UK compounder reflects on solution for motorway blues

Plastic is driving change for motorists, with a new reflective road stud for use on highways utilising a specially formulated PA 6 blend. 

The “Click Stud” uses a patented fixing system that allows rapid removal and replacement of the reflector in-situ in the road surface, with minimum cost to the road operator and disruption to traffic, providing a low cost solution to maintenance of road stud reflectors.

Knutsford-based materials compounder, ALBIS UK, developed a specially formulated ALTECH glass fibre filled polyamide 6 that could withstand demanding and harsh road conditions, such as long-term UV, weathering and impact resistance.

For the project ALBIS worked alongside West Midlands-based plastics manufacturer, Thomas Dudley Ltd., to assist in the design of the Click Stud’s cassette to ensure its easy removal in-situ.

Tony Evans, Product Manager for ALTECH at ALBIS UK, said: “This was a very challenging brief and, working in close co-operation with Thomas Dudley, we were able to provide an excellent solution with ALTECH enabling the many benefits of the Click Stud product to be realised.”

The product was moulded and placed on a long-term test on a section of the M4 motorway in the UK, results of which show the product met all the relevant Highway Agency and TSRGD Regulations.