It's the color that counts: SKZ expands colorist training facilities
First impressions count - even with plastics. The color of plastic products is therefore a key feature that unfortunately often leads to complaints. For many years, the SKZ Plastics Center has offered a modular training program to become a colorist for the plastics industry to facilitate entry into colorimetry and color measurement technology. The aim is to improve the quality of colored plastic products and to facilitate communication within the supply chain. For this reason, SKZ has now significantly expanded its measurement equipment in the field of coloristics. Participants in the courses focusing on color have access to a broad portfolio of well-known metrology manufacturers.
Linda Mittelberg, Spectroscopy Group Leader, with expanded equipment at the SKZ's Training Center Quality (TZQ). (Photo: Luca Hoffmannbeck, SKZ)
Course participants will have access to a laboratory equipped with the latest in measurement technology
Color and design determine the recognition value and thus the success of plastic products. Quality assurance and production technology for these features are therefore becoming increasingly important. SKZ has long recognized this: With the opening of the Training Center Quality (TZQ) at the beginning of 2023, the training of colorists has been raised to a new level. An entire laboratory with the latest measuring technology from all the major manufacturers is now available. In addition to the classic sampling booth with lamps, an LED light booth from JUST Normlicht GmbH is also available.
In addition to the most commonly used d:8° benchtop systems (Ci7860 from X-Rite Europe GmbH and CM-36dG from Konica Minolta Sensing Europe B. V.) and 45°:0° handheld instruments (spectro2guide from BYK-Gardner GmbH and 964 from X-Rite Europe GmbH), a SpectraVision from Datacolor GmbH with hyperspectral color measurement and a spectro2profiler from BYK-Gardner GmbH are now available for surface characterization. These instruments can be used to determine the individual colors of multicolored samples or various features of the surface texture. Finally, a Rhopoint IQ-S three-angle glossmeter (distributed by Konica Minolta Sensing B. V.) for measuring gloss, haze, DOI and RIQ completes the portfolio
Test measurement systems on your own
During the training, participants can test all measuring systems with their own samples, while SKZ experts explain the basics of colorimetry and color measurement technology in the theoretical part. Advanced courses focus on color formulation and color assurance in plastics processing.
