Axion Technologies

Axion Technologies control panel.

Strathcona County Transit 3001 is equipped with an Axion Technologies Orange LED destination sign.

Axion Technologies, or simply Axion, formerly known as Balios Technologies until 2006, was a destination sign company that offered both LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) signs under Pocatec and LED (Light Emitting Diode) signs. The most popular destination signs for buses were the orange LED type.

Balios (left) and Luminator Horizon (right) orange LED destination signs

History

Axion was originally known as Balios Technologies Inc., established in 1989 in La Pocatière (Quebec, Canada). Balios supplied LED destination signage to a number of transit agencies starting in 1991. Expanding into the United States, Balios USA Inc. was established in 1999 in Long Island, New York, with sales, manufacturing and service being provided from this location.

Balios USA Inc., the official licensee of Balios Technologies Inc. products in the United States, was incorporated in the state of Delaware on February 19, 1999. The company manufactures from its 6000 square foot facility in Huntington Station, New York. Balios USA Inc. offered 100% Buy America compliance, ADA compliance, New York State Manufacturer, and was a certified woman-owned business.

• 
  Balios HECTOR II control panel.
• 
  Newer Balios control panel.
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  Two-line stacking functionality on a Balios sign.
• 
  A Balios Orange LED sign on a Nova Bus RTS-06 bus.

Balios Technologies would later be renamed to Axion Technologies.

In 2014, the company was acquired by Luminator Technology Group, though the product lineup would not be discontinued until 2020.

Pocatec

Pocatec was another destination sign company that was later acquired by Axion Technologies. The main type of sign supplied by Pocatec was their LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) model. These signs were only common on GO Transit buses, including their Prevost LeMirage XL-45 and Orion V models. The signs also saw usage on subway trains of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Later on, they introduced an orange LED sign, with a similar resolution to the Luminator Horizon signs. Calgary Transit 7701 had its signs exchanged with this product as a test. These signs were later marketed under the Axion Technologies name.

Specifications

Front signs

• 24x100 + 24x100 monochrome split sign
• 24x200 monochrome
• 24x200 full color

Side signs

• 16x160 monochrome
• 8x96 monochrome

Rear signs

• 16x48 monochrome

Customers

Canada

• BC Transit - Victoria, BC
• Calgary Transit - Calgary, AB
• Coast Mountain Bus Company - Vancouver, BC
• Cobourg Transit - Cobourg, ON
• Edmonton Transit System - Edmonton, AB
• Exo Terrebonne-Mascouche - Terrebonne-Mascouche, QC
• GO Transit - Greater Golden Horseshoe, ON
• Grande Prairie Transit - Grand Prairie, AB
• Halifax Transit - Halifax, NS
• Oakville Transit - Oakville, ON
• OC Transpo - Ottawa, ON (until 2016)
• Red Deer Transit - Red Deer, AB
• Régie du transport en commun de Shawinigan - Shawinigan, QC
• Regina Transit - Regina, SK
• Réseau de transport de la Capitale - Québec City, QC
• Réseau de transport de Longueuil - Longueuil, QC
• Saskatoon Transit - Saskatoon, SK
• Société de transport de Laval - Laval, QC
• Société de transport de Lévis - Lévis, QC
• Société de transport de Montréal - Montreal, QC
• Société de transport de l'Outaouais - Gatineau, QC
• Société de transport du Saguenay - Saguenay, QC
• Société de transport de Sherbrooke - Sherbrooke, QC
• Société de transport de Trois-Rivières - Trois-Rivières, QC
• Strathcona County Transit - Strathcona County, AB
• Timmins Transit - Timmins, ON
• Transcollines - MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais, QC
• Transit Windsor - Windsor, ON
• West Vancouver Municipal Transit - West Vancouver, BC
• York Region Transit - York Region, ON

United States

• Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) - Detroit, MI
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYCMTA) - New York, NY