Global Marketing & Business Development Director

With the recent upswing in new construction and renovations, the demand for architectural coatings is rising, as well. Whether for new commercial space or home remodels, coatings users, specifiers and applicators are squeezed for time and resources.In response, architectural coatings manufacturers are faced with meeting just-in-time business conditions in coloration of paints, stains and coatings. In-plant tinting is in a growth phase, replacing co-grinding as the industry’s go-to method for creating high-volume colors as a more efficient and cost-effective method for tinting paint in the factory.

Gaining efficiency
Co-grinding can be difficult to handle in production environments, as pigment types and strengths vary. It can also prove to be wasteful if color drifts occur due to overgrinding and costly if insufficient grind creates underdeveloped colors in finished coatings. If the accurate color is not achieved, the batch must be reworked – or in some cases disposed of – resulting in a loss of production time and materials.

In-plant liquid colorants are extremely easy to work with. These colorants are designed for consistency, allowing the user to achieve reproducibility at full color strength, batch after batch, while co-grinding may require multiple color adjustments and millings to obtain the same reproducibility.

In-plant tinting doesn’t require manufacturers to test batches, and it streamlines the manufacturing process. Formulators already know the results before the batch is completed, and that batch can be reproduced to the same tight color specifications. This eliminates surplus, improves operational efficiency and reduces downtime. In-plant liquid colorants also are much cleaner to handle in the plant, as opposed to large bags of pigment. The entire tinting process also requires less energy.

Broadening the palette
In-plant tinting with liquid colorants produces consistent color targets and offers increased control and repeatability of colors. While co-grinding can produce high volumes of very limited, standard colors, in-plant tinting offers a wider array of color possibilities, along with increased flexibility in handling custom colors or smaller, specialized coatings color demands from your customers. All of this enables you to grow your in-plant business with much shorter lead times.

Reducing inventory
Co-grinding limits the number of paint colors that can be produced, as well as the choice of colors available. If decorating trends change, manufacturers are stuck with those unsold factory-made colors.

In-plant tinting gives you the flexibility to make a wide variety of colors, all to customer specifications, rendering it unnecessary to stock a high volume of standard colors in the warehouse. Each batch can be mixed to achieve the exact color the client requests. The whole process results in shorter delivery times, enabling manufacturers to react faster to market needs and maximize potential sales, while reducing warehouse inventory and waste.

End-users, including consumers and professional applicators, want increased choices as well as reliable, repeatable colors. In-plant tinting enables manufacturers to deliver larger, custom color paint orders more quickly.

Using liquid colorants can improve overall coatings quality, lower VOCs, reduce waste and deliver a more consistent product due to the following advantages.