In the manufacturing of paints and plastics, color isn't just a feature—it is the product. Whether you are formulating a masterbatch for a beverage cap or tweaking the pigment load for an architectural coating, your customers demand absolute repeatability.
A slightly "off" batch doesn't just mean a rejected shipment; it means downtime for your customer's injection molders or huge liability claims from construction projects.
D50 Lighting™ secures the integrity of your formulation process, ensuring that the chemistry of color is perceived correctly from the lab bench to the loading dock.
Here is how D50 Lighting™ solves the unique challenges of paints and plastics manufacturing:
Mastering the Metameric Match
In plastics and paints, you are often matching different materials: a plastic cap to a glass bottle, or a powder coat to a liquid paint. These materials absorb and reflect light differently. This creates a high risk for metamerism—where the cap matches the bottle under your lab's fluorescent lights but looks completely different on the supermarket shelf. By formulating and testing under D50 Lighting™ (5000K), you align with the global standard for color evaluation. You can verify that your pigments will hold their match across the spectrum, preventing costly reformulations after the product has left the factory.
High-Fidelity Opacity and Texture Control
It’s not just about the hue; it’s about the coverage. In paint manufacturing, checking opacity (hiding power) is critical. In plastics, checking the dispersion of pigments (preventing streaks or swirls) is vital. The 95 CRI (Color Rendering Index) of D50 Lighting™ delivers the visual data needed to see through the surface. It allows technicians to detect:
Poor Dispersion: Unmixed pigment specks in plastic pellets.
Coverage Issues: Subtle transparency variations in paint drawdowns.
Surface Defects: Flow marks or "orange peel" in cured samples.
Consistency Between R&D and Production
Often, the R&D lab has perfect lighting, but the production floor—where the active mixing happens—is dim or lit by outdated sodium lamps. This creates a disconnect. A line operator might try to "fix" a color that looks wrong under the factory lights, inadvertently ruining a batch that was actually perfect. Installing D50 Lighting™ across the facility ensures a "chain of custody" for visual quality. When the R&D scientist, the line operator, and the QA manager all see the product under the same standardized light, they speak the same language, reducing unnecessary adjustments and waste.
Conclusion: The Science of Sight
You measure viscosity, specific gravity, and melt flow index with precision instruments. Why leave visual assessment to chance? D50 Lighting™ turns your facility’s lighting into a scientific instrument, ensuring that the color you formulate is the color your customer receives, every single time.
