Nowadays, Industrial Lighting is a watchword for companies, whose aim is to guarantee optimal working conditions and high energy efficiencies. Internal lighting strategies must follow precise standards to obtain perfect light conditions in any circumstance.
Good industrial lighting for a thousand advantages
Industrial lighting manages light in companies and can be functional or aesthetic. Functional light is necessary for safety and efficiency, while aesthetic light is essential to create a positive and welcoming atmosphere. Industrial lighting does not just include a system for emitting a large amount of light onto machinery and warehouses. It is mainly aimed at the optimal supply of light to people who are carrying out their tasks, in total safety, respecting national and international standards. Often, poor lighting design involves dispersion towards ceilings and walls, resulting in insufficient overall light.
Having technologically advanced equipment without an equally high quality of light efficiently illuminating the machinery and all work areas is ultimately counterproductive. Oftentimes, warehouses are narrow and oppressive, but with adequate lighting, safety is increased while reducing the risk of accidents and injuries. Generally, a poorly lit environment is dangerous for workers, as it is difficult to see objects and obstacles. It is also less efficient, as they may waste time searching for objects or materials. Even an overly lit environment could be equally dangerous because it could cause glare and stress to the eyes. Furthermore, it increases energy costs and makes the storage of goods less efficient.
There are many characteristics to evaluate for good industrial lighting and they are not limited to the sole quantity of lux needed. Generally, it must include the following parameters:
- The intensity of the light
- The temperature or color of the light
- The intelligent lighting methodology
- The type of diffusion of the light beam
- Visibility
- Visual comfort
- The extent of glare phenomena
- Energy savings
- Sustainability
The fixtures must be visible to workers and there are specific studies that regulate the correct levels of lux and light temperature to be directed onto surfaces. Incorrect or non-compliant values can easily reduce company productivity. Reducing energy consumption is also a necessity today, especially for companies that produce on a large scale. In these cases, valid solutions include intelligent lighting, which can be used to reduce light to a minimum when it is not needed.
In past years, companies overlooked the production value of having efficient lighting systems, deeming them not worthy of attention, but recent studies have proven that optimal lighting contributes to guaranteeing ideal working conditions. As can be seen in Figure 1, the methodology of applications for correct lighting is currently carried out by experts in the field who evaluate hundreds of parameters and define the correct levels of light in every corner of the facilities examined, both internally and externally.
The procedure does not end here but it is followed, in the short and long term, by other indispensable parameter studies, namely those related to energy consumption, reliability, lifespan of the systems, and, above all, their maintenance. Fortunately, in recent decades, LED lighting has allowed for a drastic reduction in costs, even greater than 65%, for a rapid amortization of investments, as well as much longer lifespans and more efficiency, lower operating temperatures, and the need for lower maintenance, but many steps forward still need to be made. A careful choice of LED lighting, equipped with a specifically designed optical system, dramatically increases visual comfort and ensures the well-being and attention of workers, as the work areas are also more welcoming and comfortable.
The optics
An excellent lighting strategy cannot be achieved using lights alone, but it is necessary to combine them with optical correction systems. The mere implementation of efficient LED lights is not sufficient to obtain maximum results. The use of optics helps to raise the level of control over light to achieve the desired lighting levels in the right places (see Figure 2).
The optics allow for multiple objectives to be reached, such as the optimized variation of the number of light points, the reduction of the lamps for the benefit of more concentrated lighting, the elimination of glare effects, and the optimization of the surrounding solutions. The diversified distribution allows you to obtain particular light conditions that would otherwise be unattainable, making it possible to locate the lighting sources even in the most disparate corners. Furthermore, an appropriate combination of different optics in a single solution can be useful for obtaining quite functional effects and high performance.
Appropriate modules equipped with a series of lenses (even very large ones) can help multiply light intensities by tens of thousands of times, for excellent implementations on an industrial scale. Many panels include many optical cores with different geometries in the same system, and systems also often have special multi-lens arrays and modular lenses on board. Furthermore, with appropriate measures and special optics, the glare effect is truly minimal, making the lighting ideal for environments where it is necessary to maintain a high level of attention and safety.
With optimal design and the adoption of professional optics, the same lighting can be obtained using fewer light points, simplifying installation and reducing costs. Another determining element of consumption and efficiency is the distribution of light. Light distribution is optimal when all possible dispersions are eliminated. In these cases, special optics that appropriately direct the light only where it is needed with very high efficiency must be used to reduce consumption to a minimum and distribute the light according to real needs. Therefore, optics make it possible to obtain precise and controlled distributions of light, with appropriate color rendering and the absence of flickering. The optics present in the devices can influence color rendering, enhancing colors and shapes.
Functional lights
Functional lights are lighting systems that have the purpose of making the working environment as comfortable as possible, both from an operational and safety point of view. Regardless of internal or external location, they must ensure workers have quick access to pre-established areas. The visual comfort of the worker must be protected even by law. LED lighting offers numerous advantages, including a lifespan of more than 100,000 hours, which means that the lamps need to be replaced much less frequently than fluorescent or incandescent lamps. This leads to savings on maintenance costs and a lower environmental impact.
A high color rendering then helps to clearly see the colors of objects, improving productivity (see Figure 3). These are all details that should not be underestimated. Energy consumption must also be reduced to save on energy costs and to lower environmental impacts. Last but not least, LED lamps provide more light with less heat, reducing cooling needs and associated costs. With a correct distribution of lamps, visual checks, and safety can be increased and accidents reduced along with greater employee satisfaction by improving light distribution. LED lamps can be interfaced with communication protocols for intelligent lighting. For example, the lights can be switched on in a facility only when the presence of a motion sensor is detected, thus increasing energy savings.
Thanks to growing electronic technology, intelligent light management systems are increasingly widespread, with dimmable LED lights to adjust the light emission power according to needs and further increasing energy savings. Productivity, thus, is significantly increased as a result of the little maintenance required, which allows us to eliminate interruptions in production for the replacement of lights. Unfortunately, the weak point of an LED lighting system is the power supply and not the lights themselves, and even the best devices have a limited lifespan.
Aesthetic lights
With appropriate lighting of the shops, companies can make a difference in the number of customers and turnover, and is, to all intents and purposes, a marketing element. Today more than ever, lighting projects concern supermarkets, pastry shops, jewelery shops, clothing shops, restaurants, and much more. Good light focuses customer attention on windows, walls, and goods and guides them along the corridors or stairs, exciting them and making the entire visit to the shopping point more welcoming. Indeed, shop windows and signs must attract the public to entice them in the best possible way.
These types of light depend on the spaces to be illuminated and the desired effects. One of the most important characteristics concerns the color temperature of the light. There are several studies, carried out by professional light designers, for which the choice of appropriate light temperatures can positively or negatively influence the purchasing experience and make it pleasant or create anxiety. Placing spotlights in a strategic position can certainly accentuate certain products and the color of the light plays an essential role in displaying goods. Visiting commercial areas must be a pleasant and exciting experience and the light must encourage the customer to stay, with the ultimate aim of increasing purchases.
Conclusion
The choice of efficient and safe industrial lighting is one of the key points for the future. At present, LED lighting offers numerous advantages over traditional incandescent or fluorescent lamps. It allows for greater energy efficiency, reducing energy costs and CO2 emissions. Furthermore, they last longer, allow better quality of light, and improve visibility and safety in industrial environments, and it is important to use systems free of polluting chemical materials. Today, industrial lighting products must have the certifications required by lighting system regulations to guarantee compliance with the safety and performance requirements established by law.