DATACOLOR Vietnam: Growth Through Innovation

There are many aspects to the manufacturing process that need to come together before reaching the final product. From market research, research and development, up-tooling, training, marketing and sales, the list goes on. One such component of the manufacturing process that certainly improved efficiency through the advancements in technology is color matching and measurement. From the more studio-based professions such as photography and design, to the factory-based industries such as textiles and plastics manufacturing; color matching and measurement is a vital component in maintaining the quality of the finished product. 

 

One company that's been pushing the boundaries of color matching technology since 1970 is DATACOLOR, an American-based company with over 30 patents to its name. DATACOLOR has representation in over 100 different countries and sees itself as a truly global company. Even though it manufactures a number of different products for diverse industries and professions, it also offers a wide range of services associated with its products, thus making DATACOLOR a color solutions company.  From analysis of a company's needs to development, supply of equipment and software, right through to the installation, training and ongoing technical support, DATACOLOR ensures customers it can meet their expectations.

 

Opportunities in growing Vietnamese market

DATACOLOR's representative in Vietnam is headed by Steven Le, Sales & Business Development Manager. He gives an overview on DATACOLOR products, services, and operations in Vietnam and how this market has continuously shown promises.   

 

DATACOLOR established a business presence in Vietnam in 1999, but back then, as with a lot of companies, it chose to keep its operations simple and operated through a local agent. “However, as the Vietnamese market and manufacturing sectors grew and matured, DATACOLOR saw the need for a greater presence in Vietnam, and a more direct service to existing customers. So, in 2010, DATACOLOR opened its first sales and service office in HCMC, and presently, DATACOLOR has a team of three people operating in Vietnam. The Sales & Business Development Manager, the Service Engineer and the Application Engineer, although the company's strategy is to expand its operations in Vietnam in the near future,” according to Mr. Le.  

 

Mr. Steven Le, Sales & Business Development Manager, DATACOLOR Vietnam

 

For plastics manufacturers in Vietnam, DATACOLOR offers color management solutions in five areas of manufacturing: Color Measurement; Color Formulation; Analysis & Communication; Lab Dying and Dispense, and Visual Assessment. Within the Color Measurement range of products, it offers a number of Bench Top Spectrophotometer such as top of the range DATACOLOR 800 Family series with its new embedded processor and data storage that provides a platform for increased efficiency and color measurement confidence, while delivering DATACOLOR’s best-in-class precision, accuracy and fleet compatibility. 

 

“For decades, DATACOLOR’s reference grade instruments have been selected by the world’s leading manufacturers and brands to specify, formulate and control critical color for reflectance (DC800/800V) and transmission (DC850). DATACOLOR spectrophotometers utilize DATACOLOR’s proprietary SP2000, which captures the true spectral fingerprint of any color at the highest possible accuracy,” according to Mr. Le. As a result, it is possible to achieve very close agreement among all instruments in the customer’s supply chain. DATACOLOR also offers a more affordable range in this series of spectrophotometers with their 500 Family series. The 500 Family series is ideal for formulation and quality control, and is available in 3 models to suit the customer’s needs. Another two bench top spectrophotometers available in their color measurement solutions range are the DATACOLOR ELREPHO and the 200 models, which features significantly reduced calibration frequency, maximized in-store productivity, and absolute measurement confidence. 

 

Color matching and measurement

Within the area of Color Matching and Measurement, DATACOLOR also offers a large range of portable spectrophotometer such as the DATACOLOR 45G CT, which provides complete appearance control for the most rigorous supply chain applications. With best-in-class inter-instrument agreement and repeat-ability, the DATACOLOR 45G CT is the only portable 45/0 spectrophotometer that offers close tolerance (“CT”) control for both color and gloss. Ideal for supply chain applications such as automotive interior parts, retail hard goods and other applications in plastics, paint, and coil coatings where total appearance control is critical. The spectrometer employs a dual 256 photo-diode array sensor coupled with holographic grating, which deliver 2-nm resolution. This means it is possible to reliably capture the true spectral fingerprint of any color at the highest possible accuracy. As a result, a very close agreement can be achieved. 

