LED Factory Lights
It is important to maintain excellent lighting conditions if you have a factory. Industrial spaces need adequate lighting to aid the work process and emphasise employee safety. Without proper luminaries, productivity will decline, and people will become prone to accidents.
Apart from having proper luminaries, it is also important to use energy efficient lighting. Since most factories use a lot of light energy, it is important to invest in energy efficient alternatives. Here is everything you need to know about LED factory lights.
What Is Factory Lighting?
Before we look at energy efficient ways of illuminating factory spaces, it is important to understand the kind of luminaries that work well in this setting. Factory lighting is very different from residential lighting as these lamps serve a different purpose.
Factory luminaries are specifically designed to light up large spaces, and these luminaries also have a much longer lifespan to avoid frequent replacements from burnout.
Additionally, special factory lighting is designed to meet the lighting capacity of a factory work environment. Therefore, you should not opt for standard lighting as these will not work best in this application.
Lighting is more than just a way of illuminating spaces in a factory. It is an essential tool in any factory. This component is important for providing an enhanced user experience in this setting. Excellent factory lighting improves work management, safer operations and improves storage of products.
A bright level of illumination is also great for improving visibility in certain areas. A well-run factory is an important part of business; therefore, if you want to ensure the steady growth of your company, you need a well-illuminated factory.
Poorly lit factories can lead to decreased productivity, accidents and higher utility bills. Since lights remain operational for a long time in factories, it is important to implement energy efficient solutions.
One of the best energy efficient lamps for factories is LED lamps. LED factory lighting has a long lifespan, and these lights do not consume much energy, especially compared to other traditional factory lighting.
What Are The Benefits Of Good Factory Lighting?
As mentioned before, it is crucial to have adequate factory lighting. To operate a factory smoothly, you must look for efficient lighting solutions that provide good illumination. These types of lights improve productivity and ensure the safety of factory employees.
Poor lighting can lead to various hazards and drastically decline the work quality of the factory. Factories are also usually deprived of natural light; therefore, it is important to put in light fixtures that will provide adequate illumination.
Apart from these factors, here are some important benefits of implementing LED factory lights.
Decreased Overall Operating Costs
One of the biggest benefits of using LED factory lights is seeing a significant decline in your operating costs. These luminaries are designed to provide high-intensity illumination and cast at a fraction of the energy cost.
LED factory lights are one of the most efficient types of lighting on the market. These do not waste energy compared to incandescent lamps.
LED lighting is also much more efficient than fluorescent lamps, so you can keep your energy costs low without interrupting your light use.
LED factory lighting is also cool to the touch and does not produce heat energy, unlike traditional luminaries. This heat energy can become an even bigger strain on your energy bills; therefore, switching to LEDs is much more cost-effective for factory purposes.
Longer Lifespan
If you are constantly replacing your traditional factory bulbs, you might want to switch to LED factory lighting. LEDs do not experience burn out at the same rate as traditional lights. In fact, most LEDs do not experience burn out at all.
These luminaires only get dimmer over a long period of time. Most high-quality LED factory lights have a lifespan of over 40,000 hours. This means you can keep using your luminaries for years without worrying about replacing them.
Most traditional lamps also experience flickering closer to burnout; however, you won’t experience this issue with LED factory lights.
Keep Employees Energised
If your factory has proper illumination levels, your employees are less likely to feel lethargic during midday hours. Proper lighting ensures that factory workers remain alert and productive. It is important to ensure the lighting produces the correct colour temperature and brightness level to achieve this level of productivity.
Reduce Work Accidents And Promote Employee Safety
With good lighting, such as LED factory lighting, you can get rid of dimly lit spots in the area. These include places where employees might strain their eyesight to see paperwork and labels. When employees see better, they make fewer mistakes.
Heavy machinery is commonly found in most factories, so it is important to have proper illumination to reduce accidents. Heavy machine operators can not see what they are doing without proper lighting and run into shelves or, even worse, injure someone.
Effective lighting helps operators use machinery without damaging property and fellow employees.
