Material and three-dimensional effects for large surfaces

“One Brand Infinite Solutions” is the slogan that will once again be used to identify Colorobbia’s product offerings this year, focusing in particular on the two aspects of materials and sustainability.

The Italy-based multinational plans to continue its R&D investments in the Forma Plus and Air Evolution series.

In the production of most ceramic surfaces (including large sizes), reliefs and micro-reliefs are now created digitally so as to align perfectly with the graphics and other decorative applications. Finishes produced using Forma Plus optimise the performance of the finished tile or slab and achieve material and three-dimensional effects before and/or after digital decoration, even when starting out from a totally smooth surface.

The Forma Plus series includes Extra Glazes (digital water-based glazes), Graffiti (sets of inks with water-repellent effects) and Neogrits Collection (grits and special grits). The ability to combine different types of structures digitally using grits and water-repellency effects allows for the development of exclusive designs.

Colorobbia continues to invest in digital innovation and sustainability, focusing in particular on its flagship Air Evolution and Extra Glazes series. These two mutually compatible product ranges are designed to enable ceramic tile manufacturers to develop and scale up fully digital projects while minimising environmental impact.

Air Evolution includes a set of low-emission solvent-based and/or water-based digital inks that display excellent levels of performance during the decoration and firing processes. This series allows for the reduction of emissions and odours in any laydown configuration. The innovative Air series includes a set of digital glues formulated with latest-generation solvents that optimise the productivity.

In addition, Colorobbia has expanded its microgrit range with the introduction of Microtech, a ready-to-use solution that reduces start-up times and standardises technical surface finishes. This range includes microgrits suitable for obtaining various types of finish and performance characteristics.

This enables Colorobbia to meet today’s requirements in terms of colouring large size and design surfaces, where tile thicknesses affect certain technical characteristics. For this purpose, the company has developed various pigment ranges to overcome issues of dimensional stability and colour intensity. Within this same product segment, the company has also carried out research aimed at developing body formulations that minimise the quantity of free quartz, a substance that can cause severe problems when cutting slabs.