What is a LED Tube Light?

Fischer reported that HELLA Electronics recently completed a 50,000-square-foot addition to its San Jose Iturbide plant north of Mexico City and is adding new production lines to its high-tech manufacturing facilities in Flora, Ill., as well. The San Jose Iturbide plant this month received Ford Motor Company's coveted Q1 award for outstanding quality and customer service.

HELLA Lighting also is in the midst of a major expansion program in the Americas. Roger Ventosa, HELLA Lighting's director of program management and marketing for Mexico and South America, said the company will break ground next month on a 215,000-square-foot facility in Irapuato, Mexico, to produce automotive headlamps and rear-lighting systems. Located in the state of Guanajuato, the plant is scheduled to open in mid-2013.

This month the company also is opening a new 9,000-square-foot design and development center in Guadalajara, Mexico, and adding to its product development teams in both Guadalajara and Plymouth, Michigan.

Production will begin at a 15,000-square-foot addition to HELLA Lighting's Guadalajara manufacturing complex this summer as well. The new lighting facilities in Irapuato and Guadalajara will increase HELLA's annual production capacity in the Americas for headlamps by 1.2-million units, from 3.7-million up to 4.9-million. Production capacity for rear-combination lamps will climb by 1.5-million, from 2.4-million up to 4-million.

HELLA currently has more than 2,500 employees in the Americas, a number that is expected to grow by 30 percent or more by the end of 2014.

"We see tremendous potential for growth in the Americas for both electronics and lighting during the next three to four years," Fischer said.

He noted that the auto industry is focusing more and more attention on fuel-economy and improved driver-assistance features, areas of particular strength for HELLA.

The company's LED lighting technology for both exterior and interior applications also is attracting considerable customer interest. Exterior LED lighting from HELLA already is featured on a number of vehicles and the company also is the industry's leading supplier of premium-car ambient interior-lighting systems.

About HELLA: HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co. develops and manufactures lighting and electronics components and systems for the automotive industry. Its joint venture companies also produce complete vehicle modules, air-conditioning systems and vehicle electric systems. In addition, HELLA has one of the largest automotive aftermarket organizations in the world, with its own sales companies and partners in more than 100 countries.

HELLA Group sales were $6.09 billion in fiscal year 2010-2011. HELLA is one of the top 50 automotive parts suppliers in the world and one of the 100 largest industrial companies in Germany. Nearly 25,000 people work at 70 locations in more than 30 countries, including more than 3,800 research-and-development engineers and technicians.

New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Sacramento, Calif.'s United Stationers have recently completed lighting retrofits.

At Sloan-Kettering, LED lighting manufacturer Seesmart Technologies replaced about 700 fixtures, switching out fluorescent T8s and T12s in the facility's parking garage with Seesmart T8s. This will reduce the hospital's energy cost by almost 57 percent, or $2,500 per month, according to the lighting company.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering also slashed its energy consumption by 160,000 kWh annually, earning it a $22,000 rebate from energy company ConEdison. The hospital anticipates a full return on investment within two years.

Following the project with Memorial Sloan-Kettering, two neighboring organizations – one residential center and one medical center – commissioned Seesmart to help them transition from low-efficiency fluorescents to LED tube lights.

On the other coast, Daintree Networks installed an integrated intelligent lighting system consisting of Cree's energy-saving LED fixtures and Daintree's ControlScope wireless lighting controls solution at the Sacramento facility of United Stationers, a wholesale distributor of business products. The retrofit, in the company's office and break room area, is expected to cut lighting costs by 91 percent, according to the lighting companies.

With the assistance of Collins Electrical Company, United Stationers replaced hundreds of fluorescent fixtures across the office with Cree CR Series LED Troffers, reducing the number of fixtures and lowering maximum wattage.

The retrofit also uses integrated intelligent controls from Daintree Networks to save energy. Daintree's Wireless Area Controller communicates with the fixtures through an integrated adapter, and the facility has added occupancy and photocell sensors. Lighting settings, including occupancy, daylighting, scheduling and task tuning, are all managed over the web through the ControlScope Manager software interface. Each occupant has also received a remote wireless dimmer, allowing them to set their light level according to personal preference.

Earlier in April, nuclear measurements company Canberra completed a lighting retrofit at its in Meriden, Conn., facility using Noribachi Illumination LED products, expected to save 63,000 kWh and $15,000 a year.