Reduce Maintenance Costs
Since LED factory lights are so efficient, you can also significantly cut down your maintenance costs. With traditional lighting breaking down our burning out easily, factory owners have to spend more and more money to maintain adequate lighting levels.
Most factory managers wait until several factory lights burn out in order to save on replacement costs; however, this can cause the production area to become darker. With poor lighting levels, you can risk the safety and productivity of your employees. To avoid this issue, you must switch to LED factory lighting.
Better Versatility
LED lights are highly adaptable to colder temperatures. If your factory works as a cold storage facility, you can benefit from installing LED lighting. LED lights are cool to the touch as they do not produce any heat emissions, unlike traditional light bulbs. This means you can leave your LEDs turned on for a long period of time without worrying about any heat emissions.
How To Choose The Right Factory Light Bulb?
Factory lighting uses multiple different bulbs. However, not all these options are reliable. There are three common types of bulbs used in factory settings. These include metal halide, fluorescent and LED factory lighting.
Out of these options, LEDs are the most efficient; however, it's important to look at the other two options to understand just how effective LEDs are.
Metal Halide Lamps
Metal halide lamps are one of the most common factory lighting options. These lamps have an electric light that produces energy through a combination of electricity and a mixture of gasses. These gasses contain vaporised mercury and metal halide compounds of bromine and iodine.
This lamp is often called a high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp. These luminaries were developed in the 1960s and operated just like the mercury vapour of a halogen lamp. However, the metal halide lamp contains additional compounds in the arc tube, which improve its colour rendition of the light and efficiency compared to traditional lighting.
At the time of their development, these lamps were considered one of the most efficient light fixtures on the market for factory use. But with recent innovations, these lamps' efficiency quality has sharply declined.
However, many factories still use these lamps as they have a low initial cost. It is important to note that even though inefficient lighting is more economical initially, it can cost you a lot of energy consumption in the long run.
Metal halide lamps also have the highest rate of light depreciation, and these lamps do not provide a wide range of options when it comes to colour temperatures.
Most metal halide lamps only come in a warm white colour shade; therefore, if you want something with a warmer colour temperature, you will need to look beyond this option. Another disadvantage of halide lamps is that they need a warm up time before reaching their full illumination.
These lamps also need a cool-down period after they are turned off and before they need to be back on again. This means that you will waste a significant portion of your energy costs. While metal halides are one of the most commonly used lightings in factories, these are not very efficient and are being replaced by more innovative models.
Fluorescent Lamps
After metal halide lamps, many people were looking for energy efficient lighting solutions. Fluorescent lamps offered an energy saving alternative when compared to metal halide lamps.
Fluorescent factory lighting consumes a lot less energy than metal halide lamps, and they come in a variety of colour temperatures. These fluorescent lamps also come in a variety of shapes and sizes to give you more flexible applications when designing your light network.
Due to these qualities, fluorescent lights are the common choice when it comes to factory lighting. However, these lamps come with several downsides as well.
Fluorescent lamps are highly sensitive to temperature conditions and do not work well in extremely cold or hot areas.For example, the extreme temperature will decrease the fluorescent’s lifespan for factories that store freezer products.
A fluorescent lamp’s lifespan is also negatively affected by frequent on/off modes; therefore, these lamps are not recommended for areas that require constant switching of lighting. For these areas, it is recommended that you use LED factory lights.
With rising environmental concerns, many factory managers are looking for eco-friendly options when it comes to lighting. If you want to impact the environment positively, fluorescent lights are not a great option to install.
These lamps contain toxic mercury compounds in the tube structure that can be dangerous to human health and the environment. More recent models of fluorescent lamps have decreased the amount of mercury; however, these lamps are not as efficient.
Fluorescent lamps are highly dependent on mercury which means it's hard to find a lamp of this type that is environmentally friendly.
Light Emitting Diode Lamps
If you are looking for factory lighting that is highly efficient and versatile, Light emitting diode lamps are the best choice. This LED factory lighting uses less energy than any other light source without compromising on illumination.
LED lamps rely more on lumen output to deliver outstanding light output that is not heavy on energy costs. LED factory lighting has a much longer lifespan. These lamps can either be purchased as retrofits for current fixtures or complete fixtures for newer applications.
