LED Strips - Differences between SMD 3528 and SMD 5050

LED flexible strip is available in SMD 3528, SMD 5050 (also called tri-chip) and SMD 335 (side-emitting). It is important to understand the differences in order to specify the correct product as over specifying could cost you or your client more in terms of energy consumption, size of driver and product cost.

The SMD 3528 features one LED light emitting chip per lighting source measuring 3.5mm x 2.8mm, hence the name. They are most suitable for applications where lower luminosity is acceptable and cost-control is important e.g. basic illumination projects, bars & restaurants, residential use. Many of our clients choose this product to produce decorative lighting effects beneath cabinets, counters and behind ceiling coving.

The SMD 5050 consists of 3 chips in one housing and so emits approximately three times as much light. It is often used for applications where higher light levels are required, e.g. external signage applications, exhibitions, or as a light source rather than decorative.

All Spectron LED strips are supplied in 5 metre reels with the average power consumption of our SMD 3528 being 4.8W per metre. Our SMD 5050 LED light uses extra powerful SMD 5050s that consume up to 14.4W per metre. 

Spectron LED strips are available with 30, 60, 120 and 240 no. LEDs per metre in a range of colour temperatures including cool daylight (6500K), Cool White (4300K), White (3000K), Warm White (2700K) and RGB (colour changing). For other colour temperatures and specific requirement, please feel free to ask. In terms of cost, the more powerful the light strip, the more expensive it will be. 

In summary, for applications requiring high luminosity or RGB types, we recommend you opt for SMD 5050 because it is more powerful and the cost per lumen is lower than SMD 3528. For mid-power requirements where cost-saving is important, opt for SMD 3528 LED light strip. 

For more information, please contact us on 0161 236 8828 or email sales@ledsignsandlighting.co.uk

The future generation of trough light

 

A trough light is a slim lighting unit typically used in the sign industry for external shop signage illumination and other specific applications. It features a long, narrow aluminium extrusion housing a line of florescent tubes or LEDs and will generally have a plastic lens fixed over the light source to diffuse the light and for weatherproofing.

Typical applications include:

·      Supermarkets

·      High Street Retail

·      Offices

·      Estate Agents

·      Bars/Restaurants/Clubs

·      Advertisement hoarding etc

Advantages of using trough lights include:

·      Simple to use

·      Even illumination

·      Cost effective compared to some internally illuminated letters/signs using LEDs

·      Low maintenance

·      Energy efficient (especially LED trough lights)

·      Durable

·      Some Local Authorities prefer external lighting, especially in Conservation Areas. However, it is important to check with your local planning office for site specific regulations

Where can you buy one?

There are a great deal of trough light suppliers out there waiting to help you illuminate your signs effectively. Most will stock in standard black and white and some will offer powder coating to any colour you desire. Most will also include a power supply located within the trough light.

How Spectron Trough Lights Differ from the Rest

Spectron LED started as a sign making company and successfully traded for over 30 years. During this time we saw there were a lot of opportunities for improvement, e.g. the dominating size of the trough light, which was determined by the location of the driver and florescent tubes within the body of the trough. The only alternative was to tightly pack all the components within the narrow aluminium extrusion, making repair and maintenance very difficult. Secondly, due to the weight of the trough light, over time gravity would alter the angle of the light to an unacceptable level; water and condensation would creep in and mould would start growing.

The emergence of LEDs has now made it possible to redesign the trough light, which is exactly what Spectron have done. Here’s how…

1.     Spectron trough lights are the only trough lights on the market to feature a remote driver, meaning maintenance is much easier and the trough lights are a lot slimmer. We think the design is much more aesthetic and sleek.

2.    We know our LEDs and we know what works. We’re not only a supplier of LEDs – we technical experts in our field. We regularly visit our manufacturing partners and redesign a lot of our products according to what we think will best suit your needs. We don’t just buy and sell. The modules and strip we use in our trough lights have been designed specifically for the Lumenlinear and Lumenlinear-X. They are energy efficient and give an even and bright spread of light. Perfect for sustainable projects.

3.    Our latest model, Lumelinear-X, was designed in response to the common problems of water ingress and mould growth within the diffuser. Our solution? To remove the diffuser. The LED waterproof modules are fully exposed and feature an optical lens which alters the beam angle of the LED and provides waterproofing.

4.    A slim profile and sleek brackets ensures that the trough light complements your sign rather than detract away from it. It is also flexible and can be mounted at various settings and positions without the need for additional fixings.

5.    At only 11w per metre , 90lm/w and from £32.32 per metre (6mtr length), we believe the Lumenlinear-X to be one of, if not THE most energy efficient, brightest and most cost effective on the market.

Spectron trough lights have been designed by signmakers and LED specialists for signmakers. We use the latest LED technology to ensure you are getting the most effective product on the market. We are constantly striving to make improvements and welcome your feedback and suggestions for future models.

For further information on the Lumenlinear, Lumenlinear-X or any other LED product, please get in touch.

