Sassenheim, the Netherlands, 5 February 2008 – Together with industry partners BYK-Gardner and Merck, Akzo Nobel is involved in the development of a new and unique technology to measure special effects colors such as pearls and metallics. This new and revolutionary method of measuring sparkle and coarseness in paint 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 bodyshop.
Special effects
When Akzo Nobel introduced the first Sikkens spectrophotometer in the car repair market in the 90’s, this was a revolutionary step. By just pressing the color measurement device to a car, the correct color formula could be found fast and easily. However, modern cars are coated with more complex special effect colors. Just like in the fashion industry, car colors are subject to change. 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 the next years.
Combining expertise
With the traditional multi-angle color measure devices, 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 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.
Tackling the problem from different angles
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 color affects the appearance of the paint but also the texture. Texture consists of coarseness and sparkle. For that reason, it was decided to take the revolutionary step to add 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 for example a fine or a coarse metallic or effect color.
Color accuracy
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. This will help our customers to find the right color formula with a close match to the car panel. It’s Akzo Nobel’s goal to exploit this technology and expertise in the bodyshop market. For that reason, the new six-angle technology will be used to develop a color measuring device for bodyshop use in the near future.
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For more information please contact:
Akzo Nobel Car Refinishes:
Andre.koster@akzonobel.com, Marketing Communications
Tel. +31 71 308 3121