Over the past 12 months, Ritec International’s Marketing Partner in Norway, OverflateXperten, have been busy applying the ClearShield Eco-System® in the municipality of Lillestrøm, 20km (12.5 miles) northeast of the capital Oslo.

Bergen-based OverflateXperten have many years of experience applying the ClearShield Eco-System® for the renovation, protection and maintenance of glass. ClearShield®, the durable protective element of the System, upgrades glass to ‘non-stick’, easy-clean ClearShield Eco-Glass®. Its low-maintenance surface resists staining and discolouration and keeps glass looking like new for longer.

A new-build apartment block was the first in a string of buildings in central Lillestrøm that have had the external glass upgraded to ClearShield Eco-Glass®. Around 850m² of glass was treated on-site to begin with last year, and more recently a further 1,825m² was treated.

The developers have clearly fallen in love with the benefits of ClearShield® as now they are considering treatment to the internal face of the ground floor windows. The high-end apartment complex contains a spa, restaurant, boutique and a hotel room on each floor, and ClearShield® will significantly help maintain the pristine appearance.

Adjacent to the apartment block, there is much redevelopment work going on; specifically, a complex consisting of six older buildings were demolished and recently rebuilt. OverflateXperten treated glass on the ground floor of this new complex totalling 200m², with more areas to come.

Furthermore, there are plans for several more buildings in the area to have ClearShield® treatment in the near future. It looks like Lillestrøm will be OverflateXperten’s new home for quite a while!

For more information on OverflateXperten, visit www.overflatexperten.no.

It is with much sadness that AST srl – Ritec International’s official Marketing Partner for Italy – has permanently closed its doors for business. AST’s owner, Mr Massimo Lunetti, recently retired after a long and fruitful partnership with Ritec International spanning 22 years.

Massimo Lunetti (left foreground) with Ritec’s international network of Marketing Partners in 2016

Ritec International would like to thank Massimo for his many years of loyal and dedicated service and we are sure you will join us in wishing him a long, happy, and fulfilling retirement.

As a strong champion for ClearShield® ‘non-stick’ easy-clean glass surface technology, Massimo’s greatest achievements include on-site applications to the tallest building in Bologna, Torre Unipol, and the Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena.

Going forward, we are in the process of appointing a new Marketing Partner in Italy. In the meantime, Ritec Services – Ritec International’s subsidiary based in the Netherlands – will be handling all enquiries from Italy.

Late last year, we announced that we were transitioning our plastic packaging to PCR which is better for the environment. We are delighted to let you know that we have completed our Phase 2 so all our consumer trigger spray bottles are now PCR30 (Post-Consumer Recycled 30%)!

This takes the percentage of our PCR usage to around 80% of our plastic packaging requirements, a substantial and positive change.

Martin Burkett, Ritec’s General Manager comments: “This is a great achievement from an environmental point of view. These new trigger spray bottles will function exactly the same as our previous ones so the end-consumer can be reassured there is no performance change there. The consumer may notice a slight colour difference, perhaps a blue, brown or even red tinge, but at the end of the day, they are all greener!”

Martin continues: “So now that is two of our most widely used packaging converted to PCR30, Phase 1 being the transition of our 500ml cylindrical bottles to PCR. We are still committed to converting the rest of our plastic packaging as and when they become available and hope to achieve this within the next year.”

At the recent Glasstec in Düsseldorf, Germany, the world’s largest glass show, Ritec International, Ritec Services and Flexotec GmbH all enjoyed a highly successful show. For the first time, Ritec International, based in the UK, joined forces with its subsidiary in the Netherlands, Ritec Services, and long-time Marketing Partner Flexotec in Germany to have a combined presence at Glasstec.

Glasstec 2022 was hugely-anticipated for the glass industry. The show is normally held every two years but the pandemic and subsequent global lockdown meant this was the first one since 2018. Ritec International, Ritec Services and Flexotec GmbH could not wait to be back!

On the stand was the brand new ClearPad™ VPIR-200 automatic machine for the pad application of ClearShield® ‘non-stick’, easy-clean glass surface protection. The live demonstrations showed exactly how the high-speed pad application works. Designed for large volume glass processors, VPIR-200 generated significant amounts of interest thanks to Glasstec’s international audience and profile.

Also promoted on the stand was QuickSpray 300™, a small kit designed to quickly apply ClearShield®, perfect for lower volume glass processors and glass artists. Again, this was well-received.

Ritec Services used the Glasstec platform to promote the ClearShield Eco-System® as a solution to renovate, protect and maintain contaminated glass on-site, bringing them back to new. They also showcased Sealed Edge™, effective protection for the edges of laminated glass from delamination.

