Avery Dennison Reflective Solutions Blog / Improving Power Pole Identification with Retroreflective Sheeting

Improving Power Pole Identification with Retroreflective Sheeting

“With Avery Dennison reflective labels, we improved the night view of our field inspections, increasing the safety of our electrician teams.”

Avery Dennison offers an extensive portfolio of reflective products that are used around the world for traffic signage, work zone devices, and vehicle applications. One unique application you might not be familiar with is for the identification of electrical power poles. Since 2013, electrical companies in Brazil have transitioned to retroreflective sheeting for the standardization of power pole identification.

What is the purpose of this application?
The printed numbers applied to the pole help workers identify the coordinates with basic information that are essential for the improvement of the energy service concessionaires in the face of a technical problem or power outages.

Why is reflective sheeting ideal for this application?
The retroreflective sheeting provides clear visibility during the day and at night. This is critical for field workers who need to quickly identify the electrical pole no matter what time of day the problem occurs. It also offers security when there is a nighttime failure. The electrical field worker can park their vehicle near the power pole and with a simple flashlight they can light up the reflective signaling and quickly identify through the tag code which actions should be taken to solve the problem or failure, thus avoiding going up to the power pole. Prismatic sheeting not only offers high visibility, it also has a durable adhesive designed for outdoor applications. 

Painted identification vs. Reflective fluorescent identification

OLD SYSTEM

NEW SYSTEM


Energy networks in Brazil are choosing prismatic sheeting for this application over beaded sheeting or non-reflective paint. Three of Brazil’s biggest energy companies are now choosing Avery Dennison as they standardize power pole identification. 

Everton Silva, sales representative from Avery Dennison Brazil, spoke with operators from the energy companies to further understand why retroreflective sheeting on poles is preferred.

“Reflective numbers and letters help us improve the customer service experience. We are able to reduce time resolution when we inform the code of each post to our central.”

“With Avery Dennison reflective labels, we improved the night view of our field inspections, increasing the safety of our electrician teams.”

Reflective Digital Center

Our Reflective Digital Center in Brazil produces the reflective labels for using the TrafficJet Print System

The letters and numbers follow this specification:

  • Retroreflective Sheeting type X by ABNT-NBR 14644:2013 (Brazilian norm) in yellow-green fluorescent color specified for short, middle and long distances such as Avery Dennison OmniCubeTM T-11513 Yellow Green Fluorescent 
  • Durability of color and reflectivity of 15 years printed with TrafficJet & OL-1000 Anti-Graffiti overlay 
  • Specific size: 55mmx65mm

The printing process is easy with TrafficJet. The Reflective Digital Center team designs the letters and numbers, prints them on reflective sheeting, laminates with our protective OL-1000 Anti-Graffiti overlay, cuts the labels using the Summa flatbed cutter, and finally packs 250 labels per box. Before the converter installs the labels to the power poles, they apply the reflective labels on a substrate such as aluminum, stainless steel, or polypropylene. 

Take a look at our production process:


To learn more about the products featured in this article visit reflectives.averydennison.com.
Contact our team in Brazil - refletivos.brasil@averydennison.com - if you’re interested in the Reflective Digital Center services.

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