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X-Rite Unveils New Family of Multi-Angle Spectrophotometers and Advanced Software that Give Manufacturers Powerful New Tools to Control Quality and Improve Processes

Thursday 06. May 2010 - X-Rite Introduces MA94 and MA96 Multi-Angle Spectrophotometers that Serve as Next Generation of Industry Standard MA68II Instrument, Seamlessly Utilize Existing Databases and Harness the Power of the New Version of X-ColorQC Software

X-Rite, Incorporated is unveiling a new family of multi-angle spectrophotometers and advanced quality control and formulation software that give manufacturers powerful new tools to introduce processes, improve first-time quality and reduce the time and effort of troubleshooting problems on the factory floor.

“The MA94 and MA96 spectrophotometers are the next generation and improved versions of X-Rite’s MA68II spectrophotometer that has been the workhorse for many manufacturers in a wide range of industries worldwide for years,” said Reinhard Feld, product manager at X-Rite Europe GmbH’s office in Koln, Germany. Data taken with the MA94, MA96 and MA98 spectrophotometers is fully compatible with existing data generated using the MA68II instrument.

With the new MA94/96/98 family, X-Rite now offers a wider range of solutions so customers can tailor their investments by selecting the instruments that best suit their applications, measuring anything from the most basic paints to sophisticated interference pigment coatings. The new spectrophotometers offer improvements such as better data repeatability and a more robust method for measuring flexible or curved surfaces, and customers will be able to utilize the advanced X-ColorQC software that comes with the instruments to obtain more information from data.

“With the addition this year of the MA94 and MA96 instruments to our MA98 spectrophotometer, X-Rite offers a complete line of hand-held colour measurement solutions that give manufacturers affordable quality control solutions tailored to the specifics of the material used on the factory floor,” he said. “The instruments are designed to make it easy for quality control personnel to obtain reliable colour measurements quickly on the factory floor or in the lab.”

X-Rite representatives will demonstrate the company’s new solutions at the Surfex 2010 show to be held 8 and 9 June at the Harrogate International Centre in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Attendees of the Surfex 2010 show can view demonstrations at X-Rite’s stand in Hall M, stand M7. Pre-show information may be obtained by visiting www.xrite.com or contacting Mike Smyth, Sales Director-UK, at MSmyth@xrite.com.

Feld said the MA94, 96 and 98 multi-angle family can help manufacturers identify and maintain the colour quality of parts that may originate from different production lines, factories or supply sources, saving money and time by reducing scrap and rework. Weighing approximately 1 kilogram and covered with a soft over-mold case for two-handed use, all of the instruments are designed for frequent and comfortable measurement by the shop floor personnel.

The MA94 ensures reliable colour measurement of flat, flexible and curved test surfaces by using three pressure sensors that quickly indicate to personnel that they have positioned the instrument correctly for readings. In addition to the pressure sensors, the instrument can show the locations of where parts are to be measured using X-Rite’s proprietary JOBS workflow routine with both text and visual cues and records data for analysis using the X-ColorQC software. The MA94 illuminates test surfaces with a tungsten halogen module and takes readings from five aspecular angles in less than two seconds.

The more advanced MA96 has all the features of the MA94, but takes measurements from six aspecular angles, one of which is -15 degrees to provide additional information for collecting data on effect paints and coatings.

Introduced last year, the MA98 is a precision 31-point spectrophotometer that is designed especially to measure effect paints for research and development, process improvements, and product refinements. With 11 sensors and two illuminators, the MA98 can detect characteristics of effect paints that the other instruments miss entirely, Feld said. The MA98 collects and manipulates data through its X-ColorQC software and proprietary xDNA algorithms to generate easy-to-understand graphs that show unique characteristics of effect paints.

The MA94, 96 and 98 instruments all feature:

Using X-Rite’s proprietary JOBS workflow routine with both text and visual cues the instrument instructs the user where measurements need to be collected and records data for analysis using the bundled X-ColorQC software
Quick measurement time of about 1 second, with calculation and display in a total of 2 seconds
Battery-powered operation that records more than 1,400 measurements per full charge, in addition to operation from an AC adapter
Data collection via USB 2.0 or wireless data collection via Bluetooth
Solid-state pressure sensors and indicator L.E.D.’s that signal when the instrument is applied properly against the test surface to improve measurement repeatability
Lamp modules can be replaced without affecting the measurement performance or results of the instrument
Compatibility with previous generations of X-Rite instruments, allowing continued use of existing databases
A large colour display screen that is backlit for easy viewing under varying light conditions
Software that instructs the operator on the proper techniques of measurement with both text and visual cues