Purpose: To help plastics manufacturers, QA teams, and color scientists understand the unique challenges of measuring plastic pellets—materials that vary widely in gloss, translucency, size, and shape—and to provide a data-driven comparison of three HunterLab benchtop instruments under ASTM-aligned conditions. By evaluating repeatability across numerous pellet types, detailing the impact of illumination, optics, sample area, and workflow design, and showcasing the performance advantages of Agera L2, this study equips readers with the knowledge needed to select the right technology for achieving tighter tolerances, improved batch-to-batch consistency, and more reliable decision-making in real-world production environments.

In a high-volume plastics lab, a quality technician stares at two different readings for the same batch of white pellets. The numbers don’t match. One is from the LabScan XE, the other from the ColorFlex. The sample was re-poured, carefully leveled, and measured twice—but the results still vary, and no one can explain why. Production is held up, and confidence is shaken.

This scenario is far too common.

Measuring plastic pellets is notoriously tricky. The materials are translucent, randomly shaped, and influenced by everything from surface gloss to orientation in the sample cup. Small variations in light angle or sample setup can throw off results. And with legacy instruments, inconsistent data becomes part of the daily routine.

Enter the HunterLab Agera L2—an instrument purpose-built to solve these challenges from the ground up.

Challenge #1: Small sample view misses the full picture.

The Agera L2 enhances measurement confidence by capturing a significantly larger viewed area, allowing it to average more pellets in every reading. This broader sampling approach naturally smooths out pellet-to-pellet differences—such as variations in gloss, size, or translucency—resulting in more stable, representative, and repeatable color data across every batch.

Challenge #2: Irregular lighting leads to inconsistent results.

ColorFlex and LabScan have long served the industry with reliable performance using traditional illumination technologies. However, evolving quality demands and tighter color tolerances call for even greater precision. Agera L2 rises to meet this need with a true, calibrated D65 daylight simulator that delivers exceptional spectral accuracy, stability, and uniformity. This ensures consistent lighting from read to read and instrument to instrument — producing measurements that reliably match what the human eye perceives in natural daylight.

Challenge #3: Orientation matters more than you'd think.

Pellets can reflect light in unpredictable ways depending on their orientation. With its 0°/45° circumferential geometry, Agera L2 captures light from 360° around the sample, removing the bias caused by uneven stacking, random positioning, or directional effects. What you get is a true visual match—what the eye sees, the instrument sees.

Challenge #4: No visual confirmation.

Without knowing exactly what was measured, doubt creeps in. Agera L2 solves this with a built-in high-resolution camera that captures every measurement area in real time. You can see whether the sample was centered, evenly distributed, and clean—before the data even leaves the port.

In the same lab, a week later, the technician remeasures a new batch on the Agera L2. The process is faster. The results are tighter. There are no arguments, no delays—just data they trust. The team begins to wonder why they didn’t switch sooner.

This is the Agera L2 advantage: not just better measurements, but measurably better outcomes.

Measuring plastic pellets with accuracy and consistency requires more than routine instrumentation — it demands purpose-built technology that understands the real-world challenges of translucent, irregular, and directionally sensitive materials. The HunterLab Agera L2 delivers that precision through a combination of larger optical area-of-view, calibrated D65 illumination, advanced 0°/45°c geometry, and refined UV control.

For detailed side-by-side measurement data comparing Agera L2 with LabScan XE and ColorFlex, as well as a full breakdown of the features that make Agera L2 the next-generation standard for pellet color analysis, refer to the attached PDF. It shows exactly how Agera L2 transforms measurement confidence from the lab bench to the production floor.

To learn more about Color and Color Science in industrial QC applications, click here: Fundamentals of Color and Appearance

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