ALTANA said it is taking over the international business of Office Color Science Co., Ltd. (OCS), which is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan.

Within the ALTANA Group, the business will be integrated into the Instruments business line of the BYK division (BYK-Gardner) and marketed as BYK-Gardner V/R Solutions.

OCS will continue to concentrate on its business in Japan and some key customers in Europe.

OCS was founded in 2004 in Japan by Masayuki Osumi. The company is a leader in computer color matching and formulation software with the ability to match colors containing metallic and pearlescent pigments.

OCS also offers specialized technology for computer graphics with 3D color simulation for the realistic display of colors containing effect pigments. BYK- Gardner is a leader in the design and production of color spectrophotometers using the respective software.

“With the acquisition, we can now also offer our customers in the paints, coatings, automotive and related industries the refinish color matching and formulation software and, as a result, provide truly complete solutions in computer color matching and instrumentation”, BYK-Gardner CEO Frank Wagner said. “I am confident we can capitalize on the combined strengths of the two companies and develop even more innovative products for our customers in this exciting field of digitalization.”

BYK-Gardner launched the first WiFi-capable multiangle spectrophotometer. It enables automotive paint shops to determine the perfect color formulation within seconds.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed.