Good advice right from the start: ALBIS' successful approach to CMF

What it takes to successfully combine functionality and aesthetics, and why most failed product launches can be avoided with an up-front approach. Chris Newman, Regional Technical Manager, ALBIS UK writes.

What is CMF?

Whether a product is for consumers or industrial users, how it looks, feels, and behaves influences its functional and perceived value. In product development, those characteristics are collectively known as Colour, Material, Finish, usually abbreviated as CMF.

Selecting the best CMF solution

The involvement of the polymer supplier at the outset of a development project is critical as this is when key design aspects, including functional and aesthetic considerations might be first highlighted as well as determining which manufacturing process is best suited for production. As a polymer distributor, ALBIS add value by advising customers on a myriad of topics during the development of new applications. This often avoids the correction of costly mistakes which would only appear at a later stage of the project – particularly with respect to CMF.

One example was the development of an internet enabled device, which consisted of a cylindrical plastic enclosure featuring an illuminated LED “halo” ring on the top of the device. A white PC+ABS was chosen and moulded well with good surface finish. However, when in operation unacceptable light bleed into the housing occurred, thereby ruining part aesthetics. As a result, product launch had to be delayed. An Alcom light blocking solution was trialled and solved the light bleed issue. However, the new grade resulted in an unacceptable matt surface finish. Rapid Alcom grade development from MOCOM came to the rescue and a high gloss, colour-matched solution was found. Had the project management team adequately considered CMF at the outset then their original product launch date might have been met.In areas such as consumer electronics, houseware, healthcare and visible automotive parts, CMF is often critical. Brand owners are looking at surface quality, feel, durability, innovation, and the emotional appeal of a solution. Today, sustainability is also a critical consideration for new designs. ALBIS’ distribution partners have expanded their portfolios to offer a wide range of sustainable solutions covering a variety of technologies, including mechanically recycled, chemically recycled, bio-based and bio-attributed products which are often drop-in solutions for fossil-based counterparts.

ALBIS’ Approach to CMF

ALBIS work as trusted advisers and solution providers. We act as independent material consultants with a strong and diverse portfolio. The distribution partners offer a variety of strengths in various CMF areas. Some polymers come to the fore when high gloss is required whereas some are more suited to matt effects. Achieving precise colours via compounding is possible from a diverse range of base materials from standard, through engineering plastics to high performance polymers. When haptics are important, thermoplastic elastomers can come into play. The role of the ALBIS Application Development team is to identify the best solutions for designers based on specific application CMF needs.

ALBIS has close relationships with many design consultancies who offer CMF as a special area of competence. They promote their sample libraries to their clients to enable innovation. OEMs are mindful that a high proportion of (costly) product launches fail for various reasons, including overlooked CMF considerations. According to Harvard Business Review, 75% of consumer-packaged goods fail. By conducting effective market research and investing in well thought-through design brand owners aim to mitigate this risk.

The ALBIS technical team is extremely well-versed in the CMF portfolios of our distribution partners and work closely with design agencies, converters, and OEMs to identify the optimum solution according to the given application requirements.

Colour

ALBIS partners with several industry leaders who specialize in color compounds, and collaborates with its sister company, MOCOM, to offer a comprehensive range of compounding services, including license production. MOCOM's state-of-the-art facilities and rigorous quality standards, such as IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 9001:2015, ensure that the colour compounds produced meet the highest levels of quality and consistency. MOCOM offers lot-to-lot reproducibility, meaning that regardless of the brand or colour being manufactured, licenced compounds from Covestro, Envalior, INEOS Styrolution and LyondellBasell can be reliably produced to the highest quality. 

Additionally, MOCOM markets its own brands. A recent innovation being the Alcom® Digital Sample Plaques Library. This is a database of Alcom® Lighting and CFX (colour effects) grades. Individual plaque images are available for inspection and comparison.

