Company Announcement - The Rubi brand of manual and electric tile cutters, and ancillary tooling and accessories, has been re-introduced to the southern African market by construction equipment supplier, Mayday Equipment. Known for sourcing high quality product that meets industry needs, Mayday Equipment has been appointed as the official distributor for the Rubi range of tile cutting systems and accessories. Managing director, Nina Mason, says that products range from tiling spacers to applicators to cutters of every shape possible.

“The Rubi brand has a solid reputation internationally and has been available locally for more than twenty years,” Mason says. “It is a significant move for Rubi to select a company such as Mayday Equipment to represent its brand locally, and we believe it is because we have the necessary experience and expertise, and most importantly can provide the appropriate levels of service to support the product brand.”

Mason says that with the extensive range of tile sizes available on the market today, it is necessary to have access to a range of cutting equipment that is suited to all the applications at hand. As an example, she points to tile sizes which range from 30 mm to 1 200 mm and says that Rubi has a range of manual and electric tile cutting systems that will allow the cutting of the very large tiles that are currently trendy.

Rubi is a Spanish company that had its beginnings in 1951, and its tile cutting systems are used in over 100 countries today. The robust design of the machines ensures reliable use, and customers can choose from five manual cutters and two electric cutters allowing a fit-for-purpose solution.

The Rubi Star is an introductory level hand tile cutter and offers good value for money without compromising on quality. It is available from a 420 mm up to 610 mm cutter and has a multi-point breaking system, interchangeable scoring wheel and is also supplied in a handy carry case.

The Rubi Slim System Cutter, which is suitable for the manual cutting of large format porcelain tiles with a thickness between 3 mm ad 8 mm, has a cutting length of 3 100 mm. The cutter which is supplied in a bag for optimum portability comes standard with 3 110 mm guides, a 22 mm scoring wheel enabling faster cutting, two spread pincers and two suction pads. Suitable for the cutting of ceramic, porcelain and extruded tiles, the Rubi TX-N features a breaking power of 1 000 kg facilitating use on the hardest materials. A double guide allows greater visibility while cutting and it has a multi-point breaking system. This cutter can be used on tiles sized between 700 mm and 1 200 mm.

The TP-T cutter is simple to use on both ceramic and porcelain tiles with its multi-point breaking system and angular measurement feature. It is suitable for cutting lengths from 660 mm up to 930 mm and has a swivel bracket with a central pivot for quick measurement of angular cuts.

Mason says that the two electric tile cuttings systems are engineered for accuracy. The DC 250-1200 is fitted with a 1.1 kW electric motor with thermal overload protection. It is used for cutting glazed tiles and stoneware, ceramics, porcelain and similar materials. It is equipped with a plunge head which allows adjustments to be made in different cutting heights as well as cutting holes into tiles without cutting the tile itself. Mitre cutting to a 45 degree angle is possible and the tile bed of 1 200 mm makes this unit a first in its class allowing diagonal cuts up to 850 mm.

The Rubi DS-250-1500-N is powered by a 2.2 kW electric motor complete with thermal overload protection and is fitted with a laser and level. The motor assembly is mounted on sliding bearings for maximum precision. Double flanges provide support when cutting at a 45 degree angle. This cutter can handle lengths of up to 1520 mm and diagonal cutting up to 1 070 mm.

Mayday Equipment will carry stock of all fast moving consumable parts, and Mason and Eloise Taylor, Rubi product specialist at the company, spent time at Rubi’s extensive facility in Spain acquainting themselves fully with the product range and its capabilities and applications.