Bolted-On Equipment Mounting Plates

Bolted-On Equipment Mounting Plates

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NOTICE: General Reference Only
The information provided in this article is for general reference purposes only and does not constitute project-specific guidance. SLD Technology products are engineered to order, and their installation must comply with all applicable codes, standards, and project-specific specifications. In all cases, the approved project documentation and requirements take precedence over any general information contained herein. For project-specific instructions, contact your SLD Project Manager or the SLD Product Support team at: support@sldus.com.

Overview

Ceiling-mounted medical equipment supported by SLD AirFRAME® ceiling systems such as booms, surgical lights, monitors, microscopes, lead shields, and MedRad injectors attach to the ceiling system through a structural equipment mounting plate provided by the vendor who provides that equipment. SLD supports two configurations for that plate:
  1. Bolted-on: The SLD system is manufactured with prepared mounting provisions, and the plate is fastened to it in the field, by others.
  2. Welded-in: The plate is integrated into the SLD system during manufacturing.
Both configurations are supported, and SLD selects between them based on the specific plate and the manufacturer's requirements. Bolted-on is our preferred approach where the plate's interface and structural requirements allow it.

If your project uses a bolted-on plate, three things follow:
  1. The attachment hardware is by others and must be sourced.
  2. Someone has to bolt the plate on before the equipment vendor arrives to install.
  3. The plates and hardware need to be on site at the time of the AirFRAME® installation.
Each is covered below.

How SLD Selects the Configuration

The deciding factor is usually how the equipment attaches to the plate.

Plates with threaded interfaces

Some equipment is attached using threaded holes in the mounting plate, with all-thread rod run into them at installation. Threaded features are the most sensitive part of any mounting interface. A plate with threaded holes that passes through fabrication and finishing has to be masked, protected, and verified, and any variation has to be corrected before the rod will run freely at installation.

Bolting the plate on removes that concern entirely. The plate never enters SLD's fabrication or finishing process, so its threads arrive at the job site exactly as the manufacturer produced them.

Plates with through-hole interfaces

Other equipment is attached using plain through holes. These are far less sensitive to fabrication and finishing, and welding them into the SLD system remains a sound, proven approach. Most of the plates SLD continues to weld in fall into this category.

Structural requirements

Some manufacturers' deflection criteria cannot be satisfied by a bolted connection. Those plates are welded in regardless of hole type. See Vendor Configurations below.

Why Bolted-On Is Our Preference

Where it is viable, the bolted-on configuration produces better outcomes for the project.

The plate stays in the manufacturer's condition. The plate arrives at the job site in the finish the manufacturer applied, with applicable listings intact, exactly as it left their factory. Nothing about SLD's manufacturing process touches it.

Preinstall kits go where they belong. Equipment manufacturers commonly ship the mounting plate as part of a preinstall kit that also contains junction boxes, medical gas components, risers, stub-outs, and similar rough-in material. All of that belongs on the job site. In the bolted-on configuration, the entire kit ships directly to the site as the manufacturer intended, with no diversion through SLD's plant and no material sitting in our receiving area waiting to be forwarded.

Some plates ship with components already attached. Manufacturers occasionally pre-mount hardware or electrical components to the plate. When a plate like that goes through a fabrication process, those components have to come off first and be reinstalled later. Shipping the plate directly to the site avoids that handling entirely.

Purchasing timelines stop being a constraint. SLD equipment is often released for production ahead of the boom and light packages. In some cases the equipment vendor does not receive their PO until after the point at which SLD would need the plate in hand. When the plate is bolted on in the field, SLD's production schedule no longer depends on it.

Scope of Supply

SLD provides:

  1. The ceiling system manufactured with the correct bolt pattern, structural provisions, and load path to receive the specified equipment mounting plate

By others:

  1. The equipment mounting plate (supplied by the equipment manufacturer)
  2. The hardware used to fasten the plate to the SLD system
  3. The labor to bolt the plate on

Hardware and Torque

Unless otherwise specified in project documentation, the hardware required for bolting equipment plates to SLD systems is to be provided by others.
  1. Hardware grade: Grade 5
  2. Hardware size: Varies by plate type.
  3. Torque: Snug tight, as defined by the RCSC (Research Council on Structural Connections) in its Specification for Structural Joints Using High-Strength Bolts, June 11, 2020 edition.
RCSC describes the snug-tight condition as the joint condition where the plies have been drawn into firm contact and each bolt has at least the tightness produced by a few impacts of an impact wrench, by running a suitable non-impacting wrench up to resistance, or by a worker's full effort on an ordinary spud wrench. Firm contact, which RCSC defines separately, means the plies are solidly seated against each other, though not necessarily in continuous contact across the entire surface.

