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Sliding & Sliding- Folding Glass Partitions
Telescopic, Bypass, Synchro, Grid
Sliding & sliding-folding Glass Partitions
Designed to match the fixed partitions around them
IQUBX builds sliding and sliding-folding glass partitions as part of its range of [modular glass partitions]. The [main glass partitions page] explains [what glass partitions are and why they are used], the [framing systems and glass configurations] available, and the parameters to consider when [choosing a glass partition]. This page deals with movement: why a partition is made to slide, the difference between sliding and sliding-folding, the configurations in which shutters can move and stack, the IQUBX systems used, and what a project should plan for.
The sliding systems are not a separate series. GPC1550, the flagship grid of the [Creative series], is made as a sliding partition, GPCSL1550, and as a sliding-folding partition, GPCSF1550. The IQUBX glass doors GD02, GD03 and GD04, described on the [Doors and door frames] page, are made in the same two ways, as GD02SL, GD03SL and GD04SL, and as GD02SF, GD03SF and GD04SF. In each, the moving shutters carry the frame, the grid, the glass and the finish of the fixed partition, so a single screen can be part fixed and part moving within one design.
Like every IQUBX system, the sliding shutters are built with true mechanical joinery, without silicone or adhesives. Many slim sliding systems draw much of their strength from the silicone and adhesive that bond glass to frame. IQUBX sections are kept intentionally slim and do not rely on either: in GPCSL1550 and GPCSF1550 the strength of the shutter comes from its grid, which is part of the design and part of the structure at once.
Partitions of this kind are described as sliding glass partitions and sliding folding glass partitions in India and the Middle East; as sliding glazed partitions and sliding folding glazed screens in the UK and Europe; and as sliding glass walls, folding glass walls and operable glass walls in the USA.
Features- IQUBX sliding & Sliding-folding partitions
Creative freedom - grid design
Creative Freedom in motion - grids in any size and pattern, fluted, textured and coloured glass, and panels of wood, stone, ceramic, metal or art.
Grids on every shutter
Highly customizable designs. GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550 are designed for grids, which stiffen the slim shutter; GD02SL / SF, GD03SL / SF and GD04SL / SF take grids too.
Four systems - Five configurations
Four systems: GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550, GD02SL / SF, GD03SL / SF and GD04SL / SF. Single shutter, bypass, telescopic, synchro and sliding-folding, stacking to one side or both.
True mechanical joinery - Upgradable
No silicone or adhesive anywhere, so every pane and panel can be taken out and replaced. Creative freedom in future - upgradable.
Heights and seals
Usually up to 3000 mm, up to 12 feet for narrow shutters; provision for brush seals at top and bottom.
Why a sliding or sliding-folding glass partition?
A sliding partition is chosen for flexibility. It lets a space be used in more than one way: a large meeting room divided into two, a cabin opened to the floor around it, a living room closed off as a study, a showroom extended into a display.
That flexibility has a price in sound. The clearances that allow shutters to move, and the overlaps between them, also allow sound to pass, and a sliding partition cannot match a fixed one in sound insulation.
Every IQUBX sliding partition has provision for brush seals at the top and bottom rails, which close those clearances and improve sound insulation, as well as keeping out draughts and dust. But where speech privacy is the first requirement, a fixed partition from the [Performance series] or the [HAPIUS series] is the right choice, with a door for access. Where the ability to open and close a space matters more, a sliding partition is the better answer.
What is a sliding and sliding-folding partition?
A sliding partition opens a room by moving its panels, or shutters, along a track at the head, instead of swinging them open like a door. A sliding-folding partition does the same, but its shutters are hinged to one another and fold into a compact stack as they slide. The two differ in hardware, in how the shutters are sized, and in where they come to rest when the partition is open. Sliding partitions are also described in a vocabulary of their own, and the same arrangement can go by different names in different markets: single, bypass, telescopic, bi-parting, synchro, stacking and pocket. This section explains how sliding and sliding-folding differ and what each configuration term means, including what notations such as 0+2 and 1+2 stand for. For each term, it shows which configurations IQUBX offers as standard and which its systems can be adapted for.
