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DIRECTOR: JOSÉ LUIS VALENCIA LARRAÑETA. ISSUE 184. SEPTEMBER 2015www.elperiodicodelazulejo.es

14th Tile of Spain Awards of Architecture, Interior Design and Degree Project in Architecture recognizes international excellence in projects with Spanish ceramic tile

Ceramic icons

Promotion, advertising and visibility

are the three cornerstones on

which should be supported during

this century Spanish ceramics to

maintain confidence of markets.

Events, seminars and awards for

architects, interior designers and

students are an excellent letter of

presentation to new professionals

and serve as ideal ‘showcase’ to

spread the current growing versatility

of ceramic finishes.

EDITORIAL

PROMOTION, PUBLICITY AND VISIBILITY

Design Pages 4-5

Tile of Spain announces an open

call for the 14th Tile of Spain Awards

competition. The awards honor

international excellence in projects

with Spanish ceramic tile in three

different categories.

Design Page 6

The Spanish company Urbatek,

Porcelanosa Group, evokes the past

with its new ceramic sheet with an old

wooden appearance: ‘XLight Wild’.

Thanks to its versatility is ideal for

installing on façades.

Lay tile Page 12

Schlüter-Systems: innovative and

effective applications and profiles

for more than four decades.

Staff Director: José Luis Valencia. Editorial staff: Javier Cabrerizo. Photography: M. Nebot, P. Poyato y G. Utiel. Design: José Martos. Edit: Comunicación y Medios de Levante, SL (GRUPO ZETA). Commercial Area: Director: Jesús Dualde. Account executive: José López. azulejo@elperiodico.com. Ctra. de Almassora s/n. 12005 Castellón. Phone: 964 349 500. Legal Deposit: CS-016-2000

Industry Pages 13-15

‘The Gamma XD’ series is equipped

with the latest Durst high-definition

print head technology.

14 companies members of Tile

of Spain will participate at the fair

Maison & Objet in Paris.

Summary September 2015

design el Periódico del Azulejo September 20154

T ile of Spain, the in-ternational brand representing 125 ceramic tile ma-

nufacturers belonging to the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers’ Association (Ascer), has announced the open call for the 14th Tile of Spain Awards competition.

The awards honor inter-national excellence in pro-jects with Spanish ceramic tile in three categories: Ar-chitecture, Interior Design and Degree Project in Ar-chitecture. Each year, a jury of recognized international architecture and design pro-fessionals judgethe awards. Presiding over the 14th edi-tion panel of jurors is Victor López Cotelo, who recently received the 2015 Spanish Architecture Prize.

The remainder of the jury includes: Laura Andreini (Ita-lian architect and co-founder of Archea Associati studio); Marcos Cruz (Portuguese architect and co-founder of Macrosandmarian Studio with internationally exhibi-ted work); Édgar González

(Architect and chief editor of the blog edgardgonzalez.com); Isabel López Vilata (interior designer and founder of Isa-bel Lopez & Associates with over 30 years of experience); Juan Domingo Santos (Archi-tect and projects lecturer at the Granada School); and, finally, Ramón Monfort (Cas-tellón-based architect and design enthusiast).

REGISTRATION IS OPEN Registration is open and the deadline for submitting en-tries is October 28th, 2015. To enter, visit www.tileofspai-nawards.com. The main requi-rement to participate is that the projects use ceramic tiles made in Spain.

The awards have a total pri-ze fund of over $42,500, whi-ch will be divided amongst three categories. The two main categories of Architec-ture and Interior Design are awarded over $15,500 each. Honorable mentions may also be given in both of these categories, according to con-sideration of the jury. The third category, Degree Pro-

ject, is aimed at students of architecture, and is awarded over $5,000.

The rules for the compe-tition and the application form for registration can be found at www.tileofspai-nawards.com. Information about previous winning pro-

searching The besTceramics projectsTile of Spain announces an open call for the 14th Tile of Spain Awards competition. The awards honor international excellence in works with Spanish ceramic tile

The rules for the competition can be found at ‘www.tileofspainawards.com’. The main requirement to participate is that the projects use ceramic tiles made in Spain.

jects is also available on the website.

The best architects take part in the Tile of Spain Awards

in previous years, distin-guished professionals have been part of the Tile of Spain Awards jury that has rewar-ded projects of very different natures recognizing the ver-satility of ceramics.

