The Leather Business Unit of LANXESS GmbH is using a web-based colorimetrics and colour formulation system to integrate all its expertise in colour standardisation and formulation relating to leather finishing pigments.

Stefan Wildbrett, leather technologist at LANXESS in Leverkusen, said: “We no longer need to send data storage media or colour samples half way around the world by mail or courier to be certain we have found the correct colour with our formulation. The new colour measuring system calculates this formulation precisely and error-free in seconds.”

The colorimetric system has enabled a unique service to be created for the leather industry. For years, the Leather Business Unit has offered its customers information on current trends in leather fashions. This includes a look at fashion colours for the next two seasons. Wildbrett and his colleagues have just created 27 fashion colours for the 2006 summer season. Using formulations developed in this way, customers can plan their colour range and purchase the relevant pigments early on. After just a few weeks the colorimetric system database contains over 100 colours.