CHINAPLAS: Datacolor highlights 45G spectrophotometer

Spectrophotemetric technology is not new, but what makes the 45G spectrophotometer from Datacolor the benchmark for colour appearance and gloss measurement is its portability and inter-instrument agreement feature.

As a hand-held spectrophotometer, the 45G is sized to be ideal for inspection and control of painted surfaces and plastic parts – such as those in the interiors of automobiles.

“Comparable instruments are much bigger, they can’t get into corners such as when inspecting a dashboard,” said Charles Lee, general manager, Asia Pacific. “The 45G is portable and very useful, and the industry is very happy with it.”

The design came about after feedback from a very big and importantDatacolorcustomer in the automobile industry, Mr Lee said. “They said other spectrometers too difficult to operate because they are all too big,” he said. “And we also wanted to differentiate the product and make it more user-friendly and functional.”

For another leading auto maker that uses the portable device to inspect the whole car, he said, “They find the 45G very convenient because it’s handheld and because its profile allows them to use it under the car seat and very tight spaces.”

An even more important is the instrument’s inter-instrument agreement. “When you perform many tests, there should be repeatability from test to test. To be useful, spectrophotometer must agree in their measurements.  A car in Germany withcertain colour and gloss specifications, and one made in China should have similar results. For accuracy and repeatability, the 45G is the only handheld that provides inter-instrument agreement in the industry,” he said.