Monton bearing is mainly engaged in the production of the angular contact ball bearing,precision crossd roller bearing,the section ball bearing,cylindrical roller bearing,spherical roller bearing,thrust roller ball bearings and harmonic drives and the customer made non-standard bearings.Our products have been widely used for machine tools,weapon,mining,metallurgy,port machinery,medical treatment,cement,oil drilling,textile,industrial robots,papermaking machinery,concrete mixer truck,rolling mill and the national defense industry field.

We are participating in cloud exhibition activities：

https://bearingshow.net/shopIntroduct/118.html

Welcome to CnBearing online expo! Introduce yourself in the chat to the right and exhibitors can show your hall in the chat then buyers can schedule a meeting with you.

Bearing buyers can choose place order to all of  exhibitors who are all qualified and we can assure they will provide special benefit for you during the online expo.

You can visit https://www.bearingshow.net/exhibitors.html for more exhibitor info or contact [email protected] for further question.

Want to know how to maximize production throughput and reduce costs when making high volumes of plastic injection molded parts? The answer lies with multi-cavity tooling, where it’s possible to produce up to hundreds of finished parts in a single injection cycle. In this Serious Engineering video, Gordon Styles shows you how it’s done.

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今Seiko潜む水道のメーターの指導者地位と名誉は意外ではなくて、この名声は回顧して50年前に上回ってから革新する良好な成果を長い間堅持するのです。今年、セイコーはバーゼルで展を表して3モデルの全く新しいProspex潜む水道のメーターを出して、第1匹の潜む水道のメーターがもう1度制限してSLA017および近代的だ改めてSPB051とSPB053を解釈するのを刻みを含んで、1965年の誕生するSEIKO、日本の第1匹の潜む水道のメーターに向って敬意を表します。

第1匹の潜む水道のメーターの誕生から、Seikoはすでにたくさんの特色を創造して、広範にを受けるに界業になられるのが標準的です。 ISO一部標準的だすでにSeiko潜む水道のメーターの観点根拠。 Seikoの蛇の腹式の腕時計のバンドは、チタン金属の行為で殻の材質を表しておよびポインターなどを広くしてすべてどのように定義「世界で通用する理想の潜む水道のメーター」に対して貢献をしました。

Seiko第1匹の潜む水道のメーター、1965年。

Seiko第1匹の潜む水道のメーター制は1965年

Seikoはの、日本の第1匹の潜む水道のメーターが1965年に製造するのであるで、当時に、また（まだ）広範に使うに高レベルの防水技術の腕時計を備えます。この潜む水道のメーターは自動的に鎖の機械のチップに行ってそして150メートルの防水機能を備えるのを搭載しました。この腕時計は設計して最も苛酷な環境下と性を読む最も良くて信頼できる度があることができるのに用いるので、そして1966年から1969年間まで日本極地研究探険隊に使われました。あの誘導設備のまだ発達していていない時代で、1匹が使えるのは極地の天文観測の正確な腕時計でとても肝心でで、Seiko潜む水道のメーターは毎回探険の任務の中の優秀な振る舞いを通して、自分が挑戦に直面することができると証明します。しかし、この腕時計の意味ははるかに満足の極地の探険隊員の需要を上回ります。休んでダイビングの人々次第に増加して、この腕時計はもっと多い大衆の細やかな愛を受けます。 Seiko発展が丈夫で、正確でそのためおよび、安全性の潜む水道のメーターの道は始まって、今日に至ります。

第一只潜水表复刻限量款Prospex SLA017的表底盖，印有与1965 年原款相同的海豚图案。

       此款重现忠于原始设计，但在技术上则完全更新。它搭载了特别为潜水而设计的8L35 机芯，而且是由位于日本北方盛冈市「雫石高级时计工房」技艺高超的工匠们所打造。 Nobuhiro Kosugi 负责整体设计，他是黄绶褒章与当代工艺大师奖的获奖者。 Kosugi 保留着原款的信念，这可以由以下设计巧思加以证明：与表盘联为一体的3D 时标、12 点钟处的发光涂料圆点、纤细利落的表壳以及窄表圈。

