Chongqing traffic sign production record, from drawing to street, how many tests does a sign need to pass?

Speaking of traffic signs in Chongqing, everyone is certainly familiar with them. The roads in the mountain city are winding and winding, with uphill slopes and ridges. Without these signs to guide the way, the locals would probably be confused. But have you ever stopped and looked at them carefully? How on earth were those white letters on a blue background, red circles and white bars standing at intersections, hanging overhead, and embedded in the walls made? I will take you on a trip to the factory to see how many "levels" a seemingly simple traffic sign has to go through from scratch.

First level: Design is not drawing, it is calculated

Many people think that signage design is just about arranging patterns and words to make them look good. Big mistake, especially for traffic signs. Their first priority is not beauty, but "accuracy" and "fastness" - allowing drivers to see and understand clearly in an instant. Chongqing has a special terrain. Many signs are erected on steep slopes, sharp bends, tunnel entrances, or are blocked by tall buildings. There are many factors to consider during design.

What the designer holds in his hand is not an artistic brush, but a bunch of national standards (GB 5768 series of standards), landmarks, and various data. What fonts should be used? Chinese characters must be in bold, and English and numbers must be in isoline. The corresponding relationship between thickness, spacing, height and speed is all stuck. Not to mention the colors, red, blue, yellow, green, black and white. What does each color mean? What level of reflective intensity must be achieved? There must be no difference at all. In Chongqing, additional considerations must be made.: This sign is placed under a tree-lined avenue. Should the background color be fine-tuned to prevent it from being filtered by leaves and affecting recognition? The viewing distance after this curve is short, does the font need to be enlarged? These details all rely on experience and calculation, and repeated simulations of driving perspectives can be finalized. The design drawings have to be reviewed by the traffic control department. It is impossible to take everything for granted.

Second level: Cutting and shaping, the "plastic surgery" of iron lumps”

After the design drawing has been reviewed, it enters the workshop. The first process is cutting materials. The bottom plate of the sign is mainly aluminum plate, and there is also a small amount of steel plate. Why use aluminum? It is light, corrosion-resistant, and suitable for the humid air of Chongqing. When the plates are shipped, they are first cut according to the size using a large shearing machine or CNC cutting machine. This is not paper cutting. The precision requirements are very high. The edges must be smooth and there must be no burrs, otherwise it will affect the later stages.

If the cut board is a simple square or round, it's okay. If it encounters a large cantilevered sign or special-shaped sign, it will have to be "shaped". A folding machine will be used to fold the edges and the reinforcing ribs will be riveted or welded, all in order to increase the strength. Temperature, wind resistance and shake resistance. Chongqing occasionally experiences strong winds in the summer, so it’s okay if the brand is not strong. The formed bottom plate must be polished, degreased, and cleaned to make the surface clean and smooth, laying a good foundation for the subsequent "makeup" (spray painting).

The third level: When spraying the base color, the emphasis is on "evenness" and "firmness"”

Once the base plate is clean, it’s time to apply base color. This is a technical job. The current mainstream is electrostatic powder spraying. Special outdoor powder coating is electrostatically adsorbed on the aluminum plate, and then sent to a high-temperature oven for solidification. In this process, the temperature, time, and powder thickness must be strictly controlled. If the spray is thin, the color will be incorrect and it will not be durable. ； If the spray is thick, it will easily sag and affect the adhesion of the reflective film. The air in Chongqing is very humid. If dehumidification is not done before spraying, or there is dust in the spraying environment, the paint surface may bubble and have particles. Master craftsmen have a "fierce eye" and cannot escape even the slightest flaw.

The painted board has a bright and even color and feels smooth and flat to the touch, but this is just the base, and the real "soul" is still behind.

Level 4: Film and silk screen, the key to giving “soul”

The information on traffic signs is mainly presented by two techniques: Reflective film pasting and screen printing. For most standard signs with fixed patterns and text (such as no passage, speed limit, etc.), engineering grade or high-strength grade reflective film is used. Workers cover the entire reflective film on the base plate like a mobile phone film. , carefully scrape it flat with a scraper to remove all air bubbles, and then carry out precise lettering and engraving along the edge of the pattern, and then peel off the excess part. This requires a lot of patience and skill. If it is accidentally carved crookedly or torn, the entire film may be useless.

For signboards with changeable information (for example, it says "Jiangbei Airport 15km"), screen printing is more commonly used. First, a screen version with hollow text is made and covered on the sign, and then special weather-resistant ink is used to scrape and print, and the ink is printed through the hollow part. On the card surface, it is quickly solidified. This process is highly efficient and suitable for personalized text, but the difficulty lies in accurate color registration and uniform ink layer. There are several colors on a brand, and the alignment must be accurate. After printing, you must carefully check whether there are any missing prints, blurs, or dirty spots.

Level 5: Assembly and quality inspection, "full physical examination before leaving the factory"”

The graphics and text are all in place, but a sign has not yet been completed. The frame (if any) needs to be installed, and the supporting structure on the back (columns, beams, connectors) must also be installed. All bolts must be tightened and rust-proofed. Chongqing is a foggy city with a lot of acid fog, and rust prevention is not in place. It will become rusty in a few years.

It is also the most stringent level: During quality inspection, the quality inspector holds a standard caliper, a color card, and a reflectance measuring instrument and checks item by item to see if the size is correct? Is the color accurate? Especially the reflective effect, which is the lifeline of safety at night, must be measured at different incident angles to ensure it meets the standards. Are there any errors in the pattern and text? This is a flaw. Think about how terrible it would be to print "South Coast Area" as "North Coast Area". You have to simulate harsh conditions, check adhesion and durability, and only if they are all qualified can you stamp the production number and date and prepare to leave the factory.

end: From factory to intersection

In this way, after at least five or six key processes, a qualified traffic sign was born. But its journey is not over yet. It will be carefully transported to a certain intersection in Chongqing, and installed accurately in place by installers late at night when there are few traffic. From then on, it stands silently, experiencing sun, rain, wind and fog, providing clear and accurate guidance for vehicles and pedestrians going north and south.

Next time you are on a complicated overpass in Chongqing and rely on the signboards to find your way smoothly, you may think that behind this seemingly ordinary sign lies the rigor and ingenuity of every link from design to production. It is not only a cold transportation facility, but also an unknown guard that ensures the smooth flow of the three-dimensional city. Its production is a unique knowledge that combines standards, craftsmanship, and urban geography.