In general, LEDs are energy efficient for multiple applications. These lamps are most commonly used in domestic and commercial areas. However, manufacturers have also created linear and strip light style LEDs to work better in industrial and factory settings.
These specialised LEDs have a much longer lifespan and provide high-intensity brightness. The main reason LEDs are so much more efficient than any other light bulb is their structural component.
These lamps do not contain any sensitive materials such as filaments or mercury vapour to provide high-intensity brightness. The structure of an LED also lasts a lot longer than other lamps, as there is no risk of burnout.
Most LED factory lighting can last between 50,000 and 100,000 hours, giving them a much longer lifespan compared to other factory lighting. With LED lamps, you won’t have to stop your workflow from replacing lamps constantly. These bulbs don’t suffer from on/off cycles the same way metal halides or fluorescents do.
As soon as an LED lamp is switched on, you will experience its full brightness, and there is no cool-down period required when you want to switch them back on again.
LED lamps work well in colder temperatures; however, this lighting might not be suitable for higher temperatures. Despite this problem, most LED lamps can still operate at a decreased light output and lifespan in higher temperatures.
Why Do LEDs Work Well In Factory Settings?
Metal halide and fluorescent lamps have long been considered the standard for factory lighting, which is why many factory managers are hesitant to switch to LED factory lighting.
Even though fluorescent and halide lamps are much better than incandescent bulbs, they still come with a lot of issues, such as disposal hazards, less efficiency, and shorter lifespans.
In comparison, LED lamps are a much better choice for factory lighting. If you are still trying to decide whether to switch to LED factory lighting, here are some benefits you enjoy with these luminaries.
LED Factory Lights Reduce Warm Up Time
A longer warm-up time can significantly cut into your working hours. Metal halide lamps take up a long time to warm up, and some models can take over 15 minutes to reach their full brightness capacity.
In a factory, most people turn on the lights well before opening hours to ensure the halide lamps are already running when work starts. This means that the lamps are burning energy even before they provide any illumination.
Due to this reason, you end up wasting a lot of energy and spending more on energy bills. To avoid such issues, you must switch to LED factory lighting, as these lamps do not need any warm-up time to become fully operational. Once you switch these lamps on, they immediately provide high-quality illumination.
A Dimmer Feature For More Control
Most traditional factory lights have limited controls; however, you won’t experience this problem with LED factory lights. LEDs provide extra controls, including the dimmer function, so you can use your illumination more efficiently.
LED lighting needs LED-specific hardware to perform dimming functions. You can easily find this hardware on the market to add significant value to your factory’s overall lighting design. These dimmer controls are easy to install, so you can start using them immediately.
Unlike metal halide bulbs, LED lamps are more efficient when running at less than full power. Additionally, the lifespan of the LED bulb increases when it is run at less than full power. This allows factory managers to save even more on energy costs by managing lights efficiently.
Most LED factory lighting can work with a dimmer to improve its efficiency. You can also use these lights in conjunction with timers and motion sensors to adapt to foot traffic patterns and ambient conditions. These features make LED factory lighting adaptive lighting and are a great way to generate savings at a factory facility.
Frequent On/Off Toggle With LEDs
Some factory lighting can only be switched on and off occasionally. This problem is commonly found in metal halide lamps that are inconvenient to turn off. Alternatively, if these lamps are turned off, you spend a lot of time trying to get them back to their full illumination.
Once a metal halide lamp is turned off, it takes around 15 to 20 minutes for it to reach its full brightness. This warm-up time is inconvenient for multiple reasons. Firstly, even though the light hasn’t reached its full brightness, you are still wasting energy, driving up your energy costs.
Any factory area with a lull in activity for a significant portion of time will also run the risk of wasting energy as it will be too much of a hassle to turn the metal halide lamps on/off.
In comparison, LED factory lighting can be turned on/off instantly without affecting the light output in any way. This means that your LED lamp’s lifespan and energy are not wasted by running them unnecessarily.
What Are The Different Ways To Use LED Factory Lights?
