Colour and Gloss Measurement of Automotive Paint & Coatings

For automotive paint and parallel applications, colour matters, and the right colour sells.

The external appearance of an automobile is a key quality parameter that influences the customer's purchase decision and demonstrates the quality of the brand to the outside world. Such high-quality paint finishes are susceptible to finish defects such as orange peel and surface haze (to a lesser extent for new vehicles). Management of these defects can make the difference between a high- or low-quality finish, and is of, at least, equal importance than colour accuracy to the paint line and the consumer. The speed of innovation and changing trends in the automotive segment are more evident than almost anywhere else. Presently, more than 80 % of newly manufactured cars are coated with effect paints. The innovation and expectation must be reflected in both OEM and refinish markets, coping with new colours, changes to material specifications and suppliers.

One of the core challenges for the automotive industry is ensuring that the overall appearance of the vehicle is consistent and that the finish of the paintwork of adjacent panels is harmonious.

Konica Minolta Measuring Instruments offer complete solutions for accurate colour and appearance characterisation of high gloss and effect paints throughout the coating process. By integrating colour and appearance measurement data, the paint line can optimise processes throughout production, from raw material to E-coat and C-coat. By implementing data driven systems, the paint line can more effectively predict and effect the end result, improving efficiency, cutting costs, and ultimately improving output quality. Our experts can help you to implement a straightforward system that provides more easily actionable data and reduces the subjectivity of QC processes.

Konica Minolta’s multi angle spectrophotometer is vertically orientated, designed to provide the best possible surface contact on small and curved surfaces that would typically be considered the most challenging. By using 45-degree illumination and 6 measuring angles, the effect of metallics can be most accurately characterised. For interior parts with non-effect coatings, the CM-25cG is an easy-to-use portable instrument designed for digital colour data. 

Konica Minolta has an exclusive distribution agreement with Rhopoint Instruments, supplying their innovative next generation gloss and appearance measurement solutions to the automotive industry. The Rhopoint TAMS is a portable machine vision system for surfaces, it can be used to provide detailed surface information in RMAT mode for characterising rolled sheet materials, pressed parts, and the E-Coat. For C-coat measurements, the TAMS ranks panels for Quality and Harmony, simplifying the data to relate it to the human observer. Rhopoint created the algorithm based on an extensive perception study conducted with AUDI AG. Konica Minolta also supply the Rhopoint IQ-S, a close tolerance next generation glossmeter providing data not only for 20°, 60° and 85° gloss, but also for Rspec, RIQ (Reflected Image Quality) and Haze.