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Three Benefits of Using Retractable Curtain Walls

Three Benefits of Using Retractable Curtain Walls

If you’re considering installing industrial curtain walls in your workspace, you’ve likely already researched their benefits and functions and know what they can add to your space. They’re non-permanent which makes them an ideal choice for areas that may shift in functionality with time, and they allow larger spaces to be sectioned off for different departments or jobs. Past the somewhat more obvious benefits of simply having industrial curtains, the fact that they are retractable can offer its own set of benefits.

Safety

A lot of the industries that use curtain walls perform jobs that are either messy, loud, dangerous, or some combination of all three. Installing retractable curtain walls can add a level of safety that standard walls can’t offer. For example, the areas surrounding the curtain-enclosed can become contaminated with the materials used within—chemicals, oils, and other matter that may cause problems with not only cleanliness but also employees’ respiratory systems. Particles can get in the air and into people’s lungs, but even less serious complications with airborne particles, like contaminating other projects or getting equipment dirty, can be mitigated with retractable curtains. They also offer the potential for ventilation if necessary, since they can be immediately pulled back.

Privacy for Classified Projects

Some of your business’ projects may require privacy or secrecy, and if you work on them out in the open while ever having visitors to your workplace, there’s always the risk of your projects being seen, copied, or stolen. Retractable industrial curtains give you not only the safety you need within the space you’re working on your project, but also privacy. Keep those secret projects behind closed doors, so to speak. Because the curtains are retractable, however, they’re perfect for showing off a project to a group, presentation-style. This allows you the privacy you need when you want it, but also allows you to open up a workspace to present the projects you’ve been working on. Engage your employees by showing the progress your team is making.

Saving Energy

Retractable curtains can also help you save energy and save money on heating and cooling costs within your workspace. For instance, if the project you’re working on requires a warmer or cooler temperature than the rest of your building, retractable curtains can enclose the space and hold it at a different temperature, rather than paying extra to change the temperature of the entire area. Retractability means that you won’t have to always keep that space a different temperature, either—so you’ll save money both on not changing the temperature of a large space, as well as not changing the temperature of the small space – a win-win situation.

Industrial wall curtains are used in a number of different industries, but the fact that they can be retracted offers even more benefits than if the curtains weren’t retractable. The level of impermanence is ideal for many businesses, and the additional safety, privacy, and energy efficiency are all benefits when considering retractable curtains. Contact AmCraft if you have any questions or would like to learn more about industrial wall curtains.

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3 Major Industries That Could Use Industrial Grade Curtains

3 Major Industries That Could Use Industrial Grade Curtains

Industrial grade curtains are used to isolate spaces within warehouses or open areas in large facilities. Larger manufacturing projects, storage for inventory, multiple vehicle service stations, and many other business functions require a great amount of space for their operations due to their larger scale requirements. Warehouse type structures generally have an open area with little customization or division of processes.

An industrial grade curtain is a solution that tends to solve a number of large space issues. They are also a great way to stay within the parameters of a budget, whether it is a government expenditure or a body shop equipment expense. The following are three major industries (of the many which AmCraft serves) that could use the assistance of industrial grade curtains.

Government Industry Applications & Privacy

There are a wide variety of industries within government applications that can be curtain walls, such as containment. This can be anything from military vehicle testing areas to servicing repairs in aircraft hangars; and other applications of this type. An industrial grade acoustic curtain enclosure could either keep noise out of an area or contain noise within an area, whereas a simple industrial grade curtain divider can separate one area from another to define spaces.

Larger scale government or military construction projects that are highly classified in nature will need to be hidden from view, especially if there are international contractors and engineers on-site. Though these projects may last an extended amount of time, most times, they are still temporary in nature. Industrial privacy curtains provide a means to separate classified areas from the larger expanse of operations within an open space, providing the space division when needed, and retractability when the project needs to be moved. This confidentiality can be further enhanced with industrial privacy curtains to keep the area completely out of sight using options such as Velcro closures between curtain panels, Velcro connections to walls, filler panels, floor sweeps, and floor attachments (included with D-rings). The industrial privacy curtain wall divider can also be moved to alternate locations when one project ends and another project in a new area begins.

