APC by Schneider Electric AR8136BLK 1U 19-Inch Toolless Rack Blanking Panel
Overview
The APC by Schneider Electric AR8136BLK is a 1U steel blanking panel designed for standard 19-inch equipment racks, available in a 10-per-package configuration that makes it practical to fill an entire enclosure in a single order. Rack airflow management is one of the most overlooked factors in data center and server room thermal performance — every open 1U slot is a recirculation path that lets hot exhaust air loop back to equipment intakes, raising inlet temperatures and increasing cooling load. The AR8136BLK closes those gaps without requiring tools, which matters when you are working inside a populated rack under time pressure.
For integrators commissioning security head-end rooms, surveillance NVR racks, or enterprise IT enclosures, keeping unused rack space sealed is as important as the hardware itself. Browse the full APC by Schneider Electric catalog to pair these panels with the right PDUs, UPS units, and cable management accessories for a complete rack build.
Key Features
- Toolless snap-in mounting: The toolless airflow mounting design lets you install or remove panels without a screwdriver. In a live rack with adjacent equipment, this means faster commissioning and fewer accidental bumps to neighboring gear. No loose hardware to drop into cable runs below.
- Steel construction: Unlike plastic blanking panels that flex or crack under repeated handling, the AR8136BLK is built from steel — it holds its shape when panels are removed and reinstalled across multiple rack reconfigurations over the equipment lifecycle.
- 1U form factor: Fills a single rack unit precisely, leaving no air gap at the top or bottom edge. Proper 1U fit is critical in high-density racks where even a partial opening can compromise the hot-aisle/cold-aisle separation you engineered into the room layout.
- 19-inch standard width: Fits any EIA-standard 19-inch rack or open-frame cabinet — compatible with two-post and four-post configurations from APC, Tripp Lite, Netshelter, and virtually every commercial enclosure on the market. No adapter rails, no modifications.
- Black finish: Matches the interior aesthetics of black rack enclosures. Consistent panel color matters in customer-facing equipment rooms and NOC environments where visual cleanliness signals professionalism to end-users and auditors.
- 10-panel package quantity: Shipped 10 per package — enough to fill 10U of open rack space in a single purchase. For a freshly populated rack with 4–6 active devices in a 12U or 24U chassis, one package typically covers all remaining slots without a second order.
Integration & Compatibility
The AR8136BLK is compatible with any standard 19-inch rack enclosure using EIA-310 hole patterns. This includes open-frame two-post racks used in surveillance head-end closets, enclosed four-post cabinets in data center rows, and wall-mount enclosures with 19-inch mounting rails. Pair with rack enclosures and rack PDUs for a fully managed power and airflow build. For larger deployments requiring structured cable routing alongside blanking panels, combining with horizontal cable management accessories keeps the build clean and serviceable.
Airflow management planning benefits from a data center rack planning guide — blanking panels are one component of a broader hot-aisle containment strategy that includes brush strips, side panels, and chimney kits depending on rack density and cooling architecture.
What's in the Box
- 10x APC AR8136BLK 1U 19-inch steel toolless blanking panels (black)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does the AR8136BLK require any tools or screws to install?
A: No. The AR8136BLK uses a toolless snap-in design — panels seat directly into standard 19-inch rack rails without screws or a screwdriver. This makes installation and removal fast in populated racks.
Q: How many panels are included in one package?
A: Each package of the AR8136BLK contains 10 panels, each filling 1U of rack space. A single package covers 10U of open slots.
Q: What rack width does the AR8136BLK fit?
A: The AR8136BLK is sized for standard 19-inch (EIA-310) rack enclosures — the most common form factor in commercial IT and security installations. It is not designed for 23-inch telco-style racks.
Q: What material are the AR8136BLK panels made from?
A: The panels are constructed from steel, which provides better rigidity and longevity than plastic alternatives through repeated install and remove cycles over the equipment lifecycle.
Q: Why does rack blanking matter for a surveillance or security head-end room?
A: Open rack slots allow hot exhaust air from NVRs, switches, and servers to recirculate back to equipment intakes, raising operating temperatures. Elevated inlet temps increase fan speeds, accelerate component wear, and can cause thermal throttling on recording devices during peak load. Blanking panels like the AR8136BLK eliminate those recirculation paths at minimal cost.
The AR8136BLK is one of those items that gets overlooked until a thermal audit flags elevated NVR inlet temps at 2 AM. The steel construction and toolless rail engagement are the two specs that matter here — steel keeps panels flat and rigid when you're pulling and reinserting them in a live rack, and toolless means you're not hunting for a #2 Phillips when you need to reseat a panel around a freshly installed switch or recorder. I specify these in every security head-end build I commission.
Technical Highlights:
- Steel construction: Holds dimensional tolerance after repeated removal cycles — plastic panels bow and lose their snap-in grip within a year of regular handling in a working equipment room.
- Toolless mounting: Saves 2–3 minutes per panel in a populated rack, which adds up fast when you're blanking 10–15U at end-of-day during a multi-rack commissioning job.
- 10-per-package quantity: Sized for real-world rack fills — a 24U rack with 8–10 active devices needs 14–16 blank panels; two packages handles the full enclosure without a separate line item on the PO.
Deployment Considerations:
- Confirm your rack uses standard EIA-310 19-inch rail spacing before ordering — non-standard or partially assembled rails can prevent the toolless tabs from seating flush, leaving a gap that defeats the airflow benefit.
- The AR8136BLK is a 1U panel only — mixed-height open slots (2U, 3U) require separate panel sizes; a single AR8136BLK will not span a 2U gap regardless of orientation.
For security integrators building out NVR and head-end racks in commercial surveillance installations — particularly high-density 24U or 42U cabinets housing multiple recorders, PoE switches, and UPS units — the AR8136BLK is the right panel to spec in quantity. The 10-pack packaging makes it easy to keep a box on the van for last-minute fills during commissioning without a second trip to the supply house.