To achieve proper illumination in a factory setting, you need to use multiple lighting styles. This level of planning will allow you to create specific lighting zones in your workplace. Only some areas of a factory require similar levels of lighting.
For example, storage space might need wide-cast illumination. While walkways and corridors would need focused directional lighting. It is important to understand how various lighting styles work to create proper lighting zones.
You can use illumination in three different ways. Here is how each method works and how to pair them with your factory light fixture.
General Lighting
In every single lighting plan, you should dedicate several light fixtures to create general or ambient lighting. This type of lighting is important for setting the tone for a space, and it also provides enough illumination for people to see and move around comfortably and safely.
In some applications, you can also use general lighting as task lighting. When installing ambient lighting, you must make sure to use lamps that will provide uniform levels of illumination over an entire space.
For a factory setting, it is important that you add high-quality general lighting to improve visibility and reduce accidents in the workplace. These lamps also provide illumination completely independent from other lighting fixtures.
Most ambient lighting often comes in the form of overhead fixtures such as track lights, recessed pot lighting, high bay luminaires, and other ceiling-based lamps. However, you can also find ambient lighting in stand-alone luminaries such as table and floor lamps.
Typically ambient lighting in homes comes from LEDs with a warmer colour temperature; however, some factors might benefit from using a cooler white shade for better visibility and productivity. You can add warmer lights in non-work areas in a factory, such as the lobby or cafeteria.
Placement is extremely important for general lighting as it ensures proper illumination levels. Before installing such factory lighting solutions, you must pick out key areas you would like to highlight. Once you have selected these areas, you must evenly disperse and balance the lamps to avoid insufficient lighting zones.
With proper placement, you can avoid creating shadow zones or create more illumination that provides glare. You can add lighting here through accent or task luminaries if there are smaller dark areas.
If you are adding general lighting in the storage section or areas with several objects, you need to consider how the light would bounce off these objects. Once you properly assess the area you wish to illuminate, you can create effective ambient lighting.
Task or Localised Lighting
As the name suggests, task lighting is designed to help the work process. These luminaries provide intense, focused brightness that improves visibility and reduces employee work mistakes. This form of lighting is also often called localised lighting as it is specific to the work area.
With localised lighting, you can access various features and controls that will give you better flexibility in your illumination. To create effective task lighting, you must aim to reduce glare. Your task lighting should also be bright enough to reduce eye strain during work.
Adjusting the task lighting according to the general lighting will help you create balanced illumination, which will further reduce eye strain.
Before you select the ideal task lighting for the factory, there are several factors you must consider. You must consider the light output and the activity the lighting is used for.
Some employees require much brighter lighting for work while others don’t; therefore, it is important to implement localised lighting, so employees can adjust lighting according to their work preferences.
Task lighting comes in a variety of fixtures, such as recessed or track lighting; however, the best way to use task lighting in a factory is through individual lamps. These individual lamps should be adjusted or angled down to keep the light on the work and out of your eyes.
You should also make sure to place the lamp on the side of your workspace to limit shadows and reduce glare. Alternatively, you can add an under the counter light above a workstation to keep the light out of the way.
These luminaries will also cast light in a downwards pattern, casting a wide illumination beam. LED factory lighting is a great choice for task lamps as they produce direct light without any heat emissions.
Emergency Lighting
Emergency lighting is crucial in almost every commercial and workplace. Areas with a large group of individuals or spaces that are prone to accidents need adequate emergency lighting to ensure the safety of everyone.
Emergency luminaires are often battery-powered, which means these lights switch on automatically when there is a power cut due to an emergency. Evacuation is an important part of an emergency lighting system; therefore, it is important that you include well-lit exit signs indicating an evacuation pathway.
Accent Lighting
While accent light is not the most important style in a factory setting, it can greatly improve the appearance of the workspace. You can add accent lighting to an office section of the factory to create a pleasant working environment.
Additionally, you can also add these luminaries to the break room or other employee resting areas for a warm and comfortable environment. Even though this type of lighting is ineffective for work purposes, it is a great way to boost your employees' morale.
