Bsi bs au 145d 1998 (2001)

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Incorporating Amendment No 1

ICS 43.020

Specification for

Retroreflecting number plates

BS AU 145d : 1998

This British Standard, having

been prepared under the

direction of the Engineering

Sector Board, was published

under the authority of the

Standards Board and comes into

effect on

15 January 1998

 BSI 24 August 2001

The following BSI references

relate to the work on this

standard:

Committee reference AUE/1

Draft for comment 94/705491 DC

ISBN 0 580 28985 0

Amendments issued since publication

Amd No Date Text affected

13195 24 August 2001 Indicated by a sideline

Committees responsible for this British Standard

The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by Technical Committee AUE/1, Vehicle lighting and signaling, upon which the following bodies were represented:

Association of Chief Police Officers of England and Wales British Glass Manufacturers' Confederation

British Numberplate Manufacturers' Association British Plastics Federation

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Highways Agency) Glass and Glazing Federation

Motor Cycle Industry Association Ltd

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited

Page Committees responsible Inside front cover

Specification

3 Definitions 1

7 Retroreflection 3

9 Colorimetric test 4

10 Retroreflection test 4

11 Resistance to bending 4

12 Resistance to solvents 4

13 Thermal resistance 7

14 Resistance to impact 7

15 Resistance to corrosion 7

16 Resistance to weathering 7

17 Resistance to vibration and shock 8

Annexes

A (normative) Method of test for impact resistance 10

B (normative) Method of test for thermal resistance 10

C (normative) Method and apparatus for accelerated artificial weathering tests 10

D (normative) Procedure for preparing a dirty number plate for test purposes 13

Tables

1 Daylight chromaticity and luminance factor limits 3

2 Minimum coefficient of retroreflection, R9 3

3 Test schedules 4

4 Cam-profile radii 9

Figures

1 Dimensions and layout of sample unit 2

2 Arrangement of apparatus for measuring the coefficient of retroreflection 5

3 Number plate bend-test arrangement 6

4 Test arrangements for measurement of the coefficient of retroreflection of wet specimens 8

5 Vibration and shock test machine 9

A.1 Apparatus for impact resistance test 11

A.2 Number plate holding fixture 12

B.1 Sample support stand for thermal resistance test 13

List of references Inside back cover

ii  BSI 24 August 2001

BS AU 145d : 1998

Foreword

This British Standard has been prepared by Technical Committee AUE/ 1 It was first published in 1967 and revised as BS AU 145a : 1972 Subsequently, the following revisions were made BS AU 145b : 1989 and BS AU 145c : 1995

This new edition of BS AU 145 takes account of changes in the production of number plates and legislative requirements It supersedes BS AU 145c : 1995, which is

withdrawn

NOTE 1 This standard will only become effective when it is invoked by regulations, made by the Secretary of State for Transport, which apply to vehicles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland NOTE 2 Upon publication of this standard, BSI Customer Services will respond to purchase orders for

BS AU 145 by supplying copies of the 1998 edition Copies of the 1972 edition may be obtained by quoting the number BS AU 145a/72.

A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application

Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity from legal obligations.

Attention is drawn to the Roads Traffic Act 1991 [1] and the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations [2]

Summary of pages

This document comprises of a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii, pages 1

to 14, an inside back cover and a back cover

The BSI copyright notice displayed in this document indicates when the document was last issued

Sidelining in this document indicates the most recent changes by amendment

1) Marking BS AU 145d on or in relation to a product represents a manufacturer's declaration of conformity, i.e a claim by or on behalf

of the manufacturer that the product meets the requirements of the standard The accuracy of the claim is solely the claimant's responsibility Such a declaration is not to be confused with third party certification of conformity, which might also be desirable.

Specification

1 Scope

This British Standard specifies requirements for retroreflecting number plates for vehicles The standard includes requirements for colorimetric and photometric properties and tests for weather resistance, resistance to impact, bending, vibration, corrosion, solvents, water and extremes of

temperature

NOTE Retroreflecting number plates may be manufactured from any material which performs satisfactorily in service, providing the requirements of this standard are met.

