• An example of a barbed wire security fence.barbed wire fence image by Stacey Lynn Payne from Fotolia.com
  
  Unlike residential styles of fence, such as picket and ornamental wrought iron, manufacturers construct industrial fencing for function first, and style second. A number of different industries rely on fencing, and they use it to keep customers and workers safe, and to keep materials and products out of the hands of potential criminals. While there are many different types of industrial fencing, all share the common characteristic of having a sturdy design.
  
  

Chain Link Fencing

• Many industries rely on basic, chain link fencing, which consists of sections of interwoven steel wiring that stretch across metal posts. This wiring forms a distinctive, repeating pattern of diamond shapes. While factories and plants use the fencing to close-off dangerous machinery, cites and businesses use it to surround parking lots and parks. As Fast Fence points out, construction workers often use chain link fencing a temporary means for surrounding work sites. (See Reference 1) While permanent chain link fences have their posts cemented into the ground, the temporary varieties rely on bases to keep the posts and steel wiring upright.
  
  

Mesh Fencing

• Like its chain link counterpart, mesh industrial fencing consists of strong, steel wiring. However, instead of forming a diamond pattern, the wiring typically forms a series of repeating rectangles. In addition, it typically features smaller spaces between wires, which makes it more difficult for people to climb. According to Industrial Fencing, the space sizes between wires can range from six millimeters, or about a quarter of an inch, to 50 millimeters, or about two inches, wide. (See Reference 2) Industries typically use mesh fencing for the general purposes of marking boundaries, as well as for creating privacy. The durability of mesh fencing also makes it a popular choice for zoos and wildlife parks when it comes to rabbit, monkey, bird and other animal enclosures. Construction workers may also use this type of fencing for work site perimeters.
  
  

Security Fencing

• Manufacturers design security fencing for keeping trespassers away from dangerous and expensive materials and products, such as chemicals and precious metals. They commonly surround warehouses and other buildings that hold products and materials in bulk. In most instances, the fences consist primarily of tall chain link or mesh fences, which may or may not have top sections that angle outward, making them more difficult to climb. As Industrial Fencing mentions, while some types feature electrical systems that can deliver electric shocks to people who make contact with the fencing, others utilize barbed wire, or razor wire, along the top edges of the fencing to discourage intruders from climbing over.