Smart Shopping for LED Surgical Headlights

LEDs are rapidly becoming the most valued light source in medical illumination today, and surgical headlights are certainly no exception. Surgeons choose LED-based headlights for numerous reasons including their long lifespan, energy efficiency, ruggedness and the low-maintenance requirements. LED Technology has also opened many innovative pathways with its dynamic color mixing and color sequencing capabilities.

 

Daniel Cook, author of the “Surgeon’s Advice” column in Outpatient Surgery Magazine (October 2012,) interviewed Mark Drzala, M.D. and Assistant Professor at New Jersey’s University of Medicine and Dentistry. Dr. Drzala is a big fan of LED headlights and uses them often in his work. The following are a list of reasons for Mark’s Dr. Drzala’s affinity for LED-based headlights, along with the features consumers should consider when purchasing the portable headlights for their specific medical application.

• Freedom of movement. Most LED headlights are battery-operated — as opposed to xenon headlights that connect to light sources through fiber-optic cables — so you can work untethered around the surgical field, says an orthopedic spine surgeon with New Jersey Spine Specialists in Summit, N.J. "Surgeons like to move freely around the OR," he says. "They don't want to waste time asking someone to constantly disconnect and reconnect the headlight. That's a real nuisance.
• Battery life and weight. Consider the size and weight of a headlight's battery pack, suggests Dr. Drzala, because some physicians with back issues might find it difficult to operate with packs belted around their waists. "At the same time, some of the battery pack belts are robust and might actually provide some back support," he points out.
  
  LED headlights are powered by rechargeable batteries ensuring considerable duration on a single charge. Some LED headlights boast lifespans of 50,000 hours as well.
• Bright illumination. Can you narrow the headlight's aperture? And if so, does the illumination diminish when you do? Also look for uniform illumination, suggests Dr. Drzala, meaning hot spots don't appear in the center of the surgical field along with dimming along its perimeter.
  
  Some yellow-based lights sources have an incandescent look to them, while others have a cooler, higher Kelvin rating, which renders tissue with better coloration. "Surgeons must conduct their own head-to-head trials and see which ones they like best, because no 2 LED headlights are alike," says Dr. Drzala.
• Comfort. Look for lightweight, comfortable headsets, although comfort is very much subjective. Surgeons might take time to adjust to the feel of a headlight, and initially think the device puts them off-balance as they lean into the surgical field. "The weight of a headset can take some getting used to," says Dr. Drzala. "But with time, you get a sense of how you have to move your head in order to effectively shine the light source onto the field."
• Longevity. The lifespan of a xenon headlight is impacted by dimming bulbs and delicate fiber-optic cables that connect to light sources. "Every time a fiber-optic strand breaks through normal wear and tear, you lose a little bit of illumination," says Dr. Drzala. So, he says, xenon bulbs dim over time, while LEDs remain as bright as new even after repeated use. “A new xenon headlight and a new, high-quality LED model are equivalent," says Dr. Drzala. "But as time passes, LED headlights will better maintain their illumination and brightness."

Contact Norlux today for a consultation on your next LED lighting project for medical applications. We’re fast, highly automated, and we manufacture entirely in the U.S.A. 

 

Sources:  “Smart Shopping for Surgical Headlights” by Daniel Cook

Outpatient Surgery Magazine; “Surgeon’s Advice” column. October 2012.

http://www.outpatientsurgery.net/issues/2012/10/who-doesnt-like-leds&pg=3

LEDs Illuminate San Antonio’s River Walk for the Holidays

For the second consecutive year, San Antonio's River Walk will be aglow this holiday season with more than 1.76 million multi-colored light-emitting diode (LED) lights wrapping the trees and lining the street bridges along its banks. The new energy efficient lighting not only enhances the experience to all who visit the River Walk, but it also adds 20 times more lights, utilizes less than half the energy of traditional incandescent lighting and supports long-term sustainability efforts.

Earlier this year, the City of San Antonio converted 85,000 incandescent lights to 100 percent LED lights for this year’s River Walk Holiday Lights experience. Using more than 1.76 million LED mini-bulbs will save the equivalent of approximately 33,000 kilowatt-hours of energy. The LED lighting is durable and is expected to last 10 years in comparison to incandescent bulbs, which were replaced annually.

Local lighting consultant and renowned artist Bill FitzGibbons, who has created LED lighting displays across the world, developed the LED lighting plan for the City of San Antonio. In addition to the minibulbs, the eco-friendly lights incorporate the addition of multi-color programmable holiday accent lighting on all 22 street bridges at the River Walk. The lights will be wrapped on 170 trees lining the river, as high as 60 feet. To further enhance the Holiday experience, 26 heritage or iconic trees will feature up-lighting.

The enhanced LED lighting plan compliments Mayor Julián Castro’s inaugural Light Up Downtown Holiday Lighting Contest, which showcases creative holiday LED lighting displays at participating businesses on the street level. Both initiatives aim to bring visitors to downtown San Antonio this Holiday season while encouraging sustainability and energy conservation.