The Alcom® CFX range of products is aimed squarely at special aesthetic compounded effects e.g., metallic effect flake in different base polymers. These are often superior to the use of masterbatch solutions which can fall short in terms of final appearance and shot-to-shot consistency. A new internal digital library of colour effects enables variables such as polymer type and base colour to be easily filtered. A resulting short list can be visually compared by downloading plaque images. Whilst not replacing the physical plaque submission step, it accelerates the short-listing process.

Material

In the field of CMF, the Materials aspect relates to its appearance, how it feels and how it behaves. This aspect isn’t restricted to plastics as it also covers metals, fabrics and organic products. However, in terms of ease and cost-effective mass production – usually with the lowest carbon footprint – then plastics are indeed hard to overlook. Within the plastics field, ALBIS acts as an independent materials advisor. If a client discussion on material choice takes an unexpected path due to new demanding requirements, then ALBIS have the portfolio breadth to handle most scenarios.

For example, IXEF from Solvay is a high performance polyamide capable of being highly glass filled which has a unique combination of exceptional surface gloss, dimensional stability and structural characteristics. Ideal for those metal replacement applications where high strength and aesthetics are important.

We would suggest that that the combination of a design consultancy with CMF expertise and an impartial polymer supplier like ALBIS would be a formidable team. Together we could consider aspects such as availability and technical considerations around manufacturing viability and would help deliver a workable innovative solution. 

Finish

Designers often go to a lot of trouble to get just the right surface finish on a final part. They stress its importance in creating a lasting emotional connection with the customer. Obviously, this is more important in, say, automotive interiors or consumer electronics than for building and construction components.

ALBIS have a comprehensive range of thermoplastic elastomers, from TPV, TPS and TPU, through to high temperature resistant TPC. In many cases they are deployed to provide tactile touchpoints for comfort or ease of use on hand-held devices. Depending on the application, requirements can include scratch or mar resistance, substrate adhesion or delivering a specific texture. When it comes to how a part feels, then a further solution are the ‘cool touch’ products. Primarily developed to be thermally conductive in metal replacement applications, MOCOM’s Alcom® TC, Envalior’s Durethan® TC and Covestro’s Makrolon® TC are ideal in delivering a more metallic feel.

ALBIS is well placed to advise on secondary processing steps such as painting, vacuum metallizing, and electroplating. Not all plastics can be easily metalized as many factors come into play, however, custom-made products such as Covestro’s Bayblend® PC+ABS, Envalior’s Durethan® PA, Solvay’s IXEF® PARA, INEOS Styrolution Novodur® ABS, MOCOM’s Tedur® PPS and BASF Ultramid® PA offer many ideal solutions (depending on the metallization technology employed).

Application Example

Partnerships with Eschmann Textures UK and ALBIS UK offer infinite design possibilities and functional surfaces. Combining 5-axis laser engraving and MOCOM’S Alcom® material, Linecross showcases an automotive console concept with discreetly concealed and illuminated buttons and displays. No painting is needed thanks to the moulded quality and glossy finish. The surface appears sleek during normal illumination but reveals sophisticated hidden features when backlit. Project advice can be offered on the feasibility of tool textures both in terms of manufacturing and consequences for durability. A recent good example was a premium vehicle interior part. The moulder was experiencing severe difficulty obtaining a particular consistent tool texture without visible gate effects on the part’s “A” surface. In this case it was possible to switch to an INEOS Styrolution TERBLEND® N grade; solving the problem without tool modification. Car interior components liable to scuffing very often possess a coarse “elephant hide” tool texture. This has been found to generally resist maring to a higher degree than fine (sharper) textures. However, material choice is not always an obvious variable when designing such applications.

Another solution is BASF Ultramid® Deep Gloss. This polyamide which has excellent chemical resistance features a lustrous deep gloss that can be used without coating in automotive interior applications.

On the other hand, when a high-tech “carbon” finish might be desired then WIPAG WIC is a material of choice.In conclusion, in product development where aesthetic concerns are raised “Colour Materials Finish” is of vital importance. Partnering with product design specialists, converters and raw material suppliers can make the difference. This article highlights how a distributor such as ALBIS UK can bring the experience of our engineers and a diverse engineering polymer portfolio together to deliver spectacular results.