Recyclates pose a major challenge for the coloration of plastic products. The Plastics Center SKZ has responded to industry requirements by creating a course that teaches fundamentals and solutions.
Plastics Center qualifies specialists for the circular economy
Coloring plastics is already demanding with virgin material – process parameters, material, and colorants must interact perfectly. In terms of precise coloration, for example due to OEM specifications or corporate identity requirements, it is crucial to be able to achieve exact and consistent color shades.
With increasing requirements for the circular economy, the use of recycled plastics is gaining ever more importance. As a result, the challenge grows: despite fluctuating material quality, foreign polymers, and color deviations in the input material, the visual and functional quality of the products must not suffer.
To support companies in this demanding task, the Plastics Center SKZ offers the training course Quality assurance in coloring recycled plastics. Participants gain practical insights into current processes, tools, and control technologies that enable stable color quality even with varying recyclate material properties.
Course contents include, among other topics:
• current challenges in material and color sorting
• issues surrounding black plastics and new solution approaches
• colorants for the circular economy (e.g., alternatives to carbon black, recyclate-based masterbatches)
• modern measurement and control technology for process-integrated color monitoring and detection of foreign materials
• ecological aspects of the use of recyclates
Practical demonstrations and video examples make the content tangible: participants experience live measurement systems for color prediction, material identification, and automatic color adjustment, enabling them to efficiently transfer what they have learned into industrial practice.
“A fully comprehensive circular economy can only succeed if the quality characteristics of plastic molded parts are not compromised. This requires skilled specialists who are capable of accurately assessing technical possibilities and limitations. Our course provides concrete methods for this and presents practice-oriented solutions,” emphasizes Christoph Kreutz, Expert Trainer at the SKZ Quality Management Training Center.
Interested companies and professionals can obtain detailed information on course content and upcoming dates at Quality assurance in coloring recycled plastics.
This course is also offered as part of the Colorist program. This is a modular training concept consisting of mandatory and elective modules that provides in-depth instruction in color technology.