第1匹の潜む水道のメーターはもう1度制限してPROSPEXSLA017ステンレスが硬度を超えて電気めっきをして殻を表しを刻んで、直径の39.9ミリメートル、8L35は自動的に鎖のチップに行って、回数の28に振動して、800回/時間（8回/秒）、動力は50時間貯蓄して、とても目がくらむ箱型のサファイアの水晶の鏡映面を防いで膜処理をめっきして、200メートル水を防いで、磁気の4を抵抗する、800A/m，ケイ素のゴムの腕時計のバンド、別に付け加えて1組のステンレスの腕時計のバンドを含んで、ヨーロッパ地区は小売り価格の3を提案して、800ユーロ、制限して2、000の匹を生産します。

忠実で1965年にモデルが設計する同時に、この全く新しいProspex潜む水道のメーターももっと高い機能性を実現しました。それは箱型のサファイアの水晶、200メートルを持っていて水を防ぎます。シリカゲルの腕時計のバンドため、ぬれる式のウエットスーツの外部でつけて或いは計略の上で皆適合するのなのにも関わらず。丈夫さも腕時計を保護するのを通して吹くエキストラスティッフの質の上塗りを防いで強化します。これは手製で2017年にあるを学校の傑作を組み立てて加減して7月に発売して、しかも2000匹しかありません。

近代的に改めてPROSPEXSPB051ステンレスを解釈して硬度を超えて電気めっきをして殻を表して、直径の42.6ミリメートル、6R15は自動的に鎖のチップに行って、回数の21に振動して、600回/時間（6回/秒）、動力は50時間貯蓄して、弧面は目がくらむサファイアの水晶の鏡映面を防いで膜処理をめっきして、200メートル水を防いで、磁気の4を抵抗する、800A/m，ステンレスの腕時計のバンドは7割引によく合って式を抑えつけて、安全におよび、延びてボタンを表すことができるのに鍵をかけて、ヨーロッパ地区は小売り価格の1、100のユーロを提案します。

それ以外に、1965年のSeiko潜む水道のメーターに向って敬意を表する2モデルの腕時計がもあります。このモデルが新しく表すのも1965年のもと設計をまねるで、しかし機能の上で全く今Seiko潜む水道のメーターに対する厳格な標準に合います。広いポインターそしてに比べて塗って発光する塗り薬長い効果性のLumibriteがあって、たとえ暗い水域があって依然としてとてもはっきりしていて読むことができますとしても。防水機能は200メートルまで増加して、とても目がくらむ上塗りのサファイアの水晶を防いでもっと良い強さと出費に耐えるのがあります。腕時計の弧は完璧に計略上で似合って、殻の側面を表してZaratsuの売り払うサイドラインを通って増やして1分の近代的で精致な感を増加しました。1ただ全鋼のデザイン、もう一つのただ丈夫で心地良い蛇の腹式のシリカゲルの腕時計のバンドのモデル。蛇の腹式の腕時計のバンドはSeikoから1975年に発明して、ダイビング者の異なる深さの水域でもたらした計略の伸び縮みする問題を解決しました。これらの腕時計は2017年に11月に発行します。

近代的に改めてPROSPEXSPB053ステンレスを解釈して硬度を超えて電気めっきをして殻を表して、直径の42.6ミリメートル、6R15は自動的に鎖のチップに行って、回数の21に振動して、600回/時間（6回/秒）、動力は50時間貯蓄して、弧面は目がくらむサファイアの水晶の鏡映面を防いで膜処理をめっきして、200メートル水を防いで、磁気の4を抵抗する、800A/m，ケイ素のゴムの腕時計のバンド、ヨーロッパ地区は小売り価格の900ユーロを提案します。

 

セイコー スーパーコピー|セイコー スーパーコピー時計激安専門店!

