Systems and methods for masterbatch feed control based on color feedback
AssigneeAmpacet Corporation
InventorsVadim (Dan) Regelman, Eli Margalit, Daniel Hofmann
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for controlling a color masterbatch feed rate in production of a manufactured part to match a color of the manufactured part to a target color by adjusting a concentration of masterbatch that is mixed with a raw material and fed into a processing machine for producing the manufactured part. Control of the color masterbatch feed rate is based on optical spectral properties of an in-line manufactured part, a known reference part having the target color, and an algorithm for calculating and adjusting the color masterbatch feed rate.
Claims17
A method for controlling a color masterbatch feed rate in production of a manufactured part, comprising:
- a) determining optical spectral properties of a manufactured part based on a raw material of the manufactured part without any color-additives;
- b) determining optical spectral properties of a target color for application to the manufactured part;
- c) determining at least one pigment control parameter based on a relationship of the optical spectral properties of the manufactured part to the optical spectral properties of the target color;
- d) executing a production of the manufactured part with the current pigment feed rate to produce the manufactured part from a mixture material comprising the raw material and a color masterbatch, with the color masterbatch fed to mix with the raw material at a first masterbatch feed rate;
- and
- e) assessing optical spectral properties of the manufactured part produced form the mixed material to determine if a color of the manufactured part produced from the mixed material matches the target color, wherein
- if it is determined that the color of the manufactured part produced from the mixed material matches the target color, then proceeding to perform subsequent production runs of the manufactured part with the color masterbatch fed at the first pigment feed rate;
- and
- if the color of the manufactured part produced from the mixed material does not match the target color, adjusting the pigment feed rate based on the at least one pigment control parameter, and repeating step (d) and step (e) until it is determined that a color of the manufactured part matches the target color.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.