Meanwhile, Flexotec promoted their complete integrated solution to design, supply, and protect shower doors. This consists of powerful Smart-Builder 3D software developed specially for frameless glass constructions, Ritec ClearShield® ‘non-stick’, easy-clean surface protection and Poseidon shower fittings and hinges that combine beautiful aesthetics with top-end performance.

Combined with the successful afternoon stand parties, where visitors networked in a relaxed atmosphere with complimentary drinks and snacks and music, it can be said Glasstec 2022 will be a show to remember for Ritec International, Ritec Services and Flexotec!

An atrium and rooflights in a North London property were all renovated and protected with the ClearShield Eco-System® recently, effectively bringing back the original sparkle.

Unsightly silicone run-off and other contaminants spoilt the look of the glass but thanks to Ritec’s On-Site Application Team, they got the surfaces looking like new again with The ClearShield Eco-System®.

With decades of proven track records, The System removes any contamination on the surface prior to the application of the ClearShield® protective treatment. Award-winning ClearShield® is not a coating and will never crack, peel or discolour. Instead, it is a truly unique polymer-based surface technology that actually bonds with the glass, giving it excellent durability. The result is ‘non-stick’ ClearShield Eco-Glass® that is easier clean, resistant to all kinds of contamination and keeps the glass looking like new for longer.

With over 40 years of experience, Ritec ClearShield® is proven in all kinds of glass applications, including architectural, residential, showers, splashbacks and marine. So if you don’t want to struggle with keeping glass clean, visit www.ritec.co.uk for more about our ‘non-stick’, easy-clean glass solutions.

We have launched our new end-consumer ClearShield.biz website! At ClearShield.biz, residents in the UK and Ireland can buy our range of Ritec After-Care products, Clear-Vision™ Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Kits and other glass cleaning accessories.

Following customer feedback, the new website is much easier to navigate plus has many new features. Apart from the usual shower registration and online shop functions, users can now create an account so they can view their order history, manage addresses and save credit and debit card details, saving time from future form-filling!

Homeowners in the UK and Ireland that have a new shower protected with award-winning ‘non-stick’, easy-clean ClearShield Eco-Glass® can register their shower on the new website to activate its warranty. They can also buy our best-selling After-Care for Shower Glass cleaner to maintain the warranty and keep the glass sparkling for longer. After-Care for Shower Glass is available in handy trigger spray bottles, as well as economical refill bottles. Our popular and highly-effective Limescale Remover is also available in these two pack options.

The secure online store is simplified so it is easier to find the product you want. More payment options are now accepted too, including American Express and Apple Pay.

There is also downloadable information on how to care for your ClearShield-protected glass at home, be it shower glass, decorative glass, other interior glass or exterior glass.

Why not visit www.ClearShield.Biz now and see the range of specialist products for use in and around the home?

Yet again it gives Ritec International great pleasure in announcing that we have successfully re-certified our ISO 9001:2015 and 14001:2015 certifications. This ensures our commitment to the customer, product and service quality, health and safety and continuous improvement is of the highest standard.

This year’s ISOQAR audit was conducted over two days by Alcumus Senior Lead Auditor Ian Thomas. In conclusion, he noted within his report that “The Company was able to provide a high level of operational evidence to support the Organisation’s compliance to the requirements of the ISO9001:2015 and ISO14001:2015 standards via a range of processes audited during this re-certification audit. No issues of non-conformance were identified during the on-site audit.”

He also noted: “The Company’s approach in operating its management systems was seen to provide an effective overall framework to support the achievement of continual improvement, with supporting documented information maintained to support the maintenance and delivery of operational performance to ensure that service delivery remains compliant with specified internal requirement.”

Martin Burkett AIIRSM, Ritec’s General Manager, was ably assisted throughout the audit again by consultant Wayne Saul of Concept Quality Management Systems UK Ltd. Martin says: “I would like to say to Wayne and the whole of the Ritec team this: without everyone’s input this wouldn’t be possible, showing that processes that Stephen and Karen Byers [Ritec’s founders] introduced all those years ago still work today and complement those introduced since we first entered into the ISO process some 14 years ago. So well done team!”

Ritec International, along with our exhibiting partners Ritec Services and Flexotec GmbH, will be introducing the brand new ClearPad™ VPIR-200 application machine at the Glasstec show in Düsseldorf, Germany later this month.

The Ritec ClearPad™ VPIR-200 is the most economical and efficient automated method of vertically pad-applying Ritec ClearShield® ‘non-stick’, easy-clean surface treatment to glass.

The VPIR-200™ is truly game-changing. By combining the most efficient application method using pads with an infrared pre-heating unit for instant curing, the result is that a staggering 120 linear metres (almost 395 linear feet) of glass can be consistently treated with ClearShield® per hour.

