diff --git a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/__manifest__.py b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/__manifest__.py
index bf273657..17f92b45 100644
--- a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/__manifest__.py
+++ b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/__manifest__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 {
     'name': 'Fusion Plating',
-    'version': '19.0.22.1.0',
+    'version': '19.0.23.0.0',
     'category': 'Manufacturing/Plating',
     'summary': 'Core plating / metal finishing ERP: facilities, processes, tanks, baths, jobs, operators.',
     'description': """
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ Copyright (c) 2026 Nexa Systems Inc. All rights reserved.
         'data/fp_sequence_data.xml',
         'data/fp_job_sequences.xml',
         'data/fp_numbering_sequences.xml',
+        'data/fp_rack_load_sequence.xml',
         'data/fp_process_category_data.xml',
         # fp_menu.xml MUST load early — defines menu_fp_root, menu_fp_config,
         # menu_fp_compliance_hub, plus the 7 Phase-2 Configuration sub-folder
diff --git a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/data/fp_rack_load_sequence.xml b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/data/fp_rack_load_sequence.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9aaf8db4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/data/fp_rack_load_sequence.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<odoo>
+    <record id="seq_fp_rack_load" model="ir.sequence">
+        <field name="name">Rack Load</field>
+        <field name="code">fp.rack.load</field>
+        <field name="prefix">RACKLOAD/%(year)s/</field>
+        <field name="padding">4</field>
+    </record>
+</odoo>
diff --git a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/models/__init__.py b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/models/__init__.py
index 466db4ac..a7681251 100644
--- a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/models/__init__.py
+++ b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/models/__init__.py
@@ -55,3 +55,4 @@ from . import fp_landing
 # imports the predicate chain + xmlid maps from the former).
 from . import fp_role_constants
 from . import fp_migration
+from . import fp_rack_load
diff --git a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/models/fp_rack_load.py b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/models/fp_rack_load.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..93b34655
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/models/fp_rack_load.py
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# Copyright 2026 Nexa Systems Inc.
+# License OPL-1 (Odoo Proprietary License v1.0)
+# Part of the Fusion Plating product family.
+#
+# Multi-rack splitting + WO grouping at Racking — Phase 1 core models.
+# Spec:  docs/superpowers/specs/2026-06-03-racking-multi-rack-wo-grouping-design.md
+# Plan:  docs/superpowers/plans/2026-06-03-racking-multi-rack-phase1.md
+#
+# This file (core module) deliberately depends only on CORE fields. The
+# racking-step-aware division ops, the fp.job rollups, movement, and the
+# current_area_kind compute live in fusion_plating_jobs/models/fp_job_rack.py
+# (that module owns fp.job.step.area_kind, fp.job.part_catalog_id, and
+# _fp_is_racking_step).
+
+from odoo import api, fields, models, _
+
+
+class FpRackLoad(models.Model):
+    _name = 'fp.rack.load'
+    _description = 'Rack Load (parts on one physical rack)'
+    _inherit = ['mail.thread']
+    _order = 'id desc'
+
+    name = fields.Char(
+        string='Reference', required=True, copy=False, index=True,
+        default=lambda self: _('New'))
+    rack_id = fields.Many2one(
+        'fusion.plating.rack', string='Rack', tracking=True)
+    line_ids = fields.One2many(
+        'fp.rack.load.line', 'load_id', string='Work Orders')
+    qty_total = fields.Integer(
+        string='Total Parts', compute='_compute_qty_total', store=True)
+    current_step_id = fields.Many2one(
+        'fp.job.step', string='Current Step', tracking=True)
+    state = fields.Selection([
+        ('loading', 'Loading'),
+        ('loaded', 'Loaded'),
+        ('running', 'Running'),
+        ('unracked', 'Unracked'),
+        ('cancelled', 'Cancelled'),
+    ], string='State', default='loading', required=True, tracking=True)
+    tag_ids = fields.Many2many('fp.rack.tag', string='Tags')
+    company_id = fields.Many2one(
+        'res.company', string='Company',
+        default=lambda self: self.env.company)
+
+    @api.depends('line_ids.qty')
+    def _compute_qty_total(self):
+        for load in self:
+            load.qty_total = sum(load.line_ids.mapped('qty'))
+
+    @api.model_create_multi
+    def create(self, vals_list):
+        for vals in vals_list:
+            if vals.get('name', _('New')) == _('New'):
+                vals['name'] = (
+                    self.env['ir.sequence'].next_by_code('fp.rack.load')
+                    or _('New'))
+        return super().create(vals_list)
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Pure division math (no DB) — verifiable in isolation.
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------
+    @api.model
+    def _fp_equal_split(self, total, n):
+        """Split ``total`` parts across ``n`` racks as evenly as possible.
+
+        Remainder goes to the FIRST racks (spec D4): 100/3 -> [34, 33, 33].
+        Returns a list of n ints summing to total. n < 1 -> [].
+        """
+        n = int(n)
+        if n < 1:
+            return []
+        base, rem = divmod(int(total), n)
+        return [base + 1 if i < rem else base for i in range(n)]
+
+    _qty_total_non_negative = models.Constraint(
+        'CHECK (qty_total >= 0)',
+        'Rack load total quantity cannot be negative.')
