Explore the production of traffic signs in Henan, the rigor and ingenuity behind a brand

In Henan, when you drive on the wide highway or through the streets and alleys of the city, those traffic signs standing quietly by the roadside are like silent guides, silently guarding the safety and smoothness of every trip. You may have never thought about these. A seemingly ordinary metal sign needs to go through a rigorous and ingenious production process from a drawing to being firmly fixed on the roadside. Let's go into a local sign production factory in Henan and see how a standard traffic sign is "born".

first step: Finalize the design, follow the rules first This job is not something you just do on your own initiative. The production of all traffic signs is primarily based on the national mandatory standards (GB 5768 series) and the design drawings of specific projects. After Henan manufacturers receive orders, the first thing the design department must do is to strictly check. The size, shape, pattern, text, and even the angle of an arrow and the width of a border must be accurate. As a major transportation province, Henan has many projects and detailed requirements. I have long developed a "fierce eye". Any discrepancies with national standards will be found and corrected in the drawing software (CAD). At this stage, communication is particularly important. Sometimes I have to confirm with the design institute and the owner several times to ensure that the "source" is absolutely correct. After all, a slight difference may be a thousand miles away after starting the road.

Step 2: Cutting and forming, the beginning of hard work After the drawings were confirmed, the production workshop became lively. The commonly used material is high-quality aluminum alloy plate. The thickness is particular. It must be selected according to the size of the card to ensure sufficient strength without wasting. The large-scale shearing machine "clicks" and the entire plate of aluminum is cut into the required square, round or triangular blanks. This sounds simple, but it requires high precision, and the corners must be neat and connected. The next step is hemming - a special machine is used to roll up the four sides into a small arc-shaped frame. Don't underestimate this process. It not only prevents sharp edges from scratching your hands, but also significantly increases the overall stiffness of the card surface, making the brand less likely to "shake" on windy days. In some old manufacturers in Henan, masters can judge whether the hemming quality is in place by listening to the sound of the machine running based on experience.

Step 3: Cleanse and prime for makeup application There are oil stains and oxide layers on the surface of the formed aluminum plate. Direct printing is definitely not possible. They will enter a pretreatment line.: First, alkaline cleaning is carried out to completely remove the oil stains, then rinsed with clean water, and then pickled or phosphated to form a dense conversion film. This film is the key to paint adhesion and can prevent future bubbling and shedding. After cleaning and drying, spray primer is immediately applied. Paint and primer are generally eye-catching yellow or white. They use an electrostatic spraying process. The powder is evenly adsorbed on the board surface under the action of an electric field, and then baked and solidified at high temperature. At this time, the brand already has a clean, flat, and extremely adhesive "base makeup".

Step 4: core link: Silk screen printing or laminating This is the step that gives the signage the "soul" - printing patterns, text, and arrows. Henan manufacturers currently mainly use two mainstream processes.:

1. Screen printing ： For standard signs with large batches and fixed content (such as "Stop and yield", "Speed limit 60"), this is a classic method. First, make a fine silk screen version according to the drawing, one color and one version. The worker will position the aluminum plate and use a scraper to apply special high-strength reflective oil. The ink is scraped across the screen, and the pattern is accurately printed on the primer. Each color printed must be solidified in the drying tunnel before the next color is printed. The master's hands are very steady, and the edges of the colors are clear and neat, without any sloppiness. The patterns produced by this process have excellent durability.

2. Engineering grade/high intensity reflective film For signs that are changeable or require extremely high reflective effects, this is the more common method. First, a computer cutting plotter is used to engrave patterns and text on the colored reflective film. The workers then manually splice and paste the film pieces of different colors onto the aluminum plate like completing a precision jigsaw puzzle. This work extremely tests patience and craftsmanship, and cannot be done without There should be no bubbles or wrinkles, and the seams must be tightly sealed, especially for complex road signs, which contain a large amount of information. The film applicator has to wear white gloves and compact them little by little with a small scraper. It takes most of the day to work. The workshop is hot in the summer in Henan, but they are calm and steady, because this is directly related to the clarity and lifespan of the sign after it is put on the road.

Step 5: Assembly and quality inspection, final check After the printing or film is completed, the main body of the sign is ready. Next, the hoops or connectors of the uprights must be installed. These fasteners must be hot-dip galvanized and have strong anti-rust capabilities. Workers use bolts to firmly fix them at the preset positions on the back of the sign. The torques are all standardized. They cannot be loosened or over-tightened, which is the most stringent before leaving the factory. Full inspection , the quality inspector took the drawings and standards and passed them one brand after another.: Measure the size, match the pattern, check the color, shine a flashlight on the reflective effect, check whether the frame is bumped, whether the bolts are tight... No flaw can escape their eyes. In some factories with strict management in Henan, every sign has a "birth record", and key processes are signed by the responsible person to ensure traceability.

Step 6: Packaging and transportation, take care with care Qualified signs will be protected with soft materials at the corners, and then placed vertically or flatly according to size, and firmly fixed in packaging racks or wooden boxes to prevent scratches and deformation during transportation. When sent to construction sites in various cities in the province, they are often delivered by special vehicles. Drivers and masters all know that this product is "delicate" and drives extremely smoothly on the road.

Next time you are under an overpass in Zhengzhou, or speeding along the Henan section of the Lianhuo Expressway, take another look at the signs next to you, and you may feel differently. It is no longer just a piece of cold iron. From precise design, solid material selection, rigorous processing to rigorous inspection, it embodies the spirit of Henan. The pragmatism and precision of the manufacturing industry, on the seemingly repetitive assembly line, are actually full of rules and ingenuity at every step. They carry not only traffic instructions, but also the responsibility for the safety of everyone on the road. This is a traffic sign made in Henan, an ordinary but important birth story.