Aimed at new or existing large-volume glass processors, ClearPad™ VPIR-200 fits the bill as it significantly reduces production time, handling and labour costs. Pad application means there is minimal wastage and no airborne particulates. Its small footprint size means it ticks all the boxes!

With over 40 years of proven experience, Ritec’s ClearShield Eco-System® upgrades ordinary glass surfaces to ‘non-stick’, easy-clean ClearShield Eco-Glass®. This special type of glass has many benefits:

• Resists staining and discolouration

• Makes ordinary, unprotected glass easier to clean and keep clean

• Glass looks like new for longer

• Improves hygiene, as it is independently proven to resist the adherence of bacteria

Visit stand 10/D51 at Glasstec and ask for a demonstration!

Ritec International will be joining forces with our subsidiary Ritec Services in the Netherlands and distributor Flexotec GmbH in Germany to exhibit at the world’s biggest glass show, Glasstec 2022 in Düsseldorf, Germany, this September.

After a four-year absence due to the pandemic, all three companies – with many years’ success working together as a big family – are excited to be back at Glasstec. Collectively we will promote the benefits of the ClearShield Eco-System® for the renovation, ‘non-stick’, easy-clean protection and maintenance of glass as well as market other glass-related products and services.

With over 40 years of proven experience, Ritec’s ClearShield Eco-System® upgrades ordinary glass surfaces to ‘non-stick’, easy-clean ClearShield Eco-Glass®. This special type of glass has many benefits:

• Resists staining and discolouration
• Makes ordinary, unprotected glass easier to clean and keep clean
• Glass looks like new for longer
• Improves hygiene, as it is independently proven to resist the adherence of bacteria

And at this year’s show, we will be launching new ways to apply the ClearShield Eco-System®. First, we will unveil the new ClearPad™ VPIR-200 fully automatic pad application machine. This revolutionary machine provides high-speed application of ClearShield® glass surface treatment with infrared pre-heating for instant curing. This significantly reduces production time, handling and labour costs and will interest new and existing factory-applicators of the ClearShield Eco-System® that process large quantities of glass. The actual VPIR-200 pad application module will be on display as a working demonstration.

At the other end of the application scale is new QuickSpray 300™. Designed for fast and easy manual application of ClearShield® protective treatment for smaller sizes of glass, it is ideal for glass artists and processors. The QuickSpray 300™ spray applicator is non-pressurised, propellant-free and ozone friendly. Unlimited shelf-life on product refills ensures there is no product wastage.

Staff from Ritec Services, our Dutch-based subsidiary of Ritec International, will be on hand at Glasstec to share their expertise on the ClearShield Eco-System® and Ritecoat System® for glass and metal framework respectively. They particularly have extensive knowledge of the on-site renovation and protection of glass in all kinds of market sectors including architectural, marine, residential, decorative and solar. Glass renovation and protection with the ClearShield Eco-System® brings glass back to new and is a highly cost-effective and faster solution compared to glass replacement.

Flexotec GmbH have been our official national distributor in Germany for many years. Additionally, they offer an entirely integrated system to design, supply, and protect shower doors. This system consists of powerful Smart-Builder 3D software developed specially for frameless glass constructions, Ritec ClearShield® ‘non-stick’, easy-clean surface protection and Poseidon shower fittings and hinges that combine beautiful aesthetics with high performance.

To encourage a relaxed atmosphere for networking, we will also be hosting entertainment in the form of music and complimentary food and drinks for the first three afternoons of Glasstec between 4-6pm. A successful introduction on our Glasstec stand in 2018, we are pleased to announce the return of these lively and informal networking events.

We hope to see you at the show at stand 10/D51!

For almost 15 years, the 26-storey Windowist Tower in Istanbul, Turkey, had been left unoccupied. In that time frame, its glass and aluminium façade became heavily contaminated. This contamination was virtually impossible to remove with conventional washing, leaving the building looking dirty with little light entering it.

Under the supervision of Kozmos Cam, Ritec’s Marketing Partner in Turkey, a specialist on-site team of applicators restored all of the building’s glass and aluminium panels back to new in 2010. After that, 2,850m² (30,700 ft²) of glass was treated with ClearShield® ‘non-stick’, easy-clean protection.

The results were, in the own words of the Tower owner’s Research and Development Manager, “honestly breathtaking”. Not only the ‘as-new’ look of the façade was fully restored, but the ClearShield® protection ensures the glass stays that way in the future with reduced maintenance requirements and costs.

For more information about Ritec ClearShield®, visit www.ritec.co.uk.