skyfold® mirage advantages

Skyfold Mirage^® is an innovative, custom manufactured, completely automatic, rigid, flat, retractable acoustic glass partitioning system that is sure to revolutionize the way you design and work with your space. Skyfold Mirage^® offers several important advantages over conventional systems.

Ease of use

A simple turnkey operation and Skyfold Mirage^® opens and closes, requiring no physical effort. Practically anyone can do it! Changes in room configuration are accomplished in just minutes instead of hours or even days!
Skyfold Mirage^® retracts quietly and effortlessly into the ceiling at approximately 5 to 10 vertical feet per minute.

Exceptional safety features

Designed with safety in mind, the following are just a few of Skyfold Mirage^®'s safety features:

The partitions are operated by two spring return key switches. Hand pressure must be maintained in order to operate the wall. When either key is released, the wall stops immediately.
The cables that lift and support the partitions are aircraft grade wire cable of the highest strength and quality, sized to offer a high factor of safety.
Each cable is lifted by a separate cable drum so that in the unlikely event that a cable fails, the other cables will not be affected.
Skyfold Mirage^® comes complete with a built-in infrared safety system.

Cost-effective and lightweight

Since Skyfold Mirage^® is a modular system, you can design your space and system in the most cost efficient way possible (refer to the design tips section).
The load that Skyfold Mirage^® exerts on the structure is fixed (static), distributed over the length of the wall, doing away with load concentrations and shifting loads.
Skyfold Mirage^® weighs approximately 7 1/2 to 8 lbs per square foot, resulting in substantial savings in structural steel
What’s more, the drive system is mounted to the same structure directly above and supporting the Skyfold Mirage^® partition, resulting in further savings in steel costs.

Convenient and efficient use of space

Skyfold Mirage^® partitions fold vertically and store in the ceiling. Most buildings today have unused space in the ceiling in which to store Skyfold® partitions.
Skyfold Mirage^® partitions do not use any floor space for storage pockets
Skyfold Mirage^® can be installed virtually anywhere… in between beams, around ducts and pipes.

Durable

As panels are never handled during operation, in terms of wear and tear, Skyfold Mirage^® will outlast conventional wall systems.

Aesthetically pleasing

Skyfold Mirage^® requires no floor tracks, no wall storage pockets or closets, thereby eliminating the need for unsightly pocket doors.
There are no visible hinges.

Available in a variety of finishes

Skyfold Mirage^® panel inserts can accept anything 9/16” or 1- 5/8” thick, including plexiglass, Lexan, bullet proof glass, frosted glass, privacy glass and more.

SUMMARY OF SAFETY FEATURES

Skyfold Mirage^® was designed with safety in mind. This is reflected not only in the system’s design philosophy, but also in certain specific sub-systems and components. The following offers a brief overview of Skyfold Mirage^®’s various safety features.

Skyfold Mirage^® is operated by two spring return key switches wired in series and operated simultaneously. Hand pressure must be maintained in order to operate the wall. When one of the keys is released, the wall stops immediately, without coasting.
The gear motor that powers the entire system is a heavy-duty, sealed, industrial motor designed for hundreds of stops and starts an hour. It is rated for service several orders of magnitude more rigorous than the service it experiences on Skyfold Mirage^® partitions.
The gear motor has an electromagnetic brake on the opposite end of the output shaft. When there is power at the motor, this brake is energized in the open position. In the case of loss of power, this brake activates instantly and prevents any movement of the motor until power is restored. This brake is rated for 200% of the motor’s full torque rating.
The motor assembly uses a spring-cushioned torque arm in order to soften the system’s starts and stops. As part of this assembly, there is a sensor on the torque arm that detects higher than normal torque levels. In the event of a mechanical jam, or if the upper limit switch fails to operate, this over-torque sensor quickly cuts power to the motor.
The gear motor controls contain the latest in overload protection and other electrical safeguards.
The line shaft that rotates all of the cable drums is continuous throughout the gear motor, without a coupling. This assures a higher degree of safety and the interface between the gear box and the line shaft.
Separate from the gear motor assembly is a closed loop hydraulic checking device powered by the line shaft itself. When the wall is traveling downwards, the hydraulic checking device builds up a certain hydraulic pressure that is dependent on wall travel speed. In normal operation, this pressure is very low and this checking device offers no appreciable braking force on the wall. If, at any time, the wall speed is substantially greater than normal, this checking device offers sufficient braking force to lower the wall at a speed no greater than 150% of normal operating speed.
The cables that lift and support Skyfold Mirage^® are aircraft-grade wire cable of the greatest strength and quality. These cables are sized to offer a high degree of safety.
Each of these cables is lifted by a separate cable drum that is keyed into the solid steel line shaft. In the unlikely event that a cable fails, none of the other cables will be affected.
Each cable drum is supported by two pillow block bearings, one on each side, for maximum safety.
The cable is wrapped over the drum such that at least two full wraps remain on the drum with the wall in the down position.
The partition is equipped with an optical sensor that cuts power to the lifting equipment if an object or person passes between the emitter and receiver. This not only protects persons in the vicinity of the wall but also protects the wall itself.