Free Sample
The Complete Handbook of Wire Partitions, Enclosures & Doors
A practical reference for specifying, installing, maintaining, and profiting from wire partitions, enclosures, and doors
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: Understanding Wire Partitions, Enclosures & Doors
The Core Idea: A Modular Grid-and-Panel System
A wire partition, at its most basic, is a movable wall made of steel mesh. That wall is not a permanent structure like a brick wall or a drywall partition. It is a modular system of prefabricated panels, posts, and doors that bolt together to form an enclosed space or a secure barrier. When you look at one in a warehouse or a parts depot, you are not seeing a single welded piece of metal. You are seeing a carefully assembled kit of pre-engineered components, each one designed to be attached to its neighbor with standard nuts and bolts.
The fundamental building block is the panel. A panel is a rigid rectangular frame made of square or rectangular steel tubing, and the frame is filled with a sheet of welded wire mesh. The frame provides the structural rigidity; the mesh provides the security and visibility. Panels come in standard widths, commonly 4 feet or 8 feet, and standard heights, commonly 8 feet or 10 feet, although virtually every manufacturer produces other sizes as custom-order items. The corners of the frame are not just welded but are often reinforced with gusset plates or heavier corner brackets, because the frame corners carry the most stress when the panel is loaded or struck.
The mesh itself is not just a sheet of expanded metal. It is typically manufactured from cold-drawn steel wire, which is then resistance-welded at every