The competition for the Tile of Spain Awards of Ar-chitecture and Interior De-sign is organized and promo-ted by ASCER, the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers’ Association. The prizes aim to improve awareness and understanding of ceramic tiles made in Spain amongst architects and interior desig-ners and promote their use by these professionals.

The competition for the prizes is held annually and is open to projects and profes-sionals in Spain and world-wide. Entries must make significant use of Spanish ceramic floor and/or wall tiles in the formal part of the building. The Prizes are

A house with an original ceramic tile façade won in the last edition

In the last edition of the Spanish call, the Architecture Award was presented to Camarim Group for their project of rehabilitating a house in historic Lisbon (in Portugal). The judges praised this project, highlighting in particular “the brilliant interpretation in the use of ceramic tiles in Lisbon’s historic quarter. The house looks out onto the street boasting a new textured take on the traditional ceramic tile façade”. The judges also agreed to award first prize in the Final Degree Project category to ‘Alfama 2.0’ by María González Aranguren.

The best architects take part in the Tile of Spain Awards, The deadline for submitting entries is next October 28th 2015

Each year, a jury of recognized international architecture and design professionals judge the awards

sponsored by Vodafone, En-desa, Autoridad Portuaria de Valencia and Cesce.

The Interior Design Award was for the restoration of the cloister at Betxí Castle (Caste-llón). The judges remarked on the conceptual transfor-mation of the interior space of the cloister through the inclusion of a large mirrored surface that forms a “virtual construction” of half of the lost Renaissance cloister. The work focuses on recovering the cloister space by inclu-ding a traditional terracotta wall.

The decision was made to use a single material as a tool for the recovery of the cloister, thereby completing the unfinished elements of the traditional courtyard and revitalising the ground floor. The chosen elements were solid handcrafted fired clay pieces measuring 12x24 x2.5 cm. The judges also op-ted to award special mentio-ns to Bodebo Store and the Restoration of the Adminis-tration Hall of the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site. H Last first prize in architecture went to a restored house in Lisbon,

The Spanish Pavilion at the World Expo in Aichi, by A. Zaera.

The West Beach promenade in Benidorm (Spain), by Carlos Ferrater, a project awarded in 2009; and the group of latest winners at Cevisama 2015 (Valencia).

September 2015 5el Periódico del Azulejo design

T he firm responsible for the floor tiles and large-format wall tiles from the

Porcelona Grupo, Urbatek, travels back in time in order to offer a new version of its extra-slim through-body por-celain tile, an evocation to the past which is materiali-sed by means of an extra-slim ceramic in an old weathered wood finish: Wild.

The new XLight series imi-tates cuts from pieces of big logs, incorporating in its design a wide range of nuances, branches, growth rings and veins, which are so irregular and asymmetrical that it is as if they had been drawn from nature. With the aim of achieving this aes-thetic result as dynamic as it is real, the digital techno-logy applied to the large for-mat (100x300 cm.) has been used, but with the extra-slim thickness typical of the XLig-ht (3,5 mm).

Furthermore, this new ceramic sheet is also avai-lable in the following mo-dular formats: 150x50cm, 100x100cm, 50x100cm,

of the quality that the full through-body porcelain tile that Urbatek offers.

XLight WILD Grey: In a smokey grey colour, it is able to reproduce the appearan-ce and traditionality of the rusty wood, which makes it stand out because of its soft-ness and elegance.

XLight WILD White: This is the lightest ceramic sheet in the series, and it manages to provide brightness and cosi-ness. It combines a sumptuo-us beige with several grey

The new ‘XLight’ by Urbatek has three colour finishes, all of them with the aesthetic classical feeling that the original WILD finish owns, in rusted and weathered wood.

UrbaTek evokes The past with ‘XLight’The new ‘XLight’ series imitates cuts from pieces of big logs, incorporating in its design a wide range of nuances, branches, growth rings and veins

as well as in special cuts. Likewise, the new XLight by Urbatek has three colour fi-nishes, all of them with the aesthetic classical feeling that the original Wild finish owns, in rusted and weathe-red wood.

XLight WILD Brown: It is the most intense series, and it is very faithful to wood. In a dark brown tone, this high personality design turns out to be ideal for providing at-mospheres with warmth and character, always by means

tones in its background in order to achieve the exqui-siteness of a whitish colour scheme. It turns out to be the perfect solution for nor-thern-styled interior designs or to recreate classical and modern-styled atmospheres, such as the shabby chic style of old cottages in UK.

