Epolin LLC, Division of Chroma Color Corporation, Marks Four Decades of Innovation

Epolin Celebrates 40 Years

For 40 years, Epolin has stood at the vanguard of the light absorbing dye industry. The company is a pioneer in the development and commercialization of UV, Visible and Near-Infrared absorbing dyes, and thermoplastic compounds. Our journey traces back to the foundation of the company in 1984 when the company began using novel chemistry to synthesize new dyes.  Epolin’s offerings enable and elevate the performance of laser, welding, and arc flash eye protection, sun lens and ophthalmic eyewear, security and brand protection, light filters, display materials, night vision, machine vision, and more.

Epolin Lidar Example

Epolin develops NIR dyes for applications such as LiDAR, security cameras, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assist Systems) and more.

With products shipping to over 50 countries around the globe, Epolin develops dye formulations that control the absorption and transmission of light through both dyes and a diverse array of thermoplastic materials. Four decades of expertise has enabled the incorporation of dyes into applications using injection molding, film extrusion, casting, lamination, pressure-sensitive adhesives, solvent-borne coatings, and other manufacturing processes and technologies.

Moreover, Epolin remains at the forefront of innovation by developing novel formulations to cater to emerging technologies in new markets. Our dedicated R&D team stands ready to engineer tailored solutions for even the most demanding applications, ensuring we deliver the precise formulations needed to meet evolving industry needs.  Epolin products, services, and employees have kept the company thriving for over the past four decades.

Please reach out to Epolin, a division of Chroma Color Corporation, to learn how we can help with your application.  https://epolin.com/

Chroma Color Corporation Acquires Approved Color LLC.

5-9-24, McHenry, IL: Chroma Color Corporation has acquired Approved Color LLC. a manufacturer of color concentrates and masterbatches in the Northeast.

Founded in 1975, Approved Color has provided quality chromatically matched colorants to the plastics industry. Much of the colorants that Approved Color creates are used in the manufacture of children’s toys, clothing, cookware, food containers, bottles, and other applications.

“In our experience, readiness is paramount in acquisitions. You must always be prepared to seize opportunities as they arise, as you never know when you’ll encounter a company like Approved Color LLC.,” states Joe Herres, CEO, Chroma Color Corporation. “We are very proud of our acquisition team’s unwavering dedication that has led us to add another high-quality color concentrate and masterbatch manufacturer to enrich our portfolio for our customers.”

Chroma Color is committed to growing our custom color business through both organic and inorganic activities. The acquisition of Approved Color further bolsters Chroma Color’s strengths in supporting our customers. The entire team is fully prepared and ready to support Approved Color customers during this time of transition and confident their customers will realize immense benefits from Chroma Color’s wide range of capabilities.

Chroma Color:

Chroma Color Corporation is a leading specialty color and additive concentrate supplier serving diverse markets, including wire and cable, packaging, healthcare, pharmaceutical, consumer products, among others. Chroma Color’s growth strategy includes a deep focus on organic growth as well as inorganic growth through several strategic acquisitions over recent years. Chroma’s extensive technical leadership and manufacturing expertise, coupled with its market-leading colorant, has delivered high value to customers for more than 50 years. chromacolors.com.


Chroma Color’s patented G2 product line reduces overall cost for outdoor durable products

Chroma Color’s patented G2® product line reduces overall cost for outdoor durable products with lower let down ratios, higher loadings of additives and lower production costs due to ease of use when compared to other colorant options.

The outdoor plastics product business has grown dramatically in the past decade due to improved materials, processing and the ability to mold in color. With such growth, the market has become very competitive and thus molders are constantly on the look out for ways to reduce costs while delivering products that are both esthetically pleasing and meet performance expectations.

Many molders have found that using highly loaded colorant, be it in solid pellet or liquid form, can reduce cost. The fundamental idea is to add smaller quantities of more concentrated colorant to virgin resin in order to achieve the same end result as opposed to using larger amounts of conventional colorant. There are numerous benefits of doing so, not the least of which can be improved physical properties.

In 2008, Chroma Color patented a new product that has revolutionized the colorant industry. The G2® product line is able to load pigments and additives up to levels never considered, let alone achieved in a commercial product. The idea of highly loaded “super concentrate” has circulated in the industry for some time, but had fallen short of performance expectations on many levels. Not only has G2® brought new cost-saving possibilities when using concentrated color, but the pellets are exceptionally well dispersed and effectively distribute in both large and small parts. The following examples outline various ways in which outdoor product manufacturers have been able to benefit from G2® 

Plastic chair manufacturers reduce let down ratios and color handling cost:

In 2013, the lawn, garden and agricultural packaging demand reached $1.7 billion in the U.S alone. Plastic lawn chairs are one of the most popular outdoor consumer products in this growing market due to their convenience, ease of use, light weight and ability to outlast wood in harsh environments. With such popularity and wide spread use, many manufacturers are producing similar products. The only way to succeed in such a competitive marketplace is to reduce production costs, which has led manufacturers to make the switch to G2®.

With G2®, lawn chair manufacturers have been able to reduce let down ratios in some cases from 4% to 1%, while still adding sufficient UV/AO stabilizers to make a product that lasts and keeps consumers happy. Using traditional colorant options in high-volume manufacturing environments can add cost due to additional material handling requirements, and in the case of liquid color, increased housekeeping challenges.  Other hidden costs associated with liquid color are the unpredictable nature of hose kit & pump replacement.