摘要

探索客製化軟體如何有效解決企業痛點，是當前數位轉型的重要課題。這不僅影響到業務運作，也深刻改變了市場競爭格局。 歸納要點:

• 客製化軟體不僅解決特定的業務痛點,更成為企業流程優化和競爭力提升的關鍵策略。
• 隨著人工智慧和機器學習的進步,客製化軟體開發已轉向以資料為中心,使企業能即時調整功能以獲得最佳效益。
• 低代碼/無代碼平台的興起讓技術門檻降低,企業可快速且經濟地開發符合需求的客製化應用程式。

總之，透過量身打造和靈活部署的客製化軟體，企業能更好地應對挑戰並實現持續增長。

客製化軟體：企業痛點的終結者

客製化軟體不僅是企業的工具，更像是一位全能的助手，專門為解決各種痛點而設計。其模組化架構讓企業能靈活應對瞬息萬變的市場需求。例如，電子商務平台可以迅速加入新的支付方式或商品管理系統，以適應消費者的新偏好。而低程式碼或無程式碼的平台則進一步降低了開發的門檻，讓非技術背景的人士也能輕鬆參與，縮短產品從概念到上市的時間。根據Gartner研究，這樣的平台甚至能將開發時間壓縮20－70％。把人工智慧融入軟體中，更能自動化繁瑣任務，如資料分析和預測，使決策過程更為高效。不難想像，在未來，客製化軟體會成為企業提升競爭力的重要關鍵。
本文歸納全篇注意事項與風險如下，完整文章請往下觀看

• 須注意事項 :
  • 客製化軟體開發需投入大量時間與資源,尤其在需求變更時,可能導致開發進度延遲,增加成本。
  • 由於每個企業的需求獨特性,客製化軟體的功能過於專一,可能造成未來擴展或整合其他系統時出現困難。
  • 若缺乏充足的市場調查和用戶反饋機制,開發出來的客製化軟體可能無法真正滿足使用者需求,甚至導致使用率低下。
• 大環境可能影響:
  • 隨著雲端計算技術的成熟及標準化解決方案的興起,小型企業可能更傾向於選擇即時可用的工具,而非投資高成本的客製化開發。
  • 競爭對手不斷推陳出新,以更低廉價格提供高質量且靈活性強的客製化服務,將對傳統客製化廠商形成壓力。
  • 技術快速演進導致原有系統迅速過時,如果無法持續更新與維護,將使已開發好的客製化軟體面臨淘汰風險。

量身打造軟體，優化業務流程

客製化軟體能量身打造，讓企業的業務流程變得更加流暢。我們來看看這些具體的優勢：

1． **精準資料整合，提升作業效率**

Have a question related to bearings? THB has your answer! View our bearings FAQ today, or call to lear more!

Q1. Are THB's Rolling Element Bearings RoHS Compliant?
RoHS stands for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive adopted by the European Union (EU) and took effect in July 2006). RoHS is often referred to as the "lead-free directive," but it restricts the use of the following six substances:
Lead (Pb)
Mercury (Hg)
Cadmium (Cd)
Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+)
Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)
THB's rolling element bearings can be conformed to RoHS compliant.

Q2. I have a high temperature application, can I use stanard lubricants?
Most standard Lithium-based solutions are not designed for high temperatures. Most standard grease will operate consistently at a maximum temperature f 80°C and can withstand brief periods at 110°C. If your application goes higher than this then you need a more specialised lubricant. If your application goes beyond 350°C then you may need to consider solid lubricants or ceramic bearing materials(or a combination). We recommend you to contact THB for impartial advice.

Q3. Can I work out how much axial clearance I have in my bearing?
Most bearing manufacturers never give this information in their catalogues. It is suprisingly inexact and does not fall into any international standards. As a very rough rule of thumb it is eight to ten times that of the radial clearance. We would strongly recommend that the advice of the bearing manufacturer be taken on this as other factors such as heat expansion either locally or ambient, load conditions, rolling element type etc will all play a role in the axial movement.

Q4. What are ABEC ratings?

BEARING CLASSES BY STANDARD

ANSI standard

ISO standard

DIN standard

Chinese standard GB

ABEC 1

Class Normal

P0

P0

ABEC 3

Class 6

P6

P6

ABEC 5

Class 5

P5

P5

ABEC 7

Class 4

P4

P4

ABEC 9

Class 2

P2

P2

Q5. What's the difference between bearing seals and shields?
Seals and shields are both in place to keep contaminants out of a bearing. In order of effectiveness, the enclosures that are offered are as follows: metal shields, rubber non-contact seals, Teflon non-contact seals, and rubber contact seals. Not surprisingly, as the sealing performance is increased, the torque required to turn the bearing will also increase due to the increased friction caused by the seal/shield. The application's condition and life requirements are important to know to determine the best shield or seal choice.