Thanks to its high versati-lity and numerous proper-ties, the new Wild extra-slim through-body porcelain tile is ideal for installing on façades, as well as on either fully inte-grated interior or in exterior atmospheres. On top of that, it turns out to be just perfect when providing commercial projects such as shops and stores, hotels or high-traffic public spaces with distinction and exclusiveness.

The full-body porcelain tile created by Urbatek is un-changeable, hygienic, water-proof and even with a high resistance to stains, chemi-cal attacks and bad weather conditions, and furthermo-re, it’s always able to res-pond effectively to the needs of any architecture and inte-rior design project. H

The new ‘Wild’ extra-slim through-body porcelain tile is ideal for installing on façades.

design el Periódico del Azulejo September 20156

This ceramic sheet is also available in the following modular formats: 150x50 cm, 100x100 cm and 50x100 cm

The group formed by the Spanish companies will be the main foreign participation.

Tile of Spain has released the Cersaie ’15 App available for iOS and Android devices

From September 28 to October 2 it will take place in Bologna (Italy) the leading fair for the tile industry, Cer-saie. Near 100 companies from the Spanish ceramic tile industry will be exhibiting at the fair. Tile of Spain is providing a free digital app for smart phones and tablets that provides full information on all its member com-panies exhibiting at Cersaie.

The free app, which is available for iOS and Android devices, allows ac-cess to all Spanish ceramic tile dis-

tributors at the event. The app allo-ws for search through exhibit hall, sector or company where favorite brands can be selected and added to a “must visit” list, which can be shared with colleagues and travel partners. The Tile of Spain Cer-saie’15 App can be downloaded by clicking here, or by visiting the Go-ogle Play or App Store. Once again, the group formed by the Spanish ce-ramic companies is the main foreign participation in Cersaie.

This newxt event will celebrate in the Hotel Holiday Inn, on 19nd November.

Seminary about Spanish design in the city of Stávropol, in Russian Federation

Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers’ Association in collaboration with ICEX and the Trade Commission of Spain in Moscu will organize a seminary to the architects and interior designers.

This event will celebrate in the Hotel Holiday Inn, in the city of Stávropol on Thursday 19nd November. The companies that will participate are the following:

Azulev Group, Ceracasa, Cerámica da Moura, Cevica, Colorker, Dune Cerámica, Grespania, Pamesa Ceramica, Peronda, Rosa Gres, Saloni and Venus.

The event will have the support of the leading importers / distributors in this geographical area, and will be attended by more than 200 architects and interior designers, as well as distributors and specialized press.

September 2015 7el Periódico del Azulejo design

A Fila Surface Care regime has been chosen to clean and protect deco-

rative Mapei cementitious flooring at a ground-brea-king new service station mo-del in Gloucestershire. The project, on the M5’s south-bound carriageway, follows an earlier Fila specification at the sister-site on the M5 North. Both eco-led develop-ments are part of a joint ven-ture between a local charity – Gloucester Gateway Trust - and Westmorland Ltd, whi-ch aim to “turn the M5 into a community asset.”

Delivered by AFL Archi-tects, the service stations focus on local suppliers and green design, providing a foo-die destination in a stunning, sustainable environment. The iconic building nestles

FILA, cAre oF ALL FLoorsurfacesFila surface solutions has been chosen for new service station model in Gloucestershire (UK)

FilaCleaner - were carried out by Polished Concrete Desig-ns, for Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd.

Part of Fila’s Protection Range, FilaFob protects against stains without for-ming a seal or altering appea-rance. It is ideal for concrete and unpolished stone – insi-de and outdoors - and is cer-tified foodsafe. Fila Cleaner is a pH-neutral detergent from Fila’s Award-winning Green Line. The concentrated for-mula leaves no residue and it can be used at various di-lutions to maintain and deep clean all natural surfaces.

Fila’s range includes 36 individual products, for the care of all floor and wall sur-faces, including concrete, porcelain, stone and wood. The solutions are recommen-ded by over 200 manufactu-

under a grass roof and sits within a rustic, landscaped setting. Natural, locally-sour-ced materials feature throug-hout and include Cotswold stone cladding and exposed internal timber beams.

The Mapei Ultratop floor flows throughout the main building and adjacent petrol station, creating an anthra-cite toned stone-like surface. All flooring works - including the application of FilaFob sea-lant and eco-award winning

rers worldwide and all pro-duction is supported by ISO 14001:2014 certification.

