Anything but colorblind
New facilities for color measurement lab
(PresseBox) (Pinneberg, )An experienced team of colorists works out polymer specific color settings. “Customers often send a sample part for readjustment,” explains Dorit Krienke, the Quality Assurance Manager. “This, for example, can be a component which must compliment other components. A special requirement is that there should be no visible visual difference between the indi-vidual components.” To begin with, the sample part is analyzed colormetrically. Subsequently, a distinction is made between two different measuring geometries: the directional geometry and the spherical geometry.
“In order to make optimal use of the respective strengths, we combine both techniques in our investigations,” states Krienke. “It is only by getting exact measurement results that we can create the color formulation such that it corresponds to the exact color requirements of the customer.”
The color measurement lab is based on “Colibri” by Konica Minolta, one of the leading color management systems, which allows efficient operation, both pertaining to measurement and formulation. The program had to be supplied in advance with numerous data, measurements and information on the colorants. It is possible to calculate a suitable formulation with just a few mouse clicks. This is then mixed in the pilot plant and extruded. In spite of all the technical assistance, human beings are still indispensable as the last authority for color assessment. Only experienced colorists with a trained eye are able to give the mechanically calculated formulations the final touches. Only then are they presented to the customer for sampling.