If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it, and color management is the first step in any colour management system. In order to maintain uniformity in quality control, as well as to evaluate and disseminate objective, numeric colour information, powder colour samples are measured digitally using a spectrophotometer. An incorrect colour can delay a product’s release to the market and cost businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars. Manufacturers of powder coatings can benefit greatly from digital colour measurement’s precision and numerous advantages.
You have to do everything by hand if you don’t use a digital database that provides formula predictions by computer. It could take days of trial and error when manually measuring colour to determine that two colours simply cannot be matched. This is a common occurrence in powder coatings and makes the colour matching process fruitless. If you don’t have the ingredients on hand to make a certain colour, digital colour measurement will let you know right away.
Powder coatings are made entirely in factories all over the globe. Since these facilities are typically owned by large corporations, the ability to transfer work and formulations between locations is crucial. The importance of digital colour communication cannot be overstated. If the user is linked to a digital network, they will have access to the most recent information and will be able to easily update their colour formulas whenever necessary.
It takes a long time for powder coatings’ colours to develop. The time it takes to perfect a colour when using this coating technology is higher than with other methods because a single formulation trial on a lab scale can take up to an hour to produce a single sample. When there is a mistake with the colours, the production facility must start over. Increased efficiency is directly proportional to the amount of time spent developing a colour. You can’t be flexible in the coatings market or provide high-quality colour without computerised colour equipment.
Why Should You Care?
Advantages abound for powder coating suppliers that adopt digital colour management systems of the highest quality. Manufacturers who opt for powder coatings as part of their sustainability efforts should use an eco-friendly colour management process. As an added bonus, digital colour management tools like colorimeters or spectrophotometers reduce the need to produce and ship physical samples across the supply chain, which is a major contributor to sustainability efforts. If there are colour discrepancies within the digitally specified tolerances, physical samples will be required. This allows suppliers to skip sending out physical samples that have a low chance of being accepted.
With digital colour management, not only can factories improve their environmental footprint, but they also become more productive and precise. Faster and more precise colour matching can be achieved all the way through the supply chain with the help of digital colour management. Digital data transmission speeds up the entire colour process by providing reliable, objective measurement data.
Manufacturers who produce powder coatings and offer custom colour matching are better able to cater to specialised orders. Powder coatings are all about speed and colour communication, so we have a saying: “First thing wins.” Whoever brings back the desired shade and price first is the winner. Digital colour management allows for this to happen. There is evidence that the incorporation of colour management tools into a business’s process can increase sales of powder by as much as 20%.
Powder coatings are quickly becoming a top use case in the paint and coatings industry, so it’s crucial to think about how digital colour management can improve productivity in this sector. Eliminating data silos is a key benefit of digital colour management in powder coatings, allowing for quicker and more precise matching. With digital colour management, factories can rest assured that their products’ hues are accurate without breaking the bank.
