The production of these taps came with some technical challenges, not only because it was CIFIAL's first time producing single-lever taps, but also because their volumetry caused difficulties in the casting process.
This challenge led to the replacement of the usual 40mm cartridges with 35mm ones in the Panda taps. The bath and shower tap mixer also had this new type of cartridge applied as well as a very innovative inverter. At the time, these 35mm cartridges were a novelty of the brand "AMFAG" and CIFIAL was one of the first brands worldwide using them.
In the 90s it was common to use polymeric materials in order to reduce production costs.
Although CIFIAL tried to follow this path, and even produced some parts with these materials (tap handle, flush valve control handle and the cartridge fixing nut), the brand quickly abandoned this path and remained faithful to the use of brass as the raw material of choice.
With a revolutionary design for its time, it was exhibited in numerous design exhibitions in Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin and San Francisco, bringing several international distinctions.
It was a finalist for the "European Design Award 1997" in Paris, the "Good Design 1998" in Chicago and the "IF Product Design 2001" in Hannover.
The piece was selected by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum, Museum of Architecture and Design in the USA, to be part of the 1998 Good Design Award exhibition, and was eventually incorporated into the museum's permanent design collection.
It was present at the Portuguese Design Center in 2000.
Later in 2003, CTT Portugal selected Panda to integrate one of its philately collections dedicated to 10 Portuguese designers of the 20th century.