Applications | electrical & electronic Bright future for LEDs
The fast-growing market for energy-effi cient LED lighting presents real opportunities for
polymer producers and injection moulders. Chris Smith reviews the latest applications
The market for LED luminaires is expected to climb to reach a value of $25bn by 2023, according to US consultancy Lux Research, around 10 times its 2013 size. And that’s good news for plastics and plastic processors, which are likely to play a key role in meeting the cost reduction requirements of the industry.
In its latest LED state-of-the-market report, the
consultancy predicted the secondary optics market alone (secondary optics are used external to the LED package to improve directional management of the light) is likely to amount to a value of $6.9bn by 2023. Tertiary optics, fi xtures and enclosures will provide further plastics opportunities. “LED technology is the growth driver of the entire lighting market,” says Wolfgang Dehen, CEO of Osram Licht, one of the world’s leading lighting companies. The company’s opto semiconductors division (which produces LED components for applications including lighting) posted sales of more than €1bn last year, up by more than 10% on its 2012 performance. Osram’s latest LED development is the Superstar
Classic A lamp, which is designed as a drop-in energy- saving replacement for traditional incandescent bulbs. It is claimed to be the fi rst of its type to be manufac- tured in Germany – the company says production in local markets is a key part of its strategy for LED lighting for the future. The new lamp uses Sabic’s Lexan LUX-G polycarbon-
www.injectionworld.com
ate. According to the resin maker, the LUX-G grades have been developed to meet the extended heat ageing requirements of the LED sector, which with typical lifetimes of up to 50,000 hours last up to 50 times longer than today’s incandescent designs. The resins, which were launched by Sabic last year, are said to offer much improved colour stability and transparency over standard PC grades. “In the lighting industry, our customers are looking for solutions that address heat management, so that LED bulbs can last longer. Equally important is the transmission of light and the use of materials that are compliant with the latest regulations for toxicity and fl ame retardancy”, says Venugopal Koka, director, electrical industrial and lighting marketing for SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business.
LUX resins are also being used by US-based Switch Lighting to produce the globe for its Infi na LED incandescent lamp replacement. The company is using an optimised injection-blow moulding technique to produce the part to avoid the
production of a dark ‘hot spot’ on the top of the lamp. Russian company AtomSvet is using Makrolon PC from Bayer MaterialScience to produce the housings and lenses for a range of LED luminaires for use in industrial and commercial environments, which are exposed to dusty and damp environments where temperatures can fl uctuate widely.
The company is using Makrolon LED2245 PC for the April 2014 | INJECTION WORLD 43 Main image:
LED technology is driving the lighting market,
according to Osram
Below:
BMS helped US-based
Kenall develop the optics for its TopDek parking lot lights
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