2 References

2.1 Normative references

This British Standard incorporates, by dated or undated reference, provisions from other publications These normative references are made

at the appropriate places in the text and the cited publications are listed on the inside back page For dated references, only the edition cited applies; any subsequent amendments to, or revisions of the cited publication apply to this British Standard only when incorporated in the reference by amendment or revision For undated references, the latest edition of the cited publication applies, together with any amendments

2.2 Informative references

This British Standard refers to other publications that provide information or guidance Editions of these publications current at the time of issue of this standard are listed on the inside back page, but reference should be made to the latest editions

3 Definitions

For the purposes of this British Standard the following definitions apply

3.1 character

A letter or number making up part of a vehicle registration mark

3.2 coefficient of luminous intensity, R

The quotient of the luminous intensity of the retroreflector in the direction of observation by the illuminance at the retroreflector on a plane

perpendicular to the direction of the incident light

3.3 coefficient of retroreflection, R9

The quotient of the coefficient of luminous intensity

of a plane retroreflecting surface by its area

3.4 entrance angle

The angle characterizing the angular position of the retroflector with respect to the direction of the incident light

3.5 observation angle

The angle by which the direction of observation of the retroreflector differs from the direction of incident light

3.6 retroreflecting number plate

A plate exhibiting the registration mark of a vehicle

in which only the background to the registration mark consists of retroreflecting material

3.7 retroreflection

Reflection in which the reflected rays are preferentially returned in directions close to the opposite of the direction of the incident rays, this property being maintained over wide variations of the direction of the incident rays

3.8 sample unit

A pair of retroreflecting number plates within the dimensions shown in figure 1, one with a white and one with a yellow retroreflecting background, or in the case of a motorcycle one only with a yellow retroreflecting background, as used, complete with between two and seven characters and in the format and size specified in the appropriate regulations and including a representative method of fixing where appropriate

4 Design

NOTE The appropriate regulations of the Road Traffic Act [1] specify size and type of letters, numbers and margins of retroreflecting number plates.

5 Marking

5.1 Each number plate shall be permanently and

legibly marked with the following information: a) the number of this British Standard, i.e BS AU 145d1);

b) the name, trade mark or other means of identification of the manufacturer or component supplier;

c) name and postcode of the supplying outlet

NOTE.1 This information should be displayed as shown in figure

1 and can be in any colour as long as it is not retroreflective.

d) If a border is displayed it shall be as shown in figure 1 and shall not be retroreflective

NOTE.2 The border may be any non-retroreflective colour.

e) There shall be no other marking, other than the two to seven characters specified in the

regulations

NOTE 1 All dimensions are in millimetres

NOTE 2 See 3.8

NOTE 3 The figure is not to scale

Figure 1 Dimensions and layout of sample unit

Licensed Copy: I.P Newcastle University, Newcastle University, 02/04/2013 09:58, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) The British Standards Institution 2013

Table 1 Daylight chromaticity and luminance factor limits

factor

White x 0.355 0.305 0.285 0.335 $ 0.34

y 0.355 0.305 0.325 0.375 Yellow x 0.545 0.487 0.427 0.465 $ 0.27

y 0.454 0.423 0.483 0.534 # 0.40 Black Ð Ð Ð Ð Ð # 0.05

Table 2 Minimum coefficient of retroreflection, R9

Colour Observation angle Entrance angle

5Ê left and 5Ê right 30Ê left and 30Ê right 45Ê left and 45Ê right

cd/lx per square metre

White 0Ê 129

0Ê 209 1Ê 309

60 40 4

25 14 2

6 3 0.7 Yellow 0Ê 129

0Ê 209 1Ê 309

40 30 3.5

18 10 1.5

4 2 0.5

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5.2 Adequate fixing instructions shall be provided to

avoid damage to the number plate when it is being fitted to vehicles

6 Colour

6.1 Backgrounds

The daylight colour of the retroreflecting backgrounds shall be as follows:

± front facing: white;

± rear facing: yellow

When tested in accordance with clause 9, the

chromaticity of the surfaces of background shall be within the area defined by the co-ordinates given in columns 1 to 4 of table 1 for the appropriate colour

The luminance factor shall be as given in table 1

6.2 Characters

The complete surface of the characters shall be a shade of black No part of the character shall have a luminance factor greater than that given for black in table 1

6.3 Colour deleted

7 Retroreflection

7.1 The complete retroreflecting background area of

the number plate shall be a continuous, substantially flat surface except that an integral raised or

depressed margin, of width and height not exceeding

5 mm and 2 mm respectively, is permitted around the number plate periphery

7.2 The number plate background shall have a

minimum coefficient of retroreflection, R9, as given

in table 2 for each of the observation angles and entrance angles specified At any of the test points at

the 1Ê 309 observation angle the value of R9 shall not

exceed 150 cd/lx per square metre

7.3 The characters shall have a coefficient of

retroreflection not greater than 0.5 cd/lx per square metre at the angles specified in table 2 when tested

in accordance with clause 10.

