Penco Welded GEN2 Lockers: All-Welded Heavy-Duty Lockers

Welded GEN2 is Penco’s all-welded steel locker. Instead of shipping a box of panels and bolts, Penco welds the sides, top, bottom, back, shelves and door frame into a single unit at the factory, then applies a baked-on powder coat finish. Every door hangs on a full-length continuous hinge. The result is a single rigid body with no field-assembled body joints.

Penco describes the line as built for hard use and abuse, and that is where it belongs: busy plant locker rooms, high school and college team rooms, public facilities and any room where lockers get kicked, slammed and hung on every day. For a broader look at rugged locker options from several brands, see our heavy-duty lockers guide.

The other half of the story is labor. Welded GEN2 lockers arrive assembled, and Penco ships locker groups up to 54 in. wide as single units. On site, the crew sets each group on its base or floor, levels it, bolts groups together and anchors them. Penco calls out that this sharply reduces installation time, which helps most where installers are expensive, hard to schedule, or the facility can only close a room for a short window.

The tradeoff is handling. Pre-welded groups are bigger and heavier than KD cartons, so doorways, elevators, stairs and the path from the truck to the room need checking before the order is released. We do that survey as part of every quote.

Welded GEN2 runs from single tier lockers for full uniforms down to eight and nine tier box lockers for phones and wallets. Penco’s catalog sizes follow the same grid as its other heavy-duty lines: widths of 9, 12, 15, 18 and 24 in., depths of 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24 in., and overall heights of 60 or 72 in., plus half-height 36-1/2 and 48-1/2 in. single tiers. Not every width comes in every tier, so we confirm the part number for each line of your order.

Remember that the standard Welded GEN2 has no legs. If you add a 4 or 6 in. channel base, add that to the overall height when checking soffits, windows or recessed openings.

Penco lists Welded GEN2 for team room and employee lockers, and the perforated version is aimed at heavy athletic use where gear has to dry. Because the body is welded at the factory, there is far less field assembly, which helps where a room can only close for a short window.

Because groups arrive assembled, Welded GEN2 can also suit phased renovations, replacing one section at a time; how the work is scheduled depends on the room, delivery access and site conditions.

With Welded GEN2, Penco decides how lockers are grouped based on the floor plan drawings sent with the order. Maximum group width is usually 54 in. for lockers up to 18 in. deep and 48 in. for deeper lockers. If your site limits group size, a narrow door, a tight elevator or a turn in a hallway, it has to be on the order so Penco can split groups smaller.

On site, Penco’s installation section calls for a properly prepared base, lockers installed plumb, level and square, anchored to floor and wall at the recommended intervals, and adjoining units bolted together. Doors and latches are then adjusted so nothing binds.