When you create an aesthetically pleasing environment, you improve employee well-being and improve creativity in the workplace. Accent lighting is a great way to add design and aesthetic elements to a standard workspace. These lights help create a welcoming atmosphere for your employees, leading to higher productivity and creativity.
Accent lighting typically comes in the form of recessed lighting or wall-mounted fixtures. You can also add picture lights and scones to create a spotlight effect. As with other light fixtures, you must carefully consider how you will implement these luminaries.
Good accent lighting is achieved by locating directional bulbs or fixtures. You must place these fixtures close to the object you wish to illuminate. However, avoid placing the lamps directly on the object, as this will produce a glare.
To ensure optimal illumination, you should try out different light angles until you achieve the perfect illumination level. If you have any light-sensitive objects in the factory, you can add extra control to use accent lighting more efficiently.
Additionally, you should also choose background colours that create a strong contrast with the highlighted object. In this manner, you can reduce the light output required to illuminate the object.
The dimmer function is also a great way to reduce any extra energy consumption through accent lighting. Since most accent lighting is always on, the dimmer function will help your lighting use energy more efficiently.
What Are The Different Types Of LED Factory Light Fixtures?
The next step in creating the ideal factory light plan is choosing the correct fixture. By selecting the right light fixture, you can ensure that your luminaries will provide adequate lighting.
There are several different types of light fixtures to choose from; however, these are a few options that are commonly used in factory settings.
Here are some of the best LED factory light fixtures you can use.
High Bay LED Factory Lighting
High Bay factory lighting is commonly used in factory settings as it casts illumination at a wide light angle. Most factory spaces are large with a high ceiling, requiring powerful light fixtures to achieve the perfect lighting conditions. High bay lamps are the ideal choice in this setting.
Most high bay lighting is suspended from the ceiling through various materials, including chains, pendants, or hooks. Alternatively, some high bay lamps can be fixed directly into the ceiling in the form of a troffer light.
When it comes to high bay lighting, there are several different models to choose from. It is important to note that not all high bay lights are created the same way; the model has its own benefits and limitations. Here are some of the best high bay lighting options on the market.
Linear High Bay Lighting
For wide casted illumination, choose linear high bay lighting. These luminaries have a long rectangular shape that is available in several lengths and widths. You can choose from multiple options to fit your lighting needs.
Linear high bay lighting is mounted in two different configurations, you can fit them into the ceiling, or you can suspend them with chains and other materials. With suspended lighting, you can adjust how low the light hangs from your ceiling. This setting will give you a better over how your illumination is cast.
Since these lamps cast a wide illumination, they are perfect for factories with multiple shelving and storage areas. The high cast improves visibility and helps employees undertake their tasks smoothly.
UFO High Bay Lighting
UFO high bay lighting is one of the most common fixtures found in factory settings. These luminaries have a round lamp base in the shape of a pendant light. The name UFO derives from the style of the lighting.
Since these lamps only have one hanging feature, they are one of the easiest high bay lights to install. If you want to set up your factory lighting quickly, you will have a much faster installation process with these luminaries.
Despite the smaller size, these luminaries also provide a wide cast illumination with intense brightness.
Vapour Tight High Bay Lighting
If you are looking for highly durable luminaries that last a long time, the vapour tight high lighting is the best option. These luminaries are manufactured with high-quality materials that can withstand multiple harsh elements.
The electrical component in these luminaires is sealed to protect against dust, moisture, and other harmful elements that can reduce the lifespan of your lamp.
Round High Bay LEDs
These LED lamps have all the benefits of a high bay light, but the round configuration makes them better for providing focused lighting. These types of lights work best in corridors and other walkways in a factory setting where you would need high-intensity directional illumination.
Additional Workstation Lights
Apart from high bay luminaires, factory managers should also invest in individual workstation lamps. Workstation lights offer better versatility and flexibility. Additionally, these luminaries can also be moved from one place to another with ease. These luminaries are a popular choice for workshops as they help in the production process.
Most workstation luminaries are very easy to install, and you only need to ply them into an outlet to start using them. However, there are some workstation lighting that can be hardwired into your lighting system, but these are more expensive.
What Are The Important Guidelines For LED Factory Lighting?