The lighting sector is moving toward the sleek, low-profile, timer-outfitted, multifunctional side, reported Thomas White, president and general manager of Conceptual Creations Pet Products in Phoenix.

"It's only natural that as technology progresses, it will reach across every application," White noted.

His company's newest lighting product is the Deluxe Arizona Hot Clamp Lamp with Dimmer. The lamp delivers adjustable light and heat output and a dimmer function.

Retailers would do best also selling both advanced lighting products and durable, affordable mainstays such as standard base units, White recommended.

Case in point: Garrett Hoeflich, manager at Pet Supply, a store in Irvine, Calif., generates repeat business by helping parents put together first-time reptile habitats for their kids.

"We guide them through a basic setup, and then what usually happens is the customer comes back after a short period to modernize the habitat with more advanced products," Hoeflich said. "They're hooked on the hobby, have gained some confidence and are ready for the next level."

Another advancement involves LED lighting, according to manufacturers.

"It's finally becoming more reliable and affordable," said Tony Escobar, owner of EcoZone Vivarium, a San Jose, Calif., manufacturer. "This opens up many opportunities for the reptile industry to follow in the footsteps of the aquarium lighting industry."

In addition to more LED products, consumer demand will rise for attractive, decorative lighting products that eliminate the "cables everywhere" approach, said Arcadia Reptile's Courteney-Smith.

Another mainstay, fluorescent lighting, has come a long way, Escobar reported.

"Now we have better specific spectrum bulbs for desert and tropical habitats," he commented.  "We see lighting move from T12 to T8, and finally to T5/HO for its bright output and efficiency."

Referring to his company's new dimmable fluorescent fixtures, he said that the bulbs are still considered specialty items but that retailers can promote these advanced products to hobbyists willing to invest in sophisticated, naturalistic environments.

Dave Yao, owner of Dave's Dragons in Manchester, N.H., said he and his employees avidly keep up with trends in the reptile industry by reading trade magazines, online forums and manufacturer websites. Educating consumers is a big focus at his store.

"We're very conscientious about being informed and sharing information with our customers, especially on lighting principles," said Yao, adding that his best-selling bulbs are from Exo Terra because of what he called the brand's reliability and reasonable price.

"While consumers are very price-conscious, they also want the best and longest-lasting bulbs they can afford," he noted. "Creating a highly naturalistic environment for their pets is also an important and increasingly popular priority. Many of our customers have multiple reptiles and want to show off their animals in the best light."

The DermLite range of dermatoscopes, the new generation of polarised dermatoscopes, are available from Equipmed. They are highly portable, compact and lightweight – a considerable advantage over bulky traditional skin cancer detection devices.

All DermLite products feature a magnification lens, light-emitting diode (LED) lighting and polarising filters – so there is no need for skin contact or immersion fluid. This makes them more efficient and convenient to use, allowing you to screen more lesions on more patients than ever before.

The DermLite LED lighting lasts longer than older light bulbs, uses less energy, and are whiter and brighter. Each DermLite dermatoscope comes with a 5 year warranty, making them a wise investment for any dermatology practice.

Early skin cancer detection devices, such as dermatoscopes (also called dermoscopes), are essential aids in the early detection of skin cancers. They can be used by dermatologists to screen for, and diagnose melanomas, basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, skin tumors, scabies, warts, fungal infections, and hair and scalp diseases. They can be used for the examination of skin lesions to distinguish whether they are benign or malignant.

Over 95% of skin cancers can be successfully treated if detected early enough. This is why it is important to use only the best early detection equipment available on the market, like DermLite. This can literally save lives.

Dermatoscopy (or dermoscopy) has many advantages over dermatologists using the naked eye for lesion examination. Diagnostic accuracy in detection by dermatoscopy has been proven by studies to be significantly better than naked eye examination. It also reduces the need for unnecessary surgical incisions of benign lesions.

Traditional dermatoscopes use a magnifier, a non-polarised light source, a transparent plate, and an immersion fluid between the skin and instrument (to cancel out skin surface reflections).

Modern dermatoscopes, such as DermLite, don't need immersion fluid at all, as they use polarised light to cancel out the reflections. This makes the examination of several lesions quicker and easier, as dermatologists no longer have to stop in between examinations to apply more oil to the skin.

Another advantage of dry epiluminescence is that vascular patterns have less chance of being missed through the compression of the skin by the glass contact plate. This means that basal cell carcinoma detection is greatly enhanced.

