A 3D view of flaming design experiences – with and without a fire

A fireplace is much more than just a source of heat. It creates a cozy atmosphere and gives the feeling of really being at home. Those who love an authentic fireplace often put a lot of effort into designing this special spot and spend long winter evenings in front of the dancing flames. However, as soon as the fire goes out, the residues left in the fireplace can leave a bit of a smudge on the pleasant memories of cozy warmth.

To ensure that this magic does not vanish so quickly and that a fireplace always remains an aesthetic highlight, international technology group SCHOTT has developed its ROBAX NightFlame® fire-viewing panel. The unique recipe of the raw materials used to manufacture the glass-ceramic gives it a consistent, semi-transparent black tone. When the fire is burning, the viewer is presented with the usual atmospheric play of flames, comparable to the view through a transparent fire-viewing panel. When the fire is out, the semi-transparent glass-ceramic creates an additional darkening effect, making the combustion chamber appear almost black. Combustion residues are only visible as a shadow and no longer disturb the view. This means that even when there is no fire, a fireplace always remains an elegant design object that is a pleasure to look at.

ROBAX NightFlame® curved: a design statement in the living room

ROBAX NightFlame® curved also relies on this dead-front effect. In addition, the new round bent product variant expands the design palette for fireplace manufacturers, dealers, and end-users.

"We are fulfilling a long-standing wish from the market," explains Martin Endres, Vice President Marketing & Sales SCHOTT ROBAX®. "The variety of shapes and the large selection of geometries of the curved 3D panels offer numerous design possibilities. They also allow unusual perspectives of the fire. This makes a fireplace or stove an aesthetic highlight and a design statement in the living room, even in summer.”

The fact that design makes the difference can be seen in many ways. For example, ROBAX NightFlame®  won the world-renowned Red Dot Design Award 2023 in the category Product Design , receiving special praise for its exceptional design quality. "This is exactly why we created this product," says Martin Endres, "to give our customers more opportunities to stand out from the crowd and for design-oriented end-users. The fire-viewing panel has already received positive signals from these target groups: in an online survey of 305 end-users conducted by SCHOTT in 2022/2023, design enthusiasts in particular showed a high willingness to pay more for ROBAX NightFlame® and its product benefits. In an interview with SCHOTT, the Danish customer and stove manufacturer Lotus Heating Systems A/S described the fire-viewing panel as a "great innovation" that gives its products exclusivity and uniqueness and offers the end-user added value.

Guidance for fireplace manufacturers and studios

SCHOTT wants to make it easier for its customers to use its products. As a result, a standard four-millimeter transparent ROBAX® fire-viewing panel can easily be replaced with a corresponding ROBAX NightFlame® panel. It should also soon be possible to replace them with the round bent ROBAX NightFlame® curved glass-ceramic in almost any fireplace. The thermal material properties and the cleaning process remain unchanged – with the added benefit that cleaning times can be chosen more flexible because combustion residues are barely visible. SCHOTT offers fireplace manufacturers and studios a number of informative videos and other materials.

More information: ROBAX NightFlame® | SCHOTT