NCP Coatings Inc., commercial and industrial coatings manufacturer since 1948, has developed DynaMatch, a versatile tint-mix system. The new system is designed to meet the demands of application processes, performance specifications and tight completion deadlines of today's lean manufacturing and JIT environments.
The system simplifies custom paint purchasing, fulfillment and color formulation processes. Using one set of 16 high-pigment loading tint pastes, the system allows for accurate color matching in a variety of bases. This family of NCP Coatings bases includes standard alkyds, chain stopped alkyds, silicone alkyds, acrylic enamels, alkyd acrylic bakes, polyester bakes, acrylic urethanes, polyurethane and textured polyurethane. The system also includes a variety of primers, catalysts, reducers and additives. The result is a system that provides customized solutions for every known commercial or industrial coating application. An electrostatic line is also available, and a separate group of tint pastes specially formulated for waterborne DynaMatch tint mix bases.
"With DynaMatch all our bases are covered," says Randy Terrill, technical director of the NCP Coatings Laboratories. "With one set of 16 high-pigment loading tints and the appropriate base, NCP Coatings distributors can now match colors and deliver products the same day they are ordered. Simplicity is the key to the DynaMatch system; the ability to provide every customer with a unique solution will drive its success."
Simplicity Results in Higher Quality Coatings
Terrill explained that using one set of tints in many different types of paint results in consistent color matching from one product to the next. "With the conventional paints and coatings of our competitors, there is one set of tints for urethanes, one for alkyds, one for epoxies, etc. As a result, it is unlikely to get accurate color matching for a job that requires multiple types of coatings. With the DynaMatch tint-mix system, all of our bases are formulated to use the same tints in the same quantities to match a specified color. In addition, the high pigment loading of these tints provides for better coverage with lower dry film thickness, which presents the opportunity for a more efficient finishing process."
With the DynaMatch system, NCP Coatings distributors carry only the clear and white bases of each type of paint they choose to supply to their market, along with the DynaMatch tints, Terrill said. "With one set of tints for many different types of paint, we've simplified the formulation process for our distributors. First, the customer's desired color must be determined by using a sample of any given standard. Say a customer needs alkyd enamel in a specific color. Our distributor has the ability to quickly match that color, generate a formula and mix-up the finished product. This process applies to all the bases in the DynaMatch family, and I cannot emphasize enough the simplicity and efficiency of using one set of tints."
Distributors Become Satellite Paint Companies
NCP Coatings Sales Manager Brian Lawton explained how the tint-mix system has changed the relationship between manufacturer and distributor. "When we set up an NCP Coatings distributor with the new DynaMatch tint-mix system and the appropriate support equipment, our distributor essentially becomes a satellite paint company. With a relatively small inventory of bases, tints, reducers and catalysts, our distributors can satisfy thousands of colors and applications. We have drastically reduced the number of SKUs a distributor must have in comparison to what is required from conventional paint manufacturers. Fundamentally, we have provided our dealers with an incredible amount of autonomy and flexibility to service customers quickly and precisely. They can now provide paint to niches they never thought possible, and perhaps most importantly, meet the tough VOC regulations being specified in today's production finishing environment."
Lawton said that the VOC ratings of the bases in the tint-mix system range from 2-5.5 lbs/gal. Many of the lower-VOC products, such as the DynaMatch silicone alkyd base rated at 2.8 lbs/gal, are below conventional paints that are rated around 5 lbs/gal for the same quality. Furthermore, common bases can be blended to create a product that is close to the necessary VOC level. He explained how this makes the coatings distributor network more adaptable to environmental regulations. "If I'm a coating distributor based in Philly, I may be selling to New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania. DynaMatch offers our distributors the full spectrum of environmental compliance for all these states."
Flawless Color Matching with No Waste
An integral part of the DynaMatch tint mix system is the X-Rite Color Master system. A formulation database has been created within the X-Rite "mother" system located at NCP Coatings. This database consists of all the color strength information associated with the DynaMatch tints and bases. This information can be transferred to any distributor outfitted with the X-Rite "daughter" system. Director of Operations Nat Hannewyk explained, "We chose the X-Rite Color Master system for our distributors because we feel it provides the best solutions for the most application scenarios. The powerful combination of DynaMatch and X-Rite allows our distributors to better serve their customers with incredibly accurate and fast color matching."He explained that the system is accurate and efficient that there is virtually no waste. "With this system, we have the ability to formulate and match colors off waste from mismatched orders. Rejected orders are saved and used within the guidelines of the formulation software as tints for future mixes. This provides a great savings for our distributors both from a raw materials and disposal standpoint, as well as reduces the amount of waste in the environment."
Each DynaMatch distributor is outfitted with a portable spectrophotometer to support the X-Rite Color Master software, and the DynaMatch formulation database. This turnkey paint mixing system for the DynaMatch family of paints allows for some impressive efficiency. "This new system has unlimited potential for NCP distributors to provide solutions to the OEM and job shop user of every size and type," said Bob Santine, X-Rite account executive.
"This system is going to provide NCP Coatings customers accurate matches much faster than conventional coaters," he said. "Typically, we see companies getting matches in three to six hits-that's three to six adjustments in the formulation process. With a properly developed database, like NCP's DynaMatch tint mix system, we are seeing matches with far fewer hits. Our trials at NCP resulted in seven out of 10 hits matching on the first mix with the other three needing only two attempts. These are impressive numbers when it comes to quick turnarounds and accuracy."
The Ultimate Painting System for the Lean Manufacturing Environment
Jamestown Paint Co., Jamestown, PA, integrated the NCP Coatings DynaMatch tint mix system into its product mix in December 2001. The results have been remarkable, says Executive Vice President Rich Walton. "Where Jamestown is finding success with the new DynaMatch technology is with the job shops and OEMs that require multiple colors and quick turns. In the past, we would turn away this type of business because the labor, time and material involved in making custom colors without DynaMatch was cost prohibitive. Today, matching colors with one or two hits allows us to tap into the small job shop, small quantity, custom color market."Walton explained that his turnaround times have dropped drastically for these types of jobs. "If we get a color order by 9 a.m., we ship it by 3 p.m.; where in the past, it may have required five working days." He said they've had a fresh look at the job shops in his established territory that need a regular supplier for custom production runs. "We used to turn away the job shops that required five gal of a new custom color every week. Now, the market is open for the one to 100-gal user, and we can supply them on a "just-in-time" schedule."
Walton concluded that after just six months with the DynaMatch system, his company is supplying custom colors in small quantities for OEM production runs. "We've got customers we're making custom small batches for on a regular production-run basis. Small batch, quick turnaround is efficiently handled with DynaMatch."
NCP Coatings has been formulating coatings for over 55 years. For more information, contact NCP Coatings, 225 Fort Street, Niles, MI 49120-0307, phone 800/627.1948; fax 616/683.3305 or visit www.ncpcoatings.com.