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Agricultural Industry Against the Elements

The agricultural industry naturally brings the outdoors inside. A large industrial barn is used for a number of different purposes: for the storage of harvested crops or livestock; the storage and maintenance of agricultural machinery; or for recreational reasons. Another benefit of an industrial grade curtain divider is to save money by controlling temperature zones within the industrial barn. Industrial grade agriculture curtain dividers also prevent cross contamination between areas and from the outdoors to indoors. Those in the agricultural industry need retractable curtain walls to define work areas but also to pull back the curtain when needed.

Agricultural curtain partitions help to protect your harvested crops while they are in storage awaiting pickup for national and/or international distribution. While they are literally a product of the outdoors brought indoors, it may still be necessary to protect your crops from any additional outdoor elements that may reach your product. This would prevent any harmful bacteria, bugs, dirt, or additional contaminants which could affect the quality of the produce.

Agricultural curtains can also house combine harvesters, crop sprayers, slurry trailers, planes with chemical sprayers, and other agricultural machinery, all under the same roof. Usually, an entire farm building or a large wing of an industrial barn is used accommodate these vehicles, given their size. You may have a “parking” area in front for ground vehicles, and a “parking” area with a runway connected to it for planes, both with entrances that have a great height and exaggerated width. Ideally, a maintenance bay for these vehicles would be set back a bit to make sure the outdoor elements will not affect repair workstations and also to contain any forced air and/or exhaust systems you have in place. Wash stations are created with industrial grade curtain walls or enclosures and are a great way to keep the equipment clean and functioning properly without affecting surrounding areas. With all of these machines under one roof, it’s time to consider agricultural industrial grade curtains to separate and define your work areas.

Autobody Industry & Separation of Processes

Millions of people use vehicles every day to get from point A to point B. The autobody industry is a necessary and always expanding field. There are new requirements, vehicular technologies, and repair technologies that are ever-changing in the business. With the rapid growth of features and options in vehicle construction as well as the upward trend in providing a “one-stop shop” for consumers, an auto body shop needs to create work areas that are not only isolated for a specific purpose, but needs to look clean and professional for customers. An autobody shop provides services for multiple processes, on a wide spectrum of makes and models of cars that come in for repair. It is a challenge to meet ongoing compliance with federal requirements for the auto body shop owner! Luckily, there are certain solutions that a divider curtain can provide to assist with compliance.

Body shop divider curtain walls can be created to enclose a painting area (and accommodate an exhaust system); to isolate grinding, sanding, and welding areas; to accurately assess collision repair damages without distraction; to enclose an area that requires a full deconstruction of the car, and many other functions! Body shop divider curtains help to organize the multitude of processes that are required within a single shop. From reducing shop noise to preventing hazardous and/or cross-contaminating situations, body shop divider curtains are the ideal solution to separating designated spaces to serve different functions within the shop.

Whether it is a local body shop or a government aircraft hangar, industrial grade curtains help define spaces for multiple processes within a facility, provide clean areas for specific functions, offer protection from the elements and sound, meet compliance regulations, or just to create a room within another room. Call AmCraft today for more details on how we can help to define your space for better work efficiency!

Why and How to Divide a Space with Industrial Curtain Walls

Why and How to Divide a Space with Industrial Curtain Walls

If you work in or manage/own a warehouse or garage space, you know the challenges associated with keeping jobs properly contained. Whether you’re working on vehicles, painting them, or doing anything else within the location, chances are separating out some of the space could be beneficial to your business.

Why?

The “why” of separating industrial spaces is simple – these spaces can be in disarray and can be very loud. Industrial curtain walls provide a simple solution for sectioning off areas to keep grime and substances, like paint spray or oil particles, contained. Additionally, work within a warehouse or garage can be noisy to the point of distracting other workers. Installing curtain walls is a good way to keep that at bay and allow everyone to work to their fullest capabilities. Separating spaces using industrial curtains can also be beneficial for your energy bills, if you cool parts of the building but not others. Dividing spaces can help you further customize where your various utilities, such as air conditioning or even lighting, are used. Even better, separating garages using curtains means that you can repurpose or reorganize the layout virtually anytime you want, since the setup is not permanent.

How?

The process of installing industrial curtains depends on what type of system you want. There are several different types of track systems, but mainly you need to decide what type of curtain wall you’d like to use – industrial curtain walls, insulated curtain walls, or acoustic curtains. Industrial curtain walls are versatile and can be used in many different areas besides garages and warehouses and can be beneficial when used as:

  • Photography backdrops
  • Heavy duty outdoor curtains
  • Paint booth curtains
  • Food storage
  • Food grade curtains
  • Autobody shop curtains

As for insulated curtain walls, these are ideal for sectioning off areas that are kept at different temperatures—such as warehouses that deal with food storage.