- Sliding and sliding-folding: the difference
- Sliding configurations explained
- Single, bypass and telescopic
- Synchro
- Sliding-folding
- Stacking, parking and pocket
Sliding and sliding-folding: the difference
Both open a partition by moving its panels or shutters, along a track at the head. They differ in their hardware, in how the shutters are sized, and in how they come to rest when the partition is open.
| Sliding | Sliding-folding |
How the shutters move | Each shutter slides on its own track and passes the one beside it | The shutters are joined by hinges and fold against one another as they slide |
Tracks | Several parallel tracks, one for each moving shutter | A single track |
Shutter sizes | Full-width shutters that overlap; no half shutter | The first shutter is half-width and hinged to the frame, because the hardware is centre-mounted; the others are full-width and do not overlap |
When open | The shutters stack behind one another, overlapping completely, at one side or both | The shutters fold into a compact stack on the side of the half shutter |
IQUBX names | GPCSL1550 · GD02SL · GD03SL · GD04SL | GPCSF1550 · GD02SF · GD03SF · GD04SF |
[IMAGE: diagrams — sliding shutters on parallel tracks; sliding-folding shutters on a single track, with the half shutter hinged to the frame]
Sliding configurations explained
Sliding partitions and doors are described in a common vocabulary across the industry, and the same arrangement can be called by different names in different markets. The terms below are those most widely used, with what IQUBX offers in each.
Configurations are often written as two figures joined by a plus sign. The first refers to the fixed panel and the figure after the + is the number of sliding shutters. Makers write the fixed panel either as 0 or as 1, so the same arrangement may appear as 0+2 or as 1+2.
Term | What it means | At IQUBX |
Single sliding | One shutter slides across an opening, with no fixed panel. | Offered |
Bypass | Two or more shutters on separate parallel tracks, each moving independently and sliding past the others; any shutter can be opened on its own. | Offered, on multiple tracks |
Telescopic | Shutters on parallel tracks that are linked, so that drawing the leading shutter brings the others with it; they stack behind one another, giving a wide opening from a short stacking space. | Offered: 0+1 to 0+4, also written 1+1 to 1+4 |
Bi-parting | Two shutters that slide apart from the centre, opening to both sides. | Offered, as synchro |
Synchro (synchronised) | A bi-parting arrangement in which the two shutters are linked, so that moving one moves the other and both part from the middle. | Offered: two shutters only, or two fixed panels with two sliding centre shutters |
Sliding-folding (bi-fold, folding sliding) | Shutters hinged to one another that fold into a compact stack as they slide along a single track. | Offered: 3, 4 or 5 shutters |
Stacking | Where the shutters rest when the partition is open: gathered at one end of the opening or at both. | One side or both, depending on the configuration; within the opening |
Parking bay | A recess or bay beyond the opening, where shutters are parked so the full width is clear. | Not offered at present |
Shutters that slide into a cavity in a wall and disappear when open. | Not offered as standard; systems can be adapted |
Single, bypass and telescopic
The simplest sliding partition is a single shutter, with no fixed panel, sliding across the opening. With two or more shutters on multiple tracks, IQUBX offers two ways of moving them. In a bypass arrangement each shutter runs free on its own track, so any one can be opened alone, as in a wardrobe with sliding doors. In a telescopic arrangement the shutters are linked, so that drawing the leading shutter brings the others with it, and the whole set opens and closes in one movement. Telescopic configurations are offered from 0+1 to 0+4, also written 1+1 to 1+4. In both, the shutters stack behind one another, at one side or at both, depending on the configuration.
Synchro
In a synchro partition two shutters are linked so that they part from the middle together, sliding in opposite directions. IQUBX builds it in two forms: two shutters alone, filling the opening, or two fixed panels with two sliding centre shutters between them.
Sliding-folding
IQUBX sliding-folding partitions are made with 3, 4 or 5 shutters on a single track. The first shutter is half-width and hinged to the frame, because the hardware is centre-mounted, and the partition therefore folds and stacks on that side only. Depending on the hardware, the system can be adapted to have a full shutter at the end, but it will still slide and fold to the same side. A large opening can be divided into two sliding-folding sets that fold to opposite sides; the two sets are operated separately and are not synchronised.
