Technical sheet

A.01A.02

SystemS-47

Operable partition

A movable wall: rigid panels hung from an overhead track that slide and, when needed, stack away into a store, opening or dividing a large space in minutes. Each panel carries a sound-absorbing core and perimeter seals so that, closed, it insulates almost like a wall. It is the tool of flexible spaces — conference halls, classrooms, offices, hotels — re-configurable with no building work.

Partizione internaMovable acoustic partition

B.01

System build-up6 layers

Technical section of the system, from inside (left) to outside (right).

Movable acoustic partition

Spessore del pannello

8-12cm

Altezza massima

fino a 10-12m

Potere fonoisolante Rw

35-58dB

Resistenza al fuoco

EI 30-60 (opzionale)

Movimentazione

manuale / motorizzata

Impacchettamento

a scomparsa (deposito)

Descriptive memo

An operable partition is a movable wall: rigid panels hung from an overhead track that slide and, when needed, stack away into a store, opening or dividing a large space in minutes. It is the tool of flexible spaces — conference halls, classrooms, offices, hotels.

Acoustics when closed

Closed, the partition must insulate like a wall: so each panel has a sound-absorbing core and two heavy faces, and above all perimeter seals that, dropped (the «guillotine» seals at floor and ceiling), close the edges. It is the air-tightness that makes the sound reduction (Rw): a single gap undoes it.

Track and stacking

Everything hangs from the track: an overhead runway, well anchored to the structure, on which the carriers bear the panels. The track layout — straight, with curves and switches — decides how and where the panels park (concertina, stacked, in a pocket). The structure above must be checked for the hung weight.

Sealing, fire, use

The panels are moved by hand or motorised; the seals and stops must be adjusted so the tightness lasts. Fire-rated versions (EI) can be specified to compartment. Floor and ceiling must be flat and level: the movable wall is precise and forgives little of the structure's tolerances.

Systems architecture

Why it works

Air-tightness · sound reduction

Closed, an operable partition has to insulate like a wall — but it is not a monolithic wall: it is made of panels with joints, and a top and bottom edge that must meet ceiling and floor. The sound reduction (Rw) therefore depends almost entirely on the air-tightness: drop-seals lower at floor and ceiling, the vertical joints close, and the panel is sealed all round. A single un-closed gap short-circuits the sound straight through and collapses the Rw — far more than a little less mass would. Mass and an absorbing core set the ceiling of the performance; the seals decide whether you actually reach it.

Sound reduction Rw (closed)

Comparison · insulants

Operable partition (top)

≈ 58 dB

Brick partition

≈ 50 dB

Double-board drywall

≈ 45 dB

Budget movable wall

≈ 32 dB

Longer bar = the better it insulates closed. A top operable partition rivals a masonry wall — but only if the seals close; the bar is the ceiling, the seals decide if you reach it.

Nodal details

Critical junctions · sections

D.01

Panel cross-section

Each panel is a sandwich: two heavy faces for mass, a sound-absorbing core between them, on a stiff frame. Where panels meet, profiled edges interlock with a seal in the joint — it is this continuous line of seals, panel to panel, that lets the closed wall insulate like a solid one.

Facing (side A)
Panel frame
Sound-absorbing core
Facing (side B)
Vertical seal
Edge interlock

D.02

Drop-seal at the floor

When the panel is parked, a lever pushes a hidden bar — the drop-seal or «guillotine» — down onto the floor, closing the gap that movement needs. It is the make-or-break of the acoustic performance: the panel can be heavy, but if the bottom edge does not seal, the sound passes straight under it.

Panel
Lower frame rail
Drop-seal (lowered)
Contact gasket
Finished floor
Lever mechanism

Installation controls

Specification · checklist

01 · Structure & track

Soffit checked for hung load

Track level and aligned

Anchors to the structure

02 · Panels

Core and faces to spec

Carriers and guides

Edge profiles / interlocks

03 · Seals

Top and bottom drop-seals

Vertical joint seals

Adjusted for tightness

04 · Acoustics

Rw verified / mock-up

No flanking over the ceiling

Continuous floor seal

05 · Fire & use

EI rating where required

Smooth operation

Maintenance of the seals

Recurring defects

Diagnostics · site

Acustica

Loss of the sound reduction

CauseWorn or badly adjusted seals, an out-of-level floor, or a gap left at top or bottom let the sound flank straight through, regardless of the panel’s mass.

PreventionDrop-seals adjusted, a flat and level floor/ceiling, continuous joint seals, periodic checks and a mock-up test.

Meccanica

Sagging and settlement of the track

CauseThe track, or the soffit it hangs from, is under-sized for the hung weight: it deflects, the panels bind and the seals no longer meet.

PreventionSoffit and track designed for the load, anchors to the structure, level alignment, carriers sized to the panels.

Meccanica

Creaking and warping of the panels

CausePanels too tall or poorly braced twist and creak; carriers and guides out of true make them stick or come off the track.

PreventionStiff panel frames, guides top and bottom, carriers to spec, height-to-thickness within the maker’s limits.

Sicurezza al fuoco

Loss of fire compartmentation

CauseWhere an EI rating is required, worn seals or a non-rated version break the compartment line and let smoke and fire pass.

PreventionA certified EI assembly, intumescent / rated seals, correct installation and maintenance, no field modifications.

Component materials

The network · materials

Metallurgical coating

Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel

Reference regulations

2 norms

Informational links to the regulatory framework. Always verify the current text on the official source.