Patent ID: 8153045

Claim:
A color variation control process for producing plastic and composite multi-colored molded articles with molding equipment, the process comprising: a) specifying: i) a number of colors to be used in the molded article, ii) approximate ratios of the colors in the molded article, and iii) the sequence of the colors in the molded article; b) determining a modified total mold volume that is a non-integer multiple of an actual total mold volume associated with the article; c) feeding the individual colors to the molding equipment in said sequence at said ratios in relation to the modified total mold volume until the volume of individual colors fed to the molding equipment reaches either the modified total mold volume if the modified total mold volume is less than the actual total mold volume, or the actual total mold volume if the modified total mold volume is greater than the actual total mold volume; and then d) one of: i) repeating said feeding of the individual colors to the molding equipment to fill the actual mold volume if the modified total mold volume is less than the actual total mold volume or to fill a successive actual total mold volume if the modified total mold volume is greater than the actual total mold volume, or ii) either (a) re-specifying one of said number of colors, said approximate ratios or said sequence, or (b) re-determining said modified total mold volume with respect to the actual mold volume; and then repeating said feeding of the individual colors to the molding equipment.