APC by Schneider Electric Netshelter SX 45U 600MM Wide X 1200MM - AR3305W

APC by Schneider Electric AR3305W NetShelter SX 45U 600mm Wide x 1200mm Deep Server Rack Enclosure

Overview

The APC by Schneider Electric AR3305W is a 45U floor-standing server rack enclosure built for data centers, network closets, and security operations centers that need serious structural capacity without giving up floor space. At 600mm wide and 1200mm deep, the AR3305W provides enough internal clearance to house deep 1U/2U servers, patch panels, and power distribution units side by side — without the cable-management compromises that come with shallower enclosures. The 2124mm overall height puts 45U of usable space in a footprint that fits standard raised-floor tiles and most drop-ceiling clearances. If you're speccing a rack for a physical security head-end — NVR stacks, network switches, access control servers, and associated UPS hardware — this enclosure handles the load without requiring custom fabrication or additional structural support.

APC's NetShelter SX line is a long-standing standard in commercial and enterprise infrastructure, and the AR3305W fits within that ecosystem, sharing accessory compatibility with mounting hardware, blanking panels, and side panels across the SX family.

Key Features

• 45U Rack Capacity: Forty-five rack units accommodate a full physical security head-end — stack an NVR cluster, PoE switch stack, access control servers, and a rackmount UPS without running out of room. That's roughly 22–30 1U devices depending on blanking panel usage, or a mix of 1U/2U/4U form factors for a complete NVR and video management system deployment.
• 1363.64 kg Maximum Load Rating: Over 3,000 lbs of supported weight means you can fill this enclosure with high-density blade chassis, dense storage arrays, or UPS hardware without hitting structural limits. Most commercial IT racks max out at 900–1,000 kg — the AR3305W's higher rating is relevant whenever you're deploying multi-drive NAS units or stacked UPS systems.
• 600mm Width x 1200mm Depth (Internal Envelope): The 600mm width is the industry-standard rack width, so all 19-inch rackmount equipment mounts without adapters. The 1200mm depth is the key differentiator — deep-chassis servers, dual-PSU appliances, and high-density storage enclosures that measure 900–1000mm deep cable-route cleanly without door interference. Shallow 800mm racks force cable bends that fail over time; the 1200mm depth eliminates that tradeoff.
• Steel Construction: The steel frame and panels provide structural rigidity for high-load deployments and resist the racking/flexing that can occur when an enclosure is loaded asymmetrically. Steel also provides a degree of RF shielding that matters in environments with sensitive wireless infrastructure nearby.
• Key-Locking Front and Rear Doors: Locking enclosures are a baseline physical security control in any environment subject to compliance audits (SOC 2, ISO 27001, FISMA). The keyed lock limits rack access to personnel with physical credentials — relevant for colocation or shared-facility deployments where not all building occupants should have equipment access.
• Removable Side Panels: Side panels that come off without tools are a practical installation advantage in tight rows where a technician can't swing a door open fully. Removable panels also simplify cable runs between adjacent racks when deploying bonded pairs.
• IP20 Rated Enclosure: IP20 means the enclosure is rated against solid objects larger than 12mm — appropriate for a controlled indoor environment like a server room or IDF closet. This is the standard rating for data-center-class racks; if your environment has dust, moisture, or washdown exposure, a sealed industrial enclosure is a different product category entirely.
• RoHS Compliant: RoHS compliance is a procurement requirement for many government and EU-facing contracts. The AR3305W clears that checkbox at the enclosure level, simplifying compliance documentation for the infrastructure layer of a project.

Integration and Compatibility

The AR3305W is a standard 19-inch server rack enclosure and accepts any EIA-310-compliant rackmount equipment. The 45U height and 1200mm depth make it particularly well suited to physical security head-end builds — NVR systems, video management servers, network switch stacks, and rackmount UPS units all fit without modification. Side panels are included and removable, which matters when deploying the AR3305W in a bonded row configuration. APC's NetShelter SX accessory ecosystem — including cable management arms, blanking panels, additional PDU brackets, and airflow baffles — is compatible across the SX line, giving integrators a consistent parts library across multi-rack deployments. For power infrastructure planning, APC rackmount UPS units and PDUs drop into this enclosure without adapter rails.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the maximum weight capacity of the AR3305W?

A: The AR3305W supports up to 1363.64 kg (approximately 3,006 lbs), which exceeds most commercial rack enclosures and accommodates high-density server, storage, and UPS configurations.

Q: Is the AR3305W suitable for outdoor or harsh-environment installations?

A: No. The AR3305W carries an IP20 rating, which is appropriate for controlled indoor environments only — a clean server room, network closet, or IDF. It is not rated for dust, moisture, or washdown exposure. For outdoor or industrial environments, a sealed NEMA-rated enclosure is the correct choice.

Q: What is the actual usable rack height of the AR3305W?

A: The AR3305W provides 45U of usable rack space. The overall unit height is 2124mm including the frame and base. Plan for the full 2124mm of floor-to-ceiling clearance when sizing the installation space.

Q: Does the AR3305W come with side panels?

A: Yes. Side panels are included and are designed to be removable, which simplifies cable routing between adjacent racks and provides access for technicians working in tight row configurations.

Q: Is the AR3305W RoHS compliant?

A: Yes. The AR3305W carries RoHS compliance certification, which is relevant for EU-facing procurement and government contracts that require restriction-of-hazardous-substances documentation at the hardware level.

Q: What lock type does the AR3305W use, and can it be rekeyed?

A: The AR3305W uses a key lock for physical access control. Consult the APC NetShelter SX documentation or your facilities management team for rekeying procedures — APC's SX line typically uses a standard key format across the enclosure family, but verify for your specific installation requirements.

Karl Wilson

When I spec a physical security head-end rack for a mid-to-large enterprise deployment, the AR3305W's 1363.64 kg load rating is the first number I look at — it gives me the headroom to populate all 45U without engineering a custom floor reinforcement or splitting the build across two lighter-duty enclosures. That single structural fact changes the conversation at the facility planning stage.

Technical Highlights:

• 45U at 1200mm Depth: The 1200mm depth is the right call for modern high-density NVR and server hardware. Shallow racks that force you to leave PSU cables kinked at 90 degrees are a maintenance liability — the 1200mm clearance in the AR3305W keeps cable management honest across the full 45U.
• 1363.64 kg Load Rating: This matters most when you're stacking rackmount UPS units at the bottom of the enclosure — UPS hardware is dense. A 45U rack fully loaded with security servers, NVRs, switches, and a mid-size UPS can easily hit 500–700 kg; the AR3305W's ceiling leaves margin for future expansion without a swap-out.
• IP20 + Key Lock: IP20 is appropriate for a controlled data center environment and pairs well with the key-locking doors for baseline physical access control — relevant for any deployment subject to periodic compliance audits where rack access needs to be credentialed and logged.

Deployment Considerations:

• The 2124mm overall height means you need to verify ceiling clearance before delivery, especially in older facilities with drop ceilings. Measure twice — a 45U rack that doesn't clear the ceiling on move-in is an expensive problem.
• IP20 is an indoor-only rating. If the head-end room has any exposure to construction dust during a buildout phase, install blanking panels and close side panels before you energize equipment — the AR3305W does not seal against fine particulate.

The AR3305W is a strong fit for enterprise physical security operations centers and data center edge deployments where a single enclosure needs to consolidate NVR stacks, managed PoE switch infrastructure, and rackmount UPS hardware under one keyed door — and where the 1200mm depth keeps that cabling maintainable over a multi-year deployment lifecycle.