VANTAA, Finland - CPS Color has increased its capacities for colorant production by nearly 40 percent, investing EUR 3.5 million both in the supply chain and in research and development facilities at several sites. The move supports CPS Color’s position as a leader in solvent-free colorant production and a technology leader in the solvent-containing colorant market. The investment ensures consistent quality and efficient delivery of colorants at all times, including during peak demand periods. Total production capacity will increase from 9.700K liters up to 13.500K liters company wide.

The investment follows CPS Color’s rapid growth, which has averaged 10 percent over the past few years. By increasing capacity at production facilities, CPS Color can now satisfy demand during the peak demand period between April and August without needing to pre-produce and hold large stocks of colorant inventory.

At the Sittard facility in The Netherlands, the latest technology upgrades include flame-proof immersion mills that deliver outstanding product quality at speeds up to three times faster than traditional mills. A newly equipped filling line will also dramatically increase efficiency by allowing continuous work in two shifts, and a 2,500-liter dissolver completes the setup. Additional supply-chain investments were made at the CPS Color’s Vantaa, Finland, and its Shanghai, China, production facilities.

Timely interaction between CPS Color and its customers has also been improved by doubling the size of the laboratory in Sittard to accommodate both customer support and research and development under one roof.

CPS Color has also established a Colorant Lab in Concord, NC, capable of assisting customers with system selection, customized product evaluation and database creation. The team is now fully staffed with a Technical Manager and dedicated sales team to take advantage of the growing trend toward environmental responsibility.

Setting up business abroad requires careful preparation. CPS Color runs a number of Competence Centers across the world which jointly carryout the company’s research and development activities. “Being present in different parts of the world is vital because local markets differ greatly. Access to local technical resources allows CPS Color to optimize the performance of our products to meet regionally specific needs.” said Jonas Fagerström, Global R&D Director at CPS Color.

The company has recently opened a Competence Center in Mumbai, India, which has a special focus on colorant and equipment interaction. Additionally, the Mumbai lab will research the vast array of available raw materials to determine their viability, quality and performance characteristics.

Fagerström believes the team in Mumbai is unique in the industry, combining R&D resources of three key disciplines including color chemistry, equipment engineering and software design. This Competence Center will not only support the expansion of CPS Color’s colorant production into one of the largest markets in the world, it also will provide a catalyst for new product development and ensure CPS Color’s long-term global success.