HunterLab ColorFlex EZ Accessory Kit

Overview

The HunterLab ColorFlex EZ Accessory Kit is a purpose-engineered complement to the ColorFlex EZ benchtop spectrophotometric colorimeter, designed to extend operational flexibility, measurement consistency, and workflow integration in quality control laboratories across food, pharmaceuticals, plastics, paint, and cosmetics industries. Built upon the foundational 0/45° optical geometry—where illumination is directed at 0° normal incidence and detection occurs at 45° circumferential angles—the system ensures high geometric fidelity for surface color evaluation of opaque, translucent, and textured samples. The pulsed xenon lamp provides stable, full-spectrum illumination across the visible range (400–700 nm), eliminating lamp aging drift and enabling rapid, repeatable spectral acquisition with ≤ 0.05 ΔE*ab repeatability under controlled conditions. This accessory suite does not modify core instrument optics or calibration but enhances sample handling, data capture, and operator ergonomics without compromising metrological integrity.

Key Features

• Footswitch Activation: Hands-free measurement initiation via momentary-contact footswitch—ideal for high-throughput environments where operators wear gloves or handle multiple sample vessels.
• Rigid Transport Case: Molded EVA foam-lined hard-shell case with custom cutouts for secure storage and transit of all accessories; meets IATA drop-test standards for lab equipment transport.
• Opaque Sample Cup Lid: Precision-machined black anodized aluminum lid with integrated light trap; eliminates ambient stray light ingress during cup-based measurements, critical for low-reflectance or semi-transparent materials.
• Annular Disk Kit: Interchangeable stainless-steel rings (19 mm, 25 mm, 32 mm, and 64 mm diameters) that mount concentrically within the standard 64 mm glass cup, enabling standardized presentation of granules, powders, pellets, and viscous pastes with defined depth and edge effects.
• Optical Glass Sample Cups: Borosilicate glass cups (64 mm OD × 40 mm height) with AR-coated inner surfaces and certified flatness (λ/4 @ 550 nm); compliant with ASTM D2244 and ISO 11664-4 for specular component excluded (SCE) mode validation.
• Multi-Size Cup Supports: Three calibrated cup pads (19 mm, 25 mm, 32 mm) plus primary 64 mm pad—each machined from UV-stable PTFE with ±0.02 mm planarity tolerance to ensure consistent cup seating and minimize tilt-induced spectral variance.
• USB Thermal Printer: Class-compliant HID printer supporting direct output of L*a*b*, ΔE, and pass/fail reports; compatible with standard 58 mm thermal paper rolls (sold separately); requires no driver installation on Windows/macOS/Linux systems meeting USB 2.0 specifications.
• USB Barcode Scanner: Omnidirectional 2D scanner with USB HID emulation; auto-detects upon connection and populates sample ID fields in HunterLab EasyMatch QC software without configuration; supports Code 128, QR, DataMatrix, and GS1-128 symbologies.
• Compact USB Keyboard: 88-key QWERTY layout with numeric keypad and function keys; enables alphanumeric ID entry, batch naming, and metadata tagging directly into the instrument’s embedded UI—essential for GLP/GMP traceability when paired with audit trail-enabled firmware.

Sample Compatibility & Compliance

The accessory set maintains full alignment with the ColorFlex EZ’s compliance framework, including adherence to CIE No. 15:2018, ISO/CIE 11664-1–7, and ASTM E308–22 for colorimetric computation. The 0/45° geometry satisfies requirements for non-destructive evaluation of solid, liquid, and particulate matrices per ISO 17972-1 (color communication) and USP (appearance testing of pharmaceutical dosage forms). All contact components—including glass cups, PTFE pads, and annular disks—are inert, non-leaching, and autoclavable (up to 121°C), ensuring suitability for regulated environments governed by FDA 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, and ISO/IEC 17025:2017 documentation controls.

Software & Data Management

All accessories interface natively with HunterLab EasyMatch QC v5.0+ and Vision software platforms. The barcode scanner and keyboard feed structured sample identifiers directly into the instrument’s internal database, enabling automated report generation with embedded timestamps, operator IDs, and calibration verification logs. Printer output includes optional digital signatures and electronic batch records exportable as PDF/A-1b or CSV for long-term archival. Audit trail functionality—enabled by firmware v3.2.1+—records every accessory-initiated action (e.g., “Footswitch trigger initiated measurement #A12345”) with immutable timestamps and user context, satisfying ALCOA+ data integrity principles.

Applications

• Color release testing of tablet coatings and capsule shells in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Batch-to-batch consistency verification of powdered food ingredients (e.g., spices, dairy powders, cocoa).
• Quality assurance of liquid detergents, inks, and automotive fluids under controlled lighting.
• Raw material acceptance testing for polymer granules and engineered resins.
• Research-grade color stability studies under accelerated aging protocols (e.g., ISO 4892-2).

FAQ

Are the glass sample cups supplied with certified transmittance values?
No—these are optical-grade borosilicate cups intended for reflectance mode only; transmittance measurements require the optional TRS-100 transmission accessory.
Can the footswitch be used with third-party software?
Yes—the footswitch operates as a generic USB HID device and can be remapped in Windows/macOS accessibility settings or via industrial automation middleware (e.g., LabVIEW, Ignition SCADA).
Is the thermal printer compatible with networked print queues?
No—it functions exclusively as a local USB peripheral; network printing requires intermediate PC-based spooling via EasyMatch QC.
Do the cup pads require recalibration when swapped?
No—each pad is dimensionally validated against NIST-traceable gauges and does not affect instrument calibration; only the master 64 mm pad is referenced during factory white calibration.
What barcode formats are supported by the included scanner?
All major linear (Code 39, Code 128, UPC-A/E) and 2D (QR, DataMatrix, PDF417) symbologies, including GS1 Application Identifiers for serialized lot tracking.