Publication date: 24 June 2010
For around 130 years we have used the light bulb, which now is close to extinction. The EC experts at Brussels have agreed to gradually take light bulbs out of the market because of their high energy consumption. Since September 2009, 100 watt bulbs may no longer be sold within the EC. From September 1st, 2012 the end will finally have come for all other bulbs of lower wattage. As an alternative only energy-saving lamps will be available for sale; these are much more expensive when purchased, but offer a much longer service life. Besides conventional energy-saving bulbs the light emitting diode (LED) is coming forth more and more as both an energy-saving and time efficient technology.
JUKI follows this trend and for a long time has already been offering SMD placement solutions for LEDs. JUKI is convinced that LED technology will play an increasingly important role in future illumination applications. Several manufacturers on the LED illumination market have already selected JUKI assembly systems. The enormous potential has been identified and the industry has just started to make use of it. The classic application for illumination will only be the initial spark. All experts on the market agree to one fact: LED technology will experience an enormous growth rate within the coming years. The expectations of some analysts are that until 2025, every third light source will be an LED. Other predictions assume that in 10 years 70% of all light sources will be based on LED technology. The global market for LED applications is actually reckoned to be 4 billion Euros; it is expected to grow to 6 billion Euros by 2014.
Dr. Klaus Angermaier, Senior Marketing Manager Transportation & Energy at WACKER notes on their web site: „The LED is about to revolutionise illumination technology.
New optical high-performance Silicones developed by Wacker, called "Lumisil" will, for the first time, allow the manufacturing of optical lenses for LEDs directly on the LED chip. This will enormously reduce the high production cost for LEDs, which up to now were produced in a complex injection moulding process. With this extremely efficient method five work steps can be saved according to Wacker.
abc Technology International GmbH have closed a multi-million preliminary contract with the „Sochi 2014 Olympic Organizing Committee” (SOOC). For the Olympic winter games 2014 in Russia, the medium-sized Wetzlar based company shall receive the order to improve the illumination of all tunnels and subway lines in the Olympic city of Sotschi within a project of infrastructural improvements. Even the illumination of the new Olympic stadium is under discussion. The state-of-the-art, energy-saving LED light tubes from Wetzlar will be installed in all lighting systems.
With LEDs arranged on electrically conductive laminating layers, the Swiss company Sun-Tec is offering completely new perspectives to designers and architects. Sun-Tec produces LED film laminated between glass panes and thus, according to their own statement ‘even gets stones to shine’. Unlike similar materials which only function with conductive ferrous oxide glass, these films can be combined with almost any flat surface such as veneer, metal structures or even stone. At Sun-Tec some potential applications can already be seen, such as glass balustrades displaying information or floor and wall integrated dynamic way-signs for guidance systems. Actually anything which is feasible with point-shaped light sources can be realised.
Today every second household has a flat screen TV. Plasma and LCD TVs both have their supporters and, when compared directly, have their pros and cons. Now though, LED TVs are getting ready to conquer the living rooms, , as these combine the advantages of both LCD and plasma TVs together.
Basically, an LED TV is just a normal LCD TV which is illuminated by environmentally friendly light emitting diodes instead of power guzzling fluorescent tubes. This results in very low power consumption and clearly better contrast than in LCD or plasma TVs. Experts call this technology LED backlight.
For a long time only plasma screens were available in larger formats, but this has now changed. LCD and LED TVs meanwhile have overcome the 50 inch restriction.
A future without LED technology is unimaginable and we are curious as to where this technology will be applied in the future.
