COLOUR MEASUREMENT | INSTRUMENTATION
Right: Konica Minolta’s CM-36dG spectrophoto- meter is a benchtop device with a built-in ISO compliant gloss sensor that can measure both colour and gloss
can meet this growing demand by creating reproducibility across the supply chain and ensuring that there is minimal waste. Its tools make it possible to identify manufacturing errors or off-shade colours, saving time otherwise wasted on multiple rounds of corrections and so decreasing the unnecessary waste of raw materials. If corrections are necessary, Match Pigment can help companies reformulate off-colour products instead of disposing of them, says Balthazar. Datacolor’s most recent product releases include high-end spectrophotometers and version 4.0 of Match Pigment. High-end spectrophotometers include the Spectro 1000 and 700 benchtops. Match Pigment 4.0 allows the operator to control colour formulation through features such as Gamut Map- ping, Smart Correction, Smart Match and Recycle. Gamut Mapping, for example, informs master-
IMAGE: KONICA MINOLTA
als are already facing shortages and disruptions,“ Balthazar says. “Undoubtedly sustainability measures like this will be a challenge for a growing number of plastics com- pounders and masterbatchers around the world who are keen to get batches right the first time. A strong colour management program is sure to be a vital part of meeting that goal.” Within the current economic situation, saving
batch makers in advance if a formula is achievable before the colourants are mixed. Smart Correction can reduce the amount of raw materials used by up to 64% by providing the most efficient colourant combinations, while SmartMatchis claimed to improve first-shot match rates by up to 80%. The Recycle feature allows masterbatchers to reuse off-colour material by reformulating instead of disposal.
Future thinking Future developments will need to help customers comply with government-led initiatives to encour- age the use of recycled materials in plastic produc- tion. “For example, in April 2022 the United Kingdom enacted a policy stating that some domestic, as well as foreign plastic manufacturers importing to the UK, must be using at least 30% recycled plastic in the production of new materials or face a tax,” says Balthazar. “This is problematic because most base polymers in their raw state are inherently unstable or unsuitable for how end users employ them. To combat that, some fairly robust additive packages are usually required, including stabilisers, UV protectants, lubricants and fillers, to give the plastic its necessary properties.“ Adding recycled material to virgin material
reduces its processing stability and performance of the final product will likely suffer. “One way to alleviate this is to increase the amount of stabilising agents being used, but that in turn will make the process more expensive at a time when raw materi-
38 COMPOUNDING WORLD | July 2022
resources has become an even more pressing topic, says Konica Minolta. However, when selecting colour measuring equipment, the company says there are a number of issues to consider. “As with many things, the application and market demands set the boundary conditions for selecting the correct equipment,” says Christian Dietz, Manager Application Technology C&A EMEA. “While some OEMs demand specific equipment to test the quality of samples as close to visual perception as possible — requiring directional geometries of 45°:0° for example, — everyday tasks like colour quality checks or colour matching ask for more flexible methods to judge the appearance of a sample, and would require diffuse measure- ment devices such as sphere types. With traditional systems, setting up a colour management workflow is state-of-the-art, and sphere-based spectropho- tometers are, together with a decent Colour Matching software, invaluable to control and formulate the correct colour, fast,” he says. Another factor that needs to be taken into
consideration is usability of the equipment. “Bench- top spectrophotometers are capable of not only measuring reflection but also transmission, while portable handheld devices are reflectance only but more flexible as to where they are used,” says Dietz. “But no matter what type is favoured, this well-estab- lished technology helps to cover almost all the needs of a producer in terms of colour quality assurance.” According to Konica Minolta, individualisation
and increasing customer demands are driving the colour inspection and appearance business in the car industry, even to the point of unique customisa- tions. For example, in e-mobility the pleasing appearance of the interior for users is becoming more relevant than motor performance. Modern colour inspection embraces these challenges and new automated testing solutions provide a way to satisfy these demands. Current industry challenges include a decreasing number of experts and greater workload for
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