These important advantages mean that purchasing a DermLite dermatoscope from Equipmed is a wise decision, both for your patients and for your business.

Cathedral Caverns State Park is receiving a grant from the National Park Foundation to support renovations of the cave's lighting system.

The $9,625 grant will be used to purchase LED lighting to replace older incandescent lights in the cave.

"We will now be able to make necessary renovations inside the cave and finish a project we started last year," said Park Manager Lamar Pendergrass.

LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are increasingly being used instead of incandescent or florescent lights for a number of reasons, the main one being energy efficiency.

LEDs emit more light per watt than incandescent bulbs, and their efficiency is not affected by shape and size, unlike florescent bulbs or tubes.

LEDs also have a long lifetime, radiate little heat, and can be designed to focus light better than incandescents or fluorescents, which is beneficial inside a show cave like Cathedral Caverns.

Cathedral Caverns has begun converting the existing lighting to LEDs.

"We have already noticed a decrease in our power bill, just from the 200 lights we've replaced," said Pendergrass. "We hope to cut our power consumption in half after all the new lighting is installed."

The conversion is expected to be completed by September.

The grant is part of the National Park Foundation's Impact Grant program, which gives parks and other significant areas the financial support needed to transform innovative yet underfunded ideas into successful on-site programs and initiatives.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama's natural resources through five divisions:  Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.

To support growing global demand, LED chip, lamp and lighting fixture maker Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA says that its LMH2 module is now available in a 230V version for lighting manufacturers based in Europe and Asia. The LMH2 is designed to speed time-to-market and is claimed to be the only LED module delivering 80 lumens-per-watt system efficacy combined with a color rendering index greater than 90.

"Cree modules let us quickly and easily create high-performance lighting solutions for our customers," comments Miroslav Masar, SSL director at OMS s.r.o. of Dojc, Slovakia. "The LMH2 delivers the perfect combination of efficacy, color consistency and cost management," he adds.

The compact, two-piece module gives lighting manufacturers the flexibility needed for rapid LED luminaire design and development, Cree says. The LMH2 incorporates Cree TrueWhite LED technology for what is claimed to be unrivaled efficacy and CRI, featuring primary optics for superior color uniformity.

LMH2 also features primary thermal management – potentially eliminating the need for costly secondary thermal management systems. Optimized for more than downlights and spots, the LMH2 is designed for many lighting applications, including wall sconces, pendant lights, ceiling fans and many other common luminaires in commercial, retail, museums, residential, hospitality and restaurant environments, says Cree.

"The LMH2 is designed with the needs of the 230V European and Asian lighting markets in mind," says Mike Watson, Cree's senior director marketing, LED components. "One of the major barriers to LED lighting adoption and design remains upfront cost. The new Cree LMH2 modules can reduce initial luminaire cost and accelerate time-to-market for OEMs," he claims.

The LMH2 is available with a CRI of 90 at 850 and 1250 lumens and in color temperatures of 2700K, 3000K, 3500K and 4000K. Designed for 50,000 hours of operation and dimmable to 5%, the LMH2 comes with Cree's new five-year warranty. It is also UL-recognized and complies with multiple international regulatory and safety standards. Luminaire makers seeking ENERGY STAR qualification will have access to specification and performance data, including LM-80 reports, which can speed regulatory approvals.

It looks like Ford is preparing a new LED package for its revamped F-150, complete with LED light bars under the lip of the truck bed, as evidenced by this prototype caught by one of our spy shooters taking a break from a testing run.

The LED package on the F-150 Platinum remained lit for a few minutes, giving them just enough time to grab a few nighttime shots of the illuminated bed. The LED system also includes diode strips on the side mirrors. One word of caution to the Ford guys: Don't go overboard like Audi has been doing recently.

As Chevy prepares for an all-new Silverado for the 2014 model year, Ford's F-150 overhaul program is becoming more important by the day. Thoughtful, new details and updates like this LED truck bed lighting are the types of things that Ford planners can use in a cost-effective way until an all-new F-150 arrives; we're hearing for the 2015 model year.

Hygena, owned by the kitchen group Nobia, is one of the best-known kitchen brands in France. Complete kitchen solutions are offered from about 127 wholly owned stores. All shops are between 100 and 600 m2, and include exhibition, shop and office area.

Hygena wanted to refurbish their shops at the end of 2011 and a part of this was to change the lighting. Fagerhult was contacted to replace existing LED luminaires where color and glare were issues.

