GLASSEXTRA
OVERSEAS NEWS
Viracon has announced the latest addition to their decorative glass portfolio. DigitalDistinctions™ is a digital printing solution that enables a building designer to insert their artistic expressions into a glass façade. Combining the durability of ceramic inks with the versatility of digital printing, DigitalDistinctions provides one proven solution for all glass-printing applications. It enables a vast selection of colors to be applied to a single lite of glass, and is highly customizable to high-resolution images, patterns, text, textures, dots and lines – just to name a few. DigitalDistinctions offers supreme predictability, repeatability and ceramic ink durability, with the added benefits of UV resistance, transparency and scratch resistance. In addition, Viracon’s solar control coatings can be applied directly over the digital image – a turnkey competency for which Viracon is well-known. “This new technology allows architects and designers to see every building as a blank canvas,” says Kevin Anez, Director of Marketing and Product Management.
‘see every building as a blank canvas’
Slow ahead in 2013 but grounds for optimism, says sealants company
Peter Thompson, general manager UK of ISO-Chemie, is optimistic that the foam sealants market in 2013 will remain stable in the face of low expectations for growth. There’s no doubt that trading conditions continue to be difficult, and cost pressures remain, says Thompson, whose company supplies foam sealant technology for public and private sector projects alongside window and door installers. “At the start of 2012 many in the sector were looking forward to better times but it’s turned out to be more economically challenging than predicted,” he says. I think people are more realistic about 2013 and believe that the months ahead will be slightly better than 2012. However, no-one is going to get rich quick; it’ll be more about coming to terms with the changes imposed on the industry and slowly creeping forward.” The amount of change being imposed on the construction industry is “astounding”, he says, pointing to mandatory CE Marking in 2013 and ongoing amendments to new building regulations that are shaking confidence and causing uncertainty.“House builders are still struggling to come to terms with building to 2006 standards never mind getting to grips with those changes that came into force in 2010. Wales has come up with its own version of the building regulations and landfill policies. But these are spilling over into parts of England, causing further confusion for those companies struggli �rF�6��ǒv�F�&�F�&VwV�F���2�&�r�VF6�Rf�"��Vf7GW&W'2������rF�7Wǒ&�GV7G2��F�&�F��&�WG2�( ���R�6�F�fR�R��v�Ɩv�G2�2F�B�V�&W"�b��Vf7GW&��r6���W2Ɩ�R�4�6�V֖R�&VG��fRF�R�V6W76'�7F�F&G2�7V6�24R�&���r�BUB���6R�( �vR6�&�fR��rvR6�76�7BF�R��GW7G'�F��VWBV�W&w�6f��r7F�F&G2�v�F��WB�&֖�rF�RV�f�&���V�B�6V��B6���W2Ɩ�RW2�fR�V�&W"�b&�GV7G2F�BF�W�7FǒF��2�7V�F&�Rf�"&V��fF�����Wr'V��B�6V�b�'V��B�BWfV�76�f�W2�6��b��R&R7G'VvvƖ�rf�"�Wr6��WF���2F��VWB�Wr7F�F&G2�vWB��6��F7BF�6VR��rvR6��V��( Р�D�%�DDU0�6��"�vW"T�&�G6��w2v���F�R�6RBF�Rf����v��rfV�VW2F�&�Vv��WBfV''V'���F�W'6F�rfV''V'�g&�F�RfV''V'�F�W'6F�#�fV''V'���6�F�v�&�&6V6�W'6R�7W'&W��g&�F��fV''V'���F��'6�&6V6�W'6R���'F���&�6��&P�vVF�W6F�#fV''V'���W�WFW"&6V6�W'6R�FWf�ࠤ�֖�F��&6V6�W'6R��"v�6v�p�F�W'6F�BfV''V'���Ɩ&W'G�7FF�V��7v�6V�vVF�W6F�#rfV''V'�����G&VR&6V6�W'6R�ƗfW'������V�6W7FW"&6V6�W'6R��V�6W7FW'6��&P��f�"��&RFWF��2� ���V��â7F�V�&�D6��&�VF��6��V���s ��dT"#0��F�&VB��&R�f�6�Bwwr�6�V'f�Wr�V��6�Р��