Have you ever cut a cubicle partition in half to see what the interior looks like? OK, it would be a shame to waste a perfectly good cubicle on that experiment. Fortunately, the folks at Haworth have an image of a cutaway panel on page 12 of their UniGroup brochure. This allows customers see its internal anatomy including a description of the construction and materials used. Here’s an overview of the various features of these high-quality cubicles:

1. A heavy duty steel frame and perforated side panels serves as the framework and support structure of these monocoque constructed partitions.
2. A honeycomb core dissipates audible vibrations based on the Helmholtz principle of sound management. The intricate interior is engineered to provide reactive/reflective noise reduction by dissipating sound.
3. Fiber batting is covered with the surface fabric of the customer’s choice. The fabric can be changed out easily at any time without deconstructing the cubicles or returning them to the manufacturer.

Anyone who specializes in buying office furniture can tell you that there’s a big difference between an affordable cubicle and a cheap cubicle. Buying cheap can end up costing a company in a lot of different ways. The furniture will tend to succumb to wear and tear quickly. Poorly made furniture will also look and feel shabby – something that employees can definitely pick up on. Whether you are buying new or used cubicles for your office, here are some signs that a workstation is really cheap:

Particle Board – Nothing screams “cheap call center workstation” like a particle board cube covered with laminate. If you see the laminate separating from the composite underneath due to poor adhesion, don’t buy it. Also, be aware that any water or coffee spilled may seep through the seams in the laminate causing the particle board underneath it to swell.

Not Tech Ready – A high quality, modern cubicle will have one or more raceways to accommodate cabling and wiring. Buying a model that does not offer this feature means you will have to deal with unprotected cords everywhere. This is an unsightly tripping hazard. Of course, if you have gone wireless in your offices this won’t be a problem. Still, most of the better brands offer raceways as a matter of course.

Poor Acoustics – One of the top complaints employees have about cheap cubicles is the fact that they are too noisy. A well constructed panel system will offer noise reduction via various layers of material in its core. Check the noise reduction coefficient and sound transmission class ratings to see if they meet reasonable comfort standards before you buy.

Poorly made panel systems may also:

• Be lightweight and unstable, tending to shift around rather than staying in place
• Have components such as brackets and hinges missing or have plastic parts that are broken
• Lack powder coating on the metal frame – this means the paint will flake off over time
• Not have any off-module capacity, limiting the flexibility of the workspace layout
• Feature cheap fabrics that show wear and staining if used in moderate traffic areas

Looking for some decent drafting equipment to add to your fleet of office furniture? Vista drawing tables may fill the bill. These pieces are constructed of heavy duty tubular steel. The Safco Vista adjusts vertically from 30-46” and features a tilt of up to 45 degrees. It also comes with a foot rest that runs the width of the base.

The Alvin model (which has an attractive L-shaped base) can tilt up to 90 degrees. Height adjusts up to 40” when the table top is horizontal. This base has a gray finish that blends well with standard office furnishings. Both table bases can be fitted with 42” or 48” white melamine tops.