Consult with one of THB' s sales or engineering personnel to help determine what is best for your particular application.

Q6. Should I use grease or oil in my application?
Grease is typically used at lower speeds and with less torque-sensitive applications. Oil is typically better when low torque or high rotational speeds are an important consideration.

Q7. When should I use spherical bearings?
Spherical bearings are self-aligning and can carry high loads and tolerate shock loads. These bearings can accommodate a misaligned shaft and are suitable for applications involving swivel movements, high alternating loads, very high radial loads with a unilateral load direction and high shock loads.
Typical spherical bearing applications include vibrators, shakers, conveyors, speed reducers, transmissions, and other heavy machinery.

Q8. The bearings in my application only briefly experience high temperatures. Can I switch to a standard lubricant instead of the high temperature lubricant used by the OEM?
Most standard lithium-based lubricants will operate a continuous maximum temperature of 80°C, and can withstand brief periods at 110°C. I suggest you measure the operating temperature at the bearing.
It is important to look at operating and maintenance costs. The labor cost to replace a failed bearing even a single time will more than offset any potential cost savings from using a standard lubricant instead of a high temperature lubricant.

Q9. What causes bearing noise?
Bearing noise is a function of both the bearing and the way it is used. Bearing noise is not generally influenced by ABEC and there is no fixed standard among bearing manufacturers for acoustic noise. Some external factors which affect bearing noise include, lubricant type, excessive bearing load, and improper installation.

Q10. What factors increase or decrease bearing torque?
Factors that increase bearing torque include:
Increased number of balls in the bearing
Tight crimp ribbon retainer
Tight radial play
High lubricant viscosity
High lube fill in the bearing
High applied bearing load
Factors that decrease bearing torque include:
Fewer balls in the bearing
Crown type or loose crimp retainer
Loose radial play
Low lubricant viscosity
Low lube fill in the bearing
Low applied bearing load

Q11. What is Preload?
Preload is a side load that is applied to a radial ball bearing that takes the extra play between the balls and raceway out of the bearing. The side load is normally applied by a spring, so that the system can expand and contract as the conditions fluctuate. Designing a preload system into a bearing application will ensure the quietest possible operation with the longest life.

Bearings are the basic parts of machinery and are widely used in the machinery industry, and they are also the support parts of various machines. There are various types of bearings, and each type of bearing has its own characteristics.

The process integration of turning and bearing is the cornerstone of efficient and precise motion. Check how WayKen creates precision turned parts for you.

Learn More!

What is a bearing?

Bearing is the part that supports the shaft, used to guide the rotational movement of the shaft and bear the load transferred from the shaft to the frame. Bearing is a widely used and strictly required component and basic part of the machinery industry. It is the supporting element of the rotating shaft or movable part of various machines, and it is also the supporting element that relies on the rolling body to achieve the rotation of the host. It is also called the joint of machinery.

Classification of bearings

1. According to the presence or absence of rolling bodies, bearings can be divided into rolling bearings and plain bearings.

Rolling bearings can be divided into ball bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, and tapered roller bearings according to the shape of the rolling body.

2. According to the bearing characteristics can be divided into centripetal bearings and thrust bearings.

Radial bearings are categorized into radial ball bearings and radial roller bearings. Thrust bearings are categorized into thrust ball bearings and thrust roller bearings.

Types of bearings and their characteristics

1. Deep groove ball bearings

Characteristics of deep groove ball bearings.

(1) Simple structure, low manufacturing cost, easy to achieve high manufacturing accuracy.

(2) Low friction coefficient and high speed.

(3) Mainly used to bear radial load, but in the bearing radial clearance increases, with the nature of angular contact ball bearings, can withstand two directions of alternating axial load;.

(4) It cages more steel plate stamping wave-shaped cage, large bearing more car metal solid cage.

(5) They are the most representative rolling bearings, widely used, very durable, without frequent maintenance.

(6) With a certain degree of alignment ability, the size range and form change in a variety of ways.

2. Cylindrical roller bearings

Characteristics of cylindrical roller bearings.

(1) The rollers and raceway are in linear contact, so the capacity of the radial load is large and can withstand heavy loads and shock loads.