Finally, a recent Fila pro-ject site has been named as a finalist, in the Surface Design Awards. The Stuart Clark Garden of Contem-plation, at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, joins just two other finalists

in the ‘Public Building In-terior’ category. One of the museum’s grandest spaces, the light-filled water garden is a unique gathering space situated in the atrium. It fea-tures vertical and horizontal surfaces formed from over 600 tonnes of black basalt stone, treated with VOC-free stone sealant, FilaFob Eco. H

Dekton by cosentino group aDDs eight new colorsDekton by Cosentino, the ultra-compact surface with advanced technical properties for both interior and exterior application, recently introduced eight new colors, brin-ging its total offering to 23 sophisticated co-lors that meet a wide array of architectural and design aesthetics.

The new introductions embody Cosentino’s innovation and interpretation of the latest trends in the marketplace -- from stylish wood-grains to industrial concrete, accented marbles and contemporary grays. Dekton, a revolutionary material composed of glass, porcelain and quartz offers a varie-ty of new application possibilities for both indoor and outdoor environments. Each of the new colors offers a unique design state-ment combined with Dekton’s superior per-formance, which includes UV-resistance for

color stability outdoors, exceptional strength and high resistance to stains, abrasion, scrat-ching and very low water absorption.

Wood-Look: The unique texture and aesthe-tic of Borea and Makai add on-trend wood looks to Dekton’s offering. Borea exudes a deep, dark exotic wood appearance with hints of gray and redwood in its grain, while the cream-colored Makaievokes weathered driftwood withochre and amber graining. The two colors combine the strength of Dekton while retaining the beauty and warmth of natural wood.

Concrete-Look. Evoking the color and tex-ture of concrete, Keonoffers an industrial aes-thetic featuring a pale gray shade speckled with cream and dark flecks for visual varia-tion. Natural Stone-Inspired Colors: Dekton expands its natural stone-inspired hues with the addition of ‘Kelya’ and ‘Entzo’.

All flooring works, including the application of FilaFob, were carried out by Polished Concrete Designs

design el Periódico del Azulejo September 20158

T ile of Spain, the in-ternational brand representing 125 ceramic tile ma-

nufacturers belonging to the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers’ Association (Ascer), is now accepting en-tries for the 2016 Passport to Creativity contest.

The contest gives architects and interior designers an op-portunity to enter to win a free trip to Spain. Winners will participate in a February 2016 architectural excursion where they will earn four CEU credits and get a chance to visit Cevisama 2016, the International Ceramic Tile and Bath Furnishing Show in Valencia, Spain.

To enter, Tile of Spain asks architects and interior desig-ners to be creative and sub-mit a picture of themselves with Spanish Tile. The tile can be a photo, a catalog or even a sample of Spanish Tile. Photos can be down-loaded from the Inspiration Gallery at tileofspainusa.com. Be imaginative, and have fun!

“Passport to Creativity is a popular contest among architects and designers,” states Rocamador Rubio Gomez, representative for Tile of Spain. “The submis-sion process fuels the crea-tivity of these talented in-dividuals and often sparks visionary design ideas for future projects. We are very excited to witness fresh and creative ideas in this year’s entries.”

The Tile of Spain 2016 Passport to Creativity Tour, running February 1st to 7th, 2016, includes time to explo-re beautiful Spain while ex-periencing its world-famous

culture including the culi-nary arts, historical sites and attractions with architectu-ral and design significance. The trip also includes a gui-ded visit to Cevisama 2016, factory and booth tours and an exclusive press conferen-ce. All participants will earn CEU credits.

For complete rules, and details on how to enter “Pas-sport to Creativity”, please visit www.tileofspainusa.com/contest. Entries will be acce-pted through December 1, 2015 and winners will be no-tified the week of December 15, 2015. H

September 2015 9el Periódico del Azulejo design

Daniel Cantwell (registered architect) and Jason Money, two of 2015 Passport to Creativity Winners.

The contest gives american architects and interior designers an opportunity to enter to win a free trip to Spain in February

PassPorT To CreaTiviTy NEW CONTEST

For complete rules, and details on how to enter “Passport to Creativity”, please visit ‘www.tileofspainusa.com/contest’

T ake a look at the ten most popular ceramics trends. First one is Frag-

ments. Playing with the idea of modularity, ceramic com-panies are designing frag-mented patterns on square and rectangular tiles to pro-duce large dynamic compo-sitions. By randomly mixing and matching geometric shapes, the tiles pop with vi-vid, kaleidoscopic effect.

