Have you heard the iconic Burger King slogan “Have it your way”? The fast food industry has changed the way they do business to emphasize individual preferences. Vertiv has taken this idea and applied it to the Rack Power Distribution industry. While off-the-shelf standard options are perfect for some, they do not work for every application. If you can order a burger without pickles, or a burrito with only the ingredients you want, why can’t a rack power distribution unit (rPDU) be purchased in the same way?
Vertiv believes rPDUs should and can be customized at purchase, that’s why they have reimagined the rPDU industry by expanding its focus on individually tailored rPDU solutions. Customers can get exactly what they want, specifying everything from product color, to the exact dimensions and outlet quantities. Looking for a yellow rPDU with 42 C13 receptacles and red U-Lock outlet bezels? No problem, Vertiv has you covered.
Our dedicated group of engineers and sales support teams help you design the exact rPDU you want – whenever you want it. This is possible because Geist, a Vertiv brand, has transformed the way rPDUs are designed and manufactured to reduce the time it takes to customize them, reducing lead times to days or weeks rather than months. Whether you need a 5-foot cord or a specific number of outlets, you are empowered to design an rPDU for your specific application. Depending on your needs, there are two different customization options available.
Configure-to-Order
Vertiv Geist has over 1,000 standard models built-to-order in as little as 3 business days. Each of these models come standard with a 10-foot cord but can be configured to your desired length, ensuring your order meets local requirements. For instance, in North America, the cord length can be anywhere from two to 15 feet and still be compliant with UL.
In addition to cord length changes, you can also order rPDUs in different colors. The standard color is black, but if you would like to differentiate between incoming power sources in your rack, all models can be customized in a variety of standard colors.
Another customization option is the outlet bezel color. Rack PDU models with the U-Lock C13, U-Lock C19, or the Combination C13 / C19 outlets can have the bezels swapped out to match your preferred color scheme. The standard models utilize dark orange, light orange, dark green, light green, dark blue, and light blue to differentiate between circuits. However, these can be customized to differentiate between power sources as well. For additional configuration options, red and yellow bezels are available. For example, you could have all red bezels on a red rPDU connected to the primary power feed and all yellow bezels on a yellow rPDU connected to the secondary power feed. Keep in mind that changing the bezel colors does eliminate the color-coded circuit identification.
The Configure-to-Order customization option applies to changes that do not alter the base design of the standard model. For customizations that require changing the location of outlets, power configuration, cord location, or different outlet types, the Engineer-to-Order option is the route to get exactly what you want.
Engineer-to-Order
If one of the over 1,000 standard models with customizations doesn't work for your application, the Engineer-to-Order program allows you to work directly with the Vertiv internal design team to develop an rPDU that meets your exact specifications. A common request is a change to the outlet type, quantity, and location on the rPDU. Another frequently made request is modifying the form factor, whether that be width, depth, or length, to fit into a specific cabinet or to support multiple rPDUs fitting side-by-side. Changes to toolless mounting locations, custom designed brackets, or hardware, are other typical requests.
Vertiv Geist has a long history of designing, manufacturing, and delivering custom rPDUs in as little as 2 weeks. If the design is electrically possible, manufacturable, and meets compliance requirements, there really is an endless number of options available to customize your rPDU. The dedicated team of engineers, compliance, and sales support are ready to help you design the rPDU for your specific application.
The Configure-to-Order and Engineer-to-Order programs are available globally with regional support to help you configure your rPDU to meet your needs. While the time from design to manufacturing remains the same around the world, the delivery timelines will vary based on the destination. Contact us today at sales@vertiv.com to find out more.
Check out everything Vertiv Geist can do to help you configure your own rPDU.