Norlux's team of engineers understand LEDs and related technologies like no other manufacturer in the world today. Contact us today to discuss your LED based lighting projects.

Source:
http://www.sanantonio.gov/riverwalklights.aspx

Intelligent Outlets Ensure Safer Skies

At Norlux, our goal is to innovate and update current product generations to ensure the best customized solution for your needs- both now and into the future. So when we partnered with an aviation company to make an intelligent outlet for aircrafts, utilizing GFI and over-current detection was simply not good enough. Our customer wanted us to add more protection to create the safest product in the air.

An FAA memorandum on power systems in airplanes, PS-ANM-01-111-165, requires that “…the design does not introduce a source of injury due to electrical shock…” While electrical shock can be guarded against with the use of a plug cover and still meet the requirements, it can be easily circumvented in real world applications. We wanted added protection for when the cover is removed and the outlet is exposed. The memorandum offers an optional example of such protection, suggesting “a design where output power is present at the PSS [power supply system] socket only when the PED [portable electronic device] connector is correctly mated with the socket.” Our design does just that; only a proper insertion of a plug activates power to the socket.

This extra level of protection was accomplished by adding plug presence detection (PPD) to the outlet. With PPD, the intelligent outlet does not supply power to the receptacle unless a plug is detected in the outlet. This prevents an individual from an electrical shocked caused by inserting a foreign object- a paperclip, a child’s toy, a piece of food- into the outlet. The PPD detection uses infrared emitters/receivers embedded into the side of the outlet to detect when a plug is in the outlet. Unlike some designs that only have one sensor in the outlet, our design uses two separate emitters/receivers as a redundancy check. With one sensor for each prong, the dual sensor design ensures that it is in fact a plug that is inserted into the outlet, and not a conductive object inserted into only one side. The sensor system can also be calibrated once the outlet is installed so that any ambient inferred light will be compensated for, preventing any false detections. The PPD also correctly detects all plugs styles that can fit into the universal outlet faceplate.

On top of the strict guidelines required to make the outlet safe for aviation use, we have gone above and beyond to ensure a high-quality product for our customer and the safest device for the end user. Contact Norlux today for a consultation on your LED lighting project.

Reference:
http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgPolicy.nsf/0/6283af43db9a694486256fd30077ca7d/$FILE/PSSforPED.pdf

Combining Surface Mount Technology (SMT) & Microelectronics Assembly

Throughout the history of electronics manufacturing, there have been distinct boundaries between those that assemble SMT components and those that assemble microelectronics. In today’s market, it is difficult to identify a U.S. source for low-volume prototype services that offers both disciplines.

SMT and microelectronics die and wire bond services are not usually found in one contract assembly location. In the past, organizations had to deal with two different companies to fulfill build requirements. For example, hybrids or chip on board (COB) integrate wire bonding directly on the board.


The specific application, process requirements, thermal considerations and printed circuit board characteristics all must be accounted for when determining how and when to involve the precise sequence of SMT and microelectronics assembly.  With proper planning, manufacturers can take a product from design to volume-production at a lower cost, in a shorter time and with less risk than a company not specialized in these technologies trying to do the prototyping, manufacturing and test on its own.

Although these SMT and microelectronics assembly have been--traditionally--separate, more manufacturers are faced with both SMT and microelectronics build requests since many boards and assemblies are requiring mixed technologies.  Microelectronics assemblies require a class 100,000 cleanroom for most operations with some of the sub-processes requiring class 10,000. Expertise is expected in process engineering, die attach, wire bonding, and custom deliverable parts. Most companies looking to outsource these processes want someone with 15-to-20 years of experience in building microelectronics parts.

Taking into account and planning of SMT and microelectronics assembly simultaneously has many advantages. Simultaneous production planning enables process engineers to look at the total product rather than at one board or view it in isolation. Temperature plays a large part in determining the order of assembly; maximum temperature requirements for wire bonding can be different than for other components. Working together enables an evaluation of which part needs which processes and at what temperature profile so as not to destroy other elements of the component or adjacent wire bonds.

Norlux's team of engineers understand SMT and micreoelectronic assembly like no other manufacturer in the world today. Contact us today to discuss your LED based lighting projects.

Blog re-published with permission.  Authored originally by Jessica Sylvester on Oct 09, 2012
http://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/bid/109934/Combining-Surface-Mount-Technology-SMT-Microelectronics-Assembly

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.

Industrial Applications Embrace LED Technology

The usage of energy efficient LEDs in large-scale industrial lighting applications is becoming more critical than ever. Factories, warehouses, manufacturing plants and workshops all require a very large volume of light to properly illuminate operations, and as a result have created huge costs for businesses utilizing outdated lighting technologies of the past. Commercial grade LED industrial lighting is designed to replace existing mercury, sodium and metal halide lamp fixtures of much higher wattages, and therefore save money, energy and by extension: the environment. Thanks to advancements in semiconductors, optics and materials, LED lighting has excellent applications in industrial environments.

