ClearShield® ‘non-stick’, easy-clean glass surface protection not only resists all kinds of staining and makes glass look pristine for longer, but did you know it is also specified to potentially save lives?

Over the years, Ritec have treated tens of thousands of small glass lens and mirrors used in Oil Mist Detectors (OMDs) with ClearShield®. OMDs are safety devices fitted to crankcases in ships with a certain engine power output or cylinder size. As the name suggests, OMDs detect the presence of oil mist at concentration levels well below the limit at which a catastrophic crankcase explosion can occur that could risk all lives onboard.

It is paramount that the lens and mirrors inside OMDs are kept as clean as possible. This facilitates fast and accurate monitoring to help buy more time and potentially avert a dangerous situation. Here, ClearShield® protection is a major benefit thanks to its proven ‘non-stick’, easy-clean properties. Additionally, with less contaminants adhering to lenses and mirrors treated with ClearShield®, this helps to reduce the likelihood of false alarms.

The treatment of glass lenses and mirrors for oil mist detectors with ClearShield® protection is one of the more niche and unusual applications we have encountered. This goes to show the versatility of ClearShield® and that it can be applied to any kind of glass surface. For more information about Ritec ClearShield®, visit www.ritec.co.uk.

Ritec Marine Services (RMS) have started treating glass on the new NCL Norwegian Prima cruise liner in Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera near Venice, Italy. RMS – the specialist division of Ritec Services based in the Netherlands – have worked on dozens of cruise ships for many leading cruise lines. They offer a unique service to renovate marine glass then protect it with ‘non-stick’ easy-clean Ritec ClearShield® surface treatment using the ClearShield Eco-System®.

Norwegian Prima is the first ship to debut in Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest class of ship – the Prima Class – and is expected to enter service later this year. It is RMS’s 8^th NCL ship to have ClearShield Eco-System® treatment.

Prior to her maiden voyage, the 20,000m² of glass must of course look sparkling once she leaves the shipyard. This is not an easy task considering the kinds of contamination found on glass surfaces which can be difficult to remove. This includes dirt, protective films, paint, fingermarks, and so on. But thanks to the expertise of RMS, they have the necessary experience and tools to ensure the glass will indeed look pristine.

The first stage of the ClearShield Eco-System® is renovation. This involves removing the contaminants from the glass using specialist Ritec renovating products to ensure it is chemically clean. The second stage, protection, is the application of Ritec ClearShield® glass surface treatment. Effectively sealing the glass with an invisible ‘non-stick’ barrier, this resists all kinds of contamination found in the aggressive marine environment including sea salt. The outcome is ClearShield Eco-Glass® which is always easier to clean and keep clean without the need for harsh or abrasive methods or products. Less water and manpower are needed to maintain ClearShield Eco-Glass® which is why RMS are called upon to treat so many newly-built or existing cruise liners.

So with just weeks to go before Prima’s maiden voyage, you can thank Ritec Marine Services and the ClearShield Eco-System® for ensuring the glass will look as good as new!

For more information about Ritec Marine Services, visit www.ritecmarineservices.com.

Ritec recently treated glass on-site in a private residence in Hadlow, Kent with the ClearShield Eco-System®.

The ClearShield Eco-System® was developed to renovate, protect and maintain glass. Ordinary glass protected with this System becomes ‘non-stick’, easy-clean ClearShield Eco-Glass® that resists staining, discolouration and moisture. Not only is the glass noticeably easier to maintain with less time, effort and frequency required, ClearShield Eco-Glass® also looks pristine for longer.

In the case of this private home, over 20m² of picture windows and roof glazing were renovated and then protected with Ritec’s award-winning ClearShield® glass surface treatment. With the treatment complete, the glass is now sparkling new, and a simple after-care programme maintains this.

The ClearShield Eco-System® can be used to protect all kinds of glass in and around the home, not just windows and glass roofs. Shower enclosures, decorative/sandblasted glass, mirrors, glass furniture, even solar panels can all benefit from ClearShield® protection.

So if you have any glass that need renovating and protecting, contact us and ask for ‘non-stick’ easy-clean ClearShield® treatment!

This 5-star hotel and spa is located in Wilderness, a town in South Africa’s Western Cape Province, on a coastal stretch known as the Garden Route.

ClearShield SA (PTY) Ltd, Ritec’s official Marketing Partner for South Africa, carried out the on-site work to this highly-rated venue in 2009. They applied the ClearShield System® to renovate and protect internal and external glass surfaces including the roof area, balustrades, decorative glass and all shower doors, both clear and sandblasted. A total of 1,500m² (16,145 ft²) of glass was treated.

The hotel’s General Manager was very happy with the results: “This ClearShield treatment has worked well to keep the glass looking as clean as possible in between the cleaning cycles. The coastal weather can be severe, and yet after good rain, our glass looks fantastic, enabling us to focus our resources and time on managing other priorities. The Views Boutique Hotel & Spa would like to highly recommend ClearShield.”

For more information about Ritec ClearShield® durable, ‘non-stick’ glass surface treatment, visit www.ritec.co.uk.

