Prototype Fabrication: Bringing Vision to Fruition

With great advances in LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology over the years, the opportunities are increasing for companies to design and implement LED-based lighting products. These products utilize the inherent energy savings and environmentally friendly characteristics of LEDs. The common business goal is to develop LED lighting products that fit specific market applications and can compete favorably with the competition in appearance, efficacy (lumen per watt,) as well as price. Product design and development begins with the collective input of Marketing, R&D and Engineering, with the eventual aim of creating a fully functional and testable prototype.
 

Prototyping is always a critical phase in product development. It amounts to taking your best theoretical concepts and engineering them into existence, with the help of a quality manufacturer. A company that excels at providing timely and accurate LED light engine prototypes must shine in the following areas:

• Understand the customer requirements and needs, even before they do
• Create multiple, innovative solutions to achieve the desired results
• Master capabilities in all aspects of LED lighting
• Thermal management
• Optics
• Controls
• Drivers
• Chip-on-Board (COB)
• Gold wire bonding
• Surface-mount technology (SMT)
• Printed circuit board (PCB) layout
• Screen/stencil printing
• Exhibit flexibility with design changes
• Demonstrate quick-turn capabilities
• Produce high-quality, accurate first yield assemblies
• Maintain close communications between the customer and the prototyping engineering group
• Facilitate seamless transitions between manual and automated processes
• Sustain electrostatic discharge (ESD) control

The ultimate goal is to get the prototype back to the customer quickly for evaluation. Customers take this opportunity to align initial calculations/expectations with real-world results. This is the time to verify form, fit and function of the finished product, or suggest a possible change moving forward.
 

With an ever-evolving technology like LEDs, it is business critical that companies get their LED lighting designs developed, built, tested, refined and launched in a timely manner. Product lifecycles are short with LED-based lighting fixtures, and the competition will take your share of the market if you’re not nimble. Fast and accurate prototyping is a critical phase your company needs to master to beat your competition to the punch.

 

Contact Norlux today for a consultation on your next LED lighting project, and we’ll start bringing your unique vision to fruition today.