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X-Rite launches SpectraLight QC and new training institute to help improve speed to market and reduce costs when visually evaluating the colors of textiles, plastic parts, and coatings

Monday 31. December 2012 - New light booth and X-Rite Visual Color Assessment Institute aids manufacturers that want to raise the bar on visual evaluation of products distributed through global supply chains

X-Rite, Incorporated has introduced the SpectraLight QC light booth and a training institute to give companies involved in global supply chains a superior way to visually evaluate the colors of samples for production readiness, helping to bring products to market quicker and reducing instances of waste.
Responding to the needs of global customers, the SpectraLight QC reduces the rate of sample rejections at multiple locations by providing better consistency of light sources and standard conditions under which the color of products are assessed visually. The result: improved speed to market and reduced overall costs. SpectraLight QC gives Quality Control managers new monitoring and reporting tools to more precisely control and communicate how visual assessments of samples are performed.
X-Rite, the world’s largest designer and manufacturer of color management and communication solutions, launched the X-Rite Visual Color Assessment Institute concurrent with the SpectraLight QC light booth to introduce vendors and brand owners to best practices and standard operating procedures for the visual evaluation of color.
The institute provides easy-to-understand materials that explain the basics of color theory and special topics that apply to the visual evaluation of color. Participants in the institute study at their own pace, then take self-administered tests online to earn a certification in best practices for visual evaluation of colors. As an introductory offer, companies that purchase a SpectraLight QC will have access to the institute at no charge.
SpectraLight QC offers more standardized illumination sources than any visual assessment QC solution on the market, faithfully replicating the lighting that one would find in natural daylight, at the shopping mall, at home or in other settings. When used in tandem with defined procedures, the SpectraLight QC ensures that quality control personnel can make valid color evaluations regarding whether samples meet the needs and specifications of customers.
SpectraLight QC provides a cost-effective way for companies to evaluate how the colors of products look when they are placed under the same illumination as where they are sold or used — illumination that is often specified by customers to ensure the same controlled conditions are used within their supply chains. In many cases, end users want quality control personnel and lab technicians to make judgments on the suitability of sample colors using their eyes rather than just numerical values from instrumentation.
X-Rite designed the SpectraLight QC to provide tightly calibrated illumination that ensures consistent and reproducible results, flexibility to deal with new international standards on very light and dark samples, and automation to speed the testing process and reduce instances of record-keeping mistakes.
The SpectraLight QC uses digital programming to precisely control and display light levels to enable customers to accurately and consistently meet ASTM International and AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists) standards for illumination levels specified for making critical evaluations. The new light booth uses built-in sensors to monitor and automatically adjust fluorescent lamp light levels, compensating for the diminishing lux due to age and wear.
The ultraviolet light source of every SpectraLight QC is precisely calibrated at the factory and built-in sensors automatically monitor and correct UV content as the booth operates. Users can also control the amount of UV if desired for evaluation of samples containing varying levels of optical brighteners. This real-time monitoring and control provides a higher level of inter-instrument agreement, aligning visual assessment environments throughout a supply chain.
With a modest amount of training, quality control or quality assurance personnel can create and save profiles on personal computers that detail which seven available light sources that brand owners specify when evaluating products. When performing evaluations for specific brands, only the preferred settings are available, potentially eliminating compliance problems across a supply chain. Companies can seamlessly and digitally share performance data on their SpectraLight QC units with their customers to satisfy ISO or other international quality standards.