Tunisian Customer Visits MATESTAR Road Marking Paint Factory

What makes a road marking material suitable for a particular market?

That was one of the central questions during a recent visit by a customer from Tunisia to MATESTAR's manufacturing facility in Zhejiang, China.

The visit followed months of discussions about road marking products, technical specifications and material performance. Rather than focusing only on prices, the conversations explored a more practical challenge: finding road marking materials that can deliver reliable performance under the climate, traffic and application conditions of North Africa.

For the visiting customer, seeing the manufacturing process and discussing product formulations directly with the factory was an important part of evaluating a potential supplier.

Caption: A customer from Tunisia visited MATESTAR's manufacturing facility in China for discussions on road marking materials and performance requirements.

Road Marking Materials in Tunisia: A Market Paying More Attention to Performance

Road marking materials are increasingly being evaluated through practical field performance, rather than technical specifications alone.

Tunisia offers a particularly interesting example.

In February 2025, a trial involving thermoplastic road markings was introduced on Regional Road No. 21, a heavily trafficked route connecting western Tunis with the area of Tunis-Carthage Airport.

Another significant development followed in May 2026, when a road marking test site was established on the A4 motorway between Tunis and Bizerte.

According to public reports on Tunisia's A4 road marking trials, the evaluation brought together more than 15 companies from Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, with approximately 40 material applications assessed under field conditions.

The evaluation covers important aspects of road marking performance, including daytime and nighttime visibility, wear resistance, colour stability, adhesion and weathering.

These initiatives do not mean that one particular road marking material will replace all others. However, they highlight a practical direction in material evaluation: how a road marking performs after months of traffic and environmental exposure matters just as much as its initial laboratory results.

For contractors and material suppliers, this raises new questions about formulation quality, application methods and long-term maintenance costs.

Why the Tunisian Customer Chose to Visit a Chinese Manufacturer

Before travelling to China, the customer had already discussed several road marking products and technical requirements with MATESTAR.

The conversations covered material specifications, manufacturing possibilities and the suitability of different marking systems for local applications.

An important consideration was whether a Chinese manufacturer could provide more than a standard catalogue product.

For road marking businesses evaluating alternative suppliers, product flexibility can be particularly valuable. Different projects may specify different levels of brightness, material composition, application methods or durability.

A technical data sheet provides useful information, but it cannot answer every question about manufacturing consistency, raw material selection or formulation flexibility.

This was one reason the factory visit became a valuable next step.

Meeting the manufacturing team and discussing the materials in person provided an opportunity to better understand how technical requirements could be translated into actual products.

High Temperatures, Heavy Traffic and the Challenge of Material Selection

One of the main topics discussed during the visit was the performance of road marking materials under demanding environmental conditions.

Tunisia experiences long periods of warm and hot weather, particularly during summer. For road marking applications, pavement temperature, traffic loading and material properties all need to be considered together.

A thermoplastic marking must soften sufficiently during application, but after cooling, it also needs to maintain its shape, adhesion and mechanical properties under service conditions.

The discussions included BS 3262-related material requirements and the broader relationship between heat resistance, mechanical performance and durability.

However, a higher softening point or greater hardness does not automatically produce a better road marking.

A formulation that performs well under high temperatures must also retain sufficient flexibility and adhesion. Excessive rigidity can increase the risk of cracking, particularly when the pavement moves or experiences temperature changes.

For this reason, evaluating thermoplastic road marking paint involves considering the overall formulation rather than relying on a single technical indicator.

The balance between these properties becomes particularly important when selecting materials for different road types and traffic conditions.

For a more detailed explanation of one of these parameters, see why softening point matters in thermoplastic road marking paint.

Caption: Material formulation and performance evaluation are important considerations when selecting thermoplastic road marking paint for different climates.

Comparing Different Road Marking Systems

The factory discussions were not limited to thermoplastic materials.

Different road marking systems were also considered, including water-based and solvent-based paints.

This is an important part of material selection because each system has its own advantages, application requirements and limitations.

Thermoplastic materials are applied hot and can form relatively thick, wear-resistant markings. They are commonly considered for applications where durability and traffic resistance are important.

Liquid road marking paints, on the other hand, can be applied using spraying equipment without the heating process required for thermoplastic materials.

For example,water-based road marking paint may be considered for projects where spray application and lower solvent emissions are relevant, provided that drying conditions and project performance requirements are satisfied.

The most suitable system depends on the road surface, traffic exposure, available equipment, project specification and expected maintenance cycle.

Rather than assuming that one material is always superior, a more useful approach is to understand where each technology performs best.

Our article on the five main types of road marking paint explains these different systems in more detail.

From Technical Discussions to Manufacturing Possibilities

Another important part of the visit was discussing how product requirements could be addressed through manufacturing and formulation.

For thermoplastic road marking paint, factors such as resin selection, pigment quality, filler composition and reflective glass bead content can influence both performance and material cost.

White thermoplastic materials, for example, can be developed for different luminance factor requirements. A higher brightness target may require changes to the titanium dioxide and filler system, while other formulation adjustments may be necessary to meet mechanical and application requirements.

These choices are interconnected. Improving one property should not come at the expense of other essential performance characteristics.

For a material manufacturer, this means that product development is not simply a matter of increasing one ingredient or selecting the highest available specification.

At MATESTAR, different formulations can be discussed according to the technical requirements of the intended application.

The factory visit allowed both sides to explore these considerations directly, including the relationship between product performance, material selection and practical manufacturing.

Caption: The factory visit provided an opportunity to discuss material specifications, formulation options and manufacturing processes.

Looking Beyond Initial Specifications

The discussions also highlighted the importance of evaluating how materials perform after application.

A thermoplastic marking can meet an initial specification but still experience problems if the formulation, application temperature, pavement condition or glass bead system is unsuitable.

The same applies to other road marking systems.

For buyers considering new products, laboratory testing, sample evaluation and actual application performance can provide different types of information.

Laboratory results help establish measurable material properties. Field applications show how a marking responds to traffic, weather and construction conditions over time.

Both are valuable when assessing an unfamiliar material or comparing alternative supply options.

This approach is particularly relevant for markets where road marking materials are being evaluated under different climates, road surfaces and traffic conditions.

A Factory Visit That Reflects a Broader Procurement Question

The visit concluded after extensive exchanges on road marking materials, manufacturing capabilities and possible approaches to product evaluation.

It also reflected a broader question for road marking businesses in Tunisia and other North African markets: how should buyers compare materials when long-term performance matters more than the initial purchase price alone?

There is rarely a universal answer.

The right choice depends on project requirements, road conditions, application methods and the ability of the supplier to deliver consistent material properties.

For MATESTAR, the discussions offered another opportunity to understand the practical considerations of overseas road marking buyers and explore how customized manufacturing can support different applications.

For road marking contractors and material importers evaluating thermoplastic or liquid marking systems, meaningful supplier discussions should begin with the actual application conditions and expected performance-not simply a price list.