Pippa Batchelor

3M Signing Systems
How has history improved the ‘green-ness’ of
road signage?
© 3M 2014 All Rights Reserved.

2
How has the ‘green-ness’ of signage improved over time?
© 3M 2014. All Rights Reserved.
Why are retroreflective materials needed?
Because, tragically,
people are
dying…

3
Topics for discussion:
 Why is traffic signage needed?
 How has the situation changed over the years?
 What Innovations have these needs driven?
 What are the secondary benefits of improving
signage?

4
Daytime
Many cues available
Driver task relatively easy
Nighttime
Few cues remain
Task more difficult
In 2013 38% of all accidents in Australia occurred at night.

5
And, there’s a need to
protect people and
improve SAFETY...
And we can help keep
people safer through
BETTER VISIBILITY

6
Where it all started:

7
How does Retroreflectivity work?
 Retroreflection (def):
 The return of a large portion of an incoming light beam
to its source.
This is why retroreflective materials appear brightest to
observers located near the level of the light source (e.g. a
driver and the vehicle headlights).

8
Retroreflector
Light Source
Direction
Most retroreflectors also
have diffuse reflection
(“wasted” light). Higher
efficiency sheetings divert
more light towards the
driver.
 Divergence Cone / Cone of Retroreflection
A vehicle’s headlights
return light to the driver in
a cone shaped distribution,
known as the divergence
cone or cone of
retroreflection.
Retroreflection Overview

9
Need for improvement
 Traffic volumes
 75% of traffic travelling on 16% of road
network
 Number of vehicles doubled since
1979
 Multi-lane highways
 Speeds
 Improved road surfaces and engines
 Improved speeds
0
2000000
4000000
6000000
8000000
10000000
12000000
14000000
16000000
18000000
Total vehicles registered
in Australia

10
Need for improvement
 Brighter better
58%
32%
8%

11
Consequences of wider roads
 Increasing the number of lanes increases
entrance angle for the driver....
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
0 10 20 30 40
Constant observation
angle, varying entrance
angle.

12
Consequence of higher truck volume
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Constant entrance angle,
varying observation angle

13
Technology Improvements
 Microprismatic
 Benefits:
 Moved from 14% to 32% minimum return of light
 Returned beam can be ‘focused’ to where it is needed

14
How is a traffic sign made?
Reflective screen
printed
Reflective digitally
printed
Electrocut film
Over-laminate
applied
Sign face laminated
to blank substrate
Sign finished and
packed
Applied onto
reflective

15
Traditional Screenprint method

16
Electrocut Film sign preparation method

17
Digital printing
 Bespoke inks to meet standard
 Faster overall sign manufacture
 Multiple colours in one sign
 Low solvent - workplace safety
© 3M 2013.

20
Secondary benefits
 Environmental burden:
 Introduction of transparent electrocut film for imparting
the colour, led to reduced exposure to solvent based
screen printing inks
 Microprismatic manufacturing much more
environmentally friendly
• 77% less energy
• 46% less solid waste
• 97% less volatile

21
Benefits
 Energy consumption
 Brighter signs reduce the need for external lighting
• Illinois DoT, installed higher specification sheeting,
at $74k USD, but had savings of $1MM USD per
year in maintenance.
x 10,000
Every year

22
Benefits
 Durability
 Prismatic signs are a full polymer construction so not
at risk of rusting
 Similarly prismatics are able to offer significantly
longer warranties leading to lower turnover and waste
of traffic signs

23
Summary
 Higher performance
 More easily seen
 Lower energy / maintenance costs
 Ability to see road markings even when
submerged
 Ability to meet the needs to today's roads:
 Multi-lane
 Larger vehicles
 Faster speeds
© 3M 2013.

Pippa Batchelor

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