Products and solutions Apr 3, 2006 11:01 AM
AcrylArte in all colors
Especially the big international active companies nowadays have very strict corporate design rules when it comes to using corporate colors for external presentation purposes. The majority of colors used in electric signs are created and mixed specially for the company in question to present precisely defined colors both with and without illumination. The acryl-manufacturers guard these formulations like state secrets. In the past, this meant that competing producers needed numerous laboratory-scale trials to achieve equivalent or similar color values. To justify this high laboratory expense, the minimum production volumes were correspondingly high.
Under the brand name AcrylArte, ThyssenKrupp Schulte can now offer cast acrylic in corporate colors even in very small quantities. For example, with a panel thickness of three millimeters the minimum quantity required is only 25 square meters. Volumes of only 80 kilograms can be produced cost-effectively. The material can now be supplied by the fabricator clients to even major brand owners at competitive prices.
This is made possible by an ideal combination of laboratory analysis and computer software. A small reference specimen (roughly A4 in size) is subjected to optoelectronic analysis in the laboratory under various conditions. Based on the analysis findings, a computer program determines the formulation for the raw materials. A minimal sample casting is enough for a renewed analysis. In the majority of cases, the first-time results are so good that only slight adjustments are required.
The production process itself is also computer-aided. Color variations are within the tolerance range of the original manufacturer. The range kept in stock at ThyssenKrupp Schulte is already extensive enough to cover the colors of more than 80 third-party products.
Smooth and satin finishes are also possible. AcrylArte panels display low stress levels, uniform surfaces and close thickness tolerances.