Don’t underestimate a street sign! How big is the difference between products made by good manufacturers and those made by poor manufacturers?

When driving on the road every day, you may have become accustomed to those traffic signs standing on the side of the road and hanging above your head, and you rarely even look at them. But have you ever thought that this seemingly simple sign can be a life-saving guide at critical moments? "Map", and the manufacturing process behind this sign is still in deep water. Things made by different manufacturers are really different. Today we will break them down and talk about what a good traffic sign manufacturer should look like.

We must understand that traffic signs are not ordinary signboards. They are public information-oriented signs and are governed by "national standards." The thick specification "Road Traffic Signs and Markings" is not a decoration. A poor manufacturer may not even have this specification. I haven't read it before, so it all depends on "feeling" or whatever Party A says. If Party A wants a "conspicuous" blue, he really dares to give you a sapphire blue or even a lake blue, regardless of what the specific color number of "road traffic blue" stipulated in the national standard is and what font is used? Oh, I used whichever one looked pleasing to my eye on the computer, but the result was that the character spacing and stroke thickness were all wrong. Putting such a sign up would at first look awkward and unprofessional, at worst it might cause the driver to misread it while driving fast, which would cause big trouble.

The first step for a good manufacturer is to thoroughly understand the national standards. Their designers and technicians know all the regulations. Colors must be compared with standard color cards, and almost all products have to be reworked. ； The font height, width, and spacing are all calculated according to standard formulas to ensure that they can be clearly identified at different vehicle speeds and distances. It is like cooking. A bad manufacturer will "just do it." A good manufacturer will strictly follow the recipe (national standard) when making ingredients, and even a gram of salt will not work. This respect and persistence for standards is the bottom line of a reliable manufacturer.

After talking about design, let’s talk about materials. This is the easiest place to cut corners. A street sign mainly consists of three parts.: Base plate, reflective film, support structure.

Aluminum plates are commonly used for base plates. Poor manufacturers may use recycled aluminum or the thickness may not be up to standard. It is only a few tenths of a millimeter thin and cannot be seen in the short term, but its strength is much lower. In windy weather or over time, the plates are easily deformed and twisted, and the brand becomes "wavy". How can you still read the words clearly? The aluminum plates used by good manufacturers must have material certificates. Use a caliper to measure the thickness to ensure it is sufficient. Calculation of wind pressure resistance is a basic skill.

Reflective film is the core of the core. When you drive at night, your car lights shine brightly when you illuminate the road sign. It all depends on this film. Poor manufacturers may use low-grade engineering-grade films or even inferior substitutes. The initial brightness is okay, but the weather resistance is extremely poor. After being exposed to the sun for a year and a half, it fades, peels, and cracks. The reflective effect drops off a cliff at night, which is equivalent to becoming a "blind brand." , good manufacturers will choose different levels of national standard reflective film according to the road grade (highway, national highway, urban road), such as high-strength grade or even diamond grade. This kind of film is densely covered with micro-prism structure, high reflective efficiency, and durable. It can still be used for seven or eight years. The cost difference here may be several times higher, but the effect and lifespan are also very different.

The supporting structure is the pole and foundation. Poor manufacturers may use thin-walled steel pipes, spray some paint for anti-rust treatment, but in humid and saline-alkali areas, rust will break through from the inside within two years, which is a huge safety hazard. Good manufacturers use solid materials for the pole body, hot-dip galvanizing, and have requirements for the thickness of the galvanized layer to ensure that they will not rust for decades. The size and depth of the foundation pouring are strictly calculated based on the local wind load to ensure it is as stable as Mount Tai.

In terms of production process, the difference is also huge. Cutting, welding, polishing, and film application are each step of craftsmanship. If the film is applied by a poor manufacturer, it is easy to have bubbles, dust, or even apply it crookedly. It will look defective during the day, and reflections will form dark areas at night. Good manufacturers have professional dust-free laminating workshops. The workers are skilled and use large-scale hydraulic laminating machines to ensure that the film surface is as smooth as a mirror, without bubbles or wrinkles. The corners are neatly processed, and the anti-corrosion sealing is in place so that no rainwater can penetrate.

One more important point: Responsibility, traffic signs are system engineering. A good manufacturer will provide a one-stop service from design consultation, production to transportation and installation, and even post-maintenance. They will not just make the sign and sell it, but will care about where the sign is placed, what the environment is like, and how to install it in the strongest and safest way. A poor manufacturer may ignore the goods as soon as they are shipped, and there will be problems with the installation? That's your construction team's business.

So, even if it’s just a blue brand with a few white words on it, there are pitfalls everywhere from standard understanding, material selection, process control to service awareness, and the professionalism and conscience of a manufacturer can be reflected in every aspect. When choosing a manufacturer, you can’t just look at the price. The cheaper ones cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, which may result in frequent maintenance and replacement in the next few years, or even potential safety risks caused by unclear markings. This account is not cost-effective no matter how you calculate it.

In the final analysis, when looking for a traffic sign manufacturer, you have to look for one that has "safety", "standards" and "durability" engraved in their bones. They may not be so sweet-talking, and their quotations may not be the lowest, but the things they make stand as a silent commitment.: For decades, they have been pointing the way home safely to every passerby, rain or shine. This is what we really want. Next time you pass by those silent street signs, you might as well take a second look. Behind them, there may be the persistence and ingenuity of a good manufacturer.