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New alliances and technical innovations look set to see the curtain tracking category continue to evolve, with many of the latest advances showcased at the recent Super Expo in June. WFA reports.
BLINDS BY PETER MEYER / SILENT GLISS
“The latest and greatest news is that Blinds by Peter Meyer has secured the manufacturing and components distribution rights to the Silent Gliss curtain tracking business throughout Australia,” says Managing Director Simon Meyer. “We are over the moon to secure this amazing brand and look forward to supporting all existing customers as well as growing the brand throughout our existing customer base.”
“Silent Gliss has a name for quality and innovation, something that Blinds By Peter Meyer has always prioritised in our Australian manufacturing. Blinds by Peter Meyer will be running the most popular hand drawn and cord drawn tracks (6010, 3840, 6380, 5605) as well as the amazing 5600 motorised solution. Standard and Wave heading options will be available as always and we are also looking at adding to the range as time goes by.”
“Our first delivery arrives mid-June and we will be in full production by the end of June. Regarding the latest Silent Gliss innovation, we will be adding the new 2C gliders to the existing tracking systems making the Silent Gliss track truly Whisper quiet. Silence just got even quieter with the new Silent Track range. Resolutely architectural, specially designed tracks married with unique, 2-component (2C) gliders, resulting in unprecedented quietness. Think of it as a reboot of Silent Gliss founder Alexander Weber’s game-changing innovation from 1952, which set the bar for noisefree curtain-track performance. A number of patents later and
Silent Gliss has taken another major step forward with its latest Silent Track range. The premium 2C gliders and rollers (patent pending), combined with the specially coated tracks allow the curtain to move smoothly and silently. These gliders are manufactured using two materials, a hard component which ensures stability and a soft ‘filling’ to absorb noise. The end result is unprecedented silence.”
“The market can also expect Blinds by Peter Meyer to constantly keep bringing the latest tracking upgrades and solutions to the Australian market. There is strong demand for a small, neat hand operated recessed track and Blinds by Peter Meyer expect to add the 6243 recessed track to the range in the coming months once everything else is into full production!”
In terms of the overall market, Blinds by Peter Meyer has seen the curtain market grow over the last five years, says Meyer. “This is why this new brand association is such great news for the industry and Blinds by Peter Meyer.”
“We wanted to gain access to this growing sector of the window covering market and what better way to do this than partnering with the best on field, Silent Gliss. We are seeing the majority of this curtain growth in wave fold curtains, a category on which Silent Gliss built its reputation. With the new 2C gliders and the options within the range including recessed profiles for motorised tracks and superior bending abilities, we can expect to see the brand grow under new direction.”
“Blinds by Peter Meyer have also secured long term Silent Gliss staff members of Toby Edwards and Natalia Bartko who bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Blinds by Peter Meyer team.”
BLINDS BY BORONIA
The Blinds by Boronia Group are launching the Wave Curtain hanging system, making wave curtains easier than ever before, confirms Sales Manager Michelle Macready. “The Wave Curtain system uses a single nylon tape with pockets so there is no need for special tools or labour-intensive techniques for manufacturing or installation. The nylon hooks are added during curtain manufacturing making for a speedy install.”
“Thanks to the single nylon tape with pockets you can easily change the fullness from 200% right up to 280%. These varying degrees of fullness can totally change the look especially for vertical printed fabrics in either the closed or open position. The sleek look of the low-profile white track complements any light-coloured sheer or block out fabric making it ideal for both domestic and commercial applications.”
TOSO AUSTRALIA
Toso Australia is the supplier of Japanese componentry including their Ti-8040 Motorised Curtain Track, confirms Malcolm Young, Managing Director of Toso Australia, who is responsible for the Australian and New Zealand market.
Young says there has been a noticeable trend back towards curtains, where before roller blinds and shutters lead the way. “There are now more textile options for curtains and this is giving both the consumer and interior designers the opportunity to use their creative flair to use this as their preferred window furnishing solution, though at times they will combine this with roller blinds, and only closing the curtains at night.”
Young also says there has been a noticeable trend towards the motorisation of curtain tracks, not just for high end homes and hotels but also in every day family homes, as they become more affordable, and the public become more aware that it can also extend the lifespan of the curtain as you can avoid damage caused by cords and manual operation.
Young confirms a key offer for Toso is the super silent Ti-8040 motorised curtain track with its smooth “slow start” and “slow stop” function, which has a built-in FM remote control receiver along with a Touch Motion function. This enables the opening/closing of the curtains without using any switch operations. “If the curtain is drawn, it will begin to move in the direction pulled, and will stop at the place on the limit setup. Also, the motor has both dry and wet technology within (RTS, DCT and WT), so different motors are not required for different set-ups.”
