Much of the focus in powder coating is on the effectiveness of the coating itself and its ability to protect the coated surface from potential damage or contamination; however, color management needs to be an equal area of focus in a high-quality powder coating process to ensure customers are satisfied with the results of the coating.
Color management refers to the processes and solutions used to measure, analyze and assess color with powder coating. This process is typically performed digitally, and performing it helps to reduce the amount of time and energy spent on color control and formulation. The result: fewer errors and unnecessary added expenses and a higher-quality finished result.
The importance of color management
Color management technology includes forms of both hardware and software, which work together to deliver outstanding color accuracy along with high-quality coating performance. Creating colors for powder coating takes much more time than other forms of coating, such as paints or stains.
With paints, all it takes is putting colorants into a base, mixing it up and applying it, with corrections easily possible by adding different colorants into the batch. With powder coating, much more time must be spent on tweaking the color. It may take an hour or more to weigh the dry materials, create premixes and then extrude that premix. Then, after all that, the process might need to be started all over if the color still isn’t correct.
Color management helps to significantly speed up this process. The color must be correct and approved by customers the first time, otherwise the process becomes overbearing and extensive.
Color may be assessed visually, but this process is subjective and can still result in some expensive errors. Color management tools allow for more objective color assessment to determine accuracy and prevent reworks and delays associated with visual assessment.
The technology used for color management in powder coating is constantly evolving as the world continues its shift toward digitalization. Computerized color solutions allow companies to be much more responsive to the markets they’re in and to ensure much greater and more consistent color quality. This can cut hours or days out of the process, allowing companies to serve more clients faster and increase their revenue and profits.
These digital tools don’t just ensure manufacturers are working with the correct color—they also allow manufacturers to determine whether they have the necessary raw materials on hand to actually make that color. This means the manufacturer can quickly purchase the needed items if they are not already among their supply.
Ultimately, color management streamlines powder coating processes, improves quality and customer satisfaction and provides many financial benefits to companies that invest in it.
Want to know more about how to powder coat color to extreme levels of accuracy and why powder coating color management is so important for you to invest in? We encourage you to contact the experts at Powder Vision Inc today with any questions you have for our team of skilled powder coating experts.