Custom cable tray systems for data centers, industrial plants, and infrastructure. Ladder, wire mesh, solid-bottom and perforated tray metalwork for customer designs referencing NEMA VE 1 or IEC 61537 — in aluminum, 304/316 stainless, with custom widths, depths, and fittings.
From heavy power cable on long spans to sensitive fiber in the data center — we fabricate the full range of cable tray types to your released material, dimensions and load inputs.
Ladder The most common type — two side rails with transverse rungs. The open geometry supports cable access and air circulation; the project engineer defines the permitted support span and load class.
Wire Mesh The data center favorite. A welded wire grid that lets cables exit at any point without knockouts — fast to install, ideal for fiber and data.
Solid-Bottom Continuous support across the tray floor — critical for instrumentation, fiber bundles, and small-diameter control wiring needing full support.
Perforated The middle ground — partial ventilation with more uniform support than ladder rungs. Ideal for mixed power-and-instrumentation routing.
Cable trays are structural support systems that must carry load over span and, often, serve as a grounding path. Here's what we manufacture to.
| Standards | NEMA VE 1, NEMA VE 2 (install), IEC 61537 |
|---|---|
| Types | Ladder, wire mesh (basket), solid-bottom, perforated (trough) |
| Materials | Aluminum, hot-dip galvanized steel, pre-galv steel, 304/316 stainless |
| Widths | Released drawing and RFQ-defined |
| Load Depths | Released drawing and RFQ-defined |
| Rung Spacing (ladder) | Released drawing and referenced standard govern |
| Finishes | Mill, HDG (hot-dip galv), powder coat, PVC-coated, #4 stainless |
| Fittings | Elbows, tees, crosses, reducers and covers to the released drawing |
| Load Classes | Selected and validated by the project engineer |
| Grounding | Bonding jumpers / continuity per NEMA VE 1 where used as EGC |
Cable tray is high-volume structural fabrication — our process delivers consistent tray and fitting metalwork; the customer owns load-class validation.
Laser cutting / punching of side rails, rungs, and bottoms — including perforation patterns for perforated and solid-bottom trays.
Roll-forming or press-brake forming of side rails and profiles to consistent dimensions and structural depth.
Rung-to-rail welding (ladder), wire grid welding (mesh), or bottom assembly to the released structural drawing.
Elbows, tees, crosses, and reducers fabricated with matching profiles and customer-specified radii for smooth cable transitions.
Hot-dip galvanizing, powder coat, PVC coating, or stainless finishing — matched to the installation environment.
Dimensional and load verification, then bundling and packaging for efficient shipping and field handling.
The environment is the ultimate driver of material and finish. Here's how the options compare for cable tray.
The material of choice for many systems — excellent corrosion protection, light weight, high strength, and no finish to specify or repair.
Hot-dip galvanized steel — higher strength and longer support spans than aluminum at equivalent load, with good corrosion protection.
For corrosive areas — chemical plants, coastal, washdown. 316 for chloride exposure; the premium corrosion-resistant option.
Need help choosing? See our galvanized vs stainless guide and 304 vs 316 stainless guide.
A cable tray isn't just a channel — it's a structural support system carrying significant load over span, sometimes serving as a grounding path, for decades. Getting the type, material, and load class right matters.
Power on ladder for ventilation; fiber and data on wire mesh for flexibility; instrumentation on solid-bottom for support. The cable drives the tray type.
Steel's higher stiffness resists midspan deflection better than aluminum — so long support spans favor HDG steel, while aluminum saves weight on shorter spans.
Trays are rated by load and span class. Specifying and building to the right class is what separates a validated installation from one that deflects or fails during cable pulling.
Where a tray serves as an equipment grounding conductor, bonding and continuity per NEMA VE 1 are essential — a detail we build in to spec.
Materials, fabrication decisions and results for an anonymous customer project.
Component reference image
Long spans deflected excessively, covers loosened, and bonding between tray sections was unreliable.
Results apply to the project configuration described on the linked page.
Explore Customer Projects →Ladder, wire mesh, solid-bottom, perforated and fitting scope can be quoted from released drawings that reference the buyer's selected standard.
Aluminum, HDG steel, and 304/316 stainless — matched to your load, span, and environment.
The project engineer defines load and span classes, validation and installed-system approval. DRAmetal manufactures the quoted metalwork to released drawings.
Width, depth and fitting configuration follow the released run layout and quoted manufacturing route.
Quantity, part mix, inspection scope and schedule are committed only in the quotation after review.
HDG, powder coat, PVC-coated, and stainless finishes for any installation environment.
RFQs may include ladder, wire mesh / basket, solid-bottom or perforated / trough metalwork plus matching fittings. The released drawing defines the applicable tray type and any NEMA VE 1 reference.
Aluminum for most environments (light, corrosion-resistant, no finish needed); HDG steel for heavy loads and long spans (higher stiffness); 304/316 stainless for corrosive, coastal, or washdown areas. The environment and load/span drive the choice.
We can fabricate trays to a customer drawing that references NEMA VE 1. The project engineer owns the load/span class, testing and installed-system approval.
Yes — custom widths, depths, rung spacing, and full custom fittings (elbows, tees, crosses, reducers) with customer-specified radii. We're not limited to catalog sizes; we build to your run.
Mill finish, hot-dip galvanized (HDG), powder coat, PVC-coated, and #4 brushed stainless — matched to your installation environment for corrosion protection.
Where a metal cable tray is used as an equipment grounding conductor, we build in bonding and continuity features to the released drawing. The electrical designer owns conductor sizing, continuity validation and final code compliance.
Send us your tray type, material, dimensions, load class, and fitting requirements. Our engineering team will review the submitted information and, where the scope is complete, provide a DFM review and quote.