The marking system decides which beads you can use, how much you apply and how wide the drop-on window is. A practical selection guide for thermoplastic, two-component, waterborne, solvent-based and wet-night markings, with the film-thickness rule that overrides every other choice.
Premix beads decide how much retroreflectivity a marking still has after traffic. This guide covers the GB/T 24722-2020 type 2 gradation window, realistic loading levels from 20% to 48%, the six checks a paint plant should run on every incoming lot, and what GB/T 16311-2024 changed by testing the finished line.
How glass beads make road markings visible at night, the specs that matter (R.I., RL, roundness, mesh), the standards buyers must know (AASHTO M247, EN 1423, GB/T 24722-2020), and why Linghang’s CNAS-tested beads (91% roundness, 0% magnetic) outperform.
Grade selection is the decision that costs the most to get wrong in glass bead blasting. A practical guide to mesh, micron and millimetre – what each grade does to the surface, how to match it to the job, and the five mistakes that keep showing up in real shops.
Glass bead blasting looks simple and punishes small mistakes. Ten precautions that matter in practice – from the silica myth and the pressure ceiling to classifier discipline, masking, flash rust and what a spent-media waste stream really is.
Glass beads work as an impact tool in blasting and as a static filler in coatings. Roundness and toughness matter on one side; particle size, oil absorption and film thickness rule the other. Where each set of rules applies, and the three traps that catch coatings formulators.
Most bead disputes trace back to a purchase order that said ‘glass beads’. This checklist covers the eleven parameters that actually determine whether a marking performs — plus the practical controls that set embedment on site.
China’s road marking quality standard was replaced on 1 March 2025. The new edition adds testing of finished markings for internal bead content, introduces anti-skid requirements for all markings, and separates material colour from retroreflective colour. Here is what changed and why it matters far beyond China.
Retroreflectivity shortfalls are the most common reason a striping job fails acceptance. The cause is usually identifiable from the failure pattern — floating beads, buried beads, patchy reflection. Here are ten causes mapped to what you actually see, from Chinese standard documents and field practice.
Drop-on beads sit on the surface and reflect from day one. Premix beads hide inside the coating and take over as traffic wears the surface down. A line needs both, in the right ratio — here is what the standards say about each.
