RM200QC device for cut-and-sew operations of textiles

The hand-held RM200QC simplifies how textile, coatings, chemicals, plastic molding and other industries can compare the colors of lab samples or parts in production with reference standards, then create reports that can be shared with supply chain partners.

The RM200QC has proven useful for setting color standards and enhancing productivity for Poppin, Inc., a New York City-based company that differentiates itself in the office products industry by designing desk sets, pens and pencils, and paper products in-house for manufacture in China.

"We set ourselves apart from the big-box competition partly through the use of vibrant, eye-catching colors defined by Pantone," Poppin Vice President Roger Cole said. "We've built a loyal customer base because we present stylish colors in an office setting at the right price point. So having colors match properly is critical for our business."

Cole said Poppin manufacturing personnel use the RM200QC as a quality control device to monitor color deviation between items in production and the Pantone standard color.  Using L*a*b* data generated by the RM200QC, Poppin has been able to reduce the difference between what New York designers stipulate and what is manufactured in China.  Further, Poppin personnel like the fact that the pocket-sized RM200QC can be carried easily on international trips and that it measures colors accurately and quickly.

"It's the perfect tool for our application," said Ernest Lapornik, production engineer for Diversified Mining Services, a Brisbane-based manufacturer of mining equipment and provider of operation, maintenance and support services for open-cut and underground mines in Australia and New Zealand.  DMS intends to use the RM200QC to make sure components arriving from various manufacturers worldwide for its Coaltram® LHD (Load, Haul, Dump) vehicles all match his company's specified colours of yellow, grey and red.

"With the high cost of production for these types of machines and the quality benchmarks we have set, we are very particular that they don't look like patchwork quilts when they are assembled," Lapornik said. "For instance, our yellow is a proprietary colour that we use to promote our brand in the industry. Additionally, the RM200QC’s ability to generate a report and  give us a pass / fail result removes any disputes regarding the machine’s colour due to human interpretation.”

He gave the RM200QC high marks as a handy, cost-effective solution for accurately identifying out-of-specification color components at work sites since their weights and bulk prevent them from being measured with benchtop equipment. Diversified Mining Services employs more than 840 people at its Brisbane headquarters, manufacturing facilities in Newcastle, and service workshops in Mackay, Emerald and Wollongong.