The LED module selected by Fagerhult for this task was the 1300lm Xicato Spot Module, with a Correlated Color Temperature of 3000K and a Color Rendering Index of 80+. It was selected for its all-round performance including energy saving, perfect uniformity and sustained light quality (in terms of color point and lumen maintenance), all achieved via the foundation 'Corrected Cold Phosphor Technology(TM).' Xicato LED modules have seen vastly increasing usage since their launch in 2008, including by Fagerhult in such areas as retail, offices and museums, though globally retail uptake has been most prevalent.

Fagerhult designed an optimized lighting solution with downlighters and pendants which resulted in about half the number of luminaires previously used, yet giving 30% more light.

"Fagerhult developed a new solution for us that gave more and better light, cost less in investment and less in running costs," says Per Kaufmann Head of Continental European Retail at Nobia. "A total LED solution for a future-proof light," summarized Delphine Rousset, Retail Lighting Solutions, Fagerhult.

Cooper Lighting, an industry leader committed to delivering innovative products and driving transformational technology in the lighting industry, is pleased to announce that its Halo H4 LED Adjustable Gimbal Series has been named a winner in Electronic House magazine's 2012 Product of the Year competition. Announced this month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the competition awards products based on their innovation, aesthetics, technological advances and lifestyle benefits to the customer. 

"We are honored that the panel of industry leaders and editors have recognized the Halo H4 LED Adjustable Gimbals as a Product of the Year," said Mark Eubanks, President, Cooper Lighting. "With consumers becoming more receptive to LED technology and energy-efficient choices, we strive to offer the most innovative, high-quality, reliable products that are aesthetically-pleasing and provide cost savings to the homeowner."
 
Cooper Lighting has made a significant investment in people, resources and technology to ensure the company provides first-class solutions to its customers' lighting challenges. The Company offers a range of indoor and outdoor LED lighting products and controls, all of which are specifically designed to maximize energy and cost savings. For additional information on Cooper's LED product offering, click here.

The Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) system developed by Dr Kirk Martinez of ECS-Electronics and Computer Science and colleagues at the Universities of Southampton and Oxford has recently been deployed in The Louvre, Paris, to capture items from the Oriental artefacts department.

This new technology makes it possible to study the finer details of some of the world's greatest historical artefacts. The systems take multiple pictures of artefacts with the light in different positions, then create a new type of RTI image, which enables the viewer to move the virtual light around the image to focus on the detail.

This version of the system, 'Dome3', incorporates a new design with its own transit box. A custom-build camera mount makes Dome3 easier to construct. The RTI technology systems developed by the project will allow researchers to study documentary and other artefacts remotely in great detail without being restricted by fixed lighting angles. The result will be to ensure that high-quality digital versions of these materials can be consulted by scholars worldwide.

"Hewlett Packard Research Laboratories invented this technology a few years ago and it has been used sporadically around the world," said Dr Martinez. "What we have done is develop the technology so that it is fast enough to be usable every day in a museum situation where you have lots of objects that need scanning."

The RTI technology systems developed by the project will allow researchers to study documentary and other artefacts remotely in great detail without being restricted by fixed lighting angles. The result will be to ensure that high-quality digital versions of these materials can be consulted by scholars worldwide.

The technology has already been used in the British Museum, the National Gallery, and the Ashmolean in Oxford. Having completed the work in The Louvre where it gathered around 40GB of date each day, Dome3 will now be taken to the United States, where it will remain permanently. It was built for the Mellon Foundation Funded-Imaging Campaign.

The earlier 12-month Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) System for Ancient Document Artefacts was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council's Digital Equipment and Database for Impact. The team members were: Dr Graeme Earl, Dr Kirk Martinez, Hembo Pagi, Leif Isaksen, PhD student Philip Basford, Michael Hodgson and Sascha Bischoff of the University of Southampton, and Professor Alan Bowman, Dr Charles Crowther, Dr Jacob Dahl and Dr Kathryn Piquette of the University of Oxford.

Delta Electronics is introducing the world's lightest 1000lm light bulb at Lighting Japan 2012 - the new omni-directional LED bulb weighs only 130g. Delta is also exhibiting LED lighting products with new high-lumen and dimming technologies, as well as the group's system integration capabilities in renewable energy, energy-saving and high-quality products. In addition, Delta is demonstrating new tube solutions for railway train stations and indoor applications for the Japanese market.

"We are putting Delta's mission "To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow" into practice with our advanced LED lighting collection. With the addition of the 1000lm-bulb, we have not only expanded our product range but have also upgraded its features and technology depth.

