APC by Schneider Electric Netshelter SX 24U 600MM X 1070MM Deep Enclosure - AR3104

APC by Schneider Electric AR3104 NetShelter SX 24U 600mm x 1070mm Rack Enclosure

The AR3104 is APC's NetShelter SX 24U free-standing enclosure built for network equipment rooms, server closets, and edge datacenter deployments where a mid-depth rack footprint matters. At 600mm wide and 1070mm deep, it fits standard 19" EIA-310 equipment on square-punched rails while leaving enough interior depth to route cabling cleanly behind mounted gear — a real advantage over shallower 800mm alternatives when you're stacking 1U/2U servers with rear-exit cable runs. Explore the full APC by Schneider Electric catalog for complementary power and cooling products.

Overview

The AR3104 targets installations where rack count is moderate — 24U covers a typical IDF closet or small edge node without the floor-space penalty of a 42U tower. The perforated front and rear door design supports front-to-rear airflow, meaning hot-aisle/cold-aisle discipline is maintained without cutting ventilation panels or adding aftermarket blanks. The lever-handle lock secures the door without a separate key tool during routine access — useful in shared facilities where rack techs need frequent entry. This is a free-standing server rack enclosure built from steel in black, matching standard datacenter aesthetics across mixed-vendor environments.

Key Features

• 24U Capacity with 19" Square-Punch Rails: Accommodates any standard EIA-310 rackmount equipment. Square-punched rails accept cage nuts and standard rack hardware — no proprietary fasteners, no adapter kits required for off-brand gear. At 24U you get a practical mix of patch panels, switches, and 1U servers without overbuilding for a small site.
• 600mm Wide Frame: The 600mm external width fits inside standard 700mm raised-floor tiles and narrow equipment rooms where a 800mm wide rack would require aisle redesign. Side panels stay removable for cable access without moving the rack.
• 1070mm Interior Depth: Deep enough to mount full-depth 1U servers and still close the rear door cleanly. Cable management arms on 2U servers fit inside this depth profile without forcing the door open — an often-overlooked spec that matters on gear with rear-facing power supplies and cable-management arms.
• Front-to-Rear Airflow Path: Perforated front door (inflow) and rear door (exhaust) align with industry-standard hot-aisle/cold-aisle layouts. No baffle kit required for standard rack-mount server airflow — the enclosure geometry does the work.
• Free-Standing Configuration: No wall anchor or two-post rail kit required. Place it independently on raised floor or concrete slab. Casters or leveling feet (per local installation requirements) allow repositioning without dismounting equipment.
• Lever-Handle Lock: Single-motion access — no key tool needed to open the door during normal maintenance. The lever-handle design is faster for environments with frequent, legitimate access (IT staff, field techs) while still providing a physical deterrent to casual tampering.
• Steel Construction in Black: Commercial-grade steel frame provides rigidity for fully populated 24U loads. Black finish is standard across the NetShelter SX line for consistent appearance in multi-rack rows.
• ECCN EAR99: No export license required for most international destinations — relevant for deployments that involve cross-border equipment staging or international datacenter builds.

Integration & Compatibility

The AR3104 accepts standard 19" rackmount equipment on square-punched rails — compatible with virtually all 1U through 4U servers, network switches, patch panels, KVM drawers, and UPS units built to EIA-310 dimensions. APC's own NetShelter accessories (vertical cable managers, horizontal cable managers, blanking panels, power distribution units) are designed to integrate directly with the SX rail system. For power protection, APC rack-mount UPS units sized for 24U loads pair naturally with this enclosure. If your deployment includes more than one rack row, consider how this 600mm-wide unit aligns with your datacenter infrastructure aisle spacing — 600mm racks in a 1200mm aisle leave 600mm of aisle clearance per side, which meets most hot-aisle containment minimum specs. Review the rack enclosure selection guide for depth, width, and load considerations before committing to a rack size for a new build.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What rail style does the AR3104 use, and what hardware do I need to mount equipment?

A: The AR3104 uses square-punched rails sized for standard 19" EIA-310 equipment. You'll need standard M6 cage nuts and screws (or M5 depending on your equipment) — no proprietary fasteners. Most server and network vendors ship cage nuts with their rail kits.

Q: Is the AR3104 compatible with APC's own PDUs and cable managers?

A: Yes. The NetShelter SX line is designed around a consistent accessory ecosystem. APC vertical and horizontal cable managers, blanking panels, and rack-mount PDUs are all built to integrate with the SX rail and frame geometry. Confirm PDU length against the 1070mm interior depth when ordering.

Q: Can the AR3104 handle full-depth 1U servers?

A: The 1070mm interior depth accommodates full-depth 1U servers — including those with rear-facing cable-management arms — and still allows the rear door to close. Measure your deepest piece of equipment plus its cable-management arm before assuming clearance; some 2U CMA kits add 100–150mm to the rear profile.

Q: Does the AR3104 support hot-aisle/cold-aisle containment layouts?

A: The enclosure's front-to-rear airflow design (perforated front intake, perforated rear exhaust) is directly aligned with hot-aisle/cold-aisle discipline. It does not include blanking panels by default — add blanking panels for any unused U-spaces to prevent recirculation, which is especially important in high-density 24U builds.

Q: What is the rack unit capacity and external width of the AR3104?

A: The AR3104 provides 24U of usable rack space in a 600mm wide external frame. This makes it a fit for standard raised-floor tile spacing and narrow equipment rooms where an 800mm rack would require aisle redesign.

Q: Is the AR3104 subject to export restrictions?

A: The AR3104 carries an ECCN classification of EAR99, meaning no export license is required for most international destinations under standard trade conditions. Confirm with your compliance team for any restricted end-users or embargoed countries.

Jerry Tildsen

The spec that drives most AR3104 selections is the 1070mm interior depth paired with a 24U frame — that combination is specific to edge and IDF builds where you need full-depth server clearance but can't justify or physically fit a 42U enclosure. The AR3104 hits that niche cleanly.

Technical Highlights:

• 1070mm Usable Depth: Accommodates full-depth 1U and 2U servers with cable-management arms installed — the rear door closes without forcing a cable detour, which matters in high-availability deployments where the door needs to close for containment to function.
• Square-Punch 19" Rails: Universal compatibility with EIA-310 equipment means no vendor lock-in on rail kits. Any server, switch, or KVM with standard rack ears mounts directly — critical in mixed-vendor environments that are the rule, not the exception, in real deployments.
• Front-to-Rear Perforated Airflow: The door geometry aligns with standard hot-aisle/cold-aisle without modification. In a 24U build running moderate server density, this eliminates the need for supplemental blanking panels on every unused U — though you should still add them for high-density rows.

Deployment Considerations:

• At 600mm width, this rack fits standard 700mm raised-floor tile spacing with margin — but verify your specific floor tile grid before ordering if you're slotting into an existing raised-floor room with fixed tile positions.
• The AR3104 is a free-standing enclosure — it does not ship with casters or seismic anchors as standard. In seismically active regions or on uneven slab floors, factor in a separate anchoring or leveling kit before commissioning.

The AR3104 is the right call for an IDF closet or small edge node serving 10–30 users where you need real server depth, a locking enclosure, and a rack that fits through a standard 36-inch doorframe without a facilities project. It is not the right choice if you're building a high-density compute row — step up to the 42U NetShelter SX variants for that workload.