MES: Same Busbar Drawing Draws Quotes Up to 3x Apart
COLUMBUS, Ohio – October 28, 2026 -- The same busbar drawing can produce supplier quotes up to three times apart, depending on which manufacturing process each supplier assumes, according to engineering guidance released by MES, Inc. The guidance targets data center engineers and sourcing teams specifying copper and aluminum busbar for high-density power distribution.
Liquid-cooled AI racks push current above 2,000 amps
A liquid-cooled AI rack can draw around 120 kW. At the 48 to 54 V DC used inside many of these racks, that exceeds 2,000 amps. Busbar is therefore a critical component inside the rack and in the switchgear and busway that feed it.
MES President and CEO Hiten Shah said material and margin do not explain the quote gap. One supplier prices punch and bend, another stamping, another machining, so buyers are not comparing the same part until those assumptions are disclosed.