Stacking, parking and pocket
When open, the shutters stack within the opening, at one side or at both, according to the configuration. IQUBX does not at present offer a parking bay, in which the stack is moved beyond the opening to clear its full width, and the stack cannot be parked outside the opening. IQUBX does not build pocket partitions as standard, but its systems can be adapted for a pocket, where the shutters slide into a cavity in the wall.
[IMAGE: plan diagrams — single shutter; bypass and telescopic 0+2 to 0+4; synchro (2 shutters; 2 fixed + 2 sliding); sliding-folding 3, 4 and 5 shutters; two sliding-folding sets folding to opposite sides]
The IQUBX sliding systems
All the configurations above are available in all four systems: GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550, GD02SL / SF, GD03SL / SF and GD04SL / SF.
If the project needs | Choose |
|---|---|
A Crittall-style grid in the slimmest frame, sliding or folding, matching a fixed GPC1550 partition | GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550 |
Sturdy shutters with a wider stile, matching GD02 doors elsewhere in the project | GD02SL / GD02SF |
Ultra-slim shutters, matching GPC1550 and GPC1750 | GD03SL / GD03SF |
Slim shutters with the GD04 stile | GD04SL / GD04SF |
GPCSL1550 and GPCSF1550 - the GPC1550 grid, sliding and folding
GPC1550, certified under the GreenPro Ecolabel as GPSL02, is the flagship grid of the [Creative series]: a 15 × 50 mm frame with a tapered moulding and an inner grid only 40 mm deep, with complete freedom of grid design. It is designed for grids. Its sections have been kept intentionally slim, and because IQUBX uses no silicone or adhesive to stiffen them, the grid itself strengthens the shutter. Its top channel is designed to take aluminium-section roller hardware, so the same system serves the fixed partition, the sliding partition and the sliding-folding partition. The two moving forms differ only in their hardware and in the arrangement of their shutters. GPCSL1550 and GPCSF1550 take glass up to 10 mm at present; a new GPC1550 moulding now in development will allow them to take 11.5 mm laminated and 12 mm glass.
Parameter | GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550 |
|---|---|
Certified name | GPSL02 (GreenPro Ecolabel Type 1) |
Section | 15 × 50 mm, tapered moulding; inner grid 40 mm |
Glass | 6, 8, 10 mm toughened, 8 or 10 mm recommended; 11.5 mm laminated and 12 mm with a new moulding in development |
Grid | Designed for grids, in any size and pattern; the grid strengthens the shutter |
Configurations | Single, bypass, telescopic, synchro, sliding-folding |
Height | Usually up to 3000 mm; up to 12 feet where shutters are narrow |
Top channel | Designed for aluminium-section roller hardware; reinforced for heavy shutters |
Seals | Provision for brush seals at the top and bottom rails |
Joinery | True mechanical joinery; no silicone or adhesives |
GD02SL / SF, GD03SL / SF and GD04SL / SF - glass doors made to slide and fold as partitions
The IQUBX glass doors GD02, GD03 and GD04 are modular stile doors, built with the same true mechanical joinery as the partitions, and each can be made as a sliding or a sliding-folding shutter in any of the configurations above. GD02SL / SF has a wider stile and gives the sturdiest shutter. GD03SL / SF is the ultra-slim shutter. All three can carry grids to match the grid of the fixed partition.
Parameter | GD02SL / SF | GD03SL / SF | GD04SL / SF |
|---|---|---|---|
Stile | 75 × 40 mm (lock stile) | 26 × 40 mm | 45 / 48 × 40 mm |
Rail | 90 × 40 mm | 60 × 40 mm | No separate rail: the stile used as rail, chamfered, or the rail of GD03SL / SF or GD02SL / SF |
Glass | 8, 10 mm toughened; 11.5 mm laminated for narrower shutters | 8, 10 mm toughened; 12 mm for narrower shutters | 8, 10 mm toughened |
Grid | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Matches | GD02 hinged doors | GPC1550, GPC1750 | GD04 hinged doors |
Grids on a sliding partition
Every IQUBX sliding system can carry a grid. The moving shutters take the same grid as the fixed partition, in the same pattern and finish, so that when the partition is closed it reads as one composition, and when it is open the shutters stack without breaking the design. In GPCSL1550 and GPCSF1550 the grid does more than decorate: because the sections are intentionally slim and nothing is bonded with silicone or adhesive, the grid is what gives the shutter its stiffness. Panels in the grid can be exchanged later, as in the fixed partition, without dismantling the shutter. Grids are described on the [Creative series] page.