LightingJapan also offers us a great chance to demonstrate the capabilities of Delta as a group to evolve from a product provider to a system integration provider. Combining our in-house energy-saving, safe and reliable products, we have different teams within the company cooperating comprehensively to offer a total solution package that includes a user-friendly interface that ensures products and expertise perform to their maximum," said Roland Chiang, Director of the Solid-state Lighting Business Unit, Delta Electronics.

With a beam angle of 120° and 240° the new bulb aims to replace 100W and 80W incandescent bulbs. Delta's renowned thermal expertise has succeeded in developing this remarkable product and technology. For the market, the new bulb's light weight accompanies improved product performance and longer product life which also means higher energy-savings and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Delta is also demonstrating its remarkable solar-LED streetlight and wind-powered LED streetlight solutions at the exhibition. The wind-powered LED streetlight solution includes a 400W-system with a safety breaker for wind speed exceeding an upper limit of 42.5m/s and a programmable controller.

Delta has transformed from a component provider to a solutions provider to ease the problems customers have in parceling out requirements to different suppliers and solving compatibility issues. Solutions include products, customized design to meet the application environment, as well as service and maintenance. The wind turbine generates 400W at a wind speed of 11m/s and may power up to 1300W to light up an LED streetlight of 6000lm.

The entire system conforms to IP65 standards and may be dual-powered by both wind and the city power grid. You can now see several projects applying Delta's solar-streetlight and wind-power streetlight in operation worldwide.

The solar-LED streetlight solution includes a solar panel to power a 5500lm LED streetlight that has an analog programmable dimming function. A 150W solar power input can support such a system of 90lm/W for three days autonomously. Similar to the wind-powered LED streetlight solution, this system may be dual-powered by both solar panel and the city power grid.

UBM Trust, organiser of LED CHINA 2012 and SIGN CHINA 2012 and a joint venture company of UBM Asia Ltd., has announced the addition of key conference components to the co-located exhibitions taking place from 20 - 23 February at the China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex Area B in Guangzhou, China.

Now in its eighth year, LED CHINA 2012, the world's largest dedicated event to the entire LED industry supply chain, will introduce the China LED Intellectual Property Summit alongside the China International LED Application Forum, bringing to light advancements in LED technology and educating attendees on the business opportunities and developments of LED lighting across Asia.

Held concurrently with LED CHINA 2012, the China International LED Application Forum, taking place on 19 and 21 February, will host over 200 global LED industry leaders and government officials to discuss the current LED market, standards and certification processes, deliver case studies and insight on current infrastructure and commercial projects.

Speakers include Alvin Tse, Vice President - Asia Pacific Sales of Philips Lumileds Lighting; Ethan Jing, SSL Marketing Manager, China of Osram; and Hui Tao, Sales Director of NVC Lighting.

On 20 February, the first annual China LED Intellectual Property Summit will take place within the same venue, providing an educational forum on LED IP in China and worldwide. The one day seminar will include lectures on patents and licensing for Chinese LED companies, case studies on LED patent assertion and IP strategies, precedential cases in LED patent lawsuits, and a panel on challenges and opportunities for Chinese LED enterprises.

"LED technology adoption and interest has been booming in the past for so many years especially throughout Asia," said David Tang, Managing Director of UBM Trust. "It comes as no surprise given the comparative costs, energy, and maintenance savings that LED technology provides compared to older generation lighting sources which are still being used by most of the world.

We are excited this year to introduce the IP Summit alongside the LED Application Forum and LED and SIGN CHINA exhibitions. We aim to provide a complete well-rounded business and educational experience for all members of the industry."

LED CHINA 2012 expects again a wide representation of exhibiting companies and delegates across the world from all spectrums of the LED supply chain. Over 860 exhibiting companies have already signed on board to participate in this year's exhibition featuring the latest products in LED Display and LED Lighting. In 2011, 59,817 trade professionals from 154 countries and regions, including 8,563 overseas visitors attended the fair.

This year, featured exhibitors include: Foxconn Group showcasing their P3 full colour LED display, Liantronics showcasing their new PH2.54 and PH3 high contrast/refresh displays, Unilumnin showcasing their KAKA series with live broadcast applications, and HongLi Tronic showcasing their new HL-LB028 low light decline/high efficiency model with indoor, outdoor decorative, flood, commercial and industrial lighting applications.