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Die Casting Helps LED Lighting Keep Its Cool
Linden, N.J., an aluminum and zinc diecasting facility. LED lighting, more than traditional lighting systems, produces a significant amount of heat while only needing half the electricity. To deal with the increased thermal demands, Microcast engineers designed the housing to allow for increased cooling efficiencies while still limiting maintenance and weight. The two-piece aluminum housing was design in two
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sizes for the VA1 and VA2 lighting systems. Both mod- els can be opened after installation to allow for light replacement and repairs. The diecast 18 x 39 in. housing combined all of the LED mounting, internal heatsink finning, access and maintenance features in a single set of parts. The resulting unit lowered the system cost and increased performance. “LED lighting has substantial advantage over stan-
dard lighting systems in that it requires far less electric- ity (50% of standard) and 60% longer life,” said Owen VandeVelde, design engineer, H.E. Williams. “These tools designed by Microcast Technologies allow the inserts to be changed out to make four versions of the casting using one mold base setup.” The complex design includes 18 fins that help draw heat from the LED lights to keep temperatures within
hen H.E. Williams, Carthage, Mo., needed to redesign its two-piece housing for a new commercial lighting fixture, engineers ap- proached Microcast Technologies,
the operational limits. Additionally, the clamshell design eases maintenance once the lights are installed. Used in outdoor areas such as parking lots and driveways, the housing earned top prize in the North American Die Casting Association’s design competition in the division for aluminum castings above 10 lbs. ■
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The aluminum die casting minimizes weight while providing ample heat dissipation for the LED lighting system.
Jul/Aug 2015 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 45
The tools designed by Microcast Technolo- gies allow the inserts to be changed out to make four versions of the casting using one mold base setup.” —OWEN VANDEVELDE
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