INLINE SYSTEMS | COLOUR MEASUREMENT


Measuring colour during production


Measuring colour during the compounding process minimises scrap production and reduces costly off-spec material. Mark Holmes looks at some available solutions


Colour measurement is no longer restricted to the laboratory. One of the most significant recent developments in colour measurement technology is the ability to determine colour during the compounding process via inline or online equip- ment and then using that data to automatically correct the process.


German technology company ColorLite says it installed its first inline colour measurement systems around a decade ago and all of them continue to work perfectly, in part due to the use of durable and stable LED technology. Managing Director David Pryor explains the benefits of the technology. “Data can be used to adjust a dosing unit to minimise waste and time because taking a sample


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after production is not effective,“ he says. ColorLite says its inline colour measurement system for strand analysis is able to detect the smallest colour differences during compounding. It uses a spectrophotometer (d/0° geometry) with integrated automatic calibration and an infrared temperature sensor to compensate for thermo- chromic drift. This reversible colour shift is caused by thermochromic behaviour of the polymer itself, or by additives or interactions between the polymer matrix and incorporated additives. It is an important aspect to be considered when interpret- ing colour measurement data obtained at elevated temperatures. The system also includes a guide to ensure that


Main image: Inline colour measurement means faster response to product or process variation, improving quality and cutting cost


July 2022 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 45


IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK


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