When most people picture sheet metal fabrication, they think of sparks flying and metal sheets being bent on heavy machines. That’s true, but here at TBSI, we tie fabrication directly to performance in the field. In our case, the field usually means data centers, facilities that can’t afford downtime and where the smallest flaw in an enclosure can create oversized problems.
Why Enclosures Matter in a Data Center
A rack of servers is only as reliable as the housing that surrounds it. That’s not an exaggeration. The data center enclosures provide structure, airflow, and accessibility. Without careful design, heat builds up, cables become impossible to manage, and technicians lose precious time during maintenance.
In many facilities, generic metal cabinets are installed as a cost-saving measure. But within months, fans often strain, temperature curves drift, and operators quickly realize that the initial ‘savings’ are erased by higher energy bills. The lesson? Enclosures aren’t just boxes. They’re active parts of the system.
How We Approach Fabrication
Our approach is straightforward: fabricate with precision, then finish with purpose. We cut and bend sheet metal to exacting tolerances, but we don’t stop there. Every hinge, vent, and panel line is considered for what it will mean later, when the servers are humming and the technicians are working in tight spaces.
Some details that make the difference:
- Panels that open wide enough so a technician doesn’t need to disconnect a bundle of cables just to reach a card.
- Vent layouts designed to guide airflow exactly where it’s needed, reducing the need for extra cooling.
- Coatings that resist corrosion, because even climate-controlled environments have moisture challenges.
These choices sound small, but multiply them across hundreds of enclosures in a large facility, and you see how fabrication links directly to performance.
Tailored Metal Enclosures
Not all data centers look alike, and neither should their enclosures. A hyperscale buildout may require long rows of standardized housings. An edge deployment might need compact, sealed metal enclosures that can withstand dust or outdoor swings in temperature. Colocation facilities often ask us for flexibility, something modular that adapts as tenants change over time.
Because of our agile project management approach, we can adjust designs quickly. We’ve had projects where a customer required last-minute changes to the part design.. Instead of delaying the whole job, we adapted the design and stayed on schedule. That’s the advantage of custom work, it bends with the needs of the project instead of forcing the project to fit the enclosure.
Why Work with TBSI
There are plenty of shops that can cut and bend metal. What sets us apart is our focus on environments where downtime isn’t acceptable. We back every project with:
- Early Design Feedback: Catching potential issues before they hit production.
- Scalable Runs: From one prototype to full series production, all built to the same spec.
- Quality Documentation: Giving clients traceability and confidence during commissioning.
- Adaptability: We refine enclosures as data centers expand or technologies shift.
We know enclosures aren’t the flashiest part of a data center, but we also know what happens when they’re overlooked.
Looking Ahead
Data demands are only going up. With AI workloads and cloud services growing fast, tomorrow’s enclosures will need to handle more cables, more heat, and more complexity than ever before. TBSI’s sheet metal fabrication services provide us the flexibility to meet those challenges.
Each data center enclosure we deliver today is built with an eye toward the future, because in this industry, standing still means falling behind.
Contact us today to learn how our sheet metal fabrication expertise can deliver custom metal enclosures that keep your data center running strong.