SANITARY WARE
Sanitary ware
production: Tradition
and innovation
The basic ingredients for making ceram-
ics 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 malle-
able material are combined, homogenised
and cleaned as part of a unique and very
protracted process at LAUFEN. The result-
ing slurry – the pourable starting material
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 manufac-
turing 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 clean-
ing fluids or hydrochloric compounds
hardly affect the material. Due to its light
fastness, versatility and pleasant appear-
ance, 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 exclu-
sively of naturally occurring raw materials.
Ceramic is 100% recyclable and can be
reintroduced into production processes
as a ground powder or reused as a valu-
able 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 materi-
als 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 tech-
niques it uses. As a result of these efforts,
new ceramic compositions have been
developed that allow smaller toleranc-
es 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. Ce-
ramics therefore deliver outstanding
performance in all respects
A revolution in the
formal language
of ceramics
The innovative and high-quality compo-
sition of SaphirKeramik bestows pos-
sibilities and versatility never seen be-
fore 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
Hygiene
Recycling
Freedom of
design
Integration into the bathroom
Resistance to
environment
Durability
Ease of
cleaning
Price
Sanitary ceramics
Mineral / Synthetic material
SaphirKeramik
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