Virtual Signs for Visual Communication

by

Improve Visual Communication with Virtual Signs

signcast-virtual-signsCreating a visual workplace can help your facility to improve safety, reduce waste and generally help everything run much more smoothly throughout the day. In most situations you can use things like floor signs, floor marking tape, wall signs and more to convey clear and helpful messages to anyone working in the area.

There are times, however, when it is impossible to use these options. Whether it is because of an unusual flooring type, uneven surfaces or any number of other things, it is important to have an alternative to traditional visual communications tools. For many facilities, this is where virtual signs from SignCast can be extremely helpful.

A virtual sign is a special light projection device that can create an image of a sign that can be displayed on any surface. There are many benefits to having a virtual sign system in your facility. Whether it is used as a permanent visual communications solution or you use it only in temporary situations, you’ll find that your facility is able to operate far better than it could without it.

Temporary Sign Solutions

SignCast-PRO-Virtual-Floor-Sign-PackageMost floor signs, wall signs and other types of visual communications solutions are designed for long term use. For example, putting down a floor sign uses a very strong adhesive that won’t come up very easily. If you only need a sign to be in place for a little while, this is not a good option for you. Temporary signs, however, can be easily knocked over or pushed out of the way, making them ineffective.

Having a virtual floor sign is the best solution in this case. The sign can be set up and active in just minutes and it will provide a clear message to those who are in the area. When it is no longer needed, it can be put away until it is needed again.

A good example of this would be if you are going to have visitors or inspectors in your facility for a few days. In areas where normally only forklift traffic is present it is important to put up a sign to alert the pedestrians to the danger as well as remind the forklift drivers to yield if people are around. You can get a crosswalk virtual floor sign and have it clearly display the warning for everyone to see. When the tours are completed, the sign system can be removed and things can go back to normal.

Low Visibility Areas

Another time when traditional floor signs and markings are ineffective is when there is not too much light or there are other obstructions. If the signs can’t be easily seen, they are not going to be very effective. In these situations, a virtual floor sign will immediately resolve the problem and improve visibility to the area.

Since these virtual floor signs operate using light, they are going to be highly visible in any area. For example, forklifts may drive through darker areas using their headlights. These headlights, however, won’t let them see a traditional floor or wall sign until they are up close. With a virtual floor sign that says, “STOP” on it, they will know to slow down and stop well ahead of time. This can help provide them with great protection as well as those who may be working in the area.

Heavy Traffic Areas

Watch-Out-For-Forklift-TrafficWhile floor signs today are designed to stand up to lots of traffic and other potentially damaging events, they aren’t indestructible. If you need a floor sign in an area where forklifts are often dragging the forks, for example, the signs will quickly become damaged and unreadable.

These heavy traffic areas can be a particular challenge when it comes to using visual communication. If you have an area like this in your facility, you can benefit from a ‘Watch Out for Forklift Traffic’ virtual floor sign system.

This system uses light that display the floor sign will ensure that no matter how much traffic is present; there will never be any damage. The display system can actually be mounted from 20’ to 50’ away, which can give you remarkable flexibility in where and how you will display the signs.

Many facilities, for example, will put the virtual floor sign system up in the rafters of an area and have it project down onto the floor. This will let people know that fork lift traffic may be in the area so they can take the precautions needed to avoid accidents or injuries.

Precise Locations

If you need to make sure that the sign you are using is precisely located to ensure safety, this system is ideal. Once mounted you can adjust it as needed to ensure that your sign shows up just where you want it. This is important for things like signs that point to fire extinguishers. The ‘Fire Extinguisher Do Not Block’ virtual sign system, for example, will allow you to display the sign on the floor, or above the extinguisher, depending on your specific needs.

Free Floor Marking Guide

Any Other Situation

While these are some great examples of how and where virtual signs can be used to improve visual communications in your facility, they can really be used anywhere that a traditional sign would be in place. These systems are able to operate anywhere that has power, even if it is damp or has other potential issues.

Installing a virtual sign system takes just a few minutes and it can clearly display the signs you need. Even something as simple as a ‘Trash Can Here’ sign can be clearly displayed using this system. This will help ensure that everyone in your facility knows that the trash can for that area needs to be kept in that spot. While it may seem like a simple thing, it will help to ensure that things stay organized at all times.

Smaller Virtual Floor Signs

Trash-Can-HereAnother benefit to the virtual sign systems from SignCast is that they can come in different sizes. The ‘Jr.’ sized floor signs can provide your facility with easy and affordable virtual signs for any situation that the larger versions can handle.

These smaller systems can still display signs from 15’ to 30’ away, which is exceptionally useful in most facilities. They also have the option to be dimmable so that they won’t be distracting when used in an area where there isn’t too much light. When it is bright in an area, however, the display can be made stronger so the sign is still easy to see.

Using a SignCast Jr. virtual floor sign is a more economical option for many places in your facility. If you just want to display the ‘Trash Can Here’ sign that was mentioned above, but you don’t need to do it from a greater distance, this is an excellent alternative. The Jr. version is less expensive and will take up less energy to run as well, which is ideal for many areas of your facility.

Affordable Long Term Solution

bulbWhen people hear about virtual floor signs they often think that it is a good idea, but wonder whether or not it is going to be costly to run. The fact is, these systems are quite inexpensive to use even for long periods of time.

The Jr. versions use 120V electrical and .5A operating current which is not much at all, especially when compared with the overall electrical consumption of most facilities. The full sized option is also 120 V but uses 1.5A operating current. As you can see, this is a very affordable option when you look at the costs compared to the overall benefits your facility will enjoy.

Of course, during hours of the day when people aren’t working, the cost of having these signs in place will drop to virtually zero if you can turn them off. This is a great way to enjoy all the benefits of virtual sign systems while saving even more.

The other expense associated with running a virtual sign is the bulbs. The replacement bulbs, however are very affordable and are designed to run for an average of 6000 hours. Even with constant operation this will keep your facility safe for months without needing to be replaced.

Excellent Visual Communication Options

When it comes to improving your visual communication strategies, using virtual signs is an excellent option. It offers far more flexibility than traditional signs as well as a variety of options that are unique to these systems.

Additional Resources

Related posts:

  1. Safety Floor Signs
  2. Using aisle marking tape to comply with OSHA standards
  3. A Closer Look at Smart Stripe Tape
  4. Reflective Floor Marking Tape
  5. Floor Marking Shapes Example
  6. Visual Management
  7. Tips and Techniques for a Visual Workplace
  8. 5S Vinyl Floor Tape
  9. Floor Marking Tape Corners