(2) Small friction coefficient, can be used for very high speed working occasions, its limit speed next to deep groove ball bearings.

(3) N-type and NU type cylindrical roller bearing can do axial movement, can adapt to the thermal expansion or installation error caused by the shaft and the housing relative position changes, can be used to support the free end.

(4) The processing needs of the shaft or base hole are high, to strictly control the relative deviation of the outer ring axis that may be caused by bearing installation, avoid the concentration of contact stress;

(5) The inner rings or outer rings of the bearings can be separated to facilitate installation and disassembly.

3. Tapered roller bearings

Characteristics of circular vertebral roller bearings.

(1) Inner ring and outer ring of bearing have tapered raceway, the shape of the rollers is round table-shaped. The roller is in line contact with the raceway and can withstand the heavy combined radial and axial loads as well as axial loads. The axial bearing capacity increases with the increase of contact Angle.

(2) Tapered roller design should make the roller and the raceway of the inner ring and outer ring contact line extended after the intersection of the same point on the axis of the bearing used to achieve rolling.

(3) Tapered roller bearings can be categorized into single row, double row, and four-row, and other different types according to the number of rollers installed. This type of bearing also uses more imperial series products.

(4) The new design of tapered roller bearing uses strengthened structure, the longer diameter of rollers, the longer length of rollers, more rollers, and the rollers with convex shape are used, the capacity and service life are obviously improved. The contact of the big end face and the big retaining edge of the rollers is spherical and conical, which improves lubrication.

4. Thrust ball bearings

Characteristics of thrust ball bearings.

(1) The thrust ball are separable bearings, with a contact angle of 90°, which can be mounted separately and can only withstand axial load.  

(2) Low limit speed. Steel ball plus centrifugal force squeezed to the outside of the raceway, easy to abrasion, but not suitable for high-speed operation.

(3) The one-way bearing can withstand one-way axial load, the two-way bearing can withstand two-way axial load.

(4) With spherical seat ring thrust ball bearings with spherical alignment performance, can eliminate the impact of installation errors.

5. Thrust roller bearings

Characteristics of thrust ball bearings.

(1) Can only withstand unidirectional axial loads and minor shocks. 

(2) Large bearing rigidity, small space occupation, large axial load capacity, and low sensitivity to shock load.  

(3) Suitable for low speed, often used in work situations where thrust ball bearings are not applicable.

(4) Installation does not allow the axis of the shaft and the rings to be tilted.  

6. Needle roller bearings

The characteristics of needle roller bearings.

(1) Small radial size of needle roller bearings, the radial bearing capacity is very high, can not bear axial load, only as a free end support use.

(2) Conducive to the miniaturization and lightweight of equipment.

(3) The use of needle roller bearings without an inner ring or without an outer ring, only with cage needle roller assembly, the requirements of the matching journal or bearing housing hole machining accuracy, surface hardness should be the same as the bearing collar raceway.  

(4) They have a large coefficient of friction and are not suitable for higher speeds.

7. Plain bearings

The characteristics of plain bearings.

(1) Smooth, reliable, and noiseless working of plain bearings.

(2) In liquid lubrication conditions, the plain surface is separated by lubricating oil without direct contact, but also can greatly reduce friction loss and surface wear, the oil film also has a certain ability to absorb vibration, but the starting friction resistance is large.

8. Magnetic bearings

The characteristics of magnetic bearings.

(1) Compared with the traditional ball, plain, and oil film bearings, magnetic bearings do not have mechanical contact and the rotor can achieve high operating speeds.

(2) With the advantages of low mechanical wear, low energy consumption, low noise, long life, no lubrication, no oil pollution, etc., especially for high-speed, vacuum, ultra-clean, and other special environments.

(3) It can be widely used in the fields of machining, turbomachinery, aerospace, vacuum technology, rotor dynamics identification, and testing, etc. It is recognized as a promising new type of shaft.

How to choose different types of bearings?

1. Load

(1) When mainly bearing radial load (direction perpendicular to the shaft), choose the radial bearing, when mainly bearing axial load (the same direction as the shaft), choose axial bearing. Axial load is also called thrust load.

(2) When the bearing bears a small load, choose ball bearing; when the load is larger, choose roller bearing.

