In an ultra competitive cosmetics and personal market, getting the exact color shade and the quality of the packaging just right can give a product that all-important competitive edge.
Put simply, the need to stand out on crowded store shelves means that if a package does not fulfill aesthetics and quality criteria, the product may be rejected in favor of a product that looks better on the retail shelf.
Open and flexible data, efficiently
Smart-lab software has been designed around providing open and flexible data analysis, while also giving efficient data handling of large data sets, the company says.
With this in mind, the software has the functionality to analyze all data measured with the BYK-mac: 6 angle color, sparkle and graininess, enabling every aspect of the plastic to be thoroughly inspected.
The measurements are taken in an online mode and are instantly displayed after measurement or can be retrieved from the linked database in an sdf-format for efficient data analysis of large data sets, the company says.
Standard management module
The design also includes a ‘Standard Management’ module to set-up the color difference method, while the BYK-mac can then be connected with a PC to compare the data for the actual samples against the standard.
The results are then shown in a graph and data table using a Red, Yellow and Green traffic light indication system to determine whether or not a sample compares to the manufacturing standard. The data can also show a scatter plot, line or color travel graph.
On top of this, different color equations can also be evaluated by simply changing the setting of the last test report, as well as custom specific color scales being available, while the selection of a metamerism index enables the viewing of samples under varying light conditions.
The software can also be used to compare samples to different standards, simply by dragging and dropping a different specification into the test report, while this function can be further enhanced by functionality that can calculated the mean value based on a population of samples to produce a new theoretical standard.