W13-A-007 — Color Masterbatch vs Pre-coloured Compound
1. What decision is the buyer trying to make?
Whether to buy colour as a masterbatch (dosed at the machine) or as a pre-coloured compound (ready-to-run pellets).
2. Which variables actually matter?
- Colour change frequency on the line
- Volume per colour per year
- Dispersion quality required (fibre, thin film, cosmetic surface)
- Storage / SKU management overhead
- Dosing equipment available
- Colour tolerance (ΔE) accepted
3. Which variables are commonly misunderstood?
- Pre-coloured compound is often assumed to be "safer" — it is, per SKU, but it multiplies SKUs and inventory risk.
- Masterbatch flexibility is real only when dosing equipment is calibrated and audited.
- Cost comparison must include changeover time, purge, and scrap — not only €/kg.
4. What additional information is required before deciding?
- Number of colours per year and per line
- Volume per colour
- Dosing equipment (gravimetric vs volumetric)
- Colour tolerance target
- Regulatory scope
5. What should be included in the RFQ?
- Application and process
- Polymer + MFI
- Colour target (Pantone / Lab* / benchmark sample)
- Colour tolerance (ΔE)
- Volume per colour
- Regulatory scope
So what should the buyer investigate next?
Whether their annual colour mix and dosing discipline actually make masterbatch cheaper — or whether a small set of pre-coloured compounds would eliminate the true cost driver (changeovers).
Bridges
- W6 — Color name vertical
- W7 — Color product vertical
- W9 — Pantone × Masterbatch