Middle Atlantic Products this week introduced Forward, a family of installation solutions that it claims delivers greater system reliability, efficiency and flexibility to the rack, at InfoComm 2019. Forward is designed around an innovative new rackrail and Middle Atlantic’s patented universal mounting pattern that allows blank and vent panels, cable management, lighting and other options to be quickly installed without tools.
The accessory line is designed with the entire system lifecycle in mind; for example, the rackrail, when coupled with Forward options, becomes a flexible workhorse that Middle Atlantic says allows integrators to easily achieve reliable rack layouts with less time, labor and hardware.
- All-New Rackrail: In a rack, space is finite, which is why Middle Atlantic has changed the traditional rackrail into a multipurpose solution. Forward Rail features a new take on the conventional L-shaped design, providing two planes of mounting possibilities: First, the front face of the rail features a square hole designed to engage with Forward blank and vent panels and horizontal cable management options by simply clicking into place without tools or hardware. In addition to this hardware-free functionality, the rail maintains the 10-32 tapped holes for rack screw mounting of equipment. Second, the side of the rail is punched with Middle Atlantic’s universal hole pattern. This feature allows for vertical cable management from top to bottom or from one rack unit to another throughout the enclosure.
- Ensuring that integrators meet the best practices set forth in AVIXA’s new Rack Building Standard for AV, Middle Atlantic is debuting the new rail in the BGR Series. The rackrail will ship with every BGR as a standard. Middle Atlantic plans to make the rackrail available in additional enclosures later this year, enabling integrators to add the Forward accessories and options they need to achieve even greater efficiency and reliability.
- Forward Lighting: Research indicates black racks in dark closets are one of the most common complaints from integrators. With Forward lighting, technicians no longer have to use one hand to hold up a flashlight or phone and perform intricate work with the other. Forward lighting mounts directly in any of the horizontal slots alongside the rackrail brackets (typically where Lever Lock engages), providing a flexible, 0-RU lighting solution that mounts vertically and shines at an optimal 45 degrees. It also includes an IR sensor to switch on automatically when the door opens and a dimmer to adjust the brightness.
- Forward Cable Management and Power Bracket Solutions: Neat and tidy cables are critical for ensuring reliability and creating systems that can be quickly and easily serviced and upgraded as components evolve, but threading zip ties and Velcro strips is a laborious, often frustrating process. The Forward cable management accessories offer limitless cable routing flexibility — including horizontal and vertical solutions that range from simple C and D rings to full-height grids that engage with the rackrail brackets — without the need for tools. Likewise, the family’s power bracket slips into rackrail bracket slots and accepts any button-mount power strip, such as Raritan PDU solutions and Middle Atlantic’s PDT Series.
- Forward Blank and Vent Panels: Engages With Rackrail to Achieve Optimal Rack Design in Minutes and With No Hardware: Much time can be spent screwing panels in to achieve the best rack layout. With Forward, integrators can now accomplish this in a matter of seconds rather than minutes. The Forward blank and vent panels simply click into the new rackrail.
- Forward UPS Base: A UPS is vital on every job, but installing one can be a challenging, two-person job due to its size and weight. The Forward UPS Base eliminates this problem with a 2200VA Premium Series UPS that comes preinstalled and ready to plug in out of the box.
Further simplifying the design process, the company is also offering a BGR enclosure that comes preconfigured with Forward installation solutions and can be ordered using one simple part number. This preconfigured option gives integrators the assurance of the industry’s most trusted AV rack packed with the benefits of Forward.
The entire Forward family is here.
Check out a video of the Forward Family from InfoComm 2019 below:
