Design & Innovation

Features & Benefits: Ceramics

Underscoring its reputation for innovation, LAUFEN continuously creates premium products that bring the highest level of comfort and functionality to the bathroom.

Sanitary ware production: Tradition and innovation

The basic ingredients for making ceramics have always been naturally occurring raw materials: Kaolinite, clay, feldspar and quartz sand form the basis for this extremely durable and hard material. The individual components of this malleable material are combined, homogenised and cleaned as part of a unique and very protracted process at LAUFEN. The resulting slurry – the pourable starting mate rial for ceramics – is poured into pre-prepared plaster moulds or shaped using a special pouring process developed at LAUFEN. The formability and pourability of the material allows the creation of a wide variety of sanitary ware products, but nevertheless always poses a manufacturing challenge, especially when creating objects with complex geometries.

Dried and glazed blanks are then baked in a kiln at temperatures up to 1240°C. Such extreme kiln temperatures ensure the hardness and durability of our high-quality LAUFEN products. Ceramics, through their smooth, easy-to-clean surface, fulfil the highest hygiene standards – chemical acids, strong cleaning fluids or hydrochloric compounds hardly affect
the material. Due to its light fastness, versatility and pleasant appearance, ceramic is the most popular material used to manufacture high-quality sanitary fittings.

Top recycling qualities
Ceramic is the oldest malleable material used by mankind – and consists exclusively of naturally occurring raw materials. Ceramic is 100% recyclable and can be reintroduced into production processes as a ground powder or reused as a valuable raw material in other industries.

CERAMICS OR SYNTHETIC MATERIALS

Ceramic is the material which has been traditionally used in the bathroom over the centuries – and with good reason. The superiority of the material is evident, particularly in terms of hygiene, useful lifetime, environmental compatibility and durability. However, washbasins made of plastics and mineral-based cast materials are also available on the market, which present a design challenge to producers of sanitary ware. LAUFEN has always had a reputation as an innovator in the sanitary sector and is always striving to improve the materials and production techniques it uses. As a result of these efforts, new ceramic compositions have been developed that allow smaller tolerances and even more precise corner radii or large flat ceramic items. Made to measure washbasin solutions ensure that ceramic sanitary ware can be fitted with millimetre precision into bathroom floor plans. Ceramics therefore deliver outstanding performance in all respects.

The innovative and high-quality composition of SaphirKeramik bestows possibilities and versatility never seen before upon the base material, enabling exceptional shaping. Edge radii of 1–2 mm are thus technically feasible. The new type of ceramic is considerably harder and has an improved bending strength. LAUFEN is thus able to produce thinner ceramic bodies, which reduces weight and the consumption of raw materials and energy. SaphirKeramik is not a replacement for any of the existing materials; instead, it broadens the range of forms of expression of the natural base material.

LCC Laufen Clean Coat

This innovative ceramic surface finish is a vitreous silicate ceramic coating on top of the original glaze. LCC is an extremely hard, indeed almost indestructible indivisible part of the ceramic object to which it is applied. The benefits of this process: With a roughness of only 4 nanometers, LCC is entirely free of pores. Thanks to this feature, lime, dirt and bacteria have
practically nowhere to gain a foothold – and even if they do, they can be removed much more easily. A hydrophilic effect caused by the material ensures that dirt particles are more easily washed away on flushing. In addition, cleaning and disinfection fluids spread over the surface more easily and thus work more effectively.

This is an ideal solution for the rigorous demands of everyday cleaning – for example in hotels or clinics – as LCC also means the sanitary ware is highly resistant to aggressive cleaning agents and chemicals. LCC ensures the highest standard of cleanliness and hygiene in the long-term. Even after years of use, the sanitary ware remains smooth and shiny, just as it was when it was brand new, in private bathrooms and public and semi-public areas.

Laufen Clean Coat LCC was awarded the iF material design award and nominated for the German Design Award.

LAUFEN EasyFit

LAUFEN has developed a revolutionary wall fixation system for WCs, bidets and urinals. A patent has been lodged. The invisible, easy to mount fixation system meets the needs of both fitters and end users. For example, end users are impressed by a ceramic WC with a flawless surface which is really easy to clean since there’s nowhere for dirt to hide. Fitters are enthusiastic about the time-saving, intuitive mounting system.

