6 min read

Enhancing Quality Control with Spectro 1™

A New Software Tool for Manufacturers and Suppliers

Quality control is a crucial aspect of any manufacturing process, ensuring that products meet the desired specifications and maintain consistency. In the realm of color control, accuracy and precision are paramount, as even slight variations can lead to customer dissatisfaction and negative brand perception.

To address these challenges, Variable introduces its latest innovation, the Quality Control Module in the Spectro by Variable App, available on iOS and Android. This module, combined with the powerful Spectro 1 color measurement device, revolutionizes quality control procedures and empowers manufacturers to achieve exceptional color accuracy and reproducibility.

The Spectro 1 color measurement device offers numerous benefits for quality control purposes. Primarily, it provides objective and quantifiable color measurements, eliminating the subjective nature of visual color assessment. This ensures uniform and reliable results, reducing the likelihood of color discrepancies in production. Additionally, Spectro 1 offers high precision and repeatability, allowing manufacturers to maintain color consistency across different production runs.

What’s Included in this New Module?

Features of the Quality Control Module

The new Quality Control Module located in the Spectro by Variable App takes color control to the next level. Let’s explore its features and understand how they can help manufacturers improve their processes:

1. Create a Job. This feature allows users to set up a product color and track its performance over each production cycle. By establishing a baseline color standard, manufacturers can identify any deviations and take corrective actions promptly.

2. Assign Reference Colors to Individual Parts. With this feature, users can digitize master samples using the Spectro 1 or assign reference colors, such as RAL or Pantone colors, to each colored part. This ensures accurate color matching throughout the manufacturing process.

3. Set Tolerances. Manufacturers can define warnings and pass/fail tolerances for individual parts of a Job. This proactive approach enables early identification of color variations, empowering manufacturers to make necessary adjustments before the product reaches the customer.

4. Customize Settings by Job. The Quality Control Module allows users to tailor colorimetric parameters (Standard Illuminant, Observer, and Delta E Formula) to align with their customer’s preferences. This flexibility ensures that color measurements reflect the specific requirements of each customer, enhancing customer satisfaction.

5. Instant Feedback During Production Runs. Users receive real-time feedback as they perform production run checks. This feature enables immediate detection of color deviations, allowing manufacturers to make timely adjustments and prevent wasted materials and resources.

6. Monitor Trends Through Visualization Charts.  The module provides comprehensive data that is readily displayed in multiple graphs. Control limits, mean (x̄), and Delta E (∆E) are tracked across each production run. This data empowers manufacturers to analyze color performance trends, identify process improvements, and enhance overall quality control practices.

7. Share Inspection Reports. The module enables users to generate inspection reports for their customers, demonstrating adherence to color standards and building trust. Additionally, manufacturers can generate technical reports for internal process improvement, facilitating continuous enhancement of their quality control procedures.

How can this benefit your Organization?

Reduce Cost of Goods and Improve Labor Efficiency

The combination of Spectro 1 and the Quality Control Module offers manufacturers an exceptional advantage in achieving color accuracy and consistency. By utilizing the precise measurements provided by Spectro 1 and leveraging the advanced features of the Quality Control Module, manufacturers can streamline their quality control processes, reduce production costs, minimize color discrepancies, and ultimately deliver superior products to their customers.

Portable Solution Unlocks New Processes

The introduction of Variable’s Quality Control Module in a mobile App, along with the use of the Spectro 1 color measurement device, marks a significant leap forward in quality control for manufacturers. Now, manufacturers can outfit their organization with color measurement devices across their shop floors. This highly portable technology can unlock new ways of color measurement and analysis that were previously confined to stationary PC computers.

Process Improvement through Monitoring Results

The module’s features, such as job creation, tolerance settings, customizable parameters, instant feedback, data tracking, and report generation, empower manufacturers to monitor and improve color performance with exceptional accuracy and efficiency. By embracing this innovative solution, manufacturers can elevate their quality control practices, enhance customer satisfaction, and strengthen their competitive edge in the market.

Where Can I Get Access to Explore This New Tool?

After downloading the Spectro by Variable mobile App, users are asked to create an account with a verified e-mail address and password. After proceeding into the App, users can enter a free, 30-day trial by clicking on the QC Module icon under the Compare Section of our app. Following the free trial, Apple and Google offer the ability to purchase month-to-month subscriptions within the App. Otherwise, users can obtain an annual subscription by contacting us directly at a reduced rate.

Additional resources around the Quality Control Module:
Technology to Improve Color Quality and Color Matching

How to Check Delta E Differences