Portable multi-angle spectrophotometer

Pigment & Resin Technology

ISSN: 0369-9420

Article publication date: 1 October 2000

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Keywords

Citation

(2000), "Portable multi-angle spectrophotometer", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 29 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.2000.12929ead.004

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited


Portable multi-angle spectrophotometer

Portable multi-angle spectrophotometer

Keyword: Minolta Industrial Instruments

Minolta Industrial Instruments is offering a handheld multi-angle spectrophotometer (Plate 3) designed for quality control of metallic paint finishes with reported savings of up to 50 per cent over traditional multi-angled instruments. Offering data capture as well as colour comparison, the easy-to-use portable meter is thought to be ideal for shop-floor applications, particularly in the automotive and paint industries.

The CM-512m3 is one model in a wide range of Minolta's second generation portable spectrophotometers. Featuring circumferential illumination at three different incident angles while measuring at a fixed 90° to the specimen surface, the meter is said to be particularly accurate for the measurement of metallic and pearlescent paint finishes even on curved surfaces. These surfaces are notoriously difficult to measure consistently with unidirectional illuminated instruments, different readings being obtained at the same point, for example, just by turning the instrument through 90°. The measurement area of just 12mm diameter enables the CM-512m3 to be used for small painted components as well as over large surface areas.

Plate 3 Minolta offers portable multi-angle spectrophotometer for accurate quality control in automotive and paint industries - Minolta CM - 512m3

The CM-512m3 operates across the full visible spectrum from 400nm to 700nm, with a 20nm pitch. RS-232 and wireless IR ports enable unloading of data from a PC for comparison on the shopfloor. Clear PASS/FAIL messages on the display indicate the result of colour matches against pre-set tolerance values, the three-angle illumination ensuring accuracy and repeatability of the readings.

According to Minolta up to 650 sets of data can be stored on the spectrophotometer, as target data for comparison purposes or as captured measurements for later downloading to a PC. Readings of surface temperature are also taken concurrently with colour measurement so that results can be analysed later in case of variations due to thermochromatic effects. Powerful Windows based quality control and analysis software is available as an optional extra.

Details available from: Industrial Instruments Operation, Minolta (UK) Limited. Tel: +44 (0) 1908 200400; Fax: +44 (0)1908 618662; E-mail: twalker@minolta.co.uk

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