Recently Ritec International’s Marketing Partner in Mexico, Transparencia en Servicios, applied ‘non-stick’, easy-clean Ritec ClearShield® glass surface treatment on rooftop photovoltaic (PV) solar panels in Tijuana.

Mexico is one of a few countries outside the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa regions that, according to the World Bank, has ‘excellent conditions for solar PV’. In fact, Mexico’s solar energy market achieved 84% growth in 2021, with rooftop PV solar panels becoming more and more popular, generating clean and renewable low-cost energy.

The major obstacle to a solar panel’s performance, however, is dirt (‘soiling’) or anything else that lands on the glass surface. This is where the proven Ritec ClearShield Eco-System®, developed to renovate, protect and maintain glass, comes in.

Transparencia en Servicios are experienced applicators of the Ritec ClearShield Eco-System®. Any glass surface treated with this System becomes ClearShield Eco-Glass® which resists dirt and other forms of staining and is easier to clean and keep clean. Their on-site applicators firstly renovated the existing dirty glass solar panel surfaces, totalling around 100m² (1,080ft²), bringing them all back to new. With the glass now chemically clean, Ritec ClearShield® was applied to the surface, effectively sealing it and protecting it from dirt as well as moisture. Any contaminants on ClearShield Eco-Glass® are significantly easier to remove compared to ordinary glass.

The application of Ritec ClearShield® means a low-maintenance, ‘non-stick’ glass surface which will optimise the amount of solar transmission and maximise electrical generation. This also reduces payback time, another benefit.

For more information about of ClearShield® for solar panels, visit www.ritec.co.uk/solar.

World Trade Center 2 (also known as WTC 2) is part of World Trade Center Jakarta, a complex of commercial high-rise buildings in the Indonesian capital. With a height of 160m (525ft), WTC 2 is made up of 28 storeys of Grade A world-class column-free office space to help cope with the city’s ever-expanding needs of its multinational tenants and business community.

Designed by British architectural firm Aedas, and constructed by Balfour Beatty Sakti Indonesia (a joint venture between CCM and Balfour Beatty of the UK), which, together with Hongkong Land, represents a unique partnership between Indonesian and UK companies.

Some 34,500m2 (371,400 ft2) of WTC2’s glass was applied with Ritec ClearShield® in the factory prior to installation. This meant any harsh inorganic contaminants on the glass, such as concrete splatter and cement dust, were easier to remove during construction. Therefore ClearShield® potentially reduced costly delays during construction as well as providing a significantly lower-cost alternative to replacing the glass from any surface damage. Future maintenance will be easier thanks to the ‘non-stick’, easy-clean surface of ClearShield-protected glass.

Construction began in 2010 and WTC 2 was officially opened in 2012. It was awarded the Building and Construction Authority Green Mark – a meaningful distinction of environmentally responsible buildings, brought forth by a reduction in water and energy bills, of which ClearShield® contributed towards this achievement.

ClearShield® is ‘green’ because it makes glass lower in maintenance, saving water and without the need for harsh cleaning chemicals. The use of access equipment and cleaning contractors’ vehicles (and associated CO2 footprint) is also lessened thanks to ClearShield® typically reducing the frequency of cleaning by half.

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

Dutch-based Ritec Marine Services (RMS) specialise in the renovation, ‘non-stick’ protection and maintenance of marine glass using the ClearShield Eco-System®. Just recently they started work on the third Virgin Voyages cruise liner, Resilient Lady, currently docked in shipbuilder Fincantieri’s facility in Genoa, Italy.

Working in conjunction with Italian outfitting company General Interiors, specially-trained RMS staff are working hard to ensure the glass is brought back to new before her maiden voyage. This means removing any contaminants such as paint splatter, silicone and protective foil residues from the glass surface. The next step is to give the glass a deep clean using specialist Ritec renovation products. With the glass chemically clean, the third stage is to apply Ritec ClearShield® protection. This effectively seals the glass, providing a durable ‘non-stick’ invisible barrier to the surface. This will provide exceptional resistance to contaminants found in the harsh marine environment such as sea salt, limescale, pollution and other staining.

Any ordinary glass treated with Ritec ClearShield® becomes ClearShield Eco-Glass®. This special type of glass is easy to clean and keep clean, so looks pristine for longer. This means passengers will enjoy unspoilt views from their cabins – reducing complaints – and crew will get a clearer view from the bridge to maximise safety. Moreover, because the glass is easier to clean and the frequency of cleaning is reduced, water and human resources are saved.

A total of 12,500m2 exterior glass will be treated. Resilient Lady is the sister ship of Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady. These two ships entered service in 2020 and 2021 respectively, and both benefitted from Ritec ClearShield® glass surface treatment.

For more information about Ritec Marine Services, visit www.ritecservices.nl/marine.

Daedalian Glass Studios are long-time applicators of Ritec ClearShield® ‘non-stick’, easy-clean glass surface treatment. They were commissioned to supply a focal kitchen splashback for an indoor-outdoor cooking area in sandblasted glass for a private residence in Cheshire.

