Case history (November 01, 2003)

With the implementation of a new enterprise-wide color measurement and formulation program, Spartech Corporation’s Color and Specialty Compound Group will be able decentralize its manufacturing functions while maintaining color consistency.

Spartech has selected the Color-Eye 7000A ProPalette system from GretagMacbeth along with the company’s new NetProfiler technology for enterprise-wide color formulation. In addition, Spartech has chosen GretagMacbeth’s patented SpectraLight color viewing booths for visual color assessment.

These technologies are part of GretagMacbeth’s newly launched Enterprise Color Management (ECM) program and will be deployed throughout Spartech’s North American color and compounding plants to formulate and control the color of their compounds and concentrates.

“Our reason for deploying this technology was twofold. We wanted to optimize facility-wide plant capacity while responding rapidly to customers. GretagMacbeth’s ECM technologies helped us achieve both,” states George Abd, Spartech executive vice president, Color and Specialty Compounds Group.

By centralizing their database of color formulas, Spartech is able to effectively decentralize manufacturing, yet gain color consistency throughout every facility. Based on capacity, an order can now be quickly fulfilled at any plant for any color.

ProPalette color formulation software is the engine that drives Spartech’s enterprise-wide color formulation. Spartech’s central lab uses ProPalette to maintain the colorant database, while each facility runs a networked version of ProPalette that draws its formulas from the central database. At the same time NetProfiler ensures that every spectrophotometer accurately and consistently measures each sample. A key enabler of ECM, NetProfiler allows real-time calibration, certification and adjustment of a network of dissimilar spectrophotometers via the Internet.

“The beauty of an ECM solution is that it helps suppliers use color as a competitive advantage while enhancing productivity, quality and speed to market,” remarks Ken Boyle, vice president and general manager, Color & Appearance Business Unit, GretagMacbeth. He adds that the components of an ECM program including spectrophotometers, software and lighting have been available for years. However, newer Internet-based technologies such as NetProfiler are really optimizing each component to enable an integrated, enterprise-wide approach to color management.

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