Benchtop Spectrophotometers

A benchtop spectrophotometer is an instrument that allows the operator to repeatably and traceably communicate the colour of a product or material in a consistent way. By measuring the reflected energy throughout the visible spectrum, a spectrophotometer allows the user to express the colour of, or colour difference between, one or more objects without subjectivity. This is essential in asking suppliers to provide a specific colour of material or ensuring that the products look the way that the producer or customer expects. Benchtop spectrophotometers also have the benefit of being able to measure colour in transmittance, enabling colour measurement of transparent liquid and solid samples.

A benchtop spectrophotometer can help organisations:

• To perform quality control tasks by measuring the colour of a sample against a stored standard.
• Help organisations reduce the time, effort, subjectivity and risks involved with using physical colour standards and human observers.
• Measure traceable digital colour data for use in colour matching and formulation ensuring that production meets the specification of the customer, of the branding team, or other stakeholders.
• Measure raw materials or supplier products at goods-in to ensure that specification is met.

Konica Minolta Sensing produce benchtop spectrophotometers with different configurations to meet the needs of the customer, including:

• top facing measurement port and built in display (CM-5),
• reflectance only (CM-36d),
• included 60 gloss sensor (CM-36dG),
• reference grade instrument with highest accuracy and repeatability (CM-3700A).

Each benchtop spectrophotometer available from Konica Minolta Sensing can be used with a computer to measure colour and colour difference in commonly used colour spaces (such as L*a*b*). Operators can also use industry or custom indices and digital colour data software for accurate and cost-effective colour formulation or quality control tasks.