Acoustic curtains are most beneficial for loud areas in which sound containment can help boost the area’s efficiency and/or help meet compliance for noise regulations.

Once you choose the type of curtain you need—dependent on what you’ll be using them for—you’ll have an easy time figuring out how to install them within your workspace. If you need help figuring out what equipment you’ll need for installation, the associates at AmCraft Manufacturing will be happy to help you find the perfect fit.

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Industrial Divider Curtains: Vision Panels

Industrial Divider Curtains: Vision Panels

When a business compartmentalizes different workstations within a larger area,

industrial divider curtains

with a vision panel included have a few additional benefits that help to perform the following functions:
  • Easy oversight of employees and/or operations
  • Standard clear vision panels accommodate the average line of sight
  • Allows natural light and/or light from other areas to enter a workspace
  • “Opens up” the work area while keeping operations in separate “rooms”
  • Industrial curtains with vision panels can be constructed to serve special requirements (food grade, auto body, etc.)

Turn On the “Light”

Not only can curtain dividers protect the interior structural integrity of a workspace, but can also allow natural light to enter an area that would, otherwise, be closed off by permanent, solid walls. Vision panels provide a flexible “window” that stretches the span of the industrial warehouse curtain, permitting light to pass through. The images below are from one of our customers that required separate, private wash bays for various types of vehicles. They wanted to protect the machinery, walls, windows, and built-in shelving units from power washing, maintain retractability, and also have the ability to maximize the use of natural light within each of the bays.

As the renowned American architect, Louis Kahn, once said, “A room is not a room without natural light.” A warehouse industrial curtain with a vision panel provides the ability to conserve energy by allowing sunlight to radiate through the industrial partition curtain.

Room with a View

AmCraft has an industrial warehouse curtain solution that also provides a clear vinyl vision panel within the warehouse curtain divider that will allow warehouse managers and production supervisors to maintain the ability to observe operations, react quickly to emergency safety situations, or manage productivity on an assembly line. Our flexible vision panels offer a clear view into the different areas, even when an area is fully enclosed.

The picture below illustrates an industrial curtain divider project with a vision panel. The customer is a vinyl fabric and plastics manufacturer who needed to confine a specific process within a warehouse curtain enclosure, but also maintain visual access into the area for supervision and worker safety. Our warehouse partition walls with a vision panel created a “room with a view” to provide a means to both contain and to observe the manufacturing process simultaneously.

If there are any details that you would like to discuss or for a custom quote, contact one of our AmCraft technical specialists today at 847-439-4565.

For more information on our website, click: Industrial Curtain Walls.

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Save Money By Using Insulated Industrial Curtains

Save Money By Using Insulated Industrial Curtains

If you work in a warehouse or factory that experiences variable temperatures due to the weather or the nature of the work being performed within, using

insulated curtains

could prove beneficial for your business, both in regards to comfort as well as your climate-control costs. There are several types of insulated curtains, however, so it’s important to assess your business’ individual needs before installing industrial curtains.

How Can Insulated Curtains Save Money?

Insulated curtain walls or panel systems help prevent condensation from humidity buildup, which can prevent the growth of mold—if condensation is prevented, bacteria won’t have a chance to grow in it. Furthermore, insulated dividers are great for controlling temperature variances for cold storage areas, such as warehouse separation, food processing plants, and loading docks—the industrial curtains provide a barrier for the two temperatures to stay separate, which will help your business save money on cooling. Energy costs can be reduced by isolating separate workspaces, and in just a short time, those energy cost savings will more than make up for the investment of the curtains. Not only can these panels separate temperature zones within a large space, but they can also create a barrier between the interior atmosphere and outside elements.

Benefits of Installing Curtain Panels

In addition to saving your business money on energy costs, insulated curtain walls can provide limited noise control as well. This is ideal for situations where processing machinery that requires a certain temperature is loud and is not required to be out in the open (for ventilation, for example). Insulated curtains can also be installed as permanent fixtures or temporary, retractable ones, depending on where they will be used. They are available in light insulation (softwall, 1” thick), medium insulation (softwall in 2” and 3” thickness, rigid wall in 4” thickness) , and heavy insulation (rigid wall in 2.5”, 3.5”, and 4.5” thickness), so you’ll have no trouble finding the right insulated curtain for your needs.

