Middle Atlantic Forward Straight Linchstyle LACE4 PK - FWD-LB-1A-4PK

Middle Atlantic FWD-LB-1A-4PK Forward Horizontal Lacer Bar 4-Pack

Overview

The Middle Atlantic FWD-LB-1A-4PK is a 4-pack of 1RU forward-style horizontal lacer bars engineered for clean, serviceable cable routing in 19-inch equipment racks. Each bar occupies a single rack unit at just 0.58 inches deep, so you're adding structured cable management without sacrificing meaningful panel real estate or airflow clearance. This is the kind of hardware that gets specified on rack drawings and overlooked until a technician is wrestling with a dense patch run at 2 AM — getting it right at installation saves time on every service call afterward.

These are steel-construction lace bars finished in black, designed to work within standard Middle Atlantic rack systems and any 19-inch EIA-standard enclosure. The forward orientation means cables route out toward the front of the rack, keeping patch connections accessible without opening the rear. For integrators building out security head-end rooms, IT closets, or AV equipment racks, the FWD-LB-1A-4PK ships as a 4-pack — enough to handle a multi-unit cable management plan in a single order.

Key Features

• 1RU Form Factor (1.72 in H × 0.58 in D): At 1.72 inches tall and only 0.58 inches deep, each lacer bar fits between panels without crowding adjacent equipment. Shallow depth matters in dense racks where every fraction of an inch affects airflow and serviceability — this won't obstruct rear-mounted hardware or block ventilation paths.
• 19-Inch Panel Width (48.3 cm): Sized to the universal EIA 19-inch rack standard, so these mount in any compliant rack enclosure or open-frame rack without modification. No adapter plates, no field trimming.
• Forward Orientation: The forward-style lace point routes cables toward the front of the rack rather than the rear. On a head-end rack with multiple NVRs, switches, and patch panels, forward routing keeps every connection reachable from the front door — critical when re-patching under a live system.
• Steel Construction: Steel lace bars hold cable bundles under tension without flexing or deforming over time. In a rack that gets re-patched regularly, plastic alternatives fatigue at the lace points; steel stays rigid through repeated dressing and re-dressing cycles.
• Black Finish: Matches standard Middle Atlantic rack furniture and most third-party black rack enclosures. Consistent finish matters in client-facing equipment rooms and NOC environments where rack appearance is part of the installation standard.
• 4-Pack Quantity: A typical 12–15RU security rack head-end will require multiple lacer bar positions between switch, NVR, and patch layers. Ordering FWD-LB-1A-4PK as a 4-pack covers most single-rack cable management plans without a secondary order, reducing project procurement overhead.
• Lightweight at 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg) per pack: The 2.5 lb pack weight confirms these are steel without being overbuilt — won't add meaningful load to a rack's weight rating when installed across multiple positions.
• Pending Patent Design: The lace geometry carries a pending patent (referenced at legrandav.com/patents), indicating a purpose-engineered lacing structure rather than a commodity bar — relevant when specifying for installations where the cable management method is part of the as-built documentation.

Integration & Compatibility

The FWD-LB-1A-4PK installs in any standard 19-inch EIA rack with 1RU spacing. It is part of Middle Atlantic's Forward Horizontal Lacer Bar family, designed to complement their rack enclosures, open-frame racks, and horizontal cable management accessories. These lacer bars pair naturally with patch panels, NVR shelves, and PoE switch panels in security and AV rack builds. For projects requiring rear cable routing or different cable management depths, Middle Atlantic offers additional lacer bar variants within the same product family.

When planning cable management for a rack that includes PoE network switches feeding IP cameras, lacer bars at the switch layer keep patch runs organized and prevent cable sag that can stress RJ-45 connectors over time. Pair these with a structured patch panel layout for a rack that stays serviceable through system expansions. Consult a rack planning guide if you're sizing cable management positions for a multi-rack head-end build.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What rack standard does the FWD-LB-1A-4PK fit?

A: The FWD-LB-1A-4PK is built to the standard 19-inch (48.3 cm) EIA rack panel width, fitting any compliant 19-inch open-frame or enclosed rack without modification.

Q: How many lacer bars are included in the FWD-LB-1A-4PK?

A: The FWD-LB-1A-4PK includes 4 individual forward horizontal lacer bars, each occupying 1 rack unit.

Q: What is the depth of each lacer bar in the FWD-LB-1A-4PK?

A: Each lacer bar is 0.58 inches (1.5 cm) deep — shallow enough to fit between panels in dense rack configurations without impeding airflow or obstructing rear-mounted hardware.

Q: What material are the FWD-LB-1A-4PK lacer bars made from?

A: The lacer bars are constructed from steel, finished in black, providing long-term rigidity for cable bundles that are re-patched regularly.

Q: Is the FWD-LB-1A-4PK compatible with third-party racks, or only Middle Atlantic enclosures?

A: These lacer bars mount in any standard 19-inch EIA rack — Middle Atlantic or third-party — as long as the rack accepts standard 1RU panel mounting.

Q: What is the total shipping weight for the FWD-LB-1A-4PK 4-pack?

A: The shipping weight for the full 4-pack is 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg).

Eden Phillips

When I spec horizontal cable management for a security head-end, the FWD-LB-1A-4PK is the kind of detail that separates a rack that photographs well at punch-out from one that's still clean three years into service. The 0.58-inch depth on each bar is the number I keep coming back to — in a loaded 12RU rack with an NVR, a PoE switch, and a patch panel all competing for space, a shallow lacer bar is the difference between organized forward-routed patch runs and a cable mass that blocks your hands every time you re-patch.

Technical Highlights:

• 0.58-in Depth per Bar: Minimal rack depth consumption means these install between any two panels without pushing hardware out of alignment or creating airflow choke points — a real concern in enclosed racks running 24/7 NVR and switch hardware.
• Steel Construction: Unlike nylon or plastic lace bars that crack at the lace point after repeated tie-wrap cycles, steel holds its geometry indefinitely. In an enterprise rack that gets re-patched by multiple technicians over its lifetime, this is the spec that matters most.
• 4-Pack Quantity at 2.5 lbs shipped: Four bars cover the key cable management positions in a single-rack security build — typically between the patch panel, PoE switch, and NVR layers — without a secondary procurement step on a tight installation schedule.

Deployment Considerations:

• The forward orientation routes cables toward the front face of the rack. Confirm your rack has adequate front cable runway or vertical cable managers before specifying these; forward-routed bundles need somewhere to go at the rack edge or they'll loop back and create the same mess you were trying to prevent.
• Width spec is 3.67 inches (9.3 cm) — this is the lace bar body width, not the panel width. The panel mounts at the full 19-inch rack standard. Don't confuse these dimensions when estimating bundle clearance per bar position.

For a security integrator wiring a 15–20 camera NVR head-end with a managed PoE switch and structured patch panel, the FWD-LB-1A-4PK gives you enough lacer positions in one order to dress the entire rack cleanly from the first install — not just the final cleanup pass.