Like last year’s show, Lightfair 2005 saw a continued interest in LED technology, with a rash of LED-related product introductions. The hyper-focus on solid-state lighting, however, made other technologies stand out more brightly.
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The industry’s continued focus on LEDs was again apparent at this year’s Lightfair event. The 2005 New Product Showcase»generally the yardstick for what will be introduced at the show»saw a rash of LED-related products. While there were fewer total entries this year (211 versus 222), the number of LED-based product submissions were about the same. One manufacturer, with a note of frustration, commented that LED technology seemed to be a prerequisite for entry, while another attendee pointed out that the R&D focus on LEDs was to the detriment of other necessary lighting technologies. Still, the ongoing investment is bound to yield results, and there continues to be interesting developments utilizing solid-state lighting. Here are a few:
Mini-Micro » B-K Lighting » www.bklighting.com
Named best in its Lightfair New Product Showcase category (specialty lighting task luminaries), this outdoor fixture line, for use with both 20W halogen and 1.5W LED technologies is machined in either copper-free aluminum or solid brass. The unibody design provides an enclosed, waterproof wireway and heat sink to maximize lamp life. The luminaire family is available in 14 mounting styles, and 8 standard polyester powder-coat finishes. Three metal finishes for brass and stainless steel, as well as over 200 premium color finishes, are also available.
NeoFlex » Element Labs » www.elementlabs.com
An alternative to neon, this LED-powered flexible product (a row of LEDs are placed inside a diffusing plastic tube) creates a smooth, high-intensity light output. Red, amber, green, and blue colors are offered at high output 24 and 120 volts, and range from 1.9 to 2.9 watts per square foot. Maximum run length varies from 30 to 150 feet depending on the color. At standard 120V output, green and blue use 2 watts per square foot and have a maximum run length of 50 feet. At standard 24V output, green and blue use 2.4 watts per square foot and have a maximum run length of 30 feet. The tube is easily bent, cut, and installed for signage, entertainment, or architectural applications.
SpectraMix » Dialight » www.dialight.com
The winner in its New Product Showcase category (specialty and hardware innovations), SpectraMix is hardware and software that incorporates feedback mechanisms and algorithms to compensate for the natural variation of high-brightness LEDs and their color performance over time. Partnering with Rosco Laboratories, SpectraMix color matches to Rosco’s standard halogen and daylight references, instantly and repeatedly producing specifiable CIE X-Y-coordinate color.
Long-Throw Projecting Light Engine » Dialight » www.dialight.com
The winner in its New Product Showcase category (components), this solid-state lighting engine for theater and production lighting, with a patent-pending optical system, has a flux density of 1,214 lumens per square inch and from a hard-edge focus prevents color fringing.
XLamp » Cree » www.xlamp.com
Among one of the industry’s brightest LED offerings, the XLamp 7090 provides 60 lumens in white, 15 to 19 lumens in blue, and 31 to 45 lumens in green. Additional features include a tiny foortprint, a flexible product platform, integrated lens for integration with secondary optics, low thermal impedance, and environmentally friendly-the product does not use lead or mercury. The company’s 2005 Lightfair booth was illuminated entirely with 7090 lamp achieving close to 190,000 lumens of light at approximately 6,500 watts of power-approximately half the energy consumption of incandescent light.
Luxeon i, K2 and Luxeon III » Lumileds » www.luxeon.com
Substantial advances have been made with both the Luxeon I and III family of LEDs in addition to a new light source, the K2. The Luxeon I has achieved an increased light output for the colors white, blue, cyan, green and royal blue, and white emitters performance improved from 31 to 45 lumens. The Luxeon III has demonstrated significant increases in lumens per package for Amber (110), Red (140), and Red-Orange (190), close to tripling previous lumen benchmarks. The Luxeon III also reduces the number of emitters required to produce a given light output. The K2, has several elevated standards including an operating junction temperature of 185-degrees Celsius, up to 60 lumens per watt in 6500K white at 350 miliamperes, up to 65 lumens in 6500K white at 350 miliamperes, a drive current of 1500 miliamperes, a thermal resistance of 9 degrees Celsius and a lumen maintenance of 50,000 hours at 1000 miliamperes with 70 percent lumen maintenance.
»Other technological developments stood out in the sea of LED products. Here are a few examples:
ICEE » B-K Lighting » www.bklighting.com
A technology rather than a product, ICEE-which stands for Interstice Cooling Evacuated Enclosure-advances temperature management. ICEE reduces surface temperatures without altering lumen output or optical control, and is available with B-K’s Precision and Tenaya series in-grade luminaires. The patent-pending system uses a vacuum-sealed chamber between the lamp and the surface reducing the number of air and water molecules able to transfer heat by 38 percent, while maintain a 90 percent lumen output. ICEE adds approximately 2 to 3 inches in fixture depth, but still allows for full 360-degree horizontal and 30-degree vertical optical adjustment.
Eutrac/DALI Intelligent Track » Eutrac » www.eutrac.com
Now available for U.S. and Canadian lighting markets, this specification-grade low-profile system of track, track fittings, and fixture adaptors provides an open platform, enabling them to be used with practically any track fixture. The adaptors have a double-locking feature to mount heavy fixtures. Available in either a standard or an advanced DALI system the components are available in three finishes: black, white and anodized silver.
Flatlight » CeeLite » www.ceelite.com
The main feature of this flat panel lighting product is a new light emitting capacitor (LEC) technology. Working with Osram Sylvania the LEC technology has three main components: Sylvania’s light emitting phosphors for color and brightness, and CeeLites’ proprietary programmable flatline inverters and advanced packaging materials that lower heat output and extend lighting lifetime. Panels are available in a variety of sizes; the largest is 4 by 8 feet. The flatline inverter includes embedded microprocessors for programming functionality and surface illumination control. The inverters convert DC and AC power to meet required panel voltage and frequency requirements.
