Untitled DocumentSASSENHEIM, the Netherlands – Together with industry partners BYK-Gardner and Merck, Akzo Nobel is involved in the development of a new technology to measure special effects colors, such as pearls and metallics, that determines sparkle and coarseness in paint that is based on a state-of-the-art six-angle spectrophotometer technique combined with data from a digital camera. With this new technology, a new step has been taken to improve color accuracy in the body shop.
Akzo Nobel introduced the first Sikkens spectrophotometer in the car repair market in the ’90s, when by just pressing the color measurement device to a car, the correct color formula could be found quickly and easily. However, modern cars are coated with more complex special effect colors. Although the simpler solid colors are still on the market, many car manufacturers now use special effect colors to brighten up the appearance of modern cars. These more-subtle car colors range from well-known metallic colors to more exotic pearls, or colors using Chromaflair and Xirallic pigments. These trends are expected to continue for years.
With the traditional multi-angle color measure devices, Akzo Nobel says it is difficult to measure both the exact color and the special effect characteristics, such as the sparkle and the coarseness of the paint. Therefore there is a clear need in the repair market for a new technology to measure metallic and pearl colors more accurately. BYK-Gardner GmbH, developer and manufacturer of optical instruments together with Merck KGaA, supplier of special effect pigments, have involved the Akzo Nobel Car Refinishes car color specialists at an early stage of development. This unique cooperation, combining color expertise from different color industry specialists, forms the foundation of this new technology.
The company says the problem with measuring effect colors lies with the fact that the color seems to change when you a look at it from different angles. This is especially the case in pearl colors.
A spectrophotometer that measures the color from six angles gathers enough information to describe the right color accurately. In addition to that, not only does color affect the appearance of the paint, but also the texture. Texture consists of coarseness and sparkle. For that reason, it was decided to take the step of adding a digital camera to measure the coarseness and sparkle of the paint. With these features, a color-measuring device was developed that clearly tells the difference between a fine or a coarse metallic or effect color.
Combining all this information, additional software can quickly and accurately define the more "challenging" effect colors. Currently, at Akzo Nobel this technology is being used for color formula development, which requires an extremely accurate color measurement process. All together, the new technique enables Akzo Nobel to further increase the level of color accuracy in the range of special effects colors to help its customers find the right color formula with a close match to the car panel.
Akzo Nobel says its goal is to exploit this technology and expertise in the body shop market, and the new six-angle technology will be used to develop a color measuring device for body shops use in the near future.
For additional information visit www.sikkenscr.com.
