Applying road markings more efficiently, ergonomically and safely

Automation is not only pressing within industry. Even in marking, it is not obvious to find employees who can and want to do the job. Trafiroad therefore provides its team with the best possible tools to do their job efficiently, safely and ergonomically. Even if this requires them to color outside the lines and develop their own spray truck. Fortunately, they could count on ATS to help them do just that.

Trafiroad originated from Glenn Janssens' family business that specialized in signage. Through a number of acquisitions that added new activities, the company evolved into the ambitious SME it is today. With about 400 employees, it achieves a turnover of about 150 million euros across four pillars: road markings, signaling, construction techniques and traffic techniques. "Everything related to mobility," sums up Trafiroad COO Oswald Anné. "We try to make traffic better, smoother and safer with our services. And they will continue to be needed in the future. Even self-driving cars need lines."

Anti-slip for asphalt

But Trafiroad does more than just draw lines. It also actively thinks about new products to make traffic safer. A good example is the Trafigrip road markings, a two-component epoxy adhesive that is sprinkled with various types of granules. This gives an existing asphalt surface anti-slip properties. Interesting for curves, dangerous intersections, bridge decks, ramps and exits, bicycle lanes, traffic changers ... "With this we reduce the number of accidents due to skidding by 65%. Not only because of the innovative nature of our product, but also because of the experience of our people to apply everything to perfection for long-lasting operation."

More area

Trafiroad and ATS, it turned out to be a successful marriage before. Back in 2005, they built together the first spray system to apply Trafigrip in a consistent and even manner. "And to achieve even better and smoother quality execution when performing the work. It also allows us to process more area per day," Anné says about it. So that happened in co-creation. Eddy Pinto, customer manager ATS Group. "We then put our areas of expertise openly together to arrive at that solution, they of their product, we of hydraulics and process engineering. That created enormous added value," he remembers well. When you know that in 2024 the competition is still literally applying a similar product manually with all their might, it was more than a strong piece of pioneering. However, when the spray system broke down in 2021 while working in the south of France, Trafiroad project manager Laurens Vandecaveye began thinking about a version 2.0. "Initially to have a backup. But some working points had surfaced over the years as well," he laughs.

Co-creation part two

Reason enough to sit down at the drawing board with ATS again for the same course of action. At the top of the wish list were the two most important improvements. "On the one hand, we wanted to make the working width of the spray hull more flexible so that we could machine treat both a narrow bike lane and a wider track section. On the other hand, the timing of mixing the two-component adhesive had to change in order to optimize the rinsing system. This results in less rinsing agent consumption and benefits the environment.

That in turn required the expertise of the BU Hydraulics within ATS. Manager Ronald Van Haver explains exactly what they do there. "The bulk of our work involves building new hydraulic systems tailored to the customer's needs. We also do maintenance on hydraulic installations and do all kinds of overhauls. Furthermore, we distribute hydraulic components and also stock them. Because of our fluid technology expertise from hydraulics, we are also not averse to building process installations from time to time. The new spray system is a great example of that which combines process technology (processing glue) with hydraulics (hydrostatic travel drive + hydraulic movements spray hull)."

Nice compromise

Although the blueprint was still in the archives, these requested adjustments meant de facto that the team was allowed to start from scratch again. The beginning of a "game of ping-pong. Van Haver: "Indeed, there was a lot of back and forth during the first meetings: how they saw it, how we saw it, what was workable, what was budgetable and technically feasible ... Based on our newly proposed spraying system and an estimated weight distribution for it, we helped define the truck to a large extent (how many axles were needed; what the wheelbase had to be; what rear axle and PTO reduction was needed; ... ). At that stage a lot of estimates and calculations were already involved. The fact that each party at the table knew very well what they were talking about, both Trafiroad and the truck constructor and builder (body of truck) the Baetens company , made that we came to a nice compromise."     

Integrated assembly of mechanics, hydraulics and electronics

The biggest difference from the previous version? The additional electronics, not only in the truck, but also in the solution offered by ATS. "That makes you have to come to a fully integrated design of mechanics, hydraulics and electronics, where each link of the chain fits perfectly into the next. Another reason why we came to the right place with ATS, because the panel building (the spray system has one power board and five control boards), piping and automation they were able to deliver in-house," Vandecaveye says. "The goal in mind was clear: to ensure that Trafiroad could work more efficiently and flexibly, according to the latest safety regulations and emission standards. And that maintenance and cleaning also became easier," Van Haver adds. For example, all critical components (boiler, water pumps, filter elements) are more accessible for service and modern data communication ensures that faults can be read remotely.

Quest for right tanks

More than two years after initial discussions, the spray truck has completed its test runs. It will officially join Trafiroad's fleet in early 2025. The longevity of the project is mainly due to the tanks that must meet certain legal requirements to store and heat the epoxy adhesive. "Because of the special requirements we placed on them, that search took about a year," Van Haver explains. "We finally found a manufacturer in China who was willing to make them to the specifications."

Consistent quality

So it was important to automate this so that operation remains simple. "We wanted to make the work of our operators easier and more ergonomic, so that they can work more safely with fewer problems.

In the past, bicycle sidewalks were installed manually, now we do it by machine and any width is possible from 0.70 meters to 3.20 meters," says Anné. Thanks to the ATS solution, the flow rate is also automatically regulated depending on the driving speed. "If the subsoil is more permeable, we can easily adjust the release. This allows us to deliver consistent quality, from the first to the last square centimeter. A demonstrable quality, too. By capturing the data, we can perfectly prove to clients that the product is mixed in the right proportion and laid in the desired thickness. We are in favor of more transparency and control in these matters. After all, when it comes to safety, you can't cut corners. It just has to be right," Anné says confidently.