It looks like real glass, but it isn’t. The glass laminate RAUVISIO crystal has many ad-vantages over glass, from break-resistance through to flexibility.

Until now, RAUVISIO crystal and the extra-thin version RAUVISIO crystal slim were only available in three high-gloss colours. For interzum 2015, REHAU has added another five timeless colours. REHAU has also added matt finishes to the range.

In demand in the furniture industry: Glass

Glass gives furniture a touch of elegance and quality, whether in the kitchen, bathroom or living room. Glass is favoured in particular in combination with wood and wood decors. When brought together, both materials generate a charismatic effect. Almost every furniture manufacturer has products in its portfolio that use glass. The door industry and the creative shopfitting and interior design sectors also appreciate the value of glass.

REHAU presented the innovative glass laminate RAUVISIO crystal two years ago at interzum 2013. Since then, interest and demand have been very high, and no wonder: RAUVISIO crystal combines the optical elegance of glass with the uncomplicated processing properties of polymer materials.

RAUVISIO crystal has no disadvantages, just a host of advantages

RAUVISIO crystal is a glass laminate for covering vertical front panels and can therefore be used for various applications. Unlike glass, it can be cut and drilled at any time. If required, han-dles can be attached even after the furniture has been assembled on site. This means storage time can be kept to a minimum. With real glass, impact and break-sensitivity mean high levels of scrap. RAUVISIO crystal excels due to its break-resistance that is 10 times higher than that of glass. And as if that weren’t enough, it is also about 50% lighter.

Another disadvantage of glass is the amount of cleaning it needs. Dirt visibly accumulates at the joint between glass pane and edgeband. This is not the case with REHAU’s glass laminate:

The material unites with the laser-finished edgeband to form a total seamless integration. This solution has already won many awards: RAUVISIO crystal and the right edgeband in glass de-sign RAUKANTEX visions Duo-Design laser were given the “red dot Design Award – honourable mention 2013” and the “interzum award 2013” for high product quality.

Thanks to its UV lacquer, RAUVISIO is highly scratch-resistant, and the edgeband-finished parts are TÜV certified. They also meet AMK requirements regarding temperature, steam and alternating climate resistance.

In addition to the endless processing options for customer-specific cuts and drilling holes for fittings, RAUVISIO crystal can also be bent into almost any shape. And even for free-form parts, there are hardly any limitations: edgebanded curves can be realised quickly using RAUVISIO components. The same applies to milled sections, such as for back-lighting RAUVISIO elements later on, or inserting inlays.

RAUVISIO crystal slim: Extra thin and honoured with the “interzum award 2015”

Shortly after the market launch of RAUVISIO crystal, the extra-thin version RAUVISIO crystal slim was introduced for splash backs, wall cladding and front panel filling. Furthermore, the laminate is pressed directly with the balancing sheet without an MDF core. With regard to processing properties, RAUVISIO crystal slim is in no way inferior to even the toughest glass laminate. It is especially suited to the renovation of mirror tiles, amongst others in wet areas. Because it can be easily worked with all standard woodworking tools, on-site cuts are possible at any time, just as with RAUVISIO crystal. In addition to its elegant laminate construction of a mere four millimetres, RAUVISIO crystal slim is also light. The extra-thin glass laminate was recently honoured with the “interzum award 2015” in the “High Product Quality” category.

REHAU adds five new colours to its product range

Until now, RAUVISIO crystal was made available by REHAU in three colours: Bianco, Perla and Magnolia. The range has been extended for interzum by five colour: Corniola (red), Menta (green), Azzuro (blue), Fumo (grey) and Sabbia (beige). This is in no way an arbitrary selection. REHAU entrusted the colour researcher, designer and colour artist Professor Axel Venn with the task of developing a new colour range.

REHAU’s objective for the new RAUVISIO crystal colour range was quickly apparent: The colour shades should be timeless. The colours need to be suitable for a wide variety of settings, from private spaces such as bathroom, kitchen and interior design all the way to objects in hotels and offices, and they must also work well across national borders, of course. Professor Venn created a total of five colours that were then presented to a large audience via online and face-to-face surveys. People were asked to sort all the colour shades by attractiveness and rate them individ-ually. Over 2,400 participants were involved worldwide. The majority expressed a preference for the series of the colours Corniola, Menta, Azzurro, Fumo and Sabbia. The colours are perfect for large surfaces and work excellently with other colour shades, patterns and materials such as wood, stone and metal. The colours themselves can be combined to become a “harmonische Komplizenschaft” (literally: harmonious accomplices), as Professor Venn calls it.

High-gloss or rather matt?

In addition to the depth effect of the high-gloss look, matt designs of RAUVISIO crystal and RAUVISIO crystal slim will be presented for the first time at interzum 2015 – and in all eight col-ours of the range.

Delivery as you expect it

RAUVISIO crystal is available at various added-value levels to enable craftsmen – from joiners, to shopfitters through to furniture and door manufacturers – to satisfy all their customers’ demands. Customers can choose between three services:

1. Purchasing individual components such as laminate, balancing sheet and edgeband for in-house processing

2. Purchasing pressed large size boards

3. Configuring individual laser-edgebanded front panels from a quantity of one unit

Every individual component – high-gloss or matt laminate, balancing sheet or the perfect edge-band – may be ordered separately. Each colour has its own, individually developed balancing sheet in embossed design that ensures optimal freedom from distortion. REHAU offers perfectly colour-coordinated edgeband designs for creating the perfect look that can be ordered in zero-joint quality if desired. For example, RAUKANTEX visions Duo-Design, an edgeband with a transparent leg to create the appearance of a filigree glass pane. And RAUKANTEX color, a solid coloured uni edgeband that effects its glass look by means of a 45° chamfer.

In addition to the individual components, REHAU also delivers pressed large size boards on request.

Those who do not want to manufacture custom-made, laser-edgebanded front panels themselves can easily select the right component online using the REHAU surface configurator and place single-unit orders and upwards. At www.rehau.de/oberflaechenkonfigurator, it takes just seven steps to get to your perfect custom-made front panel.