Planning a sliding glass partition
A sliding partition hangs its whole weight from the head, and almost every planning decision follows from that. The height and width of each shutter, the thickness of its glass and the presence of a grid set the weight the top channel and the hardware must carry, and how stiff the shutter will be, and these decide how smoothly the partition will run for years to come. The configuration sets how many tracks are needed and where the shutters stack when open. The seals and the hardware set how the partition feels and sounds in daily use. This section explains how to size the shutters, how weight, grids and the top channel work together, how to choose the glass, what the brush seals do, and which hardware can be used.
Height and shutter width
Weight, grids and the top channel
Glass thickness
Brush seals and sound
Hardware
Height and shutter width
IQUBX usually takes sliding partitions to a height of 3000 mm (10 feet). Greater heights are possible, up to 12 feet, where the shutters are narrow. Height and width should be considered together: a tall shutter is easier to carry and to move when it is narrow, and the number of shutters can be increased to keep each one within a sensible width.
Weight, grids and the top channel
The total weight of each shutter is the critical figure in a sliding partition. IQUBX sections are intentionally slim, and unlike many slim systems they are not stiffened with silicone or adhesive. In GPCSL1550 and GPCSF1550, the grid is what strengthens the shutter. Wide and tall shutters in thicker glass, without a grid, place the greatest load on the top channel, which can bend under it over time; for such shutters the top channel is reinforced. A grid, narrower shutters or thinner glass each reduce the strain, and the right balance is settled for each project.
Glass thickness
IQUBX recommends 8 or 10 mm toughened glass for sliding partitions: thick enough to be rigid and safe, and light enough to keep the shutter within the capacity of the top channel and the hardware. GPCSL1550 and GPCSF1550 take glass up to 10 mm at present; a new GPC1550 moulding now in development will allow them to take 11.5 mm laminated and 12 mm glass. In the GD series, 11.5 mm laminated glass (GD02SL / SF) or 12 mm toughened glass (GD03SL / SF) can be used where the shutters are narrower.
Brush seals and sound
All IQUBX sliding partitions have provision for brush seals at the top and bottom rails. The brushes close the clearance the shutters need to move, improving sound insulation and keeping out draughts and dust, without adding friction to the movement. They do not make a sliding partition the equal of a fixed one: sliding is chosen for flexibility, and where sound insulation is the first requirement a fixed partition should be used. The main page explains the [acoustic requirements and practical limitations] that apply to any glass partition.
Hardware
IQUBX sliding systems are compatible with a wide range of sliding and sliding-folding hardware from Indian and international makers, including ASSA ABLOY, dormakaba (Dorma), GEZE, Hettich, Mantion, Kin Long, OPK, Inox, Ozone and Dorset. The hardware decides the configurations available, the weight each shutter can carry and the feel of the movement, and some configurations, such as a full shutter at the end of a sliding-folding set, depend on it. Compatibility is a matter of the specific model rather than the brand: each hardware model should be cross-checked with team IQUBX, or compared against the published section sizes of the IQUBX system, before it is specified. IQUBX is also launching its own series of sliding hardware, made to match its systems.
Where sliding glass partitions are used
Meeting and conference rooms
Large rooms divided into two, or opened to the floor.
Cabins and offices
Cabins that open to the team and close for focused work.
Training and event spaces
Halls that change size with the event.
Residences
Kitchens, studies, dressing rooms and living rooms opened and closed at will.
Hospitality
Restaurant and banquet spaces divided for private dining.
Retail and showrooms
Display areas and shopfronts within a store that open fully.
