Behind every high-performance Colorfix product lies meticulous research, development, and control. It is in the company's laboratories—the Development Laboratory (LDS) and the Quality Control Laboratory (LCQ)—that science and technology come together to ensure that each color concentrate meets customer needs with excellence.

Development Laboratory (LDS): creating colors with precision and purpose

The Development Laboratory is responsible for transforming ideas into customized color solutions. This is where the color concentrate (masterbatch) is created, developed according to each customer's technical specifications — from the type of polymeric material and processing conditions to the toxicity requirements and final application of the product.

The development process involves a series of technical and analytical steps. "Pigment selection is carried out with the aid of high-precision tools, such as a spectrophotometer, in addition to visual analyses and bench tests that simulate the customer's actual process. Each color also undergoes analysis in a light booth, ensuring color fidelity and consistency," explains Research and Development (R&D) coordinator Janin Costa.

According to her, the laboratory has an extensive database of colors that have already been developed, which makes it possible to optimize response time to demands. The samples go through a whole process of preparation, extrusion, quality control, and final validation, ensuring that the customer receives a reliable solution that is ready for application.

Today, the LDS is composed of 22 highly qualified professionals, including technicians and bachelor's degree holders in Chemistry and Polymers, as well as engineers. Together, they work not only on creating new colors, but also on researching performance additives and characterizing materials, driving Colorfix's technological advancement.

Quality Control Laboratory (LCQ): ensuring excellence at every stage

The Quality Control Laboratory's mission is to ensure that all Colorfix products—both new developments and existing items—strictly comply with the required technical specifications.

The sector performs quality control on raw materials, evaluating batch by batch to ensure that inputs meet the standards defined in the approval process. This care is essential to avoid deviations in production and maintain consistency in results.

"In cases of customer complaints, the LCQ plays a key role in investigating and solving problems. The team analyzes each stage of the production process in detail, identifying whether the complaint is valid and implementing improvements whenever necessary," emphasizes Janin.

Among the analyses performed are:

•    Evaluation of skin, homogenization, and particle size
•    Verification of cuts, tails, holes, and overall grain appearance
•    Moisture, porosity, dispersion, fluidity, and density tests
•    Applications in drays, calenders, injectors, and film extruders

The sector is composed of chemical technicians, supervised by a chemical engineer, ensuring that processes are conducted with technical rigor and analytical precision. “The joint work between LDS and LCQ represents Colorfix's commitment to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction. Each employee involved in these laboratories plays an essential role in ensuring that the company continues to stand out in the market, combining technology and knowledge in every grain of color produced,” highlights Janin.