Touch tech & textured taps: The newest innovations in tapware

As is the case in almost all industries in the 21st century, innovation is a key factor when it comes to growth and progress — and technology is almost always at the centre of any innovation.

In the architecture and construction industries, technology can be used to make building materials safer, or to enable collaboration between different stakeholders across a project. But in terms of products meant for end-users or occupants, one of the key drivers for innovation in technology is the demand for convenience.

Anyone who considers themselves at the very least an amateur cook knows, for example, the phenomenon of ‘chicken hands’ — preparing food that requires getting your hands dirty, like when handling raw chicken, which then presents a problem when you need to turn the tap on to wash said dirty hands. In the past, a sort of ‘elbow dance’ was required to release the tap mixer — a gesture notorious for the deft skill required to pull it off successfully.

Infrared sensors, where one would wave their hand to initiate water flow, were one answer to this conundrum — but in practice, often it would not work as intended. So another alternative was needed, and touch technology came promptly into the fray.

Ushering in an era of convenience with touch technology

The idea behind this was just as simple as infrared sensors: just a simple touch or bump of the tap, and the water comes flowing. You can use the back of your hand or wrist, and the technology is generally more reliable and user friendly than infrared sensors.

Greens Tapware, a New Zealand-based specialist in tapware and showering products, saw the potential of this technology and began to develop its own integrated sensor technology — the result is the Galiano Kontact pull-down sink mixer with smart Kontact touch technology.

“It basically enables hands free tap operation in the kitchen,” says Mark Lunjevich, the National Sales Manager for Greens Tapware. “So if you're washing your hands or handling raw meat, or you’re on the phone, all you have to do is actually tap the sink mixer and it will turn on or off.”

The Kontact technology extends to the entire surface area of the sink mixer: users just tap anywhere on the fixture and the function will work. But it’s not just touch capabilities that make this range stand out. Being a pull-down mixer, Greens Tapware needed to ensure when developing the range that there was a distinction between tapping to engage the tap, and grabbing the pull down handpiece; this is why the Smart Grab functionality was developed. “It was important to us to include this function, where the tap could distinguish between ‘touching’ and ‘grabbing’, while continuing to operate normally,” says Mark. “So it’s pretty clever.”

Rounding out the trifecta of convenient applications of the Galiano range is its ‘failsafe’ functionality. “The failsafe operation means that, if the tap were to be left on and you walked away, after four minutes it’s automatically turned off.”

The Galiano Kontact technology is battery operated (4 x AA Batteries) so no electrician is required to hardwire the power supply. Battery life is generally 12 months, an indicator light lets the end-user know when they are getting low.

Bringing texture to the bathroom

But it’s not only kitchen fixtures that Greens Tapware specialises in — it’s also been a mainstay in the arena of bathroom tapware. And it’s done this, similar to its kitchen mixers, through innovation — but this time, the innovation is achieved through texture rather than technology.

“We’ve been leaders in textured tapware for quite some time now, and we’ve continued to invest into new types of textured finishes,” Mark says.

Following on from the company’s first textured signature tapware — the aptly named ‘Textura’ collection — Greens’ latest tapware and showering ranges, the ‘Tesora’ and ‘Mika’, incorporate a new diamond textured finish.

A distinctive, striking pattern, the texture is applied through a specific precision tooling process – after which it’s highly polished. “Fixtures with this texture are available in six different colour options, providing multiple options to suit your colour palette and along with the textured finish create an unmistakable glamorous statement,” says Mark.

Throughout both its kitchen and bathroom fixture offerings, Greens Tapware’s singular look and style is apparent. “The minimalist trend is very popular, and we’ve applied that to a lot of our tapware and design.”

Learn more about Greens Tapware and its offerings.