Data Center Fabrication Lead Times, updated November 2026

A useful lead time is attached to a defined scope. A frame with approved drawings is a different scheduling problem from an enclosure still waiting on a gasket or finish decision. The table keeps the part families separate so that a broad average is not mistaken for a date your project can use.

Every unconfirmed value reads "TBD, confirm with Rich". This means a schedule has not been published for that field. It does not mean a part is unavailable, and it does not mean a production slot is open. Rich Fitzgerald must confirm the work, plant and required dates before the schedule can become a quote commitment.

Use the row that best matches your part family: CDU frame, rack enclosure, switchgear enclosure, busway support kit or containment panel set. Powder coat is shown as a separate added step because the route and availability remain unconfirmed. Ask us about that finish before relying on any overall delivery plan.

The table is an overview for early planning. A row cannot capture every part size, weld detail, coating system or inspection requirement. The quoted schedule must state what it includes and when its clock starts. Ask whether it runs from drawing approval, receipt of material, release of an order or another stated event.

The first article is the part or assembly used to check the agreed requirements before later releases. Its date is useful only when the inspection and approval steps are defined. State whether you need the physical part, an inspection report, a fit check or several of these items before you release production.

Our planning brief carries a first article target of 2 weeks, subject to Rich reviewing the drawing, material, finish and open capacity. It is not a confirmed lead time or a promise for every part. The table remains TBD until the specific route is approved. Include your needed first article date in the RFQ so that target can be tested against the actual work.

A drawing package should include the revision that controls the quote. It should also include material, dimensions, finish, purchased parts and acceptance requirements. An unresolved note can affect more than a single operation. For example, a finish change may affect masking, clearances, inspection and packaging.

State the approval events that must occur before production starts. If your team needs a sample or a supplier review, include the expected response dates. If a customer supplied item must arrive first, give its available date and receiving location. A schedule is easier to assess when those dependencies are named at the start.

The total quantity does not always describe the shipping plan. A program may need a first fit check, an initial build set and later repeated releases. Show each need separately. Identify the quantity per release, the desired interval and the period covered by the forecast. Rich can then review the production request in that form.

A forecast is not a reserved production slot. A quoted release plan should identify which quantities are firm and which are for planning. It should also explain how a drawing revision, quantity change or date change will be reviewed. Keep the accepted order and release documents as the source for the current commitment.

Paint or powder coat should be specified before a complete lead time is accepted. Include the finish system, color, appearance requirements and masking details. Irving has airless spray paint. Powder coat availability and the supporting route are still unconfirmed. The separate table row makes that open item visible.

If your part requires an approved finish sample, state who will approve it and at what point. If a surface must remain bare for grounding or a close fit, mark it on the drawing. Do not assume that finishing can be added without changing the production sequence. Its effect on the quoted date needs to be reviewed with the full scope.

The date a part leaves a machine is not always the date it is ready to ship. Inspection, assembly, documentation and packing may still be required. Include the records your receiving team needs, along with labels, kit contents and packaging instructions. Those steps should be visible in the requested scope.

Keep the ship date and required arrival date separate. Provide the destination and any delivery restrictions. A frame going to an OEM factory may have a different receiving plan from a kit going to a construction site. Ask for the proposed shipping terms in the quote. The table does not promise transit time or a site appointment.

The page is dated November 2026. Numbers are confirmed monthly before they are published. If a field has not been confirmed, it stays marked TBD. A page date alone does not turn an unknown value into a measured lead time. Check the current quote for your order rather than using this overview as a release instruction.

To request a date review, use the RFQ form and include the drawing, quantity, target date and preferred plant. Name any fixed approval or receiving deadlines. Kevin Leonard handles accounts and business development. Rich handles production and sourcing. The useful result is a schedule tied to your part and its agreed conditions.