Inside the Factory: How an Argent Server Rack Is Made in Sydney

Argent racks are 100% designed, fab­ri­cat­ed, painted, assembled and despatched in Sydney. Today that work happens at OPIE Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group's factory at Emu Heights, in Western Sydney. Here's what happens at each stage.

1. Design

Every Argent rack starts with en­gi­neer­ing. Standard ranges (the 10, 25, 40 and 50 Series) are designed for re­peat­able pro­duc­tion, with design rules now built into Argent's online con­fig­u­ra­tors. For custom projects, Argent engineers work with clients before man­u­fac­tur­ing begins, producing drawings and 3D models for sign-off. That's how a SCEC-compliant cable entry design for a defence con­trac­tor's rack was turned around within 24 hours (case study).

2. Laser cutting

Flat steel sheet is cut on TRUMPF fibre lasers. Laser cutting produces accurate, clean-edged parts, including the precise per­fo­ra­tion patterns in ven­ti­lat­ed doors and the mounting holes that have to line up with 19" equipment. Offcuts are recycled through the OPIE Green Loop.

3. Folding

Cut parts are formed on CNC press brakes. OPIE also runs an LVD robotic press brake cell, which Argent once described as taking parts from "art to part in 20 minutes". Robotic folding gives con­sis­tent angles and di­men­sions across small and large batches, so racks assemble square and doors close properly.

4. Welding

Strength and security depend on welding. Argent 50 Series security racks use a fully welded zinc anneal steel frame. OPIE's welding ca­pa­bil­i­ty spans con­ven­tion­al welding and robotic systems, including a TRUMPF TruLaser Weld 5000 robotic laser welding cell.

5. Powder coating

Racks are powder coated on OPIE's in-house Eu­roimpianti line, after a six-stage chromate-free pre-treatment that helps the coating adhere and resist corrosion. The line uses a closed-loop water system that produces zero waste­water. Because coating is in-house, Argent can ac­com­mo­date colours beyond standard black and beige (FAQ).

6. Assembly and QA

Racks are assembled with doors, locks, cable man­age­ment, in-post PDUs and ac­ces­sories. SCEC racks are fitted with endorsed locking hardware, such as KABA X10 com­bi­na­tion locks for Class B or Bi-Lock handles for Class C, and each 50 Series rack is in­di­vid­u­al­ly se­ri­alised and name-plated, with a registry record.

Argent is certified to ISO 9001:2015 with third-party audits, and racks are QA tested in the factory before shipment.

7. Despatch and delivery

Finished racks are despatched by road. Where it helps, Argent can pre-load customer equipment so racks arrive con­fig­ured. It can also co­or­di­nate delivery to difficult sites, such as a sixth-floor comms room, and provide rack placement and rubbish removal.

Why it matters

• Supply certainty: no reliance on in­ter­na­tion­al shipping
• Speed: custom changes can be made in days, not months
• Ac­count­abil­i­ty: one quality system covers every step
• Security: a known, auditable source for security equipment
• Support: the designers and makers are in the same building

Argent has more than three decades of ex­pe­ri­ence in Aus­tralian-designed and man­u­fac­tured racks. As part of OPIE Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group, it now draws on the group's in­vest­ment in au­toma­tion and more than 60 years of man­u­fac­tur­ing ex­pe­ri­ence.

Fre­quent­ly asked questions

How long does it take to make a rack? Lead times depend on the range, quantity and cus­tomi­sa­tion. Ask us for a current lead time for your project.

Can I visit the factory? Contact us to arrange a visit to OPIE Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group's Emu Heights facility.

Are all com­po­nents made in-house? The rack structure is designed, fab­ri­cat­ed, painted and assembled in Sydney. Some com­po­nents, such as spe­cial­ist locks and elec­tri­cal items, come from spe­cial­ist suppliers.

Can Argent build racks to our drawings? Yes. Argent engineers can man­u­fac­ture to your design or adapt one of our standard designs.

See OPIE's man­u­fac­tur­ing ca­pa­bil­i­ties, watch the machines on OP-TV, or talk to Argent about your next project.