TECH TALK –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– H.B. Fuller Construction Products introduces TEC® Ultimate 6 Plus Polymer Modified Mortar specifi- cally designed for installing gauged porcelain tile panels/slabs and large heavy tiles (LHT). TEC has devel- oped Ultimate 6 Plus Mortar to meet the particu- lar challenges of installing excep- tionally large thin tile panels and LHT on floors or walls. The new mortar offers extreme versatility. TEC Ultimate 6 Plus Mortar has a unique set of features that allows grouting in six hours – even when installed over the most impervi- ous substrates such as uncoupling membranes. Easy-to-use Ultimate 6 Plus Mortar has an extended pot life of two to three hours and open time of 50-60 minutes, allowing installers much-needed time to get full coverage and make adjust- ments. While this TEC mortar is formulated for gauged porcelain tile panels/slabs and LHT, it also works well on traditional tile for both floor and wall applications. TEC Ultimate 6 Plus Mortar exceeds ANSI A118.4TE and A118.11. www.tecspecialty.com. porcelain 5’ x 10’ panels, but it’s the first in the world to also offer the capacity to cut those panels to smaller sizes such as 12” x 12”. Panel thicknesses range from 6mm to 2cm. “We didn’t even do this invest- ment in Italy,” she said. “We decid- ed to do it in Crossville.” Clays are sourced from the Carolinas, Kentucky and Tennessee to manufacture the panels, said Fiandre USA’s director of sales and marketing Eugenio Megna, who led visitors on a tour through the plant. The company uses the Continua production process and Sacmi machinery on the line, and uti- lizes sophisticated inkjet graph- ics to achieve looks like Calacatta or other aesthetics that are near- ly indistinguishable from natural stone, as well as other in-demand looks. Random patterns, continu- Fiandre USA’s Eugenio Megna led tours through the new plant expansion. This A-frame filled with porcelain panels is ready for shipping, and holds 25 5´ x 10´ panels on each side. 84 TileLetter | October 2018