised for power, space, speed and performance. Assured air containment and sealing systems within the cabinet assists in a reduction in cooling energy by as much as 40%. This solutions development is the result of over 10-year partnership with Cisco and other data centre industry suppliers on standardised converged infrastructure appliances. As compute density increases the heat generated within the cabinets requires proper inlet air conditions to ensure server, switches and storage provide optimal thermal interface to allow airflow across the surface. Hardware is tested in a simulated data centre environment to maximum equipment power consumption and heat dissipation. Customers are supplied with key performance data collected to verify all equipment operates within expected limits. Figure 2: Cabinets deliver optimal thermal interface Delivered as a dynamically load rated cabinet optimised for space and scalability it is ready to receive the active equipment, as well as the supplied complete colour coded and sized connectivity components (cables; copper and fibre), cable managers, grounding and bonding system, intelligent PDUs, patch panels and blanking panels. Utilising the supplied easy-to-follow instructions guide and elevation diagram simplifies and speeds the ability to complete the build and have the units available for installation. It is estimated that this saves between nine and 14 hours of construction time per cabinet. Preconfigured enclosures also greatly reduce packaging associated with logistics and additionally assists supplier and customer to remove substantial amounts of waste packaging from the product and supply-chain cycle. Large- and small-scale operations can - over time and after numerous MACs - lose track of device locations. Therefore, asset management is essential and device traceability within the cabinet environments is simplified through the use of monitoring and sensor systems such as SmartZone. Customers can maintain effective device mapping within cabinets and across time, ensuring MACs are reported and changes to topology recorded.   Wireless environmental monitoring increases the system’s capabilities to record and analyse real time environmental conditions and alert the system for automated response to any unplanned changes in conditions. When human intervention is required the system will notify the site engineer or systems management of the situation and can provide analysis of the problem, so an engineer is dispatched with the equipment required to resolve the problem, without the need to return a second time. The pandemic highlighted on-going challenges with the procurement process many organisations follow. Today’s converged IT infrastructure solutions accelerate and can simplify design procurement and deployment cycles for site management. Panduit’s solution allows customers to plan a streamlined process in less time and with reduced errors and waste, providing an easy route to expanding or renewing data centre or large enterprise infrastructure projects.