Next, Hit the bricks. Each season a shape naturally emerges as a tile industry fa-vorite. Last year was the hexa-gon; this year is all about brick! From micro to macro, polished to rustic, and de-signs ranging from faithful interpretations of old brick walls and brick with mortar spills, to painted brick and marble and wood designs in a brick format.

Chevron chic. Drawing inspiration from an age-old pattern, designers will love dressing up floors and wa-lls with these eye-catching porcelains. From rustic and painted wood looks to resin, brick and stone, companies are producing chevron and herringbone tiles across all scales to create visually stri-king patterns that are easy to install.

Along the right lines. Thick and thin, vertical and hori-zontal, straight and intersec-ting, flat and three dimen-

DISCOVERING ELEVEN New CeramiC TreNds New formats are one of the trends that manufacturers are relying on, especially hexagonal shapes, which can be matched with more traditional format tiles

Some interesting and advanced proposals of 3D walls.

sional, linear designs are definitely in vogue with the ability to add depth, move-ment or focus to a room.

Objet d’art. One trend was embraced by several compa-nies around the world is the transformation of tile into objet d’art.

Soft spot. There was overwhelming warmth to the tile introductions this year, lending an undeniable softness to the hard surface. From designs with distressed and tactile effects (sandblas-ted marble, stripped wood and fabric) to warm shades, watercolor and velvety textu-res, it was a welcome reprie-ve from the minimal aesthe-tic of recent years.

CHROMATIC VARIATIONGreyscale. Despite the color’s recent meteoric rise in popular culture, grey has always been a modern designer’s best friend. And this year, an entire spectrum can be found in the latest Ita-lian tile introductions, from cooler slate tones to that perfect portmanteau of grey and beige. With the addition of texture, chromatic varia-tion and overlaid patterns, these tiles prove that you don’t need color to make a statement.

3D walls. With continuo-usly evolving technologies, caramic tile companies are able to create ceramic ti-

les with three dimensional folds, wavy ridges, raised geometry and asymmetrical profiles. Fitting these tiles together creates a three di-mensional wall with a sea-mless sculpted surface that naturally invites attention.

XXL FORMATSSuper size me. Tiles conti-nue to get bigger every year, bringing a torrent of new de-sign possibilities. Thin, large porcelain slabs - which can be used to cover all manner of surfaces including coun-tertops and furnishings - are now available in sizes up to 1x3 m.

Life aquatic. Conjuring images of Mediterranean life, a marine palette of greens and blues is perfect for a pop of color. From large-format and modern surface effects to more traditional shapes and motifs, these cool colors are bringing a coastal vibe to interiors.

Minimalist. Retro style con-tinue to be one of the biggest trends for next year, along with ceramic tiles inspired by wood tones. New forma-ts are one of the trends ma-nufacturers are relying on, especially hexagonal shapes, which can be matched with more traditional format tiles. Color palettes are softened or subdued in hues of grey and earthy tones, as well as hues of blue or green. H

With continuously evolving technologies, caramic tile companies are able to create ceramic tiles with 3D folds, wavy ridges,

raised geometry and asymmetrical profiles

design el Periódico del Azulejo September 201510

D iscover the latest in pavements!.Kerfloat is an in-novative system.

Its self-adhesive male/female puzzle-like pieces make ins-tallation simple and quick. This floating ceramic floor system is a unique, exclusive and ingenious solution for renovating and installing in-door flooring in record time. Without need for messy buil-ding work, dust and rubble.

Materials and tools needed to install Kerfloat; cutter and tile cutting machine; rubber trowel, spatula and sponge for application and cleaning of the gasket; kerastic exclu-sive sealing putty, appropria-te to the chosen color of the pavement; kerfix sided tape to the perimeter of the room;

KERFLOAT, FLOATing ceramic floor system Is a unique, innovative product ideal for renovating indoor floors in record time

commercial use. The surfa-ce must be totally flat and level. Do not install Kerfloat on surfaces that are uneven to more than 1 mm. per me-tre. Uneven surfaces must be prepared and levelled before installation.

Clean the surface and remove the remain s of any building work, dust or broken parts. Optionally, for rooms requir ing superior soundproofing against im-pact, we recommend Acous-tiv Plus, a 3 mm laminate with exceptional acoustic insulating properties, which increases the 17 dB achieved by conventional Kerfloat ins-tallations to 19 dB.