“Along with motor operation, it also has hand-draw operation because of its built-in electromagnetic clutch, so it can still be operated by hand when no power is available or when a user is unaware that it is a motorised track with no damage to the motor limits or curtain heading. Operating the curtain by hand is that light that you would think that it was just a normal manual curtain track when opening or closing the curtain.”
“This motorised track is also one of the quietest available in the market, with the noise level being under 35dB, as against most motorised curtain tracks which are between 44 and 50 dB, and be able to do widths of 10 metres with 45kg carrying capacity. Decibels (dB) are worked on a logarithmic scale and a 3 dB difference is a doubling of the amount of sound energy. In layman’s terms it is about ‘one notch’ on a volume control, and 6-10 dB is generally said to be a subjective doubling of volume, so this is a considerable improvement on other systems currently in the market.” The Toso Ti-8040 system has the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) for both motor and remote. This was previously known as the C-Tick, which all motorised systems require if they are to be sold in the Australian/NZ market, however Young notes that many of the cheaper systems are being imported without the RCM, as it is an expensive exercise, but it is easy to check if they are compliant as each motor or remote should have the C-Tick logo attached.
SCOTT FREE
“The window coverings market has been evolving over the past few years with the resurgence of Curtain Systems from more traditional products.”
“Scott Free has traditionally been a supplier of internal window covering systems and fabrics to blind manufacturers but the growth and changing demand in the market have led us to develop a robust and considered curtain drapery system. Our new system has opened the door to a new product category and various system options.”
“Our first foray into this new area was the Wave Curtain system, a simple and cost-effective way for our clients to offer a blockout or sheer fabric in a wave style to complement the existing Blind products they offered. Predetermined marking on our Wave tape assists production speeds and creates a perfect wave every time. Coupled with the new master carriers and wand options, our system creates a professional look to a system that works well with the traditional styles of blinds.”
“The growing feedback and demand from clients has increased for different styles and track profiles. We are now offering other options from our supply partners both here in Australia and overseas. Curtrax is a brand that has been synonymous for Development and Quality in the curtain industry in Australia since 1974 and Scott Free is proud to partner with Curtrax to offer the Tube Slider and Series 2600 systems to our clients, helping them provide quality Australian made options and styles. These systems are the highest percentage content of Australian Made Product available in Australia, and supports local manufacturing and jobs.”
“Super Expo 2019 helped us launch these systems to the market, as well as our Perfect Pleat and Streamline systems. We have been watching this area of the window furnishings market develop, and as an area of continuing growth and development, Scott Free looks forward to presenting new options and systems for the industry.”
OSLO
Oslo reports that demand for the Series 81 – Turbo Motorised track is being driven by growth in the conventional and S-Wave curtain market. The White coloured track is compatible with control functions: Radio Remote Control, C-bus, Home Automation, CAT5 and Dry Contact. It is designed for one way or centre open and uses easy clip brackets on face and ceiling. The track offers 150 mm radius bends and continuous curves. Constructed from extruded aluminium, the track is powder coated for an attractive finish.
BLINDWARE
“Motolux motorised curtain track offers more than others on the market,” says Blindware Managing Director Grant Norton. “In fact its brimming features and benefits like no other motorised curtain track. This versatile product is available in pinchpleat and S-Fold configurations, the industry-leading performance of this Motolux track is driven by features designed very specifically to please the most discerning consumer, including:
“When power is lost, many curtain tracks enable hand operation so the curtain can be fully opened or closed even when no power is available to ensure the room remains perfectly light or dark as desired. The Motolux motorised curtain track offers that and more; the Universal Hand Control feature allows the user to hand-draw the curtains at any time, with power off or on. This unique feature is achieved by the special releasing clutch in the motor head unit. The clutch senses an extended tug on the fabric and releases the drive between the motor and the fabric, allowing almost effortless free draw of the fabric for as far as the user chooses. When the fabric is released, the curtain simply stops (if fully opened/closed), or continues traversing to end of travel. When the remote is pressed or the fabric receives a short tug, the motor kicks in and the clutch immediately engages to provide traction for the fabric to be driven by the motor. This feature ensures users always feel completely in control of their curtains, and offers them the benefit of less power usage. Of course, the curtain track shares the same remote controls as the Motolux tubular motors and newly released motorised Roman track.”
TBS
The Saber 50LQ from TBS is a low noise lithium battery powered curtain track, capable of carrying up to 50kg in weight. Designed for use with the Smart Home app and any home operating system through a dry contact connection, it has a whisper quiet operating noise of only 35dB. Instead of requiring cables, when the battery needs to be charged, it can be removed and charged next to the power point. The curtain can be operated by hand whilst the battery is being charged.
TBS’ Craig Foster confirms the Saber50LQ perfectly complements the Saber35EQ electronic limit tubular motor which has an operating noise of a mere 30dB and the Saber35RL mechanical limit tubular motor which has an operating noise of 35dB.
