Panduit R2P6S 45U 2-Post Open Frame Rack
Overview
The Panduit R2P6S is a 45U, 2-post open-frame rack built for telecommunications rooms and data center environments where you need a reliable, standards-compliant mounting foundation without the footprint of a full enclosure. At 84 inches tall (2,134 mm) and just 6 inches (152.4 mm) deep, the R2P6S accommodates 19-inch EIA-standard equipment while keeping cable runs short and technician access completely unobstructed from front and rear. If your deployment is a telecom closet, structured cabling termination point, or a patch-heavy IDF where open access matters more than physical security, this is the frame to evaluate. Explore the full Panduit racks and infrastructure catalog for related hardware.
Key Features
- 45U of Usable Space at 84-Inch Height: 45U gives you room to mount a full complement of patch panels, switches, PDUs, and termination blocks in a single frame — no need to cascade across multiple racks in a small closet. The 2,134 mm overall height fits under standard 9-foot ceilings with clearance to spare.
- EIA #12-24 Threaded Rails with Universal Hole Spacing: EIA/ECA-310-E compliant #12-24 threaded rails mean you can directly thread rack screws without cage nuts on every mount point — faster installs and fewer loose fasteners rattling around over time. Universal hole spacing accepts virtually any 19-inch EIA-standard chassis without adapter kits.
- Bottom-to-Top Unit Numbering: Rails are numbered in ascending order from bottom to top — the industry convention that matches most equipment labeling schemes and cable management documentation. This is a small detail that pays off when you're tracing circuits at 2 AM.
- UL 2416 Listed — 680 kg (1,500 lb) Load Rating: The UL 2416 listing confirms the frame has been independently tested for the rated load capacity. At 680 kg, you can fully populate this rack with dense switching, UPS hardware, and cabling infrastructure without worrying about structural limits. Check your floor load rating before stacking multiple fully loaded frames.
- 6-Inch (152.4 mm) Depth — Purpose-Built for Shallow Equipment: The 152.4 mm depth is the right fit for patch panels, KVM switches, fiber termination trays, and 1U/2U networking gear that doesn't need the 24–32 inch depth of a full server rack. Using a deep four-post cabinet for shallow gear wastes floor space and creates airflow dead zones — this frame eliminates both problems.
- Powder-Coat Finish on All-Steel Construction: Steel with a powder-coat finish holds up to the humidity swings and physical contact of a working telecom room. No flex, no wobble under load, no corrosion from condensation in non-climate-controlled spaces.
- RoHS Compliant: Meets RoHS requirements, which matters for any deployment subject to EU RoHS directives or enterprise procurement policies requiring hazardous-substance compliance documentation.
- Compatible with Panduit Cable Management Accessories: The R2P6S is designed to pair with Panduit's cable guide and accessory ecosystem — open-frame racks and enclosures in this family share a common mounting interface, so you can add vertical or horizontal cable managers, blanking panels, and power strips without fabricating custom brackets.
Integration and Compatibility
The R2P6S accepts any 19-inch EIA-standard equipment — switches, patch panels, fiber trays, small UPS units, PDUs, KVM hardware. The #12-24 threaded hole pattern is the most common rack standard in North American telecom and data center deployments, so compatibility with new or existing gear is not a concern. For cable management, Panduit offers a range of guide-cable accessories and horizontal and vertical cable managers designed for this frame family. If your project requires a fully enclosed solution — lockable front door, side panels, or airflow baffles — step up to a four-post open-frame rack or a closed cabinet in the same line; the R2P6S is intentionally open and should not be used where physical access control to equipment is required. Review the open-frame rack selection guide for guidance on choosing between 2-post, 4-post, and enclosed cabinet configurations for your specific environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the load capacity of the Panduit R2P6S?
A: The R2P6S is UL 2416 listed and rated for 680.39 kg (approximately 1,500 lb). This rating applies to the fully assembled frame under the conditions specified in the UL 2416 standard.
Q: What rail hole pattern does the R2P6S use?
A: The R2P6S uses EIA #12-24 threaded rails with universal hole spacing conforming to EIA/ECA-310-E. This is the standard threaded pattern for 19-inch rack equipment in North American telecom and data center installations — no cage nuts required.
Q: Is the R2P6S suitable for server mounting, or is it intended for lighter networking gear?
A: The 152.4 mm (6-inch) depth makes this rack best suited for shallow equipment: patch panels, fiber trays, 1U–2U switches, KVM units, and cable management hardware. Deep 1U or 2U servers with rear-mounted power supplies will overhang the frame significantly. For servers requiring full rail support, a 4-post rack or enclosed cabinet is the correct choice.
Q: Does the R2P6S ship assembled or require field assembly?
A: Package quantity is 1 unit. Assembly requirements are not detailed in the available evidence — consult Panduit installation documentation for assembly steps specific to this model.
Q: What finish and color is the R2P6S?
A: The R2P6S is finished in black powder coat over steel construction.
Q: Is the R2P6S RoHS compliant?
A: Yes. The R2P6S meets RoHS requirements as listed in its standards compliance documentation alongside UL 2416 and EIA/ECA-310-E.
The R2P6S earns its place in telecom closets specifically because of that 152.4 mm depth spec — most integrators I work with reflexively quote a 4-post open frame for everything, but when you're landing 24-port patch panels and a couple of access layer switches in an IDF, a 6-inch 2-post frame keeps the room walkable and the cable runs clean. The UL 2416 listing at 680 kg is more than you'll ever need for this class of gear, so structural load is a non-issue.
Technical Highlights:
- 45U at 84 Inches: Full-height frame gives you room to terminate a complete floor's worth of horizontal cabling runs, add a managed switch, and still have U-space left for growth — without needing a second rack in the closet.
- #12-24 Threaded Rails: Threaded holes eliminate cage nut fumbling on high-density patch installs. On a 45U frame, that's up to 180 mount points where you save 30 seconds each — real time savings on large structured cabling pulls.
- UL 2416 / EIA/ECA-310-E Dual Compliance: Both standards together cover structural load testing and dimensional interoperability with 19-inch EIA equipment — the two certifications a compliance-conscious IT procurement team will ask for on any rack specification.
Deployment Considerations:
- The 6-inch depth is a hard constraint — any equipment with a chassis deeper than roughly 100–125 mm will overhang the rear of the posts and require supplemental support or a different rack entirely. Verify chassis depth for every piece of active gear before committing to this frame.
- Open-frame 2-post racks provide zero physical access control. If the closet is shared or accessible to non-IT personnel, pair this with a locking enclosure or specify a closed cabinet instead — the R2P6S is not the right choice where equipment security is a requirement.
This frame is the right call for a dedicated, access-controlled IDF or telecom room handling structured cabling termination, patch management, and shallow-profile networking gear — environments where a full 4-post cabinet would consume floor space you don't have and complicate the simple top-of-rack cabling runs that define this class of installation.
