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Independent in terms of colour pigment pastes: ORAFOL increases added value

Close-up of a white laboratory bench: A bright red powdery pigment trickles from a hand-held rod into a petri dish.

Self-sufficient through in-house production

International supply chains are becoming increasingly complex. A company’s supply chain must function reliably or business processes grind to a halt. ORAFOL has responded to impending shortages of colour pigment pastes by entering a new technological field.

In the ORAFOL pigment laboratory: A friendly young employee presents a fan of brightly coloured films.

Colour pigment pastes now made by ORAFOL: Christian Wigbers, Research and Development Manager Graphic Solutions, is delighted with the newly gained independence in the development of colours.

„We used to purchase colour pigment pastes from external manufacturers in order to mix the various colours for our graphic film products,“ reports Christian Wigbers, Research and Development Manager Graphic Solutions at ORAFOL. The big news: The company now produces these pastes - and therefore the basis of the cast batches - in-house. 

This important extension of the production chain has a direct impact on customers because it enables ORAFOL to efficiently manage supply bottlenecks and offer partners even greater reliability and continuity.

With a spirit of innovation to new horizons

After just one year of construction at the Oranienburg site, the workforce proudly moved into the expanded Hall 12, which houses the company's own colour pigment paste production, in mid-2021. 

Before that, ORAFOL had sourced the pastes from the United Kingdom. However, when the UK voted for Brexit in 2017, it was quickly decided to produce the raw material for cast batches itself in future - an important step towards even more independence from supply chains and full control over the quality of the products.

Experts build up new expertise

First laboratory tests with titanium dioxide (white pigment), optimisation of colour pastes, the search for pigment alternatives: In a very short space of time, the team in Oranienburg built up the necessary expert knowledge in-house and got to grips with a new technology: from the laboratory equipment to the process method and the formulations.

Colour pigments in various consistencies can be seen in six Petri dishes on a violet foil. Blue, red and white as a powdery pigment and as a viscous colour paste.

Even more reliability for customers: With a portfolio of over 40 colour pigment pastes, ORAFOL can now mix almost any colour.

After numerous tests and optimisations, the complete switch to in-house manufactured ORAFOL pigment pastes was finally completed in July 2023: With a portfolio of over 40 colour pigment pastes, the company can now mix almost any colour in the spectrum - and thus serve customers individually from a single source.

From pigment to paste: The formulation

„We just got stuck in,“ says Irina Golub, who does the laboratory tests to develop the formulations. A mindset that opens the door to really big changes. If you want to drive innovation, you have to take the first step - and then take the time to develop sound expertise.

ORAFOL produces its own colour pigments in one of its production halls. An employee operates the digital console of a mixing container.

In-house production of colour pigment pastes: At the Oranienburg site, ORAFOL has carved out a completely new specialist area for itself - making the company independent of supply chains.

The development of a high-quality colour paste requires a deep understanding of the materials and a precise development process. „We have perfected every single formulation with great passion. Because of course we want to achieve exactly the same colours as the products we have supplied so far,“ says Golub. 

And that is exactly what they have done: ORAFOL is now in a position to continue using all colour formulations - over 1,500 in number - without adjustment, thus offering customers consistent product quality. 

Production with a sure instinct

Pigment production in Oranienburg has been ramped up to full capacity. Whether individual customer colours, standard or trend colours from the established film range: High-quality colour pigment pastes are now produced here at the head office to exacting quality standards.

Eine lächelnde ORAFOL-Labormitarbeiterin träufelt leuchtend blaue Farbpaste in eine Petrischale. Sie trägt Laborkittel und Schutzbrille.

„Enabling creativity“: The research team is constantly testing new pigments in order to stay one step ahead of customer requirements.

And that's not all. With the enabling creativity credo of the Graphic Solutions product area, the research team always wants to be one step ahead of customer wishes. It regularly tests new pigments in order to expand the company's portfolio and further optimise colour effects.

A graphic presents facts and figures about ORAFOL colour pigment production. Approximately 500 tons of pigment pastes are produced at the Oranienburg site each year. In-house production saves more than 40,000 kilometers of transport every year. Top 3: White, black and yellow are the most commonly used colour pigment pastes. Less than 10 micrometers: After grinding, the colour pigment particles are finer than a human hair, which is approx. 50 to 80 micrometers thick.

German Engineering with tradition

By producing its own colour pigment pastes, ORAFOL clearly demonstrates what the company understands by 'German Engineering'. It is an ideal that is firmly anchored in the company's DNA as the traditional family-owned business has been building on its strengths in terms of customer focus, high-tech expertise and full service for many decades.

Portraitfoto Dr. Jonas Kölsch, Executive Vice President Graphic Innovations mit dem Zitat: '"Mit unserer neuen Produktionskompetenz können wir nun noch schneller auf individuelle Kundenwünsche eingehen und Kunden persönlich und mit Fa
"With our new production expertise, we can now respond even faster to individual customer requests and support customers personally and with technical expertise in the development of new colours."
Dr. Jonas Kölsch, Executive Vice President Graphic Solutions

Read more in the ORAFOL magazine

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