The best just got better - announcing an improved workflow with enhanced features - all through the same, reliable instrument - the RapidMatch X-5 spectrophotometer. This industry leading color retrieval tool hits all marks in providing the right first time color quickly and accurately. Now featuring specialized help when effect components are critical to the match selection - Texture joins Match Rating for all around coating characterization.
Intuitive workflow provides faster results - just 2 steps to get to the best possible match. The software workflow has improved to reduce the number of screens and clicks to provide quick, easy search results - all on one screen.
Match Rating is a scientifically developed algorithm that utilizes the color information or reflectance data obtained from the spectrophotometer. A comparison is made between the vehicle Target color and the color database. The lower the Match Rating, the better likelihood to retrieve a blendable formula for the vehicle repair. When the Match Rating is 10 or less, the visual indicator will be GREEN. When greater than 10, the user should check the formula via a spray out or variant chip if available. The Match Rating is still the first and most reliable indicator when making a color match decision.
Our studies and numerous field trial results proved the following set of Match Rating guidelines to assist the refinisher in their decision making process.
Match Rating between 0 and 10: Blendable for Metallic and Pearl colors
Match Rating between 11 and 20: Check with visual reference (spray out or chip)
Match Rating greater than 20: Tinting may be required
Match Rating of 5 or less: Blendable for Solid colors
The RapidMatch device continues to serve the automotive repair industry with advanced optics and five angle measurement capability assured to characterize the most difficult OE coatings. Since PPG has the most advanced database of five angle color data, we have developed advanced algorithms to not only find the best color but also provide the user with information on texture.
By comparing five angles of color and lightness/darkness data, the system can indicate if the car and the selected formula have similar texture [OK], coarser [C] or finer [F].
OK - Texture is Similar to the Target
C - Texture is Coarser than the Target
F - Texture is Finer than the Target
When the Match Rating (MR) is 10 or less (Blendable / GREEN) and the Texture (T) is similar to the Target, a GREEN OK will show on the results screen. At a glance, the user can be assured to go with GREEN, GREEN, GO confidence when selecting the best match for the repair. There will be times when the suggested database formula is either Finer or Coarse when compared to the Target - in those situations the yellow indicator will be present.
When the Match Rating is greater than 10 (Check / YELLOW), the Texture will be included, but no color indicators will be available. A visual check is always recommended prior to mixing and repairing the vehicle.
Continually improving processes to provide increasing productivity and better color match delivery are important to any electronic formula retrieval system. Some of the improved system benefits include:
- Intuitive workflow provides quicker results - just 2 steps to get to the best possible match
- Time to download / retrieve search results cut in half
- Reading List includes a visual color representation - makes selection simple and easy
- Automatic Solid / Metallic selection
- Final results screen packed with vital information at a glance - Match Rating + Texture
- Texture provides further assistance when choosing the right formula and provides a guide when tinting may be needed
With improved workflow comes some automation in the process. The user no longer needs to force "Download Readings" from the PaintManager software. There is a built in automatic download communicator between the instrument and the software.
We added a new feature when measuring several vehicles at one time. From the Readings List, each RapidMatch X-5 instrument download contains a color image which provides a quick visual representation of the target color. This feature is extremely helpful when working on several vehicles at one time.
To streamline processes and provide some automation in the system, the intuitiveness of a five angle device combined with our science allows an automatic detection if the target color is a mica / metallic or solid. The user no longer has to input this information to the system prior to search.
The user can override this selection. In the case of tri-coat colors, some users prefer to use "solid" for the reflectance search to achieve a better ground coat / main layer color.
Ensure the panel you are measuring is free of scratches and any debris. Presence of surface artifacts will cause the device and software to possibly generate incorrect information.
"Code" entry (OEM code, brand code, competitor code) continues to be the preferred method for best search results. A convenient Warning / Pop Up box asks the user to enter a code; this will ensure the preferred search operation.
"Warning: We recommend entering a Color Code when conducting a metallic or pearl search".
NOTE: If an invalid or partial code is entered on the initial screen, the following message will be displayed:
"Code is not valid. Do you want to use it anyway?"
With a valid code entry, an action oriented results screen delivers the best starting formula quickly - "at a glance". Results are delivered in tabular view which quickly alerts the user to Blendable (GREEN) Match Rating returns.
After 2 clicks the user is able to view and choose the best formula. The Match Rating remains the same:
Less than or equal to 10: Blend
Greater than 10: Check
A Wild Card Search can be performed when there is no code information available. In this search routine, the entire Refinish color database is available to find the closest match. As in the prior version of the RapidMatch software, the Match Rating value will be provided but you will not have a corresponding GREEN or YELLOW indicator. This will be the same for the Texture Reading as well.
We recommend doing a sprayout card to check any formula that is found without using a color code search.
In some situations, a formula can be further adjusted. The Adjust Button will appear when conditions are mathematically right to perform an adjustment to the selected formula. The adjustment offered will provide some directional improvement in color. If the Adjust Button is "grayed out," the best formulas have already been provided to the user.
New - Improved identification. The original and adjusted formulas are now displayed side by side with the difference calculated to make it easy to choose which formula you prefer to use.
Simply press the Original or Adjusted buttons at the bottom of the screen to start mixing your preferred formula. If the Adjusted formula is selected, both the formula screen and label will state that the formula was Adjusted.
When performing a Code Search, there is an option to take the search in a different direction. Filtered Search focuses on the effect pigment of a returned formula from the Match Rating formula list. By selecting a Match Rating formula as the starting point, it will be the Anchor by which all other returned formulas will be rated. The key search criteria are the effect pigment(s) of the Anchor formula. This search routine will provide further options beyond the original code and provide the refinisher with an additional list of best match formulas-all showing their corresponding Match Rating value and comparison to the anchor.
Effect Compatibility = More than Anchor
This formula type has the same effect pigments as the Anchor - and more. Use the Compare feature to compare the Anchor to the More than Anchor formulas.Effect Compatibility = Some of Anchor
This formula type has at least one of the effect pigments when compared to the Anchor selected, but it does have some additional effect pigments. Use the Compare feature to compare the Anchor to the Some of Anchor formulas.Effect Compatibility = Same as Anchor
This formula type has the same effect pigments when compared to the Anchor selected.
This new workflow will be introduced as a running change to our current PaintManager software users. No new software or hardware is required to begin using this latest improvement in electronic formula retrieval.
If you do not have the PaintManager program software with RapidMatch system functionality, go to PPG Online Ordering:
PPG CUSTOMERS Part No. PPG13 - CD Product
Part No. PPG112 - License Agreement
NEXA AUTOCOLOR CUSTOMERS Part No. PM70 - CD Product
Part No. PaintMGR - License Agreement
Install codes and billing information will transfer.
Yes. The RapidMatch program software will assess a tri-coat and provide Search - Rate results, but the Adjust feature will not be available.
It is important to ensure that the downloaded reflectance file is properly identified with the correct OEM code information. An incorrect data entry could cause the Match Rating results to be high.
When a selected formula is adjusted, the formula's components are fixed and their amounts will remain the same, or will be either increased or decreased proportionally to direct the color closer to the target. When this criteria is used in the adjust computation, it may not be able to "move" the color into the best direction to the target color. In those instances, a message will tell the user that an adjustment could not be performed.