Well Read!

theleadinglight
I S S U E
Guy Hubble
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S E P T E M B E R
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Inside this issue...
WOW! What a year it’s been!
Fusing:
Despite the continued recession across Europe, we’ve seen a
marked improvement in the fortunes of many of our customers
and business, whilst not back at full tilt, is definitely brisk out there.
CadRam:
Fused Glass Market
Hots Up
Developments in
Productivity & Creativity
Many companies have taken the opportunity
to re-invent themselves,embrace new
product ideas and go out and add value to
plain glass with decoration, whether it be
our traditional overlay materials, ColorSpray,
CadBlast or the hot new product area,
Fused glass.
In the 8 months since our last newsletter at
Glasstec, a lot has been happening here at
RegaLead, with new product innovations,
marketing campaigns and trade shows in
Turkey, Russia, Canada and of course the
FiT show in the UK. It’s not all been work
though we have had a hugely successful year
supporting our chosen Charity of the Year,
WinPC Sign:
Professional Cutting has
Never Been So Easy
Door Colour:
More Opportunities
with GRP Base
Charity
Fundraising:
RegaLead exhibition stand at Glass Expo Istanbul March 2013
Help for Heroes, with the National Three
Peaks challenge and the slightly less
taxing, but no less challenging RegaLead
3 Countries Golf Challenge.
We’re opening
our doors...again!
Come and see us...
Meet our partners…
See new opportunities…
After the huge success of our inaugural
Open Day in September 2011, we are pleased
to announce the date of this year’s event as:
SEPTEMBER
Help for Heroes
Please take 10 minutes out of your busy day
to see what RegaLead can offer to improve
your business as well as catching up on new
products and projects that may inspire you.
Projects from
Around the World:
A Russian Stunner
Well
Read!
When we launched our
Definitive Product Catalogue
at the start of the year, we
were confident that it would be
popular, but it exceeded even
our expectations when, within
a week of the digital version going live,
over 500 copies had been downloaded
to desktops across the industry!
The catalogue contains a whopping 220 pages
of products for the decorative glass market,
that’s more than 2000 product lines specifically
for the decoration of flat glass. Hard copies are
also available for those who prefer the more
traditional method, but we’ve certainly seen the
digital catalogue as the preferred option, with
requests coming in thick and fast.
If you haven’t yet received your copy of the 2013
Definitive catalogue, go to www.regalead.co.uk
and register for a hard copy or choose to
download our digital version immediately.
KEEP UP-TO-DATE WITH OUR LATEST NEWS:
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Developments in CadRam - increasing productivity and creativity
In the 3 years since we acquired the CadRam division the business has gone from strength to
strength and following our move out of Greenwich to the new larger facility in Ebbsfleet, Kent
we have been able to ramp up production on
both the machinery building and the resin production to meet the growing demand both in the
UK and overseas. New Product Development
has always been at the core of RegaLead’s business philosophy and with CadRam it is no different:
New Double Head applicators
As the CadRam products grow in popularity we
have been getting many requests from customers looking to speed up production to meet
increased demand. We are now pleased to announce that double dispensing heads will be
available as a low cost option on all new machines and a retro-fit solution can be supplied to
existing machinery customers, which can be installed quickly and simply.
Double head dispensing is the ideal solution for
any customer looking to manufacture multiples
of the same design and with plotting speeds the
same as with a single dispenser you can produce
twice as many in the same time- sometimes the
simplest solutions are the best!
Stipple Effect Infill
With resin infill technology an almost infinite
range of colours can be mixed from the collection
of 11 pigments, but the ability to create textured
glass effects has always historically been more
limited - not anymore. Our latest addition to the
CadRam resin product range is “Stipple Effect Infill pt A ” which can be mixed as normal with Infill
B and pigment but creates a Stippled effect when
drying.
Stipple Infill is the first of many developments we
are working on for the CadRam colouring system
and more effects will be launched at the Vitrum
show this October in Milan.
Designs by Jean Beaulieu
Our latest collection of designs
by Jean Beaulieu, 10 books
packed full of ideas for
Overlay, CadRam and
Stained Glass designs.
Books
14.95
£
Fully compatible with GlassEye
software, this collection offers
a contemporary decorative
twist for glass professionals.
Each
All 10 books inc
GlassEye CD of designs
140
£
Welcometo the Team...
which requires formulations suitable for fibre
glass, PVC and glazing cassettes. Katie adds:
“With continued product development second
nature to a company like RegaLead, I’m looking
forward to the challenges the role will offer in
the future.”
Katie’s been working closely with our
Development Team, who are responsible for
ensuring all of the CadRam and ColorSpray
paint and resin formulations are constantly
developed and improved. She has already
proved invaluable to the team, being heavily
involved with the development of the new base
materials for the launch of ColorSpray GRP,
Our Fused Glass product range has taken off better than anyone
expected, as customers are attracted to the simplicity of the process
and the profit margins available with this type of decorative glass.
