WJ | WJ Group leads on innovation with product launches at Highways UK

RapidGrip, a sprayable one-part application cold-applied coloured surfacing system that offers increased delivery efficiency through its spray application.

WJ Group has continued to champion the development of industry-leading innovations with the launch of some unique products: Weatherline Ultra and RapidGrip.

Unveiled at Highways UK, following feedback from National Highways delegates at the WJ Innovation Day, the new innovative products will deliver a multitude of benefits, including helping to improve road user safety, reduce carbon and increase delivery efficiency.

Weatherline Ultra is the latest addition to WJ’s award winning Weatherline range. Building on the success of the line of products, this newest road marking system offers even greater levels of performance and durability. Designed to ensure enhanced visibility in any weather thanks to its dotted profile, it achieves over 500 mcd/m²/lx (> R5) and 75 mcd/m²/lx (RW4) in challenging wet conditions.

Developed for longevity, Weatherline Ultra offers a guaranteed lifespan of at least five years keeping maintenance interventions to a minimum. Further, the new system draws on the success of WJ’s product range by incorporating biogenic binders to maintain low levels of embedded carbon.

WJ has also introduced RapidGrip, a sprayable one-part application cold-applied coloured surfacing system that offers increased delivery efficiency through its spray application. Its versatility means that it can be used for places of relative safety (PRS), parking bays and pedestrian areas with it offering twice the required texture depth and offers a skid resistance value of 65 SRV. Thanks to a rapid application of 37m in 30 minutes, RapidGrip reduces traffic management requirements during installation, reducing cost and disruption to the public. RapidGrip has the potential to significantly ease the ongoing challenge of maintaining PRS Bays, with the ability to rejuvenate three in a single shift.

Martin Webb, Innovation Director at WJ Group said: “When representatives of National Highways attended our Innovation Day at our Engineering & Training Academy in Stoke-on-Trent, we focussed on how we could support them to improve the network. It was here that we presented our three upcoming products and took their feedback on board to ensure they were perfect to use on their road network. It is because of our relationship with National Highways that we can provide them with exactly what they need.”

The trio of new products are the latest in a string of recent innovations by WJ Group. WJ has already launched the already 4-time award winning ThermoPrint, the UK’s first automated road marking machine. Alongside this includes the WJ Autonomous PreMarker which eliminates the need to pre-mark the road by hand and Europe’s most advanced testing turntable, the WJ Accelerated Product Tester.

Martin added: “To be leaders in the industry, we must continually evolve and provide our customers with the best products to fit their needs. Safety, cost and sustainability are three key issues currently facing highway authorities and these three innovations address them head on. Our team has worked tirelessly to create these products and we can’t wait to get them out on UK roads.”

For more information about innovation at WJ Group, please visit: www.wj.uk/sustainability/innovation/