The Swiss bathroom specialist Laufen continues to innovate, now presenting Sentec, a mineral material which can be used for bathtubs and shower trays, as well as for the realisation of individual designs created by architects or designers.
Sentec is a new mineral composite material from Laufen, combining a multitude of product properties, which make the material predestined for use in bathrooms. The name, which is a combination of the words ‘sensual’ and ‘technical’, perfectly captures the advantages of the material: Since Sentec is polished again and again in multiple work sequences, its velvety shiny surface feels warm and pleasant to the touch – a real pleasure for the skin when bathing, for example.
Under the shower, too, the surface demonstrates its strengths with the material’s non-slip properties, which give the user a secure feeling. Optically Sentec provides a sensual impression, because it can be produced in numerous colour variations – although until now Laufen has concentrated completely on white in its collections, for example Val, Ino, Il Bagno Alessi One, Kartell by Laufen and the Palomba Collection. In addition, the Sentec surface is anti-bacterial, easy-to-clean, resistant to chemicals, UV-resistant and robust even when temperatures vary greatly.
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Angular corners and demanding shapes are possible. The technical advantages of Sentec become clear when we take a look at the production of the material: During a fast production process a homogeneous mixture of different minerals is cast in a mould under high pressure, and then heated in a furnace until it hardens. Thus even sharp-angled corners and demanding shapes without joints, which would be impossible in ceramics, are possible – for example for freestanding bathtubs.
A further advantage of Sentec is that the bathtub has a single wall, and can be created in one casting, instead of with a double wall as is usual in the case of bathtubs produced using conventional materials. The Sentec bathtubs from Laufen, for example from the new Val or Ino bathroom collections, thus weigh far less, yet feature an integrated overflow and are installed in a conventional way.
A further advantage of Sentec is the possibility of reworking products made of the material at a later date: Thus surfaces made of the material can be cut to size individually, or the fitter can make holes for faucets using conventional tools. With the assistance of a repair kit even light damage, scratches or stains can easily be repaired.
