LED-Based Taxiway Lighting

The Challenge

Opto Technology was asked by Siemens Airfield Solutions to design and manufacture LED replacement light engines for their current halogen taxiway airfield lights. The goal was to provide a durable, long lasting light source that would require little to no maintenance over a five year period of time.

The light engines had to meet specific FAA (AC 150 type L852A-D) and ICAO specifications for color and light intensity at high airport temperatures without failure for many years.

The Process

Our design engineers immediately started designing a lighting solution that would not only meet the lighting requirements and increased lifetime, but also use the fewest number of LEDs and fit within the current mechanical housing.

The Solution

Through our process of optical and thermal modeling using state-of-the-art software from LightTools and CFdesign, we were able to minimize the number of LEDs by greater than 50% compared to their existing LED design. The design of the precision optics also offered Siemens a competitive advantage in the market by using the fewest number of LEDs. Lastly, the LED light engine design fit within Siemens existing housing, thereby allowing their current customers the benefit to upgrade to LED technology.

The benefits Siemens gained in working with Opto Technology included a highly competitive product design, a dedicated engineering team that brought the product to market quickly, and a retrofit design which saved on engineering resources and expanded their available market to both existing and new customers.

L864 Obstruction Light Engine

The Challenge

Opto Technology was asked to design and develop a high brightness LED based L864 obstruction light engine. This light engine required a uniform narrow beam angle, low heat, low power consumption, pulse mode and it had to meet ICAO and FAA regulations.

The Process

Our design engineers immediately set to work crafting a lighting solution. Through our process of optical and thermal simulation, prototyping and testing, Opto Technology engineers were able to design a full light engine with 36 LEDs, optics, heat sink and electronics.

The Solution

Our design and manufacturing team collaborated to design and develop an obstruction light that met all of the customer's needs and ICAO and FAA regulations. In addition, we were able to reduce the size of the unit, offer a 65% reduction in power consumption and lower the tooling cost.

LED Source for Color Matching

The Challenge

Opto Technology was tasked to design and develop a multi-wavelength source with a small footprint and moderate to high light output for non-contact color measurement.

Application

Color measurement of automotive interiors, vinyl siding, office furniture, etc.

Solution

A small hybrid LED illuminator featuring a High Brightness white LED and supplementary UV, blue and near IR wavelengths, which normalizes the visible spectrum for accurate color measurement.

Features

Provides a light source for measurement of colors at a distance of 10 cm from the test surface; allows accurate measurement without frequent calibration; permits color measurement of products with varied textures.

Benefits

• Allows accurate in-line capture of color data in the presence of depth variation and dramatic changes in ambient light.
• Significantly reduces scrap and rework, because it provides immediate notification when a process is making parts outside of specifications.
• Monitors, controls and logs color during production—in-line.
• Analyzes and controls color problems—make corrections without stopping production
• Minimize scrap cost—detects and corrects before generating excessive waste.
• Ensures consistent color quality, continually.

Paint Color Measurement

The Challenge

Opto Technology was challenged to design and develop a small LED source with many wavelengths spanning the visible spectrum.

Application

Color measurement of paints, textiles, and teeth.

Solution

A surface-mount 9-wavelength LED illuminator designed for use in color measurement devices.

Features

Extremely small 0.4" x 0.4" broadband UV - VIS LED source (absent of IR emissions) that is capable of uniform distribution of light at rapid pulse rates.

Benefits

• Small light source that can be used in multiple products
• Offers wide range of colors without heat (very stable across the spectrum)
• No IR emissions which alter the ability to determine accurate color measurement
• Easy to use, precise measurement tool that delivers consistent results
• Allows labs to organize and utilize consistent color and shade interpretations from multiple sources.
• Eliminates guesswork and increases value
• Establishes a whole new standard for quality control and a whole new level of communication

LED Source for Color Identification

The Challenge

Very stable multi-wavelength source with appreciable light output for non-contact measurement of color.

Application

Non-contact relative color measurement used in automotive assembly lines to ensure that interior panels made by different manufacturers match when installed in the vehicle

Solution

Individually addressable eight color illuminator which contains a proprietary technology designed to stabilize the light output and prevent wavelength shift over time.

Features

Eight individually controlled wavelengths, thermally stable design and small footprint

Benefits

• Full-spectrum illumination system detects subtle differences on varying surfaces, ensuring accurate color identification.
• Non-contact operation eliminates risk of damage and waste.
• Repeatable, accurate measurements are produced under all types of production lighting conditions.
• Online color measurement and evaluation of color deviation allows complete coverage of product run without stopping production.
• Measures a full range of materials, such as textured, finely patterned, or glossy and for products such as vinyl, textiles, food pigments, films, glass, and powders.
• Measures within a range of up to five feet without significant variation from system to sample.
• Complete documentation of color quality recorded and stored for later evaluation.
• Objective evaluation according to accepted international standards ensures integrity of online measurement program.