 

COMFORTABLE LOWERING SYSTEM

Thanks to our convenient lowering system many of our WC covers and seats close gently and quietly. For easier cleaning, all LAUFEN seats can be removed with a simple hand movement.
LAUFEN seats have been comprehensively tested: amongst others the test includes opening and closing 50,000 times.

VARIO OUTLET

The installation dimensions of WCs are not always identical: In many renovation situations the LAUFEN Vario outlet can make it easier to connect the WC to the sewage network. Both horizontal and vertical outlet wall clearances of up to 305 mm for washdown are possible.

Without flushing rim

Most of the bowls of the new LAUFEN WCs are rimless. There’s no longer anywhere for dirt and deposits to hide; instead, thanks to an innovative and powerful flushing system, everything’s flushed cleanly away with both the 6/3-litre version and the 4.5/3 litre version. Both public toilets and private bathrooms can benefit from the easy cleaning and great hygiene of this system.

WATER SAVING WCs

The latest generation of LAUFEN water-saving WCs are optimised to a full flushing volume of 4.5 litres of water. Compared to today’s 6/3 litre Dual-Flush these models provide substantial water savings. With an average of 5,000 flushes per WC per year, the yearly water saving is at least 6,000 litres, or more than 27,000 litres if we take into consideration that 9 or even 12 litremodels are still in use. LAUFEN WCs marked with the green 4.5/3L logo are not only fulfilling the requirements defined in the harmonized standard EN 997 Class 1 Type 5 and Class 2 (that cover the whole European territory), but also fulfill the challenging Australian requirements of SAI/Wels 4 Stars. For Laufen the European water label is the most reliable and transparent way for consumers and professionals to clearly appreciate the potential regarding the reduction of water consumption. LAUFEN toilets, cisterns and urinals are developed to reach the highest level of water saving performance. Please note that a suitable downstream drainage system must be built for this kind of water-saving WCs. In case of restrictions of the existing drainage system or local regulations LAUFEN WCs marked with green 4.5/3L logo can also be flushed with standard 6 litre flushing volume.

Flushing mechanisms

The flushing mechanism is the heart of every cistern from LAUFEN. In order to exceed current standards, the engineers of the Swiss bathroom specialist set themselves the highest quality goals during their extensive development programme.

This is also confirmed by the certifications e.g. by LGA and Q Plus. During development it was ensured that the flushing mechanisms were prepared for future development and were completely backwards compatible. Replacing “old for new” is thus no problem for sanitary technicians. The water supply options also offer flexibility, as they can be attached at the side, at the rear or from below.

The love of detail is proven by the elegant, independent design of the chrome-plated flush mechanism. The flushing mechanisms are produced completely within the European Union. Spare parts management and service are fully undertaken by LAUFEN.

Intelligent Control System

The intelligent control system has different modes and can trigger cleaning after each user or at defined intervals with different flush quantities of between 0.5 and 3 litres. Following long periods of non-use, a hygiene flush takes place every 24 hours by default. There is also an integrated overflow protection function in case the drain hole becomes blocked.

Hybrid mode
The urinal flushes at a predefined interval if usage is detected, and not after every single use. The flushing interval can be set to six different values between 1 h and 12 h. A predefined flushing volume is assigned to each flushing interval.

0-LITRE URINAL

The LAUFEN Lema 0-litre urinal saves water and money. It operates without water and does not require a water shutoff device or electricity to keep the drain closed. The urine itself helps to keep gases sealed in and to prevent their escape. The principle behind this “trap” is known in the chemical industry as the Erlenmeyer flask.

Made-to-measure sanitary ware

Many large LAUFEN washbasins can be manufactured made-to-measure at the factory. Using this innovative production technology, we can manufacture sanitary ware to fit the plan of your bathroom. The ceramic piece can be cut to size – even on the diagonal.

SOUND INSULATION SETS

The bathroom is private. So that it stays that way, LAUFEN provides sound insulation sets, consisting of specialised foam and rubber elements for its washbasins and wall-mounted WCs. These elements considerably reduce the amount of noise due to usage and functions that passes through the wall into neighbouring rooms. Depending on the structural situation, a sound reduction of up to 9 decibels can be achieved, which means that noise is reduced by almost half. These sets have been tested against DIN 4109 and certified by Fraunhofer.

  • 89269.1 sound insulation set for washbasins up to 80 cm
  • 89269.2 sound insulation set for washbasins of 80 –100 cm
  • 89269.3 sound insulation set for washbasins of 110 –180 cm
  • 89269.4 sound insulation set for EasyFit fixation system