When installing Kerfloat always ensure that the male connectors are free to recei-

Discover the latest in pavements made by Azulev Group without need for messy building work, dust and rubble.

crosses of 1 mm. to facilitate alignment.

For new builds, renovatio-ns over existing tiles, terra-

zzo, marble, self-levelling... and any other construction surface. Kerfloat is suitable for both residential and

ve the female connectors of the adjoining tiles.

Position the first row of tiles on the double-sided ad-hesive tape, leaving a 5 mm gap between the tile and the wall. Press them down to en-sure they are fixed in place. Then add the following rows of tiles, removing the pro-tective paper from the con-nectors and pressing on the pieces as you fit them in. We recommend you use 1 mm tile separators for perfect alignment.

You can dry cut the tiles to fit into corners, around pillars, etc, with a diamond blade, then cut the Kerfloat sheet with a cutter. If you have a wet tile cutter you can use this, but you must dry the tiles before installing. H

Septiembre 2015 11el Periódico del Azulejo design

El grupo de almacenes de materialesde construcción líder en España

La importancia de irun paso por delanteIr un paso por delante nos permite afrontar con garantías la hipercompetencia de grandes superfícies y del cada día más presente e-commerce. Con Grup GAMMA vas un paso por delante frente a tu competencia, porque tienes las mejores condiciones de compra-venta del mercado, con más de 300 proveedores nacionales e internacionales a tu disposición. Con una Plataforma Logística de más de 20.000m2 que ofrece un servicio de entregas semanal de nuestras más de 10.000 referencias en tu almacén.

Vas un paso por delante cuando de forma exclusiva tienes acceso a las marcas propias del grupo en MODABAÑO, así como a los mejores productos y precios en cerámicas y materiales de construcción.

Vas un paso por delante cuando ofreces a tus clientes la Guía de Baños, una publicación de más de 250 páginas con los mejores productos y los mejores precios, de nuestras marcas propias y de las marcas líderes del sector. También cuando les ofreces la Guía Construcción, la única publicación de sus características en el mercado. Una publicación con más de 200 páginas que incluye la mayoría de referencias de materiales y herramientas para el profesional de la construcción ...O cuando ofreces nuestros especiales como la Guía Calor, un monográfico con todas las novedades en estufas, chimeneas, calefactores...Y muy pronto, nuevas publicaciones para ayudarte a poder impulsar tu negocio.

Vas un paso por delante cuando sabes que tienes a tu disponibilidad una web propia con e-commerce gestionada desde nuestra central. Vendemos para ti.

Vas un paso por delante y te diferencia, poder contar con el asesoramiento y la asesoría personalizada de los mejores profesionales y especialistas a la hora de implementar tu negocio, desde el diseño y montaje de tu punto de venta hasta la selección del producto, así como la gestión del marketing y la comunicación de tu negocio.

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No te quedes atrás. Da un paso adelante...

W hen Werner S c h l ü t e r d e v e l o p e d Schlüter-Schie-

ne –a profile for clean finis-hing edges of tile coverings– 40 years ago, no one could foresee that his idea would eventually turn into a global company with over 1,000 employees.

An idea occurred to Wer-ner Schlüter in 1975 during his daily work as a master tile in-staller. At the time, Schlüter was facing the cha-llenge of creating a clean finishing edge at the tran-sition from the tiles to the adjoining floor coverings in a bathroom with five doors. He also had to securely pro-tect the edges of a Florentine mosaic installed in the thin-set screed.

“I needed a solution,” Werner Schlüter recalls, “but such a product simply was not on the market at the time.” This prompted the master tile installer to address the development on his own. As he was thinking about the way his solution would meet these require-ments, he came up with the idea of an L-shaped, metal profile with a flat, wide, and perforated anchoring leg that could be embedded in the tile adhesive and a shor-ter, thicker leg that matched the height of the tile.

Using a drawing and the help of a toolmaker friend, Schlüter subsequently crea-ted the first prototype of the new product for an initial sample assembly and succe-ssful practical test.

Schlüter had no inkling that it was the starting point of a success story that has las-ted for over 40 years and that

schlüter, 40 years ofleadershipThe idea of ‘Schiene’ became the starting point for today’s product portfolio of 10,000 products

the trapezoid perforated an-choring leg. These additions made Schlüter-Schiene the trailblazer for movement joint profiles, another new introduction in the world of tiles, in 1985.