Since its launch, we have installed several kilns
in the UK and many more abroad with orders
coming in from Poland, Holland and even
Vietnam, and we are confident that demand
will continue to grow both at trade and
consumer ends.
Katie Foster
Development Chemist
We are delighted to have recently strengthened
the team at our CadRam division with the
appointment of Katie Foster, as Development
Chemist. Katie had previously built up many
years of experience in working with industrial
paints, which will certainly lend itself well to
her new role. Katie says of her appointment:
“Prior to my role at RegaLead, I spent five
years working for a large industrial paint
manufacturer on the development of marine
coatings, so I’m looking forward to the
challenges a new industry has to offer.”
Fused Glass Market Hots Up
Ewa Sobieraj
Export Sales and Marketing
Ewa joined us in June to strengthen our busy
Export team and will be working closely with
Ricardo Figueiredo, our Export Sales Manager,
to develop business across Europe via our well
established distribution network. Ewa recently
returned to the UK after spending 5 years back
in her native Poland after gaining her Masters
at the Heriot–Watt University. With many years
of export sales and marketing experience
combined with her language skills (English,
German and of course Polish) she will be real
asset to both the company and the customers
who she will be working with.
Fused glass has been the ‘hot’ topic in the Art
Glass world for many years but most suppliers
have been targeting the artist market, where
small pieces are created for high prices. We
have taken a very different approach and believe
that Fused glass has a place and a future in the
more industrial glass market if marketed well
and production processes are simplified and
made more commercially viable. This is why we
have gone down the route of float compatible
glass, larger scale yet cost effective kilns, and a
full support package including designs and
brochures to help manufactures sell into the
window, door and kitchen markets.
We now hold in stock a wide range of coloured
glass, fusing accessories and kilns in 3 sizes
from 1200mm x 800mm up to 2000mm x
1000mm. With packages including Kiln, glass,
tools and training starting at under £10,000,
now is the time to fire your imagination and get
started with the ‘next big thing’ in glass
decoration.
Our own kilns are now operational at our
Decorative Door Products manufacturing
facility in Hawick and we are able to provide
standard or custom designs for the PVC and
Composite door markets at competitive prices
for customers who are looking to outsource
manufacture.
FiT Review
Having booked two stands at the UK’s inaugural
FIT Show we are delighted to announce that we
found it successful. A healthy portion of the 5,810
visitors flocked to both stand 4-445 to find out about
Decorative Door Products division; and stand 1-310
to discover more about our core offering.
Showcases included the Inox Glazing, and
ColorSpray GRP, a cost effective solution for
composite door spray-painting. The products were
launched to provide fabricators with a great
opportunity to differentiate their offering in a tough
market, and we were extremely pleased with the
response. We’ve always fully supported the show,
so we’re glad to say that on balance, it was certainly
worth doing and we will be back again next year for
the 2nd FiT show in June 2014.
ColorSpray: more applications
and more opportunities
with GRP base
Hot on the heels of its official launch at the FIT
Show, we are pleased to announce an already
huge uptake for our new DoorColour™ offering.
This latest product, ColorSpray GRP, is based on
our existing ColorSpray glass system which has
been successfully used in the splashbacks and
architectural glazing industries for the past
5 years and for existing ColorSpray customers
tapping into the lucrative, and fast growing,
window and door painting market is now possible
with very little change to their existing set up.
ColorSpray GRP uses the same 19 colorant
system, but incorporates a specially produced
base material for use on GRP, ABS and PVC
surfaces which will stand the knocks and
scratches that the door market has to contend
with. Our unique ColorSpray formulator software
has already been updated to give the option of
either ColorSpray Glass or ColorSpray GRP
when generating mixing formulae and new
marketing materials are available to help
generate custom in this new market area.
For customers looking to start ColorSpray, we
offer start up packages and training on both
applications and the wider potential business
opportunities from the system make it a very
quick return on investment.
WinPC Sign: Step by Step
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WinPC Sign Pro 2012 is our solution for customers
needing a vector-based, graphics programme, to
produce Sandblast resists.
Take
a
picture...
What is Vectorisation?
Vectorisation is the process of converting bitmap
images into vector ones. Bitmap files are made
of dots, called pixels, which represent the graphic
image. When a bitmap image is scaled up, it
loses quality as the pixels are simply enlarged in
size rather than increased in number. This
causes the image to become ‘blurry’ and have
a ‘jagged’ edge known as pixelisation.
Convert
into bitmap
format...
It is a hugely powerful yet competitively priced signwriting package that
is packed with features that you would only expect to get on top-of-therange sign-writing or graphics packages.
195
£
The latest 2012 Pro version comes with multi-lingual interface in English,
French, Spanish , Portugese, Dutch and Russian. WinPC Sign is packed
with easy to use features that take you from design to cutting, quickly and
efficiently.
The ‘must have’ feature of WinPC SignPro 2012 is its vectorisation tools
that allows you to move from a photograph through to a sandblast design,
ready for cutting in a few short steps...