Featuring the iconic Rock of Cashel and Galty mountain range of County Tipperary, Ireland, the final stunning design began as a hand sketched artistic landscape drawn by Daedalian Glass Studios Founder Davia Walmsley.

Davia collaborated with the client, making alterations to suit showing forced perspective of the two landmarks before creating a full-size drawing of the panel. Upon final client sign-off, the panel measured 3750mm width x 960mm height and was manufactured in 10mm low iron toughened glass, where their studio team sandblasted to multiple depths on both sides of the glass to achieve an interesting three-dimensional effect. To complete the panel, Ritec Clearshield® was used to protect the sandblasted design.

With over 40 years of track records, ClearShield® is a proven and award-winning glass surface treatment suitable for all kinds of glass in all kinds of environments. Used to upgrade ordinary glass surfaces to ClearShield Eco-Glass®, its ‘non-stick’ properties make the surface stain-resistant and easy to clean and keep clean.

For sandblasted glass, ClearShield® is of particular benefit. It resists fingermarks, grease and other forms of staining to uphold the intended beauty of this type of glass.

Furthermore, ClearShield® is independently proven to resist the adhesion of bacteria, promoting a much more hygienic environment.

For more information about Daedalian Glass Studios, visit www.daedalianglassstudios.com. For more about Ritec ClearShield®, visit www.ritec.co.uk.

Leading Cambridge-based glass and mirror manufacturer, Go-Glass, chose Ritec’s ClearShield^® to protect and maintain its decorative glass commission for the London edition of the Balthazar Restaurant. This second Balthazar restaurant was launched to great critical acclaim in London’s Covent Garden and again features stunning glass ‘Art Deco’ style interiors which are synonymous with the brand.

Having used Ritec’s ‘non-stick’ glass surface treatment for many years, Go-Glass applied the ClearShield^® easy-clean treatment on to the special acoustic laminated glass, in which they had etched a sandblasted border design, in their own factory in 2013.

Ordinary glass treated with the Ritec ClearShield^® protection is upgraded to ClearShield Eco-Glass^®, resulting in a higher quality of glass with excellent clarity. The restaurant’s glass will also hold a pristine appearance for longer and will always be easier to clean, providing low maintenance cost savings for the restaurant. In addition, ClearShield Eco-Glass^® is more hygienic thanks to its resistance to bacterial adhesion. Meeting direct food contact test requirements of the EU and the USA Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the hygiene properties of ClearShield^® significantly reduce the accumulation of bacteria and is therefore ideal for commercial and private kitchens.

Tracy Saunders, Director of Go-Glass, said: “We have been using ClearShield on our sandblasted glass for more than 12 years and have always been delighted with the results. In an environment such as this busy restaurant we needed to be confident that the product we supplied would be hard wearing and retain its pristine appearance. Go-Glass actively endorses the use of ClearShield on glass showers, splashbacks and all sandblasted glass the company supplies.”

To find out more about Go-Glass, visit www.goglass.co.uk. For more info on Ritec ClearShield^®, visit www.ritec.co.uk.

Hugin (The Raven’s Nest) is a unique and lavish treehouse located in Kaupanger in the municipality of Sogndal in Vestland county, Norway. Situated in a spectacular forest, it is 280 metres (918 feet) above the vast and beautiful Sognefjord, appropriately nicknamed ‘The King of Fjords’.

The treehouse, designed for guests to rent, features high levels of quality and comfort. Its theme is inspired by ancient Norse mythology and the historic Norwegian stave churches Urnes and Borgund. Built by the Falck Husum family members Jardar, Geir, Hallvard David and Fred Ivar, they have put painstaking effort into the treehouse’s carvings and artistic design to create just the right atmosphere.

The Hugin story started when the Falck Husum family finally, after several generations of trying, was able to buy back a section of the forest of ‘Alfheim’. This was a part of the family-farm generations ago. With the area decided for building, they started their first steps in realising the Hugin treehouse.

The treehouse has taken more than 25,000 man hours to build, from 2014 to October 2021. About 8,000 man hours of this total were spent on its artistic decoration (designing, carvings and milling). The result of this labour of love is an unforgettable and indulgent experience intimately close to nature with stunning views, described by some guests as ‘A Norse luxury oasis’.

Hugin has approximately 14 square metres of glass, all treated with Ritec’s ‘non-stick’, easy-clean ClearShield® protective treatment. This made the glass stain-resistant and easy to clean and keep clean in the future, maximising clarity, visibility and cleanliness.

“For our guests to be able to enjoy the views – the Fjord, forest and the stars – there was never any doubt.”, says Jardar Falck Husum, one of Hugin’s builders. “For glass protection, only ClearShield meets Hugin’s highest standards and demands. Anything that lands on the treated glass, such as bird lime, tree sap and moisture, are all easy to clean off the glass, always leaving the perfect view.”

For more information about Hugin, visit www.ramnereiret.no. For more information on Ritec and ClearShield, visit www.ritec.co.uk.