Roll Out Cart (ROC) Molders Reduce Cost and Meet Warranty Claims With G2®

Roll out carts are a big business, especially considering that most households in the United States have at least two. At almost $60 per unit, the ROC market is worth hundreds of millions annually and justifiably requires significant investment by molders. For instance, a single cart mold can cost $500,000. As well, manufacturers offer a 10-year warranty to consumers and cities that purchase carts for waste disposal programs, so they need be able to add adequate UV/AO stabilizer while controlling cost.

Chroma Color’s G2® has helped roll out cart molders reduce cost through let down reductions from 3% to 1%, while still delivering enough UV/AO to support a 10-year warranty. And since G2® comes in solid pellet form, molders can bypass a large amount of cost creep found with liquid color in the form of replacing hose kits & pumps, added housekeeping and other costs related to consolidation and agitation. Using highly loaded G2® is also a space-saver given lower inventory requirements and thus fewer drums or gaylords.

Large part sheet extruders and thermoformers see reduced material needs, improved extruder efficiencies, more consistent sag rates, reduced scrap, improved cycle times along with Increasing UV Protection and Improving Gloss by Switching to G2® Product Line

As an example, Port-A-Potty customers are largely concerned with the bottom line price point, so manufacturers must be extremely cost conscious and look for ways to reduce production costs. In thermoforming Port-A Potty panels, for instance, manufacturers must focus on the sag across their entire color pallet in order to maximize cycle time efficiencies and minimize scrap generated when going from color to color.  They also need to ensure that parts will remain strong and will not become damaged due to UV degradation or other external thermal sources. While this can usually cause an increase in cost during manufacturing, G2® can achieve less sag than traditional color concentrate, without increasing cost.

Moving up the pipeline, sheet extruders that sell into the Port-A-Potty market report that they have been able to reduce production cost by switching to G2® for a number of reasons.  Quantifiable improvements in extruder efficiencies have led to improvements in extruder throughput.  Further, sheet made using G2® allows for panels with reduced warp, enabling the molder to produce parts quicker and of higher quality.

Chroma Color’s G2® product line has proven performance in diverse applications, including outdoor durables, packaging, industrial, non-automotive transportation, and much more. Convertors continue to be impressed by this game-changing technology.  Whether it is injection, extrusion or blow molding, G2 continues to hit the mark.

Chroma Color Corporation is a leading specialty color and additive concentrate supplier serving a diverse range of markets, including packaging, healthcare, pharmaceutical, wire, cable, consumer products, and others.  Chroma Color’s growth strategy includes robust organic and inorganic growth and having made six acquisitions over the last three years. Chroma’s extensive technical leadership and manufacturing expertise, coupled with its game-changing colorant and light management technologies, have delighted customers for over 50 years.

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The Basics of Coloring Plastic Building and Construction Products

Increasing every year are the diversity and number of plastic products used in the building and construction industry. Plastic products in this market include cables/conduit, cladding, windows/doors, protective and decorative shutters, pipes/plumbing, gutters, architectural roof tiles, wall coverings, decking, siding, flooring, sinks/bathtubs, industrial fabrics, irrigation, drainage, heavy equipment components, power tool housings, hand tools, port-a-potties…the list goes on.

Why Plastic?

Plastic products are durable, corrosion resistant, lightweight, and offer an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. Plastic building products perform well in harsh environments, such as in salty coastal regions, extreme hot/cold climates, extreme wet/dry climates, high UV (ultraviolet) exposure, and more.

Typical plastic resins types that are used in construction include: polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, TPO, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylic, ASA, ABS, acetal, nylon, polyurethane, and a variety of composites.

Although these products perform as promised, adding color delivers the aesthetics desired by the brand or consumer, identifies them for specific usage (color-coding), and in many cases defines the application.

You may be familiar with the fact that plastic pipe and conduit are color coded by their end use application, such as:

Blue = Potable Water
White = Irrigation and Water
Green = Sewer
Purple (Lavender) = Reclaimed Water,
Gray = Electrical Conduit

Orange = Telecommunication, conduit

Yellow = Natural Gas (methane or propane) oil

Red = Electric Power Lines, Lighting Cable

Coloring Plastic Building Products:

One of the biggest challenges related to coloring plastic building products is accurately matching the desired color in the specific resin to be used. To ensure the specific color can be achieved and the performance attributes are met, it is critical to establish a partnership with your color & additives supplier early in the development process. The colorant supplier will consider the unique resin, color and performance requirements as they formulate for the application. Each resin is unique (viscosity, melt processing temperatures, natural resin color, etc.) and your color supplier will be able to assist with critical application decisions from the onset regarding the carrier resin, pigment systems, stabilizers and other additives.

After the resin has been clearly established, your conversation may move to color selection. Typically, your supplier will have color sample chips or Pantone color charts to pinpoint the desired color for each plastic product or part.

During this selection process, colors may look different depending on gloss, grain, filler, resin type, light sources, and other factors. For example, in high UV environments, colors such as red, orange, and yellow typically fade faster than darker colors such as blue or green. Knowing this in advance allows the color supplier to choose high performance pigments that are more-light stable than typical workhorse pigments.

As you are developing unique aesthetics, custom colors, or establish new performance standards for your products, You can count on color concentrate suppliers such as Chroma Color Corporation to help you choose the best options for your application and to help separate you from your competitors.

Contact us today: https://chromacolors.com/contact-us/

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