Bus bar is a precision part made from a commodity. The buying problem is half tolerance and half copper price, and the RFQ has to handle both.
Sourcing bus bar for a data center project? Call 601.892.5017 or email collin.t@fabtekindustries.com — send the drawings and the spec and we quote to print.
- Specify bar as drawings plus a plating and insulation spec; ampacity and spacing belong to the electrical engineer.
- Decide how copper price is handled: fixed at quote, indexed to COMEX at order, or owner-supplied material.
- Qualify on CNC punching from the OEM's CAD file and first-article inspection, not on a sample bar.
- Grounding-system bar is a room-by-room kit; buy it that way.
What you are buying
Fabricated bus bar covers main and vertical bus for switchgear and switchboards, conductors for bus duct and busway housings, flexible and laminated connections, and the grounding and bonding system: room ground bars, telecommunications grounding busbars, rack and tray bonding bars with their insulators and brackets. Each is flat copper or aluminum bar cut to length, punched to a hole pattern, formed into offsets and risers, deburred and plated or insulated. The electrical design, ampacity and bracing are the engineer's or OEM's; the fabrication is the vendor's.
Where it sits in the project
Switchgear and busway OEMs buy bar to complete their equipment. Electrical contractors and developers buy the grounding and bonding system by room, and a hyperscale hall has a bar in every electrical room, every telecom room and along every row. Bus bar is rarely on the critical path on its own, but a lineup waiting on a bar that does not bolt up is.
What to put in the RFQ
| Drawings | Per-part drawings or the OEM's CAD file with hole patterns, bends and tolerances |
|---|---|
| Material | Alloy and temper (C11000 ETP, C10100 OFHC, 6101-T61), thickness and width |
| Finish | Bare, tin or silver plating with thickness; epoxy or heat-shrink insulation with cutback dimensions |
| Quantities | Per part number, by lineup or by room, with kitting and labeling requirements |
| Copper pricing | Fixed, indexed to a published copper price at order date, or owner-supplied material |
| Inspection | First-article on each new part, hole-position tolerance, plating certs |
| Delivery | By lineup for OEMs; by room and area for grounding systems |
How to qualify a fabricator
- CNC punching from your file. Hole patterns that drift stack into joints that will not bolt up; ask how the pattern is programmed and checked.
- First-article discipline. Every new part number inspected against the drawing before the run.
- Plating and insulation partners. Who plates, what thickness, and whether parts are checked after coating.
- Copper handling. Secure storage, scrap control and a clear price mechanism.
Lead time, sequencing and delivery
Bar is fast to fabricate once material is in hand; the lead time is the copper and the plating. For a program, lock material early (owner-supplied or indexed) and release by lineup or room. Kitted and labeled delivery by room saves the electrical crew a sorting job.
Common mistakes
- Specifying ampacity to the fabricator. The fabricator builds to the drawing; the design is the engineer's.
- Ignoring copper volatility. A fixed price quoted months ahead carries a premium or a loss.
- Bulk delivery of grounding bar. Two hundred ground bars on a pallet is a room-matching puzzle.
- Checking bar before plating. Dimensions move with coating; check after.
How FabTek supplies it
FabTek fabricates copper and aluminum bus bar, ground bars and bonding bars at its Hazlehurst, Mississippi plants, loose, kitted by room or installed in the enclosed bus assemblies and switchgear enclosures it builds. Plating and insulation run through qualified partners and are inspected before shipment.
Frequently asked questions
What alloy is used for data center bus bar?
Copper bus bar is usually C11000 ETP or C10100 OFHC; aluminum bus bar is typically 6101-T61. The electrical engineer or OEM specifies the alloy and size for the ampacity.
Should bus bar be plated?
Tin or silver plating at joints is common for switchgear and bus duct bar; grounding bars are often bare or tin-plated. The specification governs, and plating thickness should be stated.
How is copper price handled in a bus bar quote?
Three common ways: fixed at quote for a short validity, indexed to a published copper price at order date, or owner-supplied material with the fabricator quoting labor and plating only.
Who fabricates ground bars and bonding bars for data centers?
FabTek Industries fabricates room ground bars, bonding bars and grounding-system components to the electrical contractor's or engineer's drawings at its Mississippi plants, kitted by room.
