Discover the manual cutting system for SLIM SYSTEM, from the manual cutter to the breaker, designed for the manual cutting of large format tiles and thickness ranging from 3 to 8 mm.
The system is well-known, not only for its versatility in adapting to different formats, but for its ease and ability to make the cut without moving the tiles, which are very fragile due to their great size and reduced thickness. Let’s discover the Slim System manual cutter and the Slim breaker to break thicknesses of 8mm or more!
As you may know, for many years the ceramic factories have developed a new material with high performance and features that make it very attractive when it comes to our customers.
It is the Slim tiles, it is porcelain material and the most used format are pieces of approximately 3m x 1m of 3mm in thickness, although we can find them up to 7mm, depending on the manufacturer.
In this sense, the features and advantages of the Slim are:
- It can be used to place it directly on the surface that we have, whether it is wood, marble or tile in good or bad condition.
- Depending on the state of the base, each manufacturer has recommendations and rules to follow. (Consult the manufacturer).
- The main advantage of the Slim is that having large dimensions we avoid a large number of grout joints, even so we must leave a grout line between tiles because the expansion affects in the same way the other material, also following the advice of the manufacturer.
Each manufacturer has different characteristics in terms of permeability, easy cleaning, resistance to scratching, etc., so when it comes time to buy, you must compare them too …
It is currently used for façade renovations, pavements, kitchens, bathrooms, hotel halls, stairs, etc.
At the time of placing the Slim tiles it is essential to apply double adhesive always (Apply adhesive on the tiles and on the substrate to be tiled), As these tiles are only 3mm thick and should be well filled without voids in the adhesive (solid bed fixing).
The big “problem” of using this material is the handling and cutting of the pieces due to their thickness and fragility.
In the market there are already specific cutting systems for this material, and one of them is the RUBI Slim System Cutter, which makes a precise cut and provides a great finish.
This Slim System cutter consists of 3 guides together that provide a straight guide for the scoring of a maximum length of 310 cm, however you can buy extra guides to extend the length of the cutter.
The guides of the Slim System are fastened directly on the piece with two suction cups, it is important that the pieces are well supported on a large surface or directly on the pallet supplied by the manufacturer.
Once fixed, the piece is scored with the scoring carriage that is equipped with a scoring wheel similar to the one we use in our manual machines.
Finally, with the breaking pliers, pressure is applied to each side of the cut of the tile and is easily separated.
For the transport or manipulation of the tiles, it is convenient to use a system that allows us to move the tiles with guarantees given the high cost of each piece and the losses that would be incurred if some are broken.
In RUBI we have the Slim System EasyTrans transport system that consists of retractable and extentable guides equipped with 5 suckers on each bar and 3 handles for manual lifting.
Although ceramic sheets with thicknesses between 3 and 6 mm are still the most common on the market, the trend of manufacturers is in the line of offering products with thicknesses greater than 8 mm.
In most of these cases, especially for sheets of 12 mm, its main use, is as a kitchen counter, but you never know, and as it is always said: the sky is the limit!
In sheets of 3 to 6 mm, the main concern of the professional is its handling, but with the right tools, this aspect is solved.
With the growth of thickness, we find ourselves with a new problem.
To begin with, what was previously called, commonly, as “slim” ceramics, are no longer. And more, if we consider that the thickness of the most “traditional” tiles oscillates between 8 and 12 mm.
On the other hand, there is, as it cannot be otherwise, the considerable weight increase of the piece, which brings back to the table, the difficulties in its handling. But well … that is something that, at least, up to a reasonable load (<100kg) we can also manage.
You’ll wonder where the trap is, right?
A ceramic sheet of 3 mm to 6 mm thick can have a breaking load of 300 to 1000 N, which means that approximately 30 to 100 kg of force are necessary to break it. Or what is the same, a simple pincer (but not any pincer) can bring us that power of separation and get excellent cuts.
At the moment when the thickness exceeds 8 mm, the breaking load of the material is increased, and we can expect required breaking loads from 2000 N up to 4500 N. Which means that separating these materials will no longer be so simple, unless we have the right tools.
RUBI LAUNCHES THE SLIM SEPARATOR
In response to the increase in thicknesses in the ceramic sheet, RUBI has developed the new SLIM SEPARATOR.
This auxiliary separator is a complement to the range of specific tools for cutting and handling, ceramic sheet, SLIM SYSTEM.
The SLIM separator is designed to separate pieces up to 15 mm thick, but its main use will focus on the thicknesses between 8 and 12 mm (both included), which is currently the biggest concern of installers of ceramic sheet.
The main advantage of the SLIM separator is its system for regulating the higher-pressure points. Like the separators of the manual cutters, the separation of the ceramic tile is done by applying pressure in two points against a point or lower rib.
In the separator SLIM, these two points can be adjusted, to facilitate the cutting of narrow strips (4 cm is the narrowest strip that we can obtain with guarantees). Thanks to this possibility and to the millimetre rules, engraved on the steel chassis. The user can position these points at the same distance (they should always be placed symmetrically and covering the maximum possible width of the tile) and obtain a UNIFORM, EQUITABLE and SYMMETRICAL pressure distribution.
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