THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS*

 

Checking ingredients

  • 1) Before a batch of hair color is made, the ingredients must be certified. That is, the chemicals must be tested to make sure they are what they are labeled, and that they are the proper potency. Certification may be done by the manufacturer in-house. In many cases, the ingredients arrive from a reputable distributor who has provided a Certificate of Analysis, and this satisfies the manufacturer's requirements.

Weighing

  • 2) Next, a worker weighs out the ingredients for the batch. For some ingredients, only a small amount is necessary in the batch. But if a very large batch is being made, and several ingredients are needed in large amounts, these may be piped in from storage tanks.

Pre-mixing

  • 3) In some hair color formulas, the color chemicals are pre-mixed in hot water. The color chemicals are dumped in a tank, and water which has been already heated to 158°F(70°C) is pumped in. Other ingredients or solvents may also be added to the pre-mix. The pre-mix is agitated for approximately 20 minutes.

Mixing

  • 4) The pre-mix is then added to a larger tank, containing the other ingredients of the hair color. In a small batch, the tanks used may hold about 1,600 lbs (725 kg), and they are portable. A worker wheels the pre-mix tank to the second mix tank and pours the ingredients in. For a very large batch, the tanks may hold 10 times as much as the portable tanks, and in this case they are connected by pipes.

    In a formula in which no pre-mixing is required, after checking and weighing, the ingredients go directly to the mixing step. The ingredients are simply mixed in the tank until the proper consistency is reached.

    If a heated pre-mix is used, the second mix solution must be allowed to cool. The ingredients that follow the pre-mix may be additional solvents, surfactants, and alkalizers. If the formula includes alcohol, it is no added until the mix reaches 104°F(40°C), so that it does not evaporate. Fragrances too are often added at the end of the mix.

Filling

  • 5) The finished batch of hair color is then piped or delivered to a tank in the filling area. A nozzle from this tank lets a measured amount of hair color into bottles, moving beneath it on a belt. The filled bottles continue on the belt to machines, which affix labels and cap them.

Packaging

  • 6) From the filling area, the bottles are taken to the packaging line. At the packaging line, the hair color bottle is put in a box, together with any other elements, such as a bottle of developer or special finishing shampoo, instruction sheet, and gloves and cap, or any other tools provided for the consumer. After the package is complete, it is put in a shipping carton. The full cartons are then taken to the warehouse to await distribution.
 

Quality Control

Government regulations control what ingredients may be used in hair colors, as many of them are toxic. Industry researchers will have already tested a formula numerous times in the laboratory before it reaches the manufacturing stage, to make sure a formula is non-irritating, works well, performs consistently, etc. As part of the manufacturing process, workers check their chemicals before they go into a batch, to make sure only the correct chemicals at the correct potency are used. After the batch is mixed, samples are taken, and these are subjected to a series of standard tests. Lab technicians make sure that the batch is the required viscosity and pH balance, and they will also test the color's action on a swatch of hair. If a hair color formula is being made for the first time, or if a formula has been altered, technicians will also test samples of the color after the filling stage.

The Future

Hair color manufacturers are increasing their use of computers to control and automate the manufacturing process. Computers can be used to weigh and measure ingredients, to control reactions, and to regulate equipment such as pumps. The future may see more fully automated manufacturers and increased efficiency.

*Source:
This page taken in its entirety from:
Woodward, Angela. How Products are Made: Hair Dye.  Enotes. Retrieved October 13, 2008, from http://www.enotes.com/how-products-encyclopedia/hair-dye.


 
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