Quality of light and the - Philips Lighting

iNtERViEW
the importance of having a
LED light source
annetta Kelso,
senior Marketing Manager
LED systems,
Philips Lighting
as a luminaire manufacturer, what should
your LED light source strategy be? is it
better to take control of the development
and manufacturing process of LED light
engines yourself, or should you buy readymade
off the shelf LED light modules from
experienced lighting manufacturers? and
should you then choose for a peak design or
future proof LED module. it pays to know
the facts and make an informed choice.
in contrast to conventional light sources there are now more
options and choices with LED light sources. there are the
traditional light source suppliers, the big 4, who started the
changeover to LED modules. there are the new entrants to the
lighting market, without any history of conventional lighting, but
with plenty of LED experience. and, new to the lighting industry,
is the phenomenon of luminaire manufacturers making their own
LED light sources. the market is diversifying rapidly and has not
yet settled on a few standard types, although with the new Zhaga
specifications the process is starting.
LED modules and drivers for professional lighting applications
have quickly become well­known, accepted light sources for
luminaire manufacturers and are
now omnipresent. there has been an
explosion of different sizes, shapes
and specifications for different
applications and there are many
different supply sources. But the LED
light engines now being created and
available on the market are not all the same. there are some
major differences between them and it pays to understand these
differences and be aware of the choices and the consequences of
the choices one is making.
// The Luminaire manufacturers own LED module
this is an in­house designed and manufactured LED light engine,
which could be a one­off or a structural solution for a particular
luminaire and may or may not be integrated in to the luminaire.
it is built by the luminaire manufacture to a cost point, to get the
optimum specification possible with the technology at a particular
moment in time. it enables the luminaire manufacturer to have
a tailor made LED light source for a particular luminaire, exactly
according to his own wishes. this is usually the domain of large
oEMs, who have the resources, competency and R&D budgets
Non future proof, peak designed LED modules
some specialized LEDs manufacturers and new entrants to the
lighting market, supply ready­made LED light engines to luminaire
manufacturers, with attractive initial costs and specifications. these
LED light engines are often described as peak designs, as they do
not necessarily retain certain key specifications when the next
upgrade comes along 8 months later. the original specifications are
often for a fixed period only. these solutions can seem like very
attractive propositions in terms of energy efficiency or initial cost,
but the luminaire manufacturer should be aware that hidden costs
may well appear only later, when the first module upgrade takes
place. a non­future proof LED module may change dimensions,
lumen package, or beam pattern, which will have consequences
for the luminaire that it was previously used in. there may be
substantial alterations needed to the luminaire, in terms of optics,
tooling or thermal arrangements. the current driver selected may
no longer be within specification, necessitating either a redesign,
or the sourcing and switchover to a new driver. What would the
financial impact be of a new driver footprint with screw holes in
different positions, or different connectors? Furthermore, there
are costs associated with having to undergo a new approbation
process. some luminaire manufacturers have indicated they have
to employ full time staff just to keep up with the non­future proof
aspect of the LED modules of certain suppliers to the market.
these hidden costs should not be underestimated when making
the initial choice of LED module.
“Explosion of different sizes,
shapes and specifications.”
www.philips.com/lightspec
to design, develop and maintain their own LED light engines, but
is also a route chosen by smaller oEMs who have a niche market
solution. it may also seem an attractive choice for smaller oEMs
when the LED luminaire market is in an early stage of penetration
and volumes are still manageable, but is it the right longer term
strategy, when volumes reach high levels and complexity increases?
in­house design and manufacture requires a large investment of
time and money from the R&D department and from the Product
Development side, as well as the supply chain management
organization. the quality levels, liability and certification processes
all become part of the luminaire manufacturer’s responsibility.
the market need to keep LED light engines up to date and the
product upgrades and amount of
maintenance needed over time is
often underestimated and requires
focus and resources. the speed
at which the LED technology is
moving, coupled with the increasing
complexity of global platform changes
and the need to keep costs under control, raise the question
whether this will still be a route that many, other than the largest
luminaire manufacturers, can afford or want to take on in the long
term?
// Off the shelf LED modules
another alternative for in­house design of LED light engines
is the off the shelf LED module and driver. this is an attractive
proposition as it means someone else is making the investment
in R&D costs and taking care of the tasks of design, development,
upgrading, certification and quality guarantees. and this appeals
to smaller or medium sized oEMs, who do not have their own
extensive resources to develop and maintain their own LED light
engines, but who still want to compete in the market. But it is also
attractive to certain larger oEMs who have a strategy of focusing
Future­proof LED modules
the other example of a ready­made, off the shelf LED module
is the future­proof version, of which the Philips Fortimo range
is an example. these LED modules have been made with the
needs of the luminaire manufacturer in mind and recognize that
a certain amount of light technical stability is needed in a world
of continuous change and innovation. Future­proof modules
offer stable lumen packages, stable module interfaces and
backwards compatibility with drivers. the aim is to allow luminaire
manufactures to seamlessly switch between one LED module
generation and the next improved one, with minimum change,
effort and cost to the luminaire design and production processes.
it also alleviates the burden placed on stretched supply chains,
whereby logistics and purchasing departments need to handle
relations and orders with a high number of component suppliers.
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