Pretensioning, turn-of-nut, and calibrated wrench methods are not required for these connections.

Where the equipment manufacturer specifies a different fastening requirement for their plate, the manufacturer's requirement governs. Refer to their installation documentation.

Responsibility and Coordination

Attaching the plate is a coordination item, and coordination is typically the General Contractor's responsibility.

In practice, the subcontractor installing the SLD equipment is usually the right entity to bolt the plates on. They are already on site, already handling the modules, and already positioned to do the work at the easiest point in the schedule.

SLD has no requirement as to which trade performs the work. The only requirement is that the plate is properly bolted on before the equipment vendor arrives to install their equipment.

Recommended Process Flow

  1. Confirm the plate specification early so the correct interface is built into the SLD system.
  2. Route the vendor preinstall kit to the job site. This includes the mounting plates along with the junction boxes, med gas, risers, stub-outs, and other rough-in material.
  3. Assign responsibility for the attachment hardware and source it in advance.
  4. Stage plates and hardware on site so both are available at the time of the AirFRAME® installation.
  5. Bolt the OEM plates to the modules while the modules are on the ground.
  6. Install the AirFRAME ceiling system.
  7. Turn the system over to the equipment vendor for equipment installation.

Why sequencing matters

Equipment mounting plates for booms and larger equipment can weigh several hundred pounds. Bolting a plate to a module at floor level, with normal access to both sides of the connection, is straightforward. Lifting that same plate into an already-installed ceiling and fastening it overhead is a materially harder, slower, and riskier operation.

There is a schedule cost as well. If the plates or hardware are not available during the SLD installation, the work has to be picked up after the installing crew has demobilized. Bringing that crew back is a second mobilization priced accordingly.

Both costs are easy to avoid with a small amount of advance coordination.

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Vendor Configurations

Bolted-on

  1. Stryker
  2. Ondal
  3. Philips MedRad injector plates
SLD began with Stryker and Ondal, added the Philips MedRad injector plate, and continues to add manufacturers as engineering capacity allows.

Welded-in

Plates outside the list above are welded into the SLD system. This includes plates whose interface is well suited to welding and plates whose structural requirements rule out a bolted connection.

Skytron is an example of the latter. For Skytron, SLD manufactures the plate in-house to a jointly engineered, pre-approved design that meets Skytron's deflection criteria. Because SLD manufactures and installs this plate, none of the field coordination in this article applies to Skytron.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is bolted-on better than welded-in? For plates with threaded interfaces, yes, and that is where SLD prioritizes the engineering work. For plates with through-hole interfaces, welded-in is a proven approach and remains in regular use. SLD selects the configuration that fits the plate.

Can I request a welded-in plate? Yes. Talk to us early so it can be reflected in the design and the schedule.

Why is my manufacturer not on the bolted-on list? Either the interface has not been engineered for a bolted connection yet, or the manufacturer's structural requirements rule one out. Contact SLD and we will tell you which.

Who is responsible if the plates are not on site when SLD installs? Coordination of the preinstall kit delivery is typically the general contractor's responsibility. Notify the installation team as early as possible if the plates will be delayed so the schedule impact can be addressed before the crew demobilizes.

Does SLD care which trade bolts the plate on? No. The only requirement is that it is properly bolted on before the equipment vendor arrives.

What hardware should be used, and how tight? Hardware is by others. See Hardware and Torque above for the grade specification and the snug tight requirement per RCSC.

Contacting Support

You can reach SLD Technology Product Support by:
  1. Submitting a ticket online: Click: "Submit a Ticket" at the bottom of this article or at www.sldus.com/support
  2. Submit a ticket via Email: support@sldus.com
  3. Phone: +1 (503) 744-0002, Option 2

Copyright © 2026 SLD Technology, Inc.
All rights reserved. AirFRAME®, LEDiffuser®, uLED®, AirFRAME-LT® and associated marks are trademarks of SLD Technology, Inc. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or use of this manual or any portion thereof is strictly prohibited and may violate applicable laws. SLD Technology reserves the right to make changes to products, specifications, or this manual without notice. The information herein is believed to be accurate at the time of publication; however, SLD assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or the consequences of use.