Some great locations for insulated curtains include:

  • Warehouses
  • Food processing plants
  • Walk-in coolers and freezers
  • Cold storage freezers

If you have questions about temperature-control curtains systems or noise-reducing insulated panels and whether they might be beneficial for your workspace, feel free to contact AmCraft anytime. We can help you decide what types of industrial curtains are right for your needs.

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Clear Industrial Curtains

Clear Industrial Curtains

AmCraft Clear Industrial Curtains are a great option for dividing a large warehouse space where visibility is important. Food processing plants and wash bays use clear industrial curtains to divide rooms and workstations. Areas that use a clear vinyl curtain not only contain airborne contaminants and control temperature zones, but the visibility provides better management of workers, a well lit work environment, and more control of what happens inside the curtain area. Worker safety is another important factor in choosing a clear industrial curtain to divide or enclose your work space.

Clear Curtain Walls for Industrial Applications

Clear curtain walls are available with all of the features of other industrial applications that use color panels or light blocking materials. Clear Vinyl Curtain Walls are fabricated anyway you want it, with color trim (to match your environment) and in any size and room configuration. Our seams are sewn for durability, whether it is a free hanging ceiling mounted clear industrial curtain or is attached to floor brackets to offer more stability and less movement from air flow, the seams reduce tearing and damage from abrasion.

Clear Industrial Curtain Material Choices

The clear PVC industrial curtain is available in 12mil , 20mil or 40mil vinyl, and are custom fabricated to your layout requirements. USDA Clear wash down curtains typically are constructed of the heavier 40mil industrial clear vinyl curtain material and is used in most food processing plants. The lighter weight materials are most often used in warehouses or any separated area that requires visibility through all or part of a contained area.

Additions to our Clear Industrial Curtain Wall:

  • Steel roller and ceiling mounted track systems
  • Clear PVC strip doors create entryways
  • Floor sweeps or floor brackets to reduce movement
  • Logo printing is available
  • Sewn edges for a finished, durable curtain
  • Materials are resistant to wash down chemicals
  • FDA fire resistant materials
  • USDA material for use in food processing plants
  • PVC material is easy to clean
  • Standard & custom sizes are available
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Curtain Divider Walls for Industrial Applications

Curtain Divider Walls for Industrial Applications

AmCraft manufactures

curtain divider walls for industrial applications

such as separating warehouse space, containing temperature zones in distribution facilities and wash bay, work bay enclosures. Many companies look for an inexpensive way to maximize floor space for a variety of reasons. Some equipment requires protection from dust and debris in order to function properly. Manufacturing processes require a clean environment when fabricating goods and for the safety of workers. Curtain Divider Walls are an easy, flexible way to separate space and create enclosed areas within a large facility.

Curtain Divider Walls from AmCraft Manufacturing are used to separate work areas to accommodate temperature variances within a warehouse space. Curtain Divider Walls protect product, employees and equipment from extreme cold, heat, humidity, wind and outdoor elements from dock door openings. Curtain Dividers also manage air flow patterns for better containment of air conditioning systems for better energy efficiency and cost control.

Curtain Divider Walls can be used to create an enclosure for softwall cleanroom applications. Valances are custom installed on site to create a perfect fit from the ceiling to the curtain mounting system. Most applications for curtain and divider walls are used with steel roller track systems for easy accessibility into the curtain divided work area. Roller Track systems are easily removed for remounting to another location and expanding your existing curtain wall or enclosure. Many times air filtration systems are installed inside a curtain divider enclosure to maintain clean air and temperature requirements. These curtain divider walls provide effective containment from temperature variances, debris contamination and provide control of air flow patterns.

An Industrial Curtain Wall is used as a divider wall for these purposes. Curtain walls are less restrictive and less costly to install than other rigid or constructed walls. Curtain divider walls are made to fit any industrial space and are customizable with window and door options in colors to match your facility.

Check AmCraft Industrial Curtain Wall in this feature article by Redfin.