1,000 EMPLOYEESThus, the original idea of Schlüter-Schiene became the starting point for today’s product portfolio of over 10,000 products. With more than 1,000 employees wor-king at eight locations and in numerous service offices, Schlüter-Systems continues to provide reliable service to its domestic and internatio-nal customers for everything associated with the insta-llation of tiles and natural stone. By the way, this also continues to include the tile installation company where it all began: Fliesen-Schlüter continues to operate to this day and stays in direct con-tact with tile installation practitioners–to ensure all customers can have More fun with tiles”.

FUNCTIONALITY AND DESIGN Schlüter profiles offer an ideal combination of func-tionality and design. Our product portfolio includes profiles for finishing wall and floor coverings, stair no-sings, and profiles for expan-sion, perimeter, edge, and transition joints.

The company offers prac-tical and proven system so-lutions for waterproofing, uncoupling, drainage, and sound insulation of tiled co-verings. Whether indoors or outdoors, new construction or renovation, you are sure to find the right solution here. The Schlüter balcony

German multinational develops innovative installation systems for ceramic and natural stone tile.

several 100 million linear meters of Schlüter profiles would eventually be insta-lled worldwide. Although profile sales were originally intended as a “side line” to supplement the tile installa-tion business, they were ma-naged professionally from the start. The first profile series made of brass was defi-ned in five lengths for serial production.

ADDITIONAL hEIGhTS“We then turned to an adver-tising specialist to develop our first brochure and the product name Schlüter-Schie-ne” was born,” recounts

Werner Schlüter. To this day, tile installers make re-ference to M60, M80, M100, M125 and M150–the pro-duct designations of the first Schiene series, which can still be found in the company’s product portfo-lio. Additional heights–18.5 and 20 mm–were added in 1976, along with the first aluminium and anodised aluminium profiles.

The profile of innovation” has been another company motto not only promoted, but also actively turned into reality by Werner Schlüter, for example by integrating finishing legs with other shapes and functions into

The new facilities of Schlüter -Systems in Onda (Castellón-Spain).

system is a comprehensive product assortment of mat-ching finishing profiles and gutters as well as drainage, uncoupling, and waterpro-ofing systems.

Another Schluter solution is Bekotec, a floor assembly system that can be cons-tructed very quickly. It is thin and does not develop tensions. Using the heating components of Schlüter-Beko-tec-Therm, this system can be

used to install an effective heating system as a ceramic thermal comfort floor.

Schluter-Systems deve-lops products specifically for the tile industry to ensu-re that installations main-tain integrity and durabi-lity. The Schluter product line includes tile trims, un-coupling membranes, floor heating systems, water-proof building panels, and shower systems. H

Schluter profile pieces were

developed in 1975 by a German tile

setter named Werner Schlüter

Schluter-Systems offers a variety of training workshops across the world that are designed for industry-related professionals.

lay tile el Periódico del Azulejo September 201512

T he Gamma XD series by Durst re-presents a new ge-neration of 8-color

inkjet ceramic printers whi-ch impresses with its modu-larity and self-maintenance functions, in addition to its technological innovations.

The printing system can be configured with up to eight color rows and prin-ting widths from 319 to 957 mm as needed. Gamma 98 XD series is equipped with the latest Durst high-defini-tion print head technology with double ink circulation.

NEW iNkjET TEchNology BY DURST ‘The Gamma XD’ series offers high flexibility

Gamma XD convinces customers in the price/performance ratio.

The new “adaptive dot place-ment technology” achieves a native resolution of 300 dpi and prints with four graysca-le levels and droplet sizes up to 90 pl.

Optional print heads with large drop can be used for printing special effect inks (e.g. glossy, matte, luster (mother-of-pearl) etc.). In-telligent electronic print head level control ensures streak-free printing, high image quality and color ho-mogeneity across the entire printing width. Stable prin-ting behavior and long print

head life is ensured by a new print head cleaning system with long intervals, no ink loss and no purging of ink on the conveyor belt.

The Gamma 98 XD by Durst is equipped with com-prehensive and user-frien-dly printer software (64-bit Linux). The software offers high flexibility and a varie-ty of new functions, such as “Durst auto-texture” for the automatic creation of textu-res when using special effect inks. The mechanical design of the new Gamma 98 XD was also ergonomically refi-ned to further optimize the workflow.

The Gamma 98 XD featu-res a built-in remote diag-nostics function and offers

customers the option of carrying out all the regular maintenance and service work, including print head replacement, automatica-lly through user-guided processes. The Gamma 98 XD’s new print heads have a quick-adjustment feature which enables them to be replaced and set quickly and easily by the operator if need be. This reduces potential maintenance downtime to a minimum.

