BYK-mac i Multi-Angle Color and Effect Spectrophotometer
The BYK-mac i from BYK-Gardner is a portable spectrophotometer that measures the total appearance of effect finishes color at multiple angles plus sparkle and graininess in one handheld instrument. It is built for quality control of metallic and pearlescent coatings automotive finishes, plastics, and other products that look different depending on the viewing angle. It also detects and quantifies fluorescent light so users get a first indication of lightfastness.
Key Features BYK-MAC i
- Five-angle color measurement: 15°, 25°, 45°, 75°, and 110° readings for light/dark travel (flop) evaluation
- Color behind the gloss: an additional -15° angle captures the color shift of interference pigments
- Sparkle and graininess: quantifies flake characteristics making it a complete screening tool for effect pigments and flake effects
- Fluorescence detection: an Intensity Emission value quantifies fluorescent light excited in the visible range with an audio and visual signal when fluorescence is detected
- Stable LED illumination: long term stability and patented illumination control with no warm up time no temperature drift and no lamp aging
- Excellent instrument-to-instrument agreement: supports the use of digital standards across the supply chain
- Low maintenance: calibration is needed only every three months with results that are stable between 10 and 40 °C without recalibration
- Spectral range: 400 to 700 nm at 10 nm resolution
- Color scales and indices: ΔE*, ΔE CMC, ΔE 94, ΔE 2000, ΔE 99, ΔE DIN6175, plus flop and Intensity Emission indices, and a range of illuminants including A, C, D50, D65, and F series
- Weighted tolerancing: supports customer specific color difference equations
- Menu-guided operation: follows your own sampling procedure with pass fail results shown on the instrument for instant feedback at the line
- Color TFT LCD display: clear results on the instrument
- Aperture choice: available with a 23 mm or 12 mm measuring area and the smaller aperture suits small and curved parts
- Stable positioning: trigger pins on the bottom plate help give steady readings on flat and curved samples
- Memory and software: stores 1,000 samples and standards and works with BYK smart lab, smart chart and smart process software
- Standards compliance: aligned with ASTM D2244, E308, E1164, and E2194, DIN 5033/5036/6174/6175-2, and ISO 7724
Typical Applications
- Automotive paint and refinish color matching
- Metallic and pearlescent coatings
- Plastics and effect pigment materials
- Color control of anodized and effect surfaces
- Batch to batch quality control and supply chain color communication
Why Choose It
The BYK-mac i evaluates how an effect finish really looks from every angle, including sparkle, graininess, and fluorescence in a single reading. That gives manufacturers objective data to replace subjective visual judgments and keep suppliers and customers aligned.