(3) A bearing while bearing radial load and axial load (synthetic load), if the synthetic load is small, choose deep groove ball bearings or angular contact ball bearings; if the load is larger, choose tapered roller bearings.

(4) Generally, the low-speed heavy load conditions will be used under the plain bearing.

2. Rotating speed

(1) Generally speaking, in higher speed working conditions, it is appropriate to use deep groove ball bearings, angular contact bearings, cylindrical roller bearings.

(2) On the lower-speed working occasions, can use tapered roller bearings.

(3) Thrust ball bearing limit speed is low, can only be used for lower speed occasions.

(4) For the same type of bearings, the smaller the size, the higher the allowable speed. In the selection of bearings, one should pay attention to making the actual speed is lower than the limit speed.

3. Accuracy

(1) Machine tool spindle, precision machinery, and instrumentation, etc. require high accuracy of rotating body runout, should be used precision level 5, 4, 2 and other high precision bearings of deep groove ball, angular contact ball, tapered roller, cylindrical roller, and thrust angular contact ball bearings.

(2) Require high rotational accuracy, more use of deep groove ball, angular contact ball, and cylindrical roller bearings, etc.

(3) For most of the machinery, the choice of 0 tolerance bearing is enough to meet the requirements of the host.

4. Rigidity

(1) Rolling bearing elastic deformation is very small, in most machinery can not be considered, but in some machinery, such as machine tool spindle, bearing rigidity is an important factor, generally should be selected cylindrical and tapered roller bearings. Because these two types of bearings are under load, the rolling body and raceway are point contact, rigidity is poor.

(2) Various types of bearings can also be preloaded to increase the rigidity of the support. Such as angular contact ball and tapered roller bearings, in order to prevent shaft vibration, increase the rigidity of the support, often in the installation of pre-applied certain axial force, so that the mutual compression.

5. Other

(1) In the radial space is limited by the occasion can choose needle roller bearings or needle roller and cage assembly.

(2) The bearing vibration, noise requirements of the occasion, can use low noise deep groove ball bearings.

(3) The requirements of high rotational accuracy of the bearing (such as machine tool spindle) and the application of high-speed conditions, should be selected higher precision than the ordinary level of bearing.

summary

In short, to choose a suitable bearing, a variety of factors should be considered. By comparing different types of bearings and their characteristics, we hope that your questions can be answered. WayKen is committed to providing you with a one-stop-shop and bearings and fastener solutions that fit your project.

Xometry, the largest on-demand manufacturing marketplace, released its quarterly Small Manufacturing Index this week. It found that despite the current market data indicating a contraction in American manufacturing, Xometry’s Manufacturing Partners continue to be optimistic about their growth potential in Q4 2019 and next year.

The Small Manufacturing Index is a quarterly report that takes the pulse of small and mid-sized manufacturing businesses. Manufacturers surveyed included internal respondents, those in Xometry’s Partner Network, and external respondents, retail, industrial, and custom part manufacturers.

The survey concluded that 57% of Xometry Manufacturing Partners anticipate growth in Q4 2019, down from 67% in Q1. Even with a decline, more of Xometry Partners anticipate growth than manufacturers who are not Xometry Partners (47%). The survey also established that 64% of Xometry’s Partners anticipate year-over-year growth, down from 70% in Q1, whereas 50% of external respondents anticipate YOY growth.

“We’re pleased to see that Xometry Manufacturing Partners are more confident in their 2019 growth than the broader market,” said Xometry Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer Laurence Zuriff.

The ability to find skilled employees remains a concern for Manufacturers. 57% of Xometry Partners noted the difficulty in finding skilled employees to hire in Q4. Finding skilled employees has been a concern all year; in Q1’s Small Manufacturing Index Report, 60% of Xometry Partners reported that finding skilled employees impacted their hiring efforts in Q2.

50% of respondents surveyed indicate that the cost of materials is impacting their business this quarter. Xometry Partners have access to Xometry’s latest venture, Xometry Supplies which launched in January 2019. Supplies was established to ensure the manufacturers were able to source industrial materials and tooling in an efficient and cost-effective way.

