I am US Navy and this Unclassified message came across the wire after the USS Klakring sampled Lunaplast on their ship....it will be a battle to oust 3M (current contract holder of an inferior product) but with the warfighters begging for better safety measures after 9/11....it would be huge!
Buckfa
ZNR UUUUU
FM USS KLAKRING
BT
RMKS/1. IN OCTOBER 2001, KLAKRING VOLUNTEERED TO TEST AND EVALUATE AN
IMPROVED PHOTOLUMINESCENT MATERIAL UNDER DEVELOPMENT. A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF PHOTOLUMINESCENT PLACARDS (INDICATING EXITS, CO2
AND AFFF BOTTLES, AND DIRECTION ARROWS) WERE INSTALLED IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS
ON THE SHIP, TAPE WAS INSTALLED IN ESCAPE TRUNKS AND ON LADDERS, AND NEW
FLUORESCENT LIGHT COVERS WERE ADDED TO SOME EXTANT FIXTURES.
2. THIS NEW MATERIAL IS A DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT OVER THE NAVY STANDARD 3M
CORP.PHOTOLUMINESCENT MATERIALS CURRENTLY USED IN SURFACE SHIPS. THE
PHOTOLUM MATERIAL IS SIGNIFICANTLY BRIGHTER, LASTS HOURS LONGER, AND IS JUST
AS SIMPLE TO INSTALL. AFTER 10 HOURS IN A COMPLETELY DARKENED SPACE, THE
NEW MATERIAL CAN STILL BE SEEN; THE NAVY STANDARD IS NOT VISIBLE AFTER 60
TO 90 MINUTES.
3. OF ALL THE PRODUCTS DEMONSTRATED IN KLAKRING, THE MOST IMPRESSIVE WAS A
PHOTOLUMINESCENT SLEEVE THAT IS PLACED OVER A NORMAL FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULB
MUCH LIKE THE BLUE OR RED SLEEVES IN USE TODAY IN LOW-LIGHT SPACES. WHEN
INSTALLED, THE LIGHT FROM THE COVERED BULB WAS REDUCED SLIGHTLY; ONCE THE
FLOURESCENT LIGHTS WERE TURNED OUT, HOWEVER, THE GLOWING SLEEVE PROVIDED
SUFFICIENT LIGHT TO ALLOW A PERSON WHOSE EYES HAD NOT ADJUSTED TO THE DARK
TO MOVE SAFELY AND EASILY ABOUT THE SPACE. THIS ITEM ALONE OFFERS DRAMATIC
IMPROVEMENTS TO SAFETY LIGHTING IN WARSHIPS.
4. OVERALL, OUR ASSESSMENT IS THAT THE PRODUCTS FURNISHED ARE
FUNCTIONALLY SUPERIOR TO THE STANDARD NAVY MATERIAL. INFORMAL LIAISON WITH
THE MANUFACTURER INDICATES THAT COSTS ARE COMPARABLE AND THE INSTALLATION
PROCESS IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME. THE MOST IMPORATANT ISSUE IS, HOWEVER,
THAT INSTALLATION OF THIS PRODUCT CAN PROVIDE IMMEDIATE AND DRAMATIC
IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY AND WILL BE INVALUABLE TO THOSE WHO HAVE TO CONTROL
REAL DAMAGE IN A COMBAT ENVIRONMENT.//
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