+
+
+class FpRackLoadLine(models.Model):
+    _name = 'fp.rack.load.line'
+    _description = 'Rack Load Line (one work order on a rack)'
+
+    load_id = fields.Many2one(
+        'fp.rack.load', string='Rack Load', required=True, ondelete='cascade')
+    job_id = fields.Many2one('fp.job', string='Work Order', required=True)
+    qty = fields.Integer(string='Parts', required=True, default=0)
+
+    _qty_non_negative = models.Constraint(
+        'CHECK (qty >= 0)',
+        'Rack load line quantity cannot be negative.')
diff --git a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/security/fp_menu_visibility.xml b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/security/fp_menu_visibility.xml
index ee86d673..b3d57e32 100644
--- a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/security/fp_menu_visibility.xml
+++ b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/security/fp_menu_visibility.xml
@@ -40,6 +40,14 @@
             <field name="privilege_id"
                    ref="fusion_plating.res_groups_privilege_fusion_plating"/>
             <field name="sequence">90</field>
+            <!-- 2026-06-02: office_user also grants "Contact Creation"
+                 (base.group_partner_manager) so back-office staff + managers
+                 can create contacts/companies. office_user is implied by every
+                 fp role ABOVE Technician (Sales Rep, Shop Manager, Manager,
+                 Quality Manager, Owner; Sales Manager via Sales Rep), so they
+                 all inherit contact-creation. Pure Technicians do NOT imply
+                 office_user, so they stay unable to create contacts. -->
+            <field name="implied_ids" eval="[(4, ref('base.group_partner_manager'))]"/>
             <field name="comment">Marker group that controls visibility of
                 non-tablet app menus (Calendar, Sales, Inventory, etc.).
                 Implied by every fp role above Technician (Owner, Manager,
diff --git a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/security/ir.model.access.csv b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/security/ir.model.access.csv
index 70ec2856..317cb7eb 100644
--- a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/security/ir.model.access.csv
+++ b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/security/ir.model.access.csv
@@ -97,3 +97,7 @@ access_fp_job_step_move_input_value_manager,fp.job.step.move.input.value.manager
 access_fp_migration_preview_owner,fp.migration.preview.owner,model_fp_migration_preview,fusion_plating.group_fp_owner,1,1,1,1
 access_fp_migration_preview_line_owner,fp.migration.preview.line.owner,model_fp_migration_preview_line,fusion_plating.group_fp_owner,1,1,1,1
 access_ir_actions_actions_plating,ir.actions.actions.plating.read,base.model_ir_actions_actions,fusion_plating.group_fp_technician,1,0,0,0
+access_fp_rack_load_tech,fp.rack.load.tech,model_fp_rack_load,fusion_plating.group_fp_technician,1,1,1,0
+access_fp_rack_load_mgr,fp.rack.load.mgr,model_fp_rack_load,fusion_plating.group_fp_manager,1,1,1,1
+access_fp_rack_load_line_tech,fp.rack.load.line.tech,model_fp_rack_load_line,fusion_plating.group_fp_technician,1,1,1,1
+access_fp_rack_load_line_mgr,fp.rack.load.line.mgr,model_fp_rack_load_line,fusion_plating.group_fp_manager,1,1,1,1
diff --git a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/tests/__init__.py b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/tests/__init__.py
index 50a9fc0f..de0ff4b1 100644
--- a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/tests/__init__.py
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ from . import test_landing_resolver
 from . import test_team_page
 from . import test_sales_manager_gate
 from . import test_migration_workflow
+from . import test_rack_load
diff --git a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/tests/test_rack_load.py b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/tests/test_rack_load.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2058a54b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating/tests/test_rack_load.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# Phase 1 — rack-load core model tests.
+from odoo.tests import TransactionCase, tagged
+
+
+@tagged('post_install', '-at_install')
+class TestRackLoad(TransactionCase):
+
+    def test_equal_split_math(self):
+        """Remainder goes to the first racks (spec D4)."""
+        Load = self.env['fp.rack.load']
+        self.assertEqual(Load._fp_equal_split(100, 1), [100])
+        self.assertEqual(Load._fp_equal_split(100, 2), [50, 50])
+        self.assertEqual(Load._fp_equal_split(100, 3), [34, 33, 33])
+        self.assertEqual(Load._fp_equal_split(100, 4), [25, 25, 25, 25])
+        self.assertEqual(Load._fp_equal_split(10, 3), [4, 3, 3])
+        self.assertEqual(Load._fp_equal_split(0, 3), [0, 0, 0])
+        self.assertEqual(Load._fp_equal_split(5, 0), [])
+        # sums always equal the total
+        self.assertEqual(sum(Load._fp_equal_split(97, 6)), 97)
+
+    def test_create_sequence_and_qty_total(self):
+        rack = self.env['fusion.plating.rack'].create({'name': 'RL-TEST-RACK'})
+        load = self.env['fp.rack.load'].create({'rack_id': rack.id})
+        self.assertTrue(load.name.startswith('RACKLOAD/'))
+        self.assertEqual(load.state, 'loading')
+        self.assertEqual(load.qty_total, 0)