DELTA – a part of FORCE Technology
Mobile & Hand-held Retroreflectometers for Pavement Markings & Traffic Signs
Checking the performance of pavement markings and traffic signs are important to ensure safe traffic flow in the airport. At night-time the traffic flow is fully or partly dependent on markings for safe driving and especially under wet and rainy conditions good performing markings may be crucial for guiding drivers and pilots on their way through the airport. Besides, regular checking of the performance of pavement markings and traffic signs allow an airport to optimize maintenance tasks by only restriping or changing signs when needed.
In 2014, FAA introduced in AC 150/5370-10G for the first time performance requirements of pavement markings. This has been followed by further information in AC 150/5370-10H from December 2018. 10H states minimum retroreflection levels at installation for three types of markings and well as levels for remarking of white, yellow and red colours. Details can be viewed in chapter 620-3.8 in the latest edition of the standard.
DELTA is the globally leading supplier of retroreflectometers for measuring retroreflection of pavement markings and traffic signs for roads and airports. For four decades DELTA has been renown for high quality and user-friendly retroreflectometers.
DELTA’s instruments are offered as a base model allowing the user to add features according to his or her needs and financial capacity. All our instruments are multi-lingual.
DELTA is an accredited calibration laboratory offering calibration references which can be traced back to globally leading calibration institutes. All DELTA’s instruments comply with international standards when it comes to performance, user safety and EMC emission.
DELTA’s retroreflectometers are made for professionals and are used typically by road and airport authorities, test institutes, contractors, paint manufacturers, sign manufacturers and service providers.
Company Profile
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LTL-M Mobile Retroreflectometer for Pavement Markings
The LTL-M mobile retroreflectometer is based on a patented technology making use of a DELTA developed flash system, digital camera technology and real time digital image processing. LTL-M provides “true visibility” data as the system is able to measure 100% of the marking surface at a speed up to 90 kph / 55 mph. Measurement at higher speed is possible.
The main advantage of LTL-M is to ensure accurate measurement data under all measurement conditions through automatic compensation of movements in the vehicle during driving. This has been confirmed in independent test studies showing LTL-M to measure as accurate as a handheld instrument, i.e. with a typical repeatability of +/- 3% and a typical reproducibility of +/- 5%.
The LTL-M system consists of three main parts: The LTL-M sensor mounted on the side of the vehicle; the LTL-M processor located inside the vehicle; the LTL-M tablet for preparing the LTL-M system for measurement, monitoring during measurements, viewing the logged data and preparing data for transfer to a PC. The tablet operates wireless.
LTL-M is simple to install, calibrate and operate. Preparing the LTL-M system for measurement can be done within 10-15 minutes including the recommended once-daily calibration. If more vehicles are used for measurements LTL-M can easily be rotated between the vehicles. The LTL-M system can be operated by one person if local laws permit.
The output by LTL-M can be viewed as figures, as a graph and as a Goggle Earth display over an average distance chosen by the user after measurement has been finished.
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NEW – LTL3000 Handheld Retroreflectometers for Pavement Markings
LTL3000 is the first retroreflectometer from DELTA in a new generation of instruments. LTL3000 is intended for users, who need an instrument for less demanding measurement programs, who do not need many features to support the measurements and who want an instrument which is easy to transport – LTL3000 is smaller and lighter than most other instruments in the market. LTL3000 is of course as robust, user-friendly and accurate as DELTA’s other instruments.
LTL3000 offer most of the features found on DELTA’s other comparable instrument, LTL-XL and LTL-X Mark II. LTL3000 has, besides measuring retroreflectivity, been added the possibility of measuring nighttime reflected colors (x,y coordinates), which for example will allow the user to check if a yellow marking is actually seen as yellow at nighttime.
For easy operation LTL3000 has been equipped with touch display supported by 3 activity buttons making use easier with gloves on.
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LTL-X Mark II and LTL-XL Handheld Retroreflectometers for Pavement Markings
The LTL-X Mark II and LTL-XL handheld retroreflectometers has proven their robustness and user-friendliness through many years of use.
Both instruments measure night visibility, RL, of plane and profiled markings, LTL-XL in addition daytime visibility, Qd. Both instruments can measure retroreflection of dry and wet markings, LTL-X Mark II as well under continuous wetting (natural or artificial rain).
The instruments are simple and easy to calibrate and very user friendly. The instruments automatically store measurement results, have automatic ambient light compensation, allow for entering a user and marking ID, offer automatic average calculation and record temperature and relative humidity. The instruments operate with a reproducibility of +/- 5% and a repeatability of +/- 2.
After the measurements are finished, the results are easily transferred via USB connection to a PC and can be presented as data or visualised on Google Earth.
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RetroSign GRX Handheld Retroreflectometers for Traffic Signs
RetroSign GRX is recent instrument for measuring retroreflection of traffic signs. The instrument is offered in three base models: GRX-1, GRX-3 & GRX-7 where the digit in the name tell the number of observation angles active. RetroSign GRX is the most advance instrument on the market currently and still very easy to calibrate and operate.
RetroSign GRX offers up to 7 observation angles, which can be measured simultaneous: 0.2o; 0.33o; 0.5o; 0.7o; 1.0o; 1.5o; 2.0o. The different observation angles will show how drivers and pilots in vehicles and airplanes of different height will view the signs.
RetroSign GRX offer many features like: Automatic sign color recognition, picture of sign, background and legend color retroreflection and contrast, scanning of barcodes and QR codes for asset management, GNSS positions and more. Entering a threshold level will allow the GRX to instantly tell if a measurement has passed or failed the minimum level.
The instruments operate with a reproducibility of +/- 5% and a repeatability of +/- 2%. The instrument is automatically compensating for ambient light so that daylight and other outside light sources will not affect the accuracy of a measurement.
Data is transferred to a PC by USB. Data processing and presentation is done in existing software like Excel and Google Earth.