WayhomartThree colours on one shelving series
Launching a shelving series in three colours is not a colour-matching problem, it is a changeover problem. Collapse the tones into one family and put them in a single window.
Challenge
Three colours have to launch together, but each needs its own powder batch and line cleaning; spread across separate batches, the changeovers multiply, lead time stretches, and every batch change becomes a colour dispute.
What we did
Collapse three tones into one family (same base, different lightness), run them in a single changeover window ordered light to dark, and use one physical standard for all three with a retained first-article sample per colour.
Result
- Changeovers concentrated in one window, making lead time predictable
- One shared standard across the three tones
- Per-colour retained samples for replenishment comparison
What this file records
A configuration file, not a client story. Client identities and commercial figures are not published; no number is given where none was measured.
Sequence is a cost variable
The cleaning burden of a colour change depends on which colour follows which. Running light to dark is generally lighter work than moving back and forth, because dark residue affects light far more than the reverse.
So the production order of three colours is not arbitrary; it is something you can save time with.
Two ways to collapse a family
| Approach | Content | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Same base, different lightness | Dark, mid and light grey from one base | A series that should read as a set, with stable replenishment |
| Distinct hues | Green, off-white, matte black | Each colour serving a different channel or customer |
The second gives more range but higher changeover cost, and no shared base at replenishment — every colour becomes its own batch.
Keep one sample per colour
Three colours mean three colour judgements. Retain a physical first-article sample for each, marked with colour code, batch and date.
Its purpose is not customer approval; it is the comparison basis for the next replenishment. Without it, any drift argument is settled from memory.
A scheduling constraint people miss
Multi-colour production consumes finishing windows that are shared with other orders. That means your changeover window has to be negotiated in advance, not requested when the order is placed.
In an annual framework this usually becomes two clauses: a colour ceiling and a frozen window. See annual framework buying.
When to launch two colours instead of three
If first-year demand is uncertain, two colours now and the third in the following quarter is usually safer than three at once: one less changeover, one less judgement, one less stock position.
Where to go next
- Changeover cost in detail: multi-SKU programme scheduling.
- Stock versus custom colour: stock colour or custom RAL.
- Shelving range: shelving and storage racks.
- Three colours and a launch date: contact us for a window.
Related product ranges
Send us your drawing or sample
Tell us the application, target market and annual volume. Our engineering team will review feasibility, tooling and lead time.
