Colour and Gloss Measurement for Opaque Solid Surfaces

Control of colour and process control for wood, ceramic, metal, plastic, and flooring

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Colour and gloss measurement of opaque building materials


Portable colorimeters, benchtop spectrophotometers, and glossmeters for the measurement of colour and gloss for wood, ceramic, metal, plastic, and flooring

Architects, designers, and builders utilise a variety of materials in developing buildings and environments. Whether or not materials are selected primarily for mechanical properties or visual effect, aesthetics commonly remains an important consideration. Colour difference is more noticeable on large surfaces, which is often the case in building materials, so suppliers aim to control processes and product quality to ensure that satisfaction is high, and rejects are low.
 

Colour and appearance control can help companies control processes and provide a competitive advantage by improving the consistency of the finished product.

 
Konica Minolta Measuring Instruments help implement control solutions throughout the design, specification, formulation, manufacturing, and quality control of materials. Regardless of the material, whether wood, ceramic, metal, plastic, or hybrid products, implementing colour measurement throughout development and production offers organisations control and consistency over their products. Traceable colour data can be used to reduce subjectivity from the specification, communication, and approval of products, building trust with customers and improving the perceived value of products and services.
 
Our spectrophotometers and colorimeters are manufactured to the highest standards, to provide you with accuracy and traceability alongside innovative features like a built-in display and operator wizard. A portable spectrophotometer such as the CM-26d allows operators mobility and flexibility whilst maintaining traceability and industry leading inter model agreement with other instruments in the supply chain.
 
Through our partnership with Rhopoint Instruments, we offer a number of advanced gloss and appearance measurement solutions, including devices for measuring Rspec, surface haze, DOI and RIQ. The close-tolerance IQ-S glossmeter offers maximum accuracy and resolution in all gloss applications.
 
Konica Minolta's team of specialists offers the expertise from hundreds of installations within this field, successfully leveraging measuring instruments and software to assist our customers and their supply chains in improving quality and reducing waste. Our extensive network of authorised service facilities offers swift repairs and provide traceable calibration of Konica Minolta measuring instruments year-round.

Benefits

  • Reduce waste and save time in development and manufacturing.
  • Establish a consistent product colour that can be measured and reproduced anywhere in the world.
  • Improve perceived quality.
  • Simplify quality control.
  • Improve the quality of supplier/customer exchanges.

Instruments

Instruments

CR-400/CR-410 Colorimeter

Simple, portable tristimulus colorimeter with a large measuring aperture for pass/fail QC. The CR-400/CR-410 is used for colour difference measurements against a target or colour indices.
Learn more about the CR-400/CR-410

CM-700d Portable Spectrophotometer

A portable instrument that provides spectral data for solid samples with a 3mm and 8mm measuring aperture. The vertical orientation of the device means that it performs well even on curved and uneven surfaces.
Learn more about the CM-700d

CM-26dG Portable Spectrophotometer

A portable instrument with colour display and our best ever user interface. The built-in sample viewer window greatly assists in sample alignment, and in achieving accurate and repeatable measurements.
Learn more about the CM-26dG

CM-36dG Benchtop Spectrophotometer

Versatile benchtop instrument for the measurement of a wide variety of samples in either reflectance or transmission. Operators can quickly and accurately characterise colour, 60-degree gloss, haze, and opacity connected directly to colour data software.
Learn more about the CM-36dG

Rhopoint IQ-S Close-Tolerance Glossmeter

Trigloss 20/60/85° close-tolerance gloss meter with innovative surface characterisation technology for surface haze, Rspec, and DOI measurements
Learn more about the Rhopoint IQ-S

Rhopoint IQ FLEX 20-S

IQ glossmeter is ideal for small and difficult high gloss parts such as chrome details, trims etc., thanks to its small area remote receptor head.  It measures data for 20-degree gloss, R-Spec, DOI, and RIQ to provide a more accurate assessment of surface finish. 
Learn More about the Rhopoint IQ Flex-20S
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Applications

Applications

Measurement of Composite Decking

Measurement of composite decking products can be made with a CR-410 colorimeter or a CM-26dG spectrophotometer in multi-measurement mode to obtain an average measurement as the material is often heterogeneous. In addition, the CM-26dG can also be used to check the gloss at 60° and ensure that the appearance corresponds to the established standards. By measuring colour and gloss, the manufacturer can adjust the extrusion process (temperature, speed, wood/polymer concentration, pigment concentration), in order to obtain a constant colour and appearance throughout the production process.

A line of colourful decking products made from plastic

Measurement of Joinery Profiles

Manufacturers check PVC and aluminium profiles with a colorimeter or more often a spectrophotometer to check the product is within tolerance for approval. The CM-700d or CR-400 are widely used to check the colours of the profiles as even small differences between adjacent lengths can lead to costly rejects. By implementing routine testing, the manufacturer can quickly identify and correct any colour difference.

Measurement of Metal Plate

Decorative finishes for metals, such as polishing, brushing, etching, bluing, blackening, and anodising, all benefit in some way from process control, in the form of gloss or colour measurements. By monitoring and recording colour, you not only increase the quality of the product, but also provide certainty of replacement or repair, which adds value over competitors. The CM-700d and Rhopoint IQ-S are the perfect combo for colour control, gloss measurement, and haze in corrosion and trace testing.

Grey metal cladding and windows on a large building
Rolled rubber flooring products of different colours

Measurement of Laminate and Rubber Flooring

It is important to control and formulate colour in order to achieve a consistent appearance throughout the production process. A spectrophotometer such as the CM-700d and the SpectraMagic NX2 quality control software can help to optimise manufacturing costs and reduce waste. 

Measurement of Colour of interior and exterior materials such as Roof / Wall / Floor material / Wallpaper

Colour management for exterior materials such as roof tiles and facade panels, and interior materials such as flooring, ceiling materials, and wallpaper is possible with either a colorimeter or a spectrophotometer. 

By using the chroma meter CR-410, it is possible to effectively evaluate the colour of a large area object (50 mmΦ measurement aperture). Other materials would benefit from the spectrocolorimeter CM-26dG, measuring both the colour and gloss of samples at the same time.

Measurement of countertops and surfaces in bathroom and kitchen products

The Rhopoint IQ-S close-tolerance glossmeter can be used to evaluate the degree of surface haze on surfaces such as enamel, resin, stainless steel etc, as well as the clarity of reflection on the surface of the sample Refelcted Image Quality (RIQ). 
With the Rhopoint IQ Flex 20-S, you can measure curved shapes and small surfaces utilising the remote head and small measurement spot size of this innovative glossmeter.

Related Solutions

Decorative Paint & Coatings

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