Digital Innovation in Road Signs

Road Infrastructure Industry is going through the most revolutionized phase with innovations backed by digitization. Technology continues to evolve rapidly, playing a crucial role by not only providing easy solutions but also by creating awareness on the best technologies available says Amandeep Singh, Business Head-Reflective Solutions-South Asia & East Africa, Avery Dennison

In the past few years, the Industry has seen a drift in the mindset of people from “Necessity to Safety” that has led to the inclusion of innovative products that reduce working manhours and add to the performance.

Attention to detail and exploring new alternates is letting road experts opt for new products and solutions. Starting from the material used in road construction to the final signages installed on the road, every component has upgraded itself as a solution towards road safety. In the earlier years, signages were only used as a tool for way finding. Who would have imagined then, that these signages will play a vital role in road safety today. The wood carved direction sign boards are now retroreflective signs using a microprismatic technology, that lets the driver see the sign board from a good distance. Retroreflective has also embarked upon a journey in the past few years upgrading itself to the highest level as compared to glass beads which were popular a few years back.

Taking the legacy forward, the microprismatic retroreflective technology now has a superior version launched in the market in the form of digitally printed retroreflective. This is completely a new experience for the signage fabricators, the Government agencies and road users in India. Digital printing is taking the technology to another level, providing longevity in life and superlative performance on the roads translating to a great degree of safety for the road user. This solution is signfabricator friendly, fast, economic and allows usage of innovative designs supported by a warranty that is road user friendly. For the sign fabricators, this solution provides an easy, fast, convenient and clean method of producing signs. For the highway authorities and contractors, this solution provides extended useful life and enhanced performance overcoming the challenges incurred in the conventional method. More detailing, more accuracy and more efficiency is what this technology is all about. This solution can be extended as an anti-theft solution too where even tracking of signages can be done when coupled with the GPS. Clearly this is the future for us.

Digital printing sounds like a solution that anyone can provide but on retroreflective sheeting, it needs years of R&D and expertise to deliver the final performance. There are three critical components here and its performance together that creates a superior solution – the inks, it’s compatibility with the retroreflective sheeting and the over lamination that protects the sheeting adds to the performance.

Any product innovation revolves around a problem or a potential problem that the user is facing. Digital Printing on Retroreflective is a solution to the existing problems that a sign fabricator or a road contractor or a road user faces every day. Digitally printed signages are navigating its way to the Indian market and road experts are talking high about the advantages of this particular solution.

With the growth pace the Industry has picked up, the role of technology is an aspect to be looked at. There’s innovation every day, new products that challenge the conventional methods and an industry that’s embracing it. It will be worthwhile to be a part of this journey of growth, with technology taking leaps to take the standards to another level.