Specification summary
Parameter | GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550 | GD02SL / SF, GD03SL / SF, GD04SL / SF |
|---|---|---|
Page of origin | Creative series (GPC1550; certified as GPSL02) | Doors and door frames |
Movement | Sliding (multiple tracks) or sliding-folding (single track) | As GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550 |
Configurations | Single; bypass; telescopic 0+1 to 0+4 (1+1 to 1+4); synchro; sliding-folding 3, 4, 5 shutters | As GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550 |
Stacking | One side or both, within the opening; sliding-folding to the half-shutter side | As GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550 |
Height | Usually up to 3000 mm; up to 12 feet for narrow shutters | As GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550 |
Glass | 6, 8, 10 mm toughened, 8 or 10 mm recommended; 11.5 and 12 mm with a new moulding in development | 8, 10 mm recommended; 11.5 mm laminated (GD02SL / SF) or 12 mm (GD03SL / SF) for narrower shutters |
Grid | Designed for grids; the grid strengthens the shutter | Yes |
Joinery | True mechanical joinery; no silicone or adhesives | As GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550 |
Seals | Provision for brush seals, top and bottom rails | As GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550 |
Hardware | Roller hardware in the top channel; compatible models from leading brands | Compatible models from leading brands |
Material and finishes | 6063-T6 aluminium alloy, recycled content; any powder-coat colour or anodised | As GPCSL1550 / GPCSF1550 |
Origin | Designed and made in India | Designed and made in India |
Certifications and materials
GPC1550 carries the GreenPro Ecolabel Type 1, under its certified name GPSL02, and is made in recycled-content 6063-T6 aluminium alloy. Because nothing is bonded with silicone or adhesive, every part of an IQUBX sliding partition can be separated, reused or recycled. All IQUBX systems are IPR-protected through design registrations.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a sliding and a sliding-folding glass partition?
In a sliding partition, full-width shutters run on several parallel tracks and overlap one another, stacking completely when open. In a sliding-folding partition, the shutters are hinged together and run on a single track, folding into a compact stack; in IQUBX systems the first shutter is half-width and hinged to the frame, because the hardware is centre-mounted.
What is the difference between bypass and telescopic sliding?
Both use shutters on parallel tracks. In bypass sliding each shutter moves independently, so any one can be opened alone. In telescopic sliding the shutters are linked, so drawing the leading shutter brings the others with it. IQUBX offers both.
What do 0+2 and 1+2 mean?
The first figure refers to the fixed panel and the figure after the + is the number of sliding shutters. Makers write the fixed panel either as 0 or as 1, so 0+2 and 1+2 describe the same arrangement. IQUBX offers telescopic configurations from 0+1 to 0+4.
What is a synchro sliding partition?
A bi-parting arrangement in which two linked shutters part from the middle together, sliding in opposite directions. IQUBX builds it with two shutters alone, or with two fixed panels and two sliding centre shutters.
Which side does a sliding-folding partition stack to?
To the side of the half shutter, which is hinged to the frame. Depending on the hardware, a full shutter can be used at the end, but the partition still folds to that side. A large opening can be divided into two sliding-folding sets that fold to opposite sides.
How tall can a sliding glass partition be?
IQUBX usually takes sliding partitions to 3000 mm (10 feet). Heights up to 12 feet are possible where the shutters are narrow, since the weight of each shutter is the deciding factor.
What glass thickness is used in a sliding glass partition?
IQUBX recommends 8 or 10 mm toughened glass. GPCSL1550 and GPCSF1550 take glass up to 10 mm at present, and a new GPC1550 moulding in development will allow 11.5 mm laminated and 12 mm glass. In the GD series, 11.5 mm laminated or 12 mm toughened glass can be used for narrower shutters.
Do sliding glass partitions insulate sound?
Sliding partitions are chosen for flexibility, not for sound insulation. IQUBX sliding partitions have provision for brush seals at the top and bottom rails, which improve sound insulation, but where speech privacy matters most a fixed partition should be used.
Can a sliding glass partition have a grid?
Yes. GPCSL1550 and GPCSF1550 are designed for grids, and the grid strengthens the slim shutter. GD02SL / SF, GD03SL / SF and GD04SL / SF can also carry grids, in the same pattern and finish as the fixed partition.
Can IQUBX make a pocket sliding partition?
Pocket partitions are not offered as standard, but IQUBX systems can be adapted for a pocket, where the shutters slide into a cavity in the wall.
Which hardware is used for IQUBX sliding partitions?
IQUBX systems are compatible with a wide range of hardware, including ASSA ABLOY, dormakaba (Dorma), GEZE, Hettich, Mantion, Kin Long, OPK, Inox, Ozone and Dorset. Specific models should be cross-checked for compatibility with team IQUBX. IQUBX is also launching its own series of sliding hardware.
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