Operable Partitions

Operable Partition Sound Seals
Protective Edge Trim
Van Delivery
Leasing
Hufcor and Airwall®

Hufcor offers products and service with the end user in mind. We build in features that provide benefits to the owner over the life of the partition. Features such as protective edge trim will keep your partitions looking good for many years to come. Our Quick-Set™ retractable seals save the owner a great deal of time during setup and takedown. Time means money, especially for facilities that rent their facilities for meetings and other functions.

Operable Partition Sound Seals

Hufcor operable panels include sound seals that meet the Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating of the model ordered. All seals plus the metal trim and hinges are the same color. Choose from Lamb’s Wool (cream), gray, or brown.

The 3” thick Series 630 paired and single panel models have retractable bottom seals and top sweep seals. Retractable top seals are an option. The 4” thick Series 640 paired and single panel models include retractable top and bottom seals. Top sweep seals are an option. Electric continuously hinged (train) models have a retractable bottom seal and top sweep seals. The bottom seal drops into position when the movable wall is fully extended.

Retractable Pressure Seals

When Hufcor omni and paired operable panels are placed in the opening, they are sealed in place with retractable pressure seals. Our Quick-Set™ retractable sound seals provide the easiest in-field operation - a simple half-turn of the waist-high removable handle extends or retracts the seals. The handle is inserted into the seal activator located in the panel edge approximately 40” [1016mm] from the floor. If the panel has both top and bottom retractable seals, both seals extend/retract at the same time. It’s important that the sound seals be properly extended to provide sound isolation. The Quick-Set handle and retractable seals make setup and take down fast and easy.

 

 

 

 

 

Tall single panels requiring additional floor clearance also have retractable seals but they are activated with a lift/drop motion of the removable handle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweep Seals

Sweep seals are the less expensive alternative to retractable top seals. Sweep seals are multi-fingered vinyl seals that close the gap between the top of the panel and the track. Sweep seals are an effective sound barrier for most applications.

 

 

When comparing products, be certain to ask what type of seals are being provided and how they are operated. Seals on some manufacturers products can be located near the floor, requiring bending and stooping in an uncomfortable position to operate. These crank type seals may also require many full turns to extend and retract the sound seal. Because setting these seals is so time-consuming and laborious, setup personnel have been known to neglect fully extending the seals to save time, which will cause sound to travel to the adjacent room.

To overcome this operational difficulty, some manufacturers will promote electronic seals to match the setup time of Hufcor quick-set seal action. Caution should be taken as electronic seals require additional power sources, more maintenance, and can be difficult to repair or replace.

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Automatic Floor Seals

Hufcor and others offer plunger type floor seals as an option on paired and single panels. Panels with automatic bottom seals do not require a handle to set the seals on the basic panels. The seals are extended by pushing one panel against the next. This process presses the edge of one panel against a mechanism in the adjacent panel, which drops the seal to the floor.

The only advantage of an automatic bottom seal is that you do not need to have an operating handle to set the seals although a handle may be required for the final closure panel.

There are a few disadvantages to automatic bottom seals that must be considered:

• A significant amount of force is needed to press the panels together and activate the bottom seal to prevent kickback.
• Automatic bottom seals require a receptacle on the wall near the floor to prevent the seal on the first panel from damaging the wall.
• The panels must be perfectly aligned when pressing the panels together or you could damage the seal mechanism or panel edges.
• 

  Automatic seals protrude
  when stacked

  The seal protrudes from the edge of the panel when not in use. This makes the seals subject to damage from nearby objects or could pose a tripping hazard if the panels are not stored in a pocket away from objects and people.
• Depending on the layout, it is rare that all panels in a partition can utilize this method.
• Very few manufacturers have published STC ratings utilizing automatic bottom seals, putting acoustic performance in question.
• Requires wider storage pocket areas.

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Protective Edge Trim

Hufcor operable partitions include pictured framed protective powder coated aluminum trim. The trim overlaps the panel face on each side by approximately ½” [12.7mm]. Not only does the trim protect the edges of each panel (the most susceptible to damage), it also provides a handhold to make it easier to grip and move the panels. In addition the trim helps keep the face material clean because the user grips the trim and not the surface material during movement. The color of many of our standard face finishes blends into the trim color, providing a practical and pleasing appearance.

No Vertical Trim Option

If you prefer a monolithic look, panels may also be ordered without protective edge trim. Use of no protective trim may limit face finish options.

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Van Delivery from Hufcor Janesville

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orders manufactured in Hufcor Janesville are shipped on our specially equipped vans whenever possible. The vans are customized with a lifting system that unloads even our tallest and heaviest panels with ease.

When a specific delivery date and time is needed (which is often critical for renovation projects), we can do it. Our fleet of vans delivers your order on time and without damage that can occur when shipping by other methods. Shipping by Hufcor van reduces packaging and jobsite waste.

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Leasing

Concerned about cash flow? Leasing your partitions may be an option. Leasing offers an array of benefits, including:

• Provides long term fixed rate and fixed payment financing
• Conserves working capital
• Up to 100% financing
• Flexible payment to match available cash flow
• May provide quicker tax write-off than depreciation
• You no longer have to settle for the cheapest product because cash flow doesn’t allow you to buy the quality you really want and need.
• The customer owns the partitions at the end of the lease.

Because every tax and financing situation is different, we suggest you discuss leasing benefits with your accountants. And, if leasing has benefits for you, your Hufcor Distributor can refer you to a solid, reputable firm to discuss the leasing options. (The lease option is only available for U.S. projects.)

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Hufcor and Airwall®

Operable partitions are also known as Airwalls® to many people, especially to those in the hospitality business. Airwalls were first developed for use in restaurants. The panels were designed so that a burst of air from a compressor extended the product's top and bottom sound seals. As their popularity grew, so did the name "Airwall". In 1987, Hufcor acquired the company that previously manufactured Airwalls along with the Airwall® trademark. At that time, we opened our California manufacturing facility under the name Hufcor Airwall. Although the original airwall product is no longer manufactured, the name is still used by hotels and convention centers when referring to operable partitions. Hufcor Airwall currently produces operable partitions near Los Angeles.

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