Vector images on the other hand are made of
lines, called wireframe, which means when the
image is enlarged, no quality is lost. Vector
images can be scaled up or down with no
pixelisation, ensuring smooth, sharp edges.
Vectorise
to give an
outline cutting
path!
.00
+VAT
€239.00 I $310.00
Charity Fundraising
Help for Heroes was chosen as our Charity of the
Year for 2013 last Christmas when we donated
£760 from the proceeds of our Christmas raffle
and the savings we made by not sending out
Christmas cards to customers.
Our target was to raise a £7000 through
the year via a series of charity events
and sponsorship opportunities but the
whole team has really got behind the
fundraising and we are already way
past our initial target with four months
of the year still to go!
Over the summer we have completed
two very different but equally rewarding
challenges which between them have
raised over £8000 for this very
worthwhile charity and we would like
to thank all our customers, partners
and suppliers who have supported us
so generously.
midges and a brush with a curious
police officer – to complete the
National Three Peaks Challenge for
Help for Heores. In total eight out of the
starting 14 completed the challenge,
a fantastic rate, and a special mention
must go to David Garcia who runs the
Crystal Art facility at DDP, for finishing
fastest in just under 21 hours.
The feat couldn’t have been achieved
without the help of the support team,
who ensured the three-peakers were
fed, watered and had adequate blister
treatments to hand.
trade press; take on their second
monstrous challenge, all in aid of Help
for Heroes. The challenge was to
complete 54 holes of golf in three
countries, starting with Moffat Golf
Club in Scotland, then travelling south
to Wales, Old Padeswood Golf Club,
finally finishing at Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Golf Club in Manchester before the
pubs closed.
National ‘3 Peaks’ Challenge
RegaLead ‘3 Countries’
Golf Challenge
Despite the unusually hot and sticky
conditions thrown at the team by the
Great British weather, everybody
completed the challenge, and special
mention must go to Promac’s Joe
Hague and Edgetech’s Andy Jones
who won the competition with 135
points over 54 holes. A great day was
had by all, and £4,000 was raised for
Help for Heroes. Our special thanks
go to Moffat Golf Club, Old Padeswood
Golf Club and Chorlton cum Hardy Golf
Club for their hospitality.
It was late June when 14 adventurers
from RegaLead and sister-company
Decorative Door Products persevered
through injury, driving rain and cold
conditions – not to mention tenacious
Still bleary eyed and nursing aching
legs from the National 3 Peaks
Challenge, early July saw RegaLead;
helped along by a collection of friends
including customers, suppliers and
Next year, we will be taking on
5 courses in 5 countries, over 2 days
with the addition of Ireland and
Northern Ireland.
Projectsfrom Around the World
The ‘Bevels’ in the Detail
Longest
Drive Winner:
Tournament
Winners:
Robert Bloomfield RegaLead Operation
Manager
Joe Hague, Promac
Group and
Andy Jones,
Edgetech
Come & See Us...
Creating a Splash with ColorSpray
Glass splashbacks are all the rage at the moment and with ColorSpray creating from a palette of
over 5000 colours couldn’t be easier. But splashbacks don’t just need to be plain colour-as seen in
this project from Creo Glass - it is also possible to make stunning multi-colour designs by using our
CadBlast vinyl cutters to create colour layers. A range of designs are now available to download
from our website along with design files which will work with both Glass-Eye and WinPC Sign.
Dubai I 3rd - 5th September
Atlanta I 10th - 12th September
VITRUM
A Russian Stunner
Over the years we have got used to the type of work coming out from our Russian partners at
RegaLead-Rus but this project surpassed anything we have seen before. Using CadRam outline and
infill technology with a fair amount of artistic flair thrown in the mix this 25m2 mural in the entrance to
the showroom is simply stunning.
Long-term RegaLead customer, Tenby and
Penny of Walthamstow, London, recently
completed this stunning internal door project
using bevel pieces bonded onto toughened
glass in interlocking patterns. With over 1000
pieces used on the project it is certainly one of
the most elaborate jobs we have ever seen
using RegaBevels and Tenby and Penny owner,
Geoff Penny commented “When we took on the
job we never really appreciated just how
complex a project we were taking on and it
would probably have not been possible without
the UV-Tek equipment and adhesives supplied
by RegaLead”
If you have any projects that you would like
to share with us and other customers around
the world, please email a brief description
od the project together with pictures to
[email protected] and get entered
into our Project of the Month competition with
the chance to win a £100 materials credit and
have your work shown in our online gallery.
To see some of the recent winning entries visit
www.regalead.co.uk/regalead-projects
Milan I 23rd - 26th October
Kuala Lumpar I 25th - 27th November
RegaLead Limited
Columbus House I Altrincham Road
Sharston I Manchester M22 9AF
United Kingdom
Telephone +44 (0)I6I 946 II64
Fax +44 (0)I6I 946 I033
Email [email protected]
www.regalead.com