Simplified, precise colouring for automotive interiors

Vantaa, November 2003. A revolutionary colorant system developed by CPS COLOR, a pioneer in the field of material colouring systems, has set a new level of production efficiency and economy in the colouring of plastics, imitation leather and leather for car interiors. The system gives plastics and leather manufacturers, for the first time, the flexibility to deliver materials in small colour batches for vehicle upholstery, panels and trim, without compromising cost effectiveness and with production and delivery time-savings.

Traditional colouring processes in the plastics and leather industries are labour-intensive and difficult to manage. Colour must be adjusted for every batch by testing a pigment mix, adjusting it and retesting until it is released for production. The CPS COLOR systems, Auricolor for the plastics and Maestro for the leather industries, are unique. They are based on standardized colorants and controlled dispensing, similar to the technology used by paint retailers to produce customer-specific paint colours. Auricolor and Maestro produce exactly the desired colour in one step by using colorants that are fully controlled for colour and colour strength. The process takes minutes rather than hours and yields completely reproducible results.

Predictable high-quality results

With traditional 'trial and error' colouring processes, suppliers of leather and artificial leather cannot predict how long it will take to create a usable pigment mix. This obliges them to maintain a high level of intermediate stocks for rapid delivery. This unpredictability also makes it difficult to achieve full utilization of coating lines. For leather finishers the variation in pigment mixes may make it necessary to coat a hide two or three times before the shade is within specifications, while every additional treatment affects the leather's characteristics and process costs.

The fully controlled and predictable processes of the colorant systems eliminate the need for intermediate stocks, thus freeing capital for other purposes, and making it easier to manage full utilization of coating lines.

Environmental benefits

In designing systems for the leather and plastics industries CPS COLOR applied its extensive technological know-how to ensure minimal impact on the environment. The Maestro colorant system for leather is completely water-based and contains no volatile organic components, alkyl phenol ethoxylate or glycol.

In the system for plastics, Auricolor, standardized colorants are based on a commonly used phthalate plasticizer. Anticipating future environmental restrictions CPS COLOR has also developed a phthalate-free alternative.

A competitive edge

The colorant system gives automotive leather producers and plastics processors complete control of the tinting process. This directly translates into increased efficiency, more stable product characteristics and a reduction in resources utilization and waste. Because of the importance of colour for consumers, colour solutions create a powerful competitive advantage for car manufacturers and their suppliers.

Reader enquiries

CPS Color
Nusterweg 98
PO Box 809
NL-6130 AV Sittard
Netherlands
+31 46 4570 100
info@​cpscolor.com
www.cpscolor.com

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Notes for editors

CPS COLOR is the world’s market leader of advanced tinting systems. It offers all the components for complete tinting systems: colorants, dispensing and mixing equipment, technical support, software, colour communication tools and service. CPS COLOR actively pursues opportunities to expand the potential of tinting systems into new markets and new applications. Its tinting systems are sold to paint, leather and plastic manufacturers worldwide. For further information please visit: www.cpscolor.com.