Color Management Solutions for Plastics

Work with Experts Who Know Color Management for Plastics

In the plastics industry, controlling color is paramount for maintaining consistency, functional purpose of materials and aesthetic appeal. Consistent color across products and batches is essential to uphold company image and customer trust and variations can lead to product rejections, increased waste, and higher production costs.

Datacolor equips the plastics industry with precise color measurement, formulation, and quality control tools and software, enabling accurate color and efficient production processes. Our technology helps minimize waste and accelerates time-to-market by ensuring color accuracy from the start. Get consistent, reproducible results with Datacolor color management tools for the plastics industry.

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Color Challenges in Plastics Manufacturing

The biggest challenge that plastics manufacturers face when it comes to color is consistency from one batch to the next, especially when there are multiple masterbatchers or multiple production locations involved. In a process with so much variability in raw materials and processing conditions, it can seem impossible to maintain consistent color quality – but there are ways that digital color management can reduce much of this uncertainty.

Color Formulation in Plastics Manufacturing

Another challenge when it comes to color is stability over time. Plastics can undergo color changes or fading when exposed to heat, chemicals or UV radiation, leading to discrepancies between the intended and actual color appearance of a product. This requires manufacturers to carefully select pigments and additives that enhance the longevity and stability of colors.

How Color Management Supports Sustainability in the Plastics Industry

Sustainability in the plastics industry is undoubtedly a challenge, but digital color management can help plastics manufacturers be more sustainable by optimizing the use of materials and reducing waste. Through precise color matching and formulation using digital tools, manufacturers can ensure that the color is right the first time, decreasing the need for trial and error and reducing the amount of raw material and energy used in production.

Digital color management systems enable the efficient replication of colors across different batches and materials, minimizing variations and the subsequent need for rework or disposal of off-spec products. Additionally, these systems can facilitate the use of more sustainable pigments and additives by allowing manufacturers to simulate and test colors virtually before production, thus avoiding the environmental impact of physical trials.

By integrating digital color management, plastics manufacturers can achieve not only color consistency but also enhance their overall sustainability efforts, leading to a reduction in their environmental footprint.

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Formulating a Solution

Datacolor can help plastics manufacturers achieve consistent color between batches with color measurement instruments and software that ensures color accuracy – from formulation to final quality control checks.

Our spectrophotometers capture precise color data, which is used to formulate and replicate colors exactly across different production runs. Our software analyzes color variations and guides adjustments in the manufacturing process to maintain color consistency.

By integrating Datacolor’s solutions into quality control systems, manufacturers can monitor and control color attributes closely, reducing variability and ensuring that each batch meets the set color standards. This systematic approach to color management enables consistent product quality and customer satisfaction.

Chat with a Plastics Color Expert

Sekisui

Sekisui is a thermoplastics company controlling color while accounting for gloss. Learn how Datacolor helped them achieve their goals.

Audi

World-renowned auto manufacturer, Audi, streamlined their quality control process with our handheld 45G spectrophotometer.

Pioneer Industries Inc

Pioneer Industries is an injection molder using our formulation software and a benchtop spectrophotometer to improve formulas and control the appearance of color.

The Right Color Management Solutions for Your Unique Workflow

We have color management solutions for several segments within the plastics industry. Are you a masterbatcher, compounder, or converter? Select your industry segment below to learn more about how we can help your unique color managements needs.

Masterbatchers & Compounders

Converters

Solutions that help you get color right

Formulation Software: Colibri ColorMatch

Match color on a wide range of substrates and materials

Color Quality Control Software: Colibri ColorQuality

Manage quality of colored products globally.

Datacolor Spectro 1000 benchtop spectrophotometer.

Spectro 1000 Family

Spectro 1000 delivers the highest precision in Datacolor’s fleet of benchtop Spectrophotometers and is designed for high efficiency and confidence in color formulation and quality control.

Color Science Essentials

The Datacolor blog covers the essentials of color science and color management, with how-to articles, tips and tricks for optimum color management, and deep dive explorations of the fundamentals.

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