'Niche Insignia' collection perfectly replicates natural stone and wood surfaces

Rocell, Sri Lanka's undisputed leader in surface coverings and bathware, recently launched a stunning and exclusive collection that is a first of its kind in Sri Lanka. 'Niche Insignia' offers to those with a discerning design palate a range of surface coverings that perfectly replicates natural stone and wood surfaces.

"The collection is unique in that it is a reproduction of natural material such as wood, marble, cement and concrete with exceptional natural detail such as crevices, cavities and veins", notes Tharana Thoradeniya, Director Marketing and Business Development of Royal Ceramics. "In effect what we are offering through 'Niche Insignia', are surface covering solutions that have the aesthetic values of natural material with the technological advantages of porcelain tiles", he notes.

Through perfect replication, 'Niche Insignia' pushes the standard of design and performance to the highest levels. "The collection has been inspired by the design trends for 2013", says Thoradeniya, " with art-deco making a comeback in the upcoming year, natural materials, metals and floral as well as fashion designs are on the list of high appeal looks on the global design stage", he explains. "Through 'Niche Insignia' we hope to bring these international design trends alive for our customers both in Sri Lanka as well as in export markets", he adds.

The collection is a first of its kind for Sri Lanka, specifically because it is the outcome of a technological innovation that is state of the art. Rocell has a reputation for infusing the most modern technological advancements into its production process. The Company's position of leadership hinges heavily on its drive for technological and design innovation. "We have always depended on technological transfer to keep pace with developments in the global surface covering industry", notes Nimal Perera, Managing Director of Royal Ceramics. " So, our decision to adopt the most modern, sophisticated and advanced tile decoration technology available in the world was a continuation of our strategy to innovate by keeping pace with global production trends", notes Perera. " We invested approximately Rs. 300 million in the acquisition of Digital Ink Infused Technology from the world's best technology providers for this purpose - Creta Print of Spain and Durst of Germany -", he further adds.

Digital Ink Infused Technology is the most advanced tile decoration technology currently available in the world. It involves High Definition (HD) printing at a resolution of 600 dpi and has the capacity to deposit 70 Pico liters per dot. The technology also allows for the infusion of printing inks into the ceramic which is further stabilized by a glaze. The technology itself is the outcome of over fifteen years of R&D by the global ceramics industry. It utilises ink jet technology to reproduce the entirety of the colour spectrum and the technology also facilitates high intensity, high quality ink infusion whilst the inks employed can withstand much higher temperatures during the kiln firing process.

This new decoration technology places Rocell in a position to recreate any natural surface design from marble, granite, limestone to wood, cement and concrete with the exact replication of colours, veins, tonality, hues and shades. It also supports the reproduction of patterns and designs such as fashion and floral.

But most importantly, through Digital Ink Infused Technology, Rocell now has the capacity to customize unique designs as per the inspiration and creative requirements of its customers. "For those design savvy, discerning home-makers, architects and interior designers who are seeking unique surface covering solutions for their spaces, we have the capability to create one of a kind design solutions that are exclusive and limited edition", notes Thoradeniya.

But as Thoradeniya points out, the adoption of Digital Ink Infused Technology will also assist Rocell to play a bigger role from a sustainability perspective. " We are hopeful that through the introduction of this technology to Sri Lanka and the launch of 'Niche Insignia' we will be able to positively impact on the preservation of natural materials across the globe. We are well aware that continued demand for natural stones and wood is placing great stress on the earth's natural assets, and given the twinned benefits of functional superiority and authentic aesthetic appeal of our collection, customers will be more empathic towards making a sustainable purchase, he concludes.