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Wash Bay Divider Curtain used in Large Storage Facility

Wash Bay Divider Curtain used in Large Storage Facility

Custom Wash Bay Curtain

AmCraft Manufacturing fabricated a wash bay divider curtain solution for a large farm that housed expensive equipment inside their shop. It was necessary to clean large farming equipment in a sectioned off area and prevent overspray from damaging other sensitive equipment inside. For this, AmCraft’s industrial wash bay curtains created a wash bay inside of their 80 ft. X 114 ft. shop the size of 75 ft. X 40 ft. This U shaped wash bay curtain was installed on a roller track system to retract and allow for a 30 ft. entrance door on the west end.

The wash bay divider curtain is made from heavy vinyl with a clear vision panel for employee safety. The roller track system was mounted to the ceiling trusses which allow the wash bay curtain to retract fully to the wall, allowing access to the shop without intrusion.

The cost for the wash bay divider curtain and track system provided a more custom design and was considerably less to purchase and install than a prefabricated attached wash bay system.

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Photography Backdrop Curtains

Photography Backdrop Curtains

Photography Backdrop Curtains

are becoming increasingly popular to use as photographic backgrounds in photo shoots of large objects in large spaces. Photography backdrop curtains can be custom made to any size required to fill a large space, typically a warehouse. AmCraft photography backdrop curtains are custom made using your choice of vinyl or fabric material in many solid color options. Blue or green vinyl is used to create a ‘blue screen’ or ‘green screen’ background that is used in the merging of digital images for advertising purposes. AmCraft’s fabric photo backdrop curtains absorb light and provides a nearly black background, thus eliminating ‘hot spots’ from lighting systems. A solid background allows a digital artist to add a photographic, video or computer generated image over the background to match up with the photographed object (in this case, an automobile) to increase marketing effectiveness. Many print and TV advertisers use this technology to save money by reducing the cost of ‘on location’ photography sessions.

The photography backdrop curtain made using vinyl material is opaque, which blocks natural and indoor light. The best results are achieved with a matte finish vinyl, it is the least reflective. Another option is a gloss vinyl material, but this may cause some ‘hot spots’ of light on the curtain if artificial lighting (strobes or camera lighting systems) are used too close to the curtain.

In this example, a customer wanted to keep the natural light to a minimum, as it was right next to the garage doors leading outside. Using white vinyl, the light is blocked but still provides minimal soft and even lighting.

Floor to ceiling curtains are mounted to a retractable track system which allows the curtains to open and close. Our variety of ceiling mount track options provide flexibility in the use of a photography backdrop curtain.

Our vinyl industrial curtains are strong and weather resistant, you can use them indoors or outdoors.

AmCraft Manufacturing can fabricate a photo background curtain to any size and configuration to meet your space requirements. This cost efficient option is easy to use, clean, and install. To view another example of our curtains used in a TV show, see our blog ‘Graveyard Carz’ in Curtain Applications, also posted on this site.

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Autobody Shop Curtains for the Car Restoration TV Show ‘Graveyard Carz’

Autobody Shop Curtains for the Car Restoration TV Show ‘Graveyard Carz’

AmCraft Manufacturing was chosen to provide

Autobody Shop Curtains for the Car Restoration TV Show “Graveyard Carz‘

hosted by the Discovery Channel. The show demonstrates car restoration techniques performed on classic cars found in various states of ruin and deterioration. On the show, these cars are repaired and restored back to their intended state of glory in work areas that use our autobody shop curtains. The show’s past car restorations included a ‘71 Charger, a Phantom Cuda, a ‘70 Road Runner and a Charger Daytona.

AmCraft’s Autobody Shop Curtains are visible in the restoration garage, the yellow curtains with a clear viewing window has our logo prominently displayed. AmCraft’s industrial divider curtains work extremely well in protecting workers and equipment from odors, dust and debris. The retractable industrial curtain wall also provides a climate controlled workspace as needed. AmCraft’s PVC vinyl industrial curtains are mold and flame resistant, and easy to clean. The industrial curtain walls shown are mounted on a retractable and removable roller track system to provide flexibility for its use on the show.

AmCraft Manufacturing is in good company, including some of the biggest names in the automotive industry. Chrysler, Napa, Lucas Oil, and many others.

Graveyard Cars had been picked up by the Discovery Channel (Spring 2012) and various international networks. Additionally, Graveyard Carz was featured on the cover of Mopar Collectors Guide Magazine in October 2011.

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