Want to get into traffic sign production? You can’t get around this permit!

Hey, I recently chatted with a few friends who want to join the industry or have just entered the industry, and I found that everyone is particularly confused about one thing, and they are particularly concerned about it - the traffic sign production license. Some people think this thing is mysterious and troublesome, and some people simply think it is just a "certificate that costs money to get." Today we will break it down and talk about what it is, why it is so important, and how to treat it if you want to seriously engage in this industry.

We have to get the name right. Now there is no nationally unified book called "Traffic Sign Production License". When you hear the three words "license", you may think of something like food production, where the competent department directly issues a license. In the traffic sign industry, its "qualification" or "market pass", the core is that your product must pass Testing by authoritative testing agencies , and obtain a qualified "Test Report", your factory needs to have corresponding production qualifications and capabilities, which are often reflected in quality system certification, factory inspections, etc. The "license" that everyone often refers to is actually a general term, referring to A complete set of qualifications and certifications that allow the signs you produce to be used legally and compliantly for road traffic , without this set of things, no matter how beautiful your brand is, it will not be able to take off.

So why is this set of certificates so critical? What do you think of traffic signs? It is a "silent language" that directs traffic. It is a product related to road safety and human life. It is not an ordinary billboard. The size, color, and reflection are not visible clearly at night, which may directly lead to misjudgment by the driver and cause an accident. The country has mandatory standards for this (such as GB/T 23827-2021 "Road Traffic Sign Boards and Supports" and a series of national standards), which are very carefully managed.: There are strict regulations on the thickness of the aluminum plate, the material and grade of the reflective film (which should be engineering grade, high-strength grade, or diamond grade), the standardization of patterns and text, and even the strength of the bolts.

Your product has been inspected by a nationally recognized testing center (such as those testing agencies under the Ministry of Transport). If all the data on the report meets the standards, you will be considered to have obtained a "technical ID card." This report is the strongest endorsement of the quality of your product. The engineering party (owner, general contractor) and supervisor will definitely check this when accepting it. Is there no qualified test report? Sorry, they don't dare to accept your goods, let alone pay for the project. This is not Party A's attempt to make things difficult. This is the bottom line requirement of laws, regulations and project safety.

In addition to product testing, you also need to practice the "internal skills" of your own factory. Nowadays, many large-scale project bidding will require bidding companies to have ISO9001 quality management system certification , this is not a piece of paper that can be bought with money. It requires you to have a complete and continuously running management process from raw material procurement, production process control, to finished product inspection and after-sales service. With this system, Party A will believe that you are not a "three days to fish and two days to dry the net" workshop, and have the ability to stably produce qualified products. For some key projects, Party A will even organize experts to go directly to the factory to conduct "factory inspections" to see with their own eyes whether your equipment, processes, and management are working.

Back to the beginning of my friend’s question: If you want to enter the industry, what should you do with this "license"? My advice is, don’t think of it as an obstacle that can be “fixed” but as something you The cornerstone and starting point of the business model .

The first step is not to rush to buy equipment and take orders, calm down first. Thorough research on national standards , buy the latest national standard, read it like a textbook, know what level of reflective film should be used on which road, and know the exact size, font, and color of the sign. This is your bottom line of knowledge.

The second step is to plan and build your production line in accordance with the requirements of the national standard. The hydraulic press, cutting plotter, and film laminating workbench that you should buy cannot be improvised. Especially for the reflective film laminating process, a dust-free environment and skilled workers are the key. Otherwise, bubbles and impurities will be generated, and the test will not be accurate.

The third step is that when the production line is almost debugged, use your equipment and your technology to make a batch of "samples". Take the initiative to submit for inspection , don’t be afraid to spend money, and don’t be afraid that you won’t be able to pass the inspection for the first time. Find the problem based on the report. If it’s a material problem, change the supplier. If it’s a process problem, improve the process. Repeat it until you get the fully qualified test report. This process is the process by which the quality of your product truly reaches the standard. This money and energy are the most efficient investment.

The fourth step is to establish a quality management system while stabilizing production. You can consider applying for ISO9001 certification. This will force you to standardize your management. Although it is a bit cumbersome in the early stage, it will be of great benefit to the long-term development of the company, especially to win high-quality customers.

In the field of traffic signage, "license thinking" is actually "compliance thinking" and "quality thinking". It has no shortcuts and relies on real materials, processes and management. It is not a one-and-done thing. Standards will be updated, and products need to continue to meet the requirements. If you lay a solid foundation, you will be straight when you take on a project, and you will be tough when you speak. Only in this competition can we get rid of low-level price wars and gain a firm foothold by relying on quality and credibility. In the final analysis, this industry is all about responsibility and professionalism. That "certificate" is the official certification of this responsibility and professionalism. Don't think it's troublesome. It is the most important moat in this industry, and it is also the best protection for serious people like you and me.