The films in the 50s and 60s had a very strong architectural connect when showing women within their homes. Particularly oriental themed films showed women behind latticed framework. These were wooden screens and in the film, the wooden screens actually lit up the scene as it showed glimpses of women behind them. People noticed these screens and were astounded at the workmanship of the artisan. These screens were works of art and quite expensive beyond the reach of the middle class. Only very rich and wealthy people were able to afford these screens.
The time spent by master carpenters and hand engravers was a lot and in fact not many could be produced. However technology has come to the rescue of this art as CNC routers have revolutionized partition grille screen production. The language of the CNC router is called G-code and this versatile technology has brought engraving and cutting application on wood to another level. Looking at an example of this video clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsyul6C_Wvg) gives an idea how this application used on a CNC router can produces breathtaking partition grilles.
The CNC machine in the video is by OMNI-CNC that is one of the leading CNC router manufacturers in China. The speed of the machine is a phenomenal 5000 mm per minute using a tool bit that is 3.175 mm in diameter. The finished partition grille-screen size is 1600 mm x 500 mm (1.6 m x 0.5 m). The cutting edge is very smooth meaning that no further finishing is required. The OMNI linear ATC 1530 machine is very affordable as the video shows an 8mm thick MDF board being transformed into a wonderful grille screen.
This is a niche business for the use of CNC routers because partition grille screens are adorning many homes as the cost has become affordable. The use of screen dividers adds not only the decorative element but also manifests as a room divider. Geometric lattices are used in offices, restrants, shops and exhibition spaces.