Below, Steve Henry (greenmanufacturer.net; 11/2011) gives us an overview of features that illustrate why LED technology is suitable for nearly any industrial lighting application. 

• Energy-efficient. The main driver for LED adoption is energy efficiency. Achieving the lighting levels required for a particular application at the lowest possible energy input becomes critical as energy costs rise and as government regulations clamp down on wasteful energy sources.
• Long-living. Correctly designed, LED fixtures offer up to 60,000 hours of illumination, with no "droop," or color shifts, and no penalty for frequent on/off cycles.  LEDs' longer lifespan than most other lighting sources' means less material is disposed over time.
• Low-maintenance. Because it is rugged and long-running, LED lighting requires very little maintenance. When LED lighting is used in a fixture with an intelligent modular design, even end-of-life replacement of components becomes quick and simple.
• Resistant to Shock, Vibration, Corrosion. LEDs can be used in environments where other technologies fail—prematurely or catastrophically.
• Cold Start-Capable. LEDs provide instant on and instant restrike capabilities to -40 degrees C, with no warm-up time required to achieve full brightness.
• Non-damaging. LEDs do not produce ultraviolet or infrared radiation often emitted by other lighting sources. This lowers cooling costs, simplifies maintenance, prolongs product life, protects eyes and sensitive equipment, and provides a margin of safety in hazardous environments.
• Safe for Hazardous Locations. Available LED luminaires are rated for use in areas where flammable gases and vapors are present under conditions defined by NEC Class I, Division 2 and IEC Zone 2.
• Easily Positionable. LED lighting often is the best choice for areas with low clearance, severe weather conditions, excessive moisture or dust, corrosive atmospheres, and high ambient temperatures.
• Nontoxic. LED lighting is also the only non-incandescent lighting source that contains no mercury. This eliminates any chance for mercury to escape into the environment either in operation or after disposal, therefore special handling is not required. Lights with lead-free solder ensure no toxins leak out when components finally reach end-of-life.
• White and Bright. Today's industrial LED luminaires provide high-quality white light that eases eye strain.
• Highly Directional. LED luminaires can be configured to produce nearly any horizontal and vertical distribution of light—from illuminating a tall, narrow fence line for security purposes to area lighting that allows production crews to work efficiently and safely.

LED industrial lighting is here today, and it's here to stay. The benefits it provides simply cannot be ignored. Even local and national governments are taking notice of LEDs as they focus on the problems of energy consumption, greenhouse gases, pollutants, and toxic waste.  LEDs are Green, and most important green feature of LEDs are their energy efficiency. LEDs have the smallest environmental footprint of any manufactured source. Because a large percentage of electricity in the U.S. is produced by burning fossil fuels, switching to LED lighting also is likely to cut emissions of greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants. In addition, LEDs are mercury-free.

 

For all of the advantages of LED based illumination, it's easy to see why the industrial market space is embracing LED technology now and will continue to switch-over well into the future.  Contact Norlux today for a consultation on your LED lighting project.

Reference: 

"Shedding light on LED for industry: LED primed to replace metal halide, mercury vapor".By Steve Henry; October 12, 2011; Green Manufacturer http://www.greenmanufacturer.net/article/facilities/shedding-light-on-led-for-industry

Norlux: Perfecting LED Logistics

In the world of LEDs, you’re going to find a lot of logistical details. These can range from choosing among a variety of LED package types, to managing lead times on shipments from overseas, choosing the right correlated color temperature (CCT) variation for your application, dealing with revision changes on LEDs as your product matures, and many more.

At Norlux, we are experts in all of these areas. We can help you manage all of these details so that you can keep your focus on your own business needs and trust the logistics to us.

Norlux has a build-to-order manufacturing model. This philosophy combined with our high capacity gives us the ability to be very nimble in meeting our customer’s demand. Norlux works with our trading partners to find the optimal balance between shipment and replenishment cycles, which, in turn, will reduce transportation expenses. Also, our central location in the suburban Chicago area makes us an optimal distribution point for North American customers.

Our volume and scale bring value to you. Norlux purchases millions of LEDs per year, so we have gained significant buying power and strong supplier relationships with all major LED manufacturers. This ultimately gives our customers access to more competitive pricing and in many cases, shorter lead times than would be otherwise achievable. Norlux also has a world class material tracking system, complete with lot number traceability.

Product lifecycle management is another area we excel in. With rapid improvements in performance and falling prices seen in the LED industry, you need an expert in managing your product lifecycle. At Norlux, we have a system in place for dealing with this. We coordinate the changes for you every step of the way. If the market price of your LED platform falls, you will benefit from the positive impact shortly thereafter. By minimizing inventory on hand and knowing precisely what exists in the supply chain, we can help you make an optimal business decision on how and when to evolve your design.

You should be free to keep your attention on your own business’ growth rather than managing these kinds of details. At Norlux, we want to partner with you and allow our expertise to fill this role, so that you can move forward with confidence and assurance in the LED lighting world. Contact us today to discuss your LED logistical needs!