 

The DATACOLOR CHECK 3 portable spectrophotometer continues the tradition of best-in-class color measurement performance. Improved ease of use features includes a new modern user interface, enhanced Bluetooth functionality, and an illuminated sample port. This gives the assurance that the CHECK 3 will consistently deliver accurate color data to meet formulation or quality control needs in paint and coatings, plastics, or textile applications. With its exceptional measurement performance, CHECK 3 offers excellent correlation to DATACOLOR’S world-renowned bench-top spectrophotometers and shares the same high-accuracy SP2000 spectrometer as reference grade DATACOLOR 600 benchtop instrument.   

 

Color formulation process

“The Color Formulation process is one area where DATACOLOR excels, and that's in the development of industry specific software with superior first-shot color matches and smart tools,” according to Mr. Le. The control over the matching and mixing dyes is such a vital part of the coloring process that there is no room for costly errors. DATACOLOR's software range guarantees to eliminate this risk with programs such as DATACOLOR MATCH PIGMENT, which streamlines all color processes with one complete solution and is backed by global, industry-specific application support. The software matches, corrects, scales, sorts, produces reports and quality control (QC) using one complete software. Now with a faster, more intuitive workflow included in Data Navigator. Build new product lines, electronic formula books and reformulate fan decks for point-of-sale systems. 

 

Another two software applications in DATACOLOR's matching and recipe optimization series are DATACOLOR Paint and DATACOLOR Match Textile. These two industry-specific applications have been developed to deliver improved accuracy in the color management process. Two other software applications in DATACOLOR's Color Formulation solutions are programs designed for production optimization, which are DATACOLOR WEIGH, which interactively guides the operator through the entire weighing process, ensuring that the correct dyes and chemicals are weighed accurately. And DATACOLOR PROCESS, which is and application where process parameters and auxiliary quantities are automatically adjusted based on variables in the dyeing process, including dyestuff quantity, dye machine, and quality.   

 

 

In the area of Analysis and Communication solutions, DATACOLOR has developed quality control software that is used by a large number of industries where color matching quality is paramount. Their DATACOLOR TOOLS software is a straightforward color quality control application for industries where color accuracy is a critical component of overall product quality. “The software analyzes, reports, communicates, and visualize digital color data through the whole supply chain,” Mr. Le explained.

 

For visual assessment DATACOLOR offers a number of products like the DATACOLOR COLORMATCHER Light Booths, which simulate a variety of lighting conditions for improved accuracy. They also have the on-screen evaluation tools, which scan physical objects, convert color data in digital information and take pass/fail decisions directly on screen. Precise, accurate and repeatable color representation. DATACOLOR ENVISION ensures accurate sample color display on a calibrated monitor.  

 

Further, Mr. Le said: “In Vietnam, it is ideal to offer the full solutions and service package to maintain market leadership. With Vietnam seeing continuous growth in the area of manufacturing, DATACOLOR has developed strategies that will see the company grow with Vietnam's industry development.” After operating in Vietnam for more than 18 years, the company has put itself in a very strong market position, which it hopes to improve upon in the coming years through an increase in sales, and the solution services its offers.  Mr. Le also pointed out that when doing business in Vietnam, as with a lot of Asian countries, one needs to spend time building relationships with the business decision-makers, and sometimes this can be a very time-consuming process. Yet, Vietnam’s manufacturing industries have matured so much since the 1990s, that companies are investing a lot more time and money into finding the right solutions for their needs.  

 

 

 

Datacolor Asia Pacific (HK) Limited

Unit E, 15/Floor, Billion Plaza 2,

No. 10 Cheung Yue Street,

Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2420 8283

E-mail: asiamarketing@datacolor.com

Website: www.datacolor.com