To ensure proper illumination in factory space, it is important to follow certain guidelines. These guidelines are a great way of implementing adequate lighting throughout a factory space.
Lighting up space might seem like a simple task; however, there are several factors you must consider to ensure equal distribution of illumination.
Guidelines are often set by the work organisation or the government. While there are no specific lighting guidelines in the UK, the health and safety government sector does list some important factors to consider when lighting up your workplace. Here are some things you must consider.
General Lighting Guideline
The health and safety codes emphasise proper illumination in an industrial work setting, which can be done in multiple ways. The best way to achieve this type of illumination is by recognising the type of work that is being done.
Different work-related activities require a specific level of illumination. Generally, the more detailed and focused the task is, the higher the brightness should be. In an area where detailed work is being carried out, it is important to provide adequate levels of illumination to reduce accidents and mistakes.
To calculate how much light you need per area of the factory, you need to look at the lux output. Lux refers to the unit of illumination per area and this is a great way to accurately measure how much lighting you need according to a specific section of your factory.
While the lux requirement will vary from factory to factory, it is recommended that you should use 300 lux or more for work areas. Hallways and corridors only need a lux output of 50. Another great way to ensure light safety is by allowing your employees to control and adjust the illumination.
Apart from better security, giving your employees control over their lighting also improves morale and productivity. Another important factor to consider is the change in lighting levels. For instance, if employees are coming out of a well-lit area into a darker area, their eyes might have a harder time adjusting to the brightness.
This imbalance in illumination can also cause a strain on eyesight. If you have varying levels of lighting in a factory, make sure to create gradual illumination changes.
What To Look For When Purchasing LED Factory Lights?
Energy saving LED light bulbs come in a variety of different styles and models. Since there is such a wide variety of choices, it isn't easy to know which LED energy saving light bulb works best for you.
Not all factory lights are built the same way. Therefore, if high bays work for one factory, they might not work for another. Here are some important things to consider when looking for LED factory lighting.
Level Of Desired Brightness
One of the most important deciding factors when purchasing a light bulb is the level of brightness. Not every single LED factory lighting has the same level of brightness.
Each factory differs in structure, architecture, and operation; therefore, you must consider how much lighting you need before purchasing.
Too much unnecessary lighting can significantly drive up your energy costs, so make sure only to get the amount of lighting you require. To better understand the illumination, look at the lumen output instead of the wattage.
Since most LEDs have a lower wattage consumption than traditional lamps, the best way to identify their brightness level is through the lumen output.
The Ideal Light Style
As mentioned before, LED factory lighting comes in a variety of styles, and there are multiple high bay options to choose from. Each of these styles comes with its own set of benefits. Identify the type of lighting you need before making a purchase.
For example, your factory might work well with only standard high bay LED fixtures. Alternatively, you could put a combination of standard high bays and round high bays around your factory to meet various illumination purposes. Plan your lighting design beforehand to help you make the best light purchase.
Choose Between Cool And Warm Light
One of the biggest benefits of LED lighting is the wide range of colour temperature shades. Colour temperature allows you more control over the appearance of the light.
LED colour temperature is based on a scale going from warm white lighting on one end to sharp white on the other. Sharp white lighting is often ideal for workplace settings. Therefore, you can benefit from installing these lights in your factory.
However, if you want to create atmospheric lighting, you should use a warm white colour. This colour temperature is great in any non-work related areas of the factory.
Additionally, colour temperature is also a great way to introduce natural lighting in your building. If your factory has a lack of sunlight, you can set LED luminaires with a natural colour temperature to achieve this effect.
A Dimmer Function
Only some LED factory lighting comes with a dimmable option, but the models that do contain this quality can further help you use your energy efficiently. Dimmable LED factory lighting is a great way to conserve light energy in areas that are not used frequently.
These lights often work alongside a motion sensor which automatically turns the lighting on to full capacity when it detects movement.
Final Takeaway
Good lighting is crucial to ensure the smooth operation of your factory. There are several factors to consider before you implement proper factory luminaires. To get the most out of your lights, it is important to invest in LED factory lights, as they are highly efficient and provide excellent illumination.