About the Small Manufacturing Index

The Small Manufacturing Index, released quarterly by Xometry, takes the pulse of American manufacturing by analyzing and quantifying the performance of small- to mid-sized manufacturers. The index is developed through a survey that asks participants whether they expect to see growth and hiring in business plans compared to previous months and prior years. The index aims to highlight trends over time to provide analysis and predictions on the national outlook for small- to mid-size manufacturers.

William KruegerAs a digital marketing specialist, William works with all forms of media from photography and video to content writing and graphic design to tell the story of American manufacturing. He holds a B.A. in Communication from Wittenberg University.

Read more articles by William Krueger

Why Is Color Important?

Successful products need to stand out in a crowded marketplace. One way to do this is with a great paint job or molded-in color. With modern paints and pigments, there are millions of colors to choose from. Colors attract attention, establish brand identity, differentiate your product, and help to create an emotional response for your customers.

As a manufacturer we strive to ensure our clients get exactly the paint color and shade that they want. But in practice, colors can’t always be exact due to a number of factors such as the availability of consistent colors from the pigment manufacturer, variability in processing conditions, local changes in temperature or humidity, and even the light source used for viewing. Traditionally these factors made the analysis of color highly subjective and imprecise, which is why we needed to find a better way.

How Do We Make Sure You Get The Right Color?

Many industries still rely on color matching by eye using sample chips, color swatches or the like. This method is not only subjective and inaccurate, but it’s impossible to provide quantifiable data that can be monitored during production and relayed to the customer. How do we verify the color that we apply to a part, while communicating this effectively not only within our organization but also in real time with the client? One of the ways we apply quality assurance to surface finish colors is with the X-Rite spectrophotometer.

What Is A Spectrophotometer?

A spectrophotometer is an instrument used to measure the reflected wavelength of energy from a target source and compare this to a known standard. Most of this energy is in the visible spectrum, with a little in the ultraviolet and near ultraviolet. Each wavelength represents an individual color in the LCH color space. LCH means light, chroma and hue. These are defined as numerical values, so it’s very useful when communicating color information objectively.

How Does The X-Rite Work?

The X-Rite has its own powerful light source with a known energy level. In operation, the unit shines this light off the target, and then reads the wavelength reflected from the surface. This reading is compared to the reference color, which is usually provided by the customer and programmed into the system’s memory. Reference colors can be updated or modified at any time.

After a reading, the X-Rite stores this information for record keeping and reporting. It can be shared with the client or other team members, or uploaded to the cloud for worldwide supply chain management. The X-Rite can be programed to give a simple “pass/fail” verification for quick in-line quality checks, or provide more detailed spectral analysis for each color component to help fine tune process control parameters.

Using Color Space For Process Control

A color space is one way to visualize a color reading. Color spaces are visualized as a three-dimensional zone, where each dimension represents one of the three LCH values.

Being able to quickly visualize individual readings within this space makes it easier for the operator to asses how an individual sample differs from the reference, both in magnitude and direction. This information is then used to control the process used to make the color, whether it’s painting, anodizing or plating.

Does The X-Rite Work On All Surfaces?

The X-Rite works on metals, plastics, fabrics, rubber, wood, ceramics and more. It works with smooth or rough textures, different levels of reflectivity, tints and hues. This versatility makes it invaluable for rapid prototyping and low-volume production, since we deal with such a wide range of products every day.

However, some surfaces are especially shiny with the addition of optical brightening agents (OBAs). These highly reflective surfaces can potentially throw a reading off when only using visible light. What to do then?

UV Calibrated Color Readings

Optical brighteners are effective only in the visible light spectrum, so the X-Rite also has a separate calibrated UV light source. This UV light is balanced with visible light to create a mixed source reading, which is immune to the effects of optical brighteners. This yields a more stable and reliable result.

How Does This Benefit You?

Ensuring color accuracy is an essential part of quality control and material verification. It helps to prevent mistakes while guaranteeing consistency lot-to-lot for higher volume production runs. Color accuracy is important to your brand identity, product positioning and your customer’s satisfaction. A quantifiable, unambiguous method for testing colors helps to streamline communications between you and your manufacturing partner, avoiding costly misunderstandings while improving process control for faster throughput at lower cost. Ultimately this provides you with peace of mind that you will get exactly the color that you specified without surprises. This is the kind of service that you can expect from us when you contact us for a free quotation and project review on your next great part.