Drop-on beads

To obtain night visibility of the road marking, it is necessary to drop the beads on the surface of the paint during its application. Each type of drop-on bead is chosen, amongst others, for its particle size distribution and its surface treatment. Indeed, these two parameters largely determine the level of retro-reflectivity of the road marking.

The granularity is determined in accordance with the thickness of the paint. The surface treatment is needed to adjust the degree of immersion of the beads in the paint and to promote its long-term grip.

Taking into account a refractive index of glass of 1.5, the beads will be immersed for 50 to 60% in the paint to give a maximum of light when the road marking is illuminated by a vehicle.

Drop-on beads are available in the ranges Echostar ®, Standard and City.