7.4 When tested in accordance with clause 10 the

minimum coefficient of retroreflection, R9, for each

angle shall conform to table 2

8 Testing

A schedule shall accompany every sample unit detailing the materials used in its construction The tests specified in this standard shall be carried out

in the sequence specified in table 3

4  BSI 24 August 2001

BS AU 145d : 1998

Table 3 Test schedules

Number of samples and tests Clause Test schedule Total

No of sample units required (see 3.8) 1 1 3 1 6

1 Colorimetric test 9 ì Ð Ð Ð

2 Retroreflection test 10 ì Ð Ð Ð

3 Resistance to bending 11 ì Ð Ð Ð

4 Resistance to solvents 12 ì Ð Ð Ð

5 Thermal resistance 13 Ð ì Ð Ð

6 Resistance to impact 14 Ð Ð ì Ð

7 Resistance to corrosion 15 Ð Ð ì Ð

8 Resistance to weathering 16 Ð Ð Ð ì

9 Resistance to vibration and shock (where

applicable)

9 Colorimetric test

Each sample unit shall be tested in accordance with

the provisions of CIE Publication No 15 : 1986 when

illuminated with a source simulating the CIE

Standard Illuminant D 65 of that standard at 45Ê to

the normal and viewed along the normal (45/0

geometry)

10 Retroreflection test

10.1 The sample unit shall be tested in accordance

with 10.2 and shall conform to 7.4.

10.2 Each sample unit shall be tested in accordance

with the procedure defined in CIE Publication No 54

(TC - 2.3) : 1982 when illuminated with a source

simulating the CIE Standard Illuminant A of CIE

Publication No 15 The entrance and observation

angles shall be in the same plane, as shown in figure

2, and the angle subtended by the sample unit at the

receiver shall not exceed 1Ê 209 Measurements shall

be taken on the sample unit using a minimum area

of 2000 mm2

11 Resistance to bending

11.1 The sample unit shall be tested in accordance

with 11.2 and shall conform to 11.3.

11.2 Each sample unit shall be positioned in the

holding fixture and clamped as for impact testing

(see annex A), except that the end of the number

plate to be used for the deflection test shall extend

125 mm from the clamp bar (see figure 3) A test

mass, M, shall be attached, and suspended by means

of a clamp, from a point on the longitudinal centre

line of the number plate and 10 mm in from the

free-end The total mass suspended from the plate

(including the mass, M, its suspension and its clamp)

shall be not less than 3 kg

A vertical height gauge shall be positioned at the end

of the number plate to measure the deflection when the 3 kg mass is applied (see figure 3)

11.3 The sample unit under test shall be

preconditioned at 20 ÊC ±2 ÊC for at least 2 h and shall be tested at 20 ÊC ±2 ÊC The maximum deflection, within 60 s of applying the mass, shall be not greater than 25 mm

12 Resistance to solvents

12.1 When tested in accordance with 12.2 the

sample unit shall conform to 12.3.

12.2 The front face surface of the sample unit shall

be wiped for 1 min per solvent with cotton rag saturated with each of the three following solvents: a) white spirit in accordance with BS 245;

b) paraffin class c1 in accordance with BS 2869 : Part 2 : 1988

Use a fresh rag for each solvent

12.3 After 5 min the sample unit shall show no

evidence of softening or dissolving of the surface or edges or any deleterious effect In cases of doubt,

the value of R9 shall be measured as specified in 7.2

at an observation angle of 0Ê 129 and entrance angles

of 5Ê left and 5Ê right only, and shall be not less than the values specified in table 2

NOTE The arrangement illustrated shows a measurement being taken with a negative entrance angle In the case of measurements at positive entrance angles, the projector will be to the left of plane A±A The positions of the projector and receiver relative to one another remain the same, the only movement being to adjust the observation angle.

Figure 2 Arrangement of apparatus for measuring the coefficient of retroreflection

NOTE 1 All dimensions are in millimeters.

NOTE 2 The diagram is not to scale.

Figure 3 Number plate bend-test arrangement

Licensed Copy: I.P Newcastle University, Newcastle University, 02/04/2013 09:58, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) The British Standards Institution 2013