X-Rite Pantone, a company specializing in color standards and color science, will present its latest color management solutions at the Manufacturing and Automation Exchange (MAX) and the American Coatings Show, tailored to the needs of modern automated production. According to the company, inconsistent color, extended product approval processes and material waste remain common challenges on production floors, often resulting from reliance on subjective visual assessment and inconsistent procedures between teams and suppliers. X-Rite Pantone shows how to replace such practices with standardized, data-driven color procedures that increase accuracy, streamline product approvals, reduce waste and create a robust basis for further process automation.
Ben Spiegel, director of CP&M Products at X-Rite Pantone, emphasizes the importance of reliable data in the transformation of industry towards Industry 4.0 solutions. As he points out, when advanced manufacturing technologies are implemented, it is first necessary to standardize and harmonize measurement parameters, including those related to color. Standardization of color management and integration of color data across the entire supply chain enables manufacturers to continuously monitor color consistency, which in turn facilitates the deployment of smart automation systems. In this context, the solutions offered by X-Rite Pantone are intended to support manufacturers of plastics, coatings and packaging in the transition from visual assessment to repeatable, quantitative methods of color control.
X-Rite Pantone presentations at MAX
During the Manufacturing and Automation Exchange in Nashville, X-Rite Pantone will deliver two presentations on the role of color data in modern production. The company focuses on the shift from subjective visual judgments to standardized numerical data, which is expected to improve product repeatability, facilitate automation and increase the efficiency of workflows in processing plants.
The program includes the following sessions:
- "Standardize, automate, optimize: the role of color data in modern manufacturing", Wednesday, March 25, 2:00–2:15 PM;
- "The critical role of visual evaluation in a data-driven color workflow", Thursday, March 26, 11:30–11:45 AM.
Additional information on X-Rite Pantone's participation in MAX is available on the manufacturer's website.
Color control from design to production
At MAX (booth 325) and the American Coatings Show (booth 711), X-Rite Pantone will present an integrated ecosystem of solutions for color measurement, specification, formulation, visual assessment and quality control. The aim is to ensure consistent color reproduction from the design stage through to series production by replacing traditional visual assessment with data-based measurement processes.
In the area of color specification and formulation, the company proposes combining Ci7000 series spectrophotometers with the Color iMatch formulation software and the NetProfiler tool. Ci7000 series spectrophotometers are used for precise color measurement on a wide range of materials, which is particularly important in multi-material plastic products, coatings or packaging laminates. Color iMatch supports faster and more accurate initial formulations with fewer corrections and color adjustments during technical trials. NetProfiler is responsible for maintaining consistency of measurement results between instruments and within the global supply chain.
For inline production monitoring, X-Rite Pantone offers a solution based on the ERX145 spectrophotometer working with ESWin software. This system enables real-time measurement of color and gloss on production lines, allowing predefined tolerances to be maintained, color or gloss deviations to be detected at an early stage and production process efficiency to be improved. Such solutions can be used, among others, in continuous film extrusion, substrate coating or plastic profile production.
The new CiF3200 imaging spectrophotometer, combined with the Color iQC quality control software, is designed for the measurement of small, irregular or multi-colored parts. Such samples are difficult to evaluate using standard measurement devices, therefore the use of an imaging system enables more detailed color analysis and production decisions based on numerical data. Here as well, NetProfiler is used to ensure consistency of measurement results between different instruments and suppliers.
The measurement solutions are complemented by visual assessment systems, including the new energy-efficient Judge LED light booth. By combining objective measurement with controlled visual evaluation, manufacturers can obtain repeatable, standard-compliant viewing conditions, which is important when assessing finished products, plastic components or packaging elements.
All X-Rite Pantone solutions are integrated through the My X-Rite platform, which serves as a customer workspace. It provides access to information on devices, software and services, thus facilitating the maintenance of consistency and control over color-related processes over the long term.
The importance of digital workflows in the supply chain
As Ben Spiegel points out, color consistency across the entire supply chain requires all partners to work from the same data. Digital workflows based on spectral measurements and defined tolerances enable precise communication of color requirements between designers, producers of intermediates, plastics processors and manufacturers of finished products. In practice, this makes it possible to reduce the number of corrections, lower scrap and waste levels and keep production running smoothly.
The solutions presented by X-Rite Pantone at MAX and the American Coatings Show are aimed at manufacturers who want to move from traditional visual color assessment methods to integrated, data-driven color management systems. This is relevant both in the coatings industry and in the production of plastic components and packaging, where color consistency is one of the key quality parameters.
