LED Border Lighting

LED Border Lighting

Situation

A prominent lighting manufacturer selected Formtech to assist in developing a new architectural contour lighting system. The new system would use LED technology to replace conventional neon and fluorescent lighting, while providing both cost and efficiency advantages.

Challenge

The manufacturer wanted to present this border lighting as a complete LED contour lighting solution, with the ability to deliver versatility previously unavailable in the marketplace. Unlike any other products currently available, this system would be custom fit to each installation. Based on the design criteria, Formtech’s engineers had to meet the following challenges:

  1. Our customer wanted a rigid hollow extrusion, approximately 1 inch in diameter, made with a specialized grade of Polycarbonate.
  2. Plastic color matching processes were necessary since hues with a high level of consistency were required.
  3. The light emitted from the tube must appear as if it were transmitted from a single light source, similar to a fluorescent light bulb. This required the diffusion of the light from a chain of single light point emitting diodes (LEDs) encased inside the tube
  4. Automotive quality standards were necessary in order to ensure ease of assembly and sealing of the light tube.

Solution

Formtech’s team pioneered a complete engineered solution:

  1. With their in-house Tool & Die department, Formtech’s engineers designed tooling to process the customized blend of Polycarbonate.
  2. Gravimetric blenders were used to accurately blend the multitude of custom colors.
  3. An innovative sizing technique would be modified to ensure an acceptable level of dimensional stability and to consistently diffuse the light from the LED’s.

Results

Formtech provided a solution that satisfied the aesthetic and functional needs of our customer:

  1. The tooling designed by the Formtech engineers successfully processed the specialized grade of Polycarbonate.
  2. The gravimetric blenders accurately blended the various custom colors, ensuring even coloration from light tube to light tube.
  3. The sizing technique developed for the light system allowed for reliable assembly of the multiple components and the ability to produce an evenly diffused light.