An overview of the advan-tages: up to 8 color rows; service-oriented machine design; state-of-the-art Durst high-definition print head technology; new print heads with quick-adjustment fea-ture for easy replacement. H

The ‘Gamma XD’ series represents a new generation of 8-color inkjet ceramic printers

Is equipped with the latest high-definition print head technology with double ink circulation

September 2015 13el Periódico del Azulejo industry

T ile of Spain, the brand represen-ting the Spanish ceramic industry,

which is famous the world over for its beautiful designs and finishes and high level of innovation, will have an information booth at the most representative fair for the world of architecture and decoration held in Fran-ce: Maison & Objet, in Paris.

Maison & Objet booth informative Tile of Spain which took place from 4 to 8 September in Paris. The booth had a product display area. The Spanish ceramic tiles which were presented there, belong to the follo-wing companies: Azulev, De-

promoTionalefforT in franceFrom 4 to 8 September Tile of Spain will have an information booth at Maison & Objet 2015

red a complete program of seminars targeted at prescri-bers in different locations:

1. London (United Kingdom), 22th October, “Ceramic Façades: New pos-sibilities, new finishes, new technologies”. The following companys were participants: Alea Experience, Ceracasa, Cerámica Mayor, Gres de Aragón, Levantina, Pamesa, Peronda, Roca, Rocersa, Salo-ni and TheSize.

2.- Moscow (Russian Fede-ration), 22th October, “Last ceramic trends and innova-tions”. The companies that will participate are the follo-wing: Azulev, Colorker, Gres de Aragón, Iberocerámica, Keraben, Mapisa, Pamesa, Pe-

Azulev Group will present its collections at Maison & Objet.

corativa, Cerámica Elias, Ce-vica, Dune Cerámica, Emac, Gres de Aragón, Levantina, Peronda, Realonda, Rosagres and Vives.

FOR PRESCRIBERS The school year has started and Tile of Spain has prepa-

ronda and Venus.3. Berlin (Germany), 29th

October, “Ceramic in com-mercial spaces”.

4.. Miami (United States), 28th October, “Last ceramic trends and innovations”. Pre-senters for the event include: Dr. Martin Bechthold, Profes-sor of Architectural Techno-logy/ Group Head, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University; and Ryan Fasan, Tile of Spain Consultant

Attendees will have the

opportunity mix and min-gle with Tile of Spain com-panies, experience Spanish good and wine, plus enter win a trip to Spain through the Tile of Spain Passport to Creativity contest.

Representatives from Tile of Spain companies Altto-glass, Emac Ibero Ceramica, Inalco, Levantina, Roca Tile and Rosa Gres will be on hand to present their latest innovations. AIA and IDCEC credits are available. H

Techlam by Levantina will attend the prestigious French fair.

cool design and usabilityin the new Krion website

Krion, the latest generation acrylic stone from Porcelanosa Grupo, has presented its new website (‘www.krion.es’). For the con-cept of this new website by the company, cutting edge design has been given high priority, according to such a modern and versatile, high-quality compact mineral. With great simplicity and appealing to so-briety, Krion Solid Surface is presented in an easy to use and very intuitive website format, with a predominance of white and its greyscale.

In addition to its clarity, the dominant white in web design pays homage to the star colour Krion Solid Surface, the Snow White, clear, natural and ultra-white. With easy na-vigation and easy access to each and every one of the elements that make up the web page, it can be said that the new Krion Solid Surface website is functional and accessible. At first glance and at the click of a mouse

on the homepage, it may be possible to know what Krion is all about, what its composition is, which properties and applications it has or what ambitious and demanding projects throughout the world have been installed.

But without doubt, one of the innovations offered by this new Krion website is the access through the web to all of the firm’s products through the BIM catalogue. A step forward for easy access to the architect’s or interior designer’s product can also be found through the page to know about which are the most suitable Solid Surfaces sheets for the project.

Interactivity is another of the premises, as well as responsive design or adaptation to every mobile device. The interactive experien-ce is based on the possibility offered to the professional to download catalogues, and visi-ting the Krion showroom with a 360 degrees interactive tour and even access to a search engine of outlets around the world. H

Tile of Spain will be at the most representative fair for the world of architecture and decoration

September 2015 15el Periódico del Azulejo industry