Tel 0161 236 8828  

Email sales@ledsignsandlighting.co.uk

Benefits of using LEDs

A Light Emitting Diode or ‘LED’, is a current driven device. In order for light to be produced it has to be obtained from the correct rate of current that passes through. It is essential that the correct current rating is applied as drive current and light output are directly related. The colour of an LED is determined by the semiconductor material, not by the colouring of the unit itself.

BENEFITS OF USING LEDS

LOWER COSTS
a. LED lighting is energy efficient compared to traditional lighting which can result in lower energy bills.
b. Despite higher initial costs, LED lighting can save up to 80% of the electricity used by incandescent and 50% fluorescent lighting.
c. The operational life is 4 to 40 times longer than traditional lighting.

GREEN ATTRIBUTES
a. LEDs do not contain hazardous materials.
b. LEDs are energy efficient without compromising light quality, output or choice.

ATTRACTIVE DESIGN
a. Wide variety of colours and decorative design.
b. Compactness of LEDs allows much more design possibilities.
c. LEDs turn on instantly and various LED products are dimmable.
d. LEDs reflect the True Colour of objects making them suitable for Retail, Industrial, Security & Storage, Schools & Offices.

INCENTIVES FOR BUSINESSES
The most efficient LED luminaires are eligible under the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme to receive a tax incentive. ECAs allow companies to offset the full cost (plus installation and transport) of energy-efficient products against their corporation or income tax liabilities in the first year rather than having to write it off over 10 years. This provides a cash flow boost of more than 20p for every £1 invested.

APPLICATION AREAS
OUTDOOR
OFFICE
HOME
INDUSTRY
HEALTHCARE
HOTELS
AUTOMOTIVE
ENTERTAINMENT
RETAIL

WHY CHOOSE SPECTRON
We expect a 75% LED penetration in the market by 2020. We can help you to make this transition by offering the following:

EXPERIENCE: Over 30 years in lighting experience
PRICE: Links in Asia allow us to be competitive in price without compromising quality.
BETTER PRODUCT DESIGN: We believe our products to be the most modern and efficient on the market.
SUPERIOR CUSTOMER SERVICE: Our friendly team are always on hand to help you with your technical queries and provide design advice.
WIDE PRODUCT RANGE: Our catalogue of products is ever expanding. If you can't see what you're looking for, we will be more than happy to source it for you.

For more information contact us on 0161 236 8828, visit our website www.ledsignsandlighting.co.uk or email us. 

LED Colour Temperatures

Different shades of white LEDs are measured by their colour temperature on the Kelvin scale. High colour temperatures of over 5000K are said to be cool colours and typically have a blue tone to them. Low colour temperatures of 2,500 – 3,200 are said to be warm colours and have a yellow-orange tone to them.

Most white LED lamps fall under three basic categorical descriptions: warm white, pure white, and cool white. When the glow of the white LED light is slightly yellow, it’s typically around 3000° Kelvin, referred to as warm white. Pure white LED light measures at around 4500°K. Cool white light displays a reading of 6500K or more.

Spectron generally have the following LEDs in stock: 6500K, 4000K, 3000K and 2300K LEDs. For anything in between over 100m, please call or email us with details of your requirements. Lead time will be 10 - 14 days.

Masterclass - LED Backlit Built-Up Letters

LEDs are changing the face of the sign lighting sector not only because they are simple to use, but they have a longer lifetime, lower energy consumption, high reliability and low operating and maintenance costs.

To produce the best illuminated signs there are a few key factors to remember:

1. The depth of the letter is important and will determine the number and type of modules you need.

2. Avoid hot spots by closing the distance between the modules; using a LED with a wide angle beam such as an optical lens; or by increasing the number of modules.

3. Paint the return of the letter white to reflect light and increase brightness.

4. Use the correct driver.

Here Spectron show you a step-by-step guide on how to create LED backlit built-up letters.

Equipment List
Spectron WEE-3 modules
UY2 connectors
UB2A connectors
Cable
Driver

STEP 1

LEDs are fixed onto the back tray inside a built up letter to give a glow within the body of the letter and illuminate the face. The closer the LEDs are to the face of the letter, the brighter it will be. If possible, locate the power cable at the top of the letters so that it is not visible when looking up at the sign.

To avoid spotting, a test is carried out to determine how many modules are required and how far apart they should be spaced. We recommend you ask your supplier for advice as different types of modules accommodate different depths of built-up letters. Eg, for shallow letters, a LED with an optical lens will give a wider spread of light, limiting hot spots.

Adding more LEDs is rarely the remedy for spotting and will end up costing you more money and power unnecessarily.

This example uses 11no. Spectron WEE-3 modules within a 90mm deep letter.

STEP 2

To connect the cables, use UY2 connectors to join any cables and cap the ends.








STEP 3

Painting the inside of the built-up letter white will reflect the light from the LEDs and increase brightness by over 30%.

STEP 4

Fix the back of the letters to the signtray, feeding cables from individual letters through the back. Link up to a single cable using UB2A connectors and connect to a power supply. LEDs need a driver to convert 240V power to the 12V required to run the LEDs. If not connected to a driver, the LEDs will fry and become damaged beyond repair. To determine the size of the driver, calculate total wattage of the modules used.

To extend the life of a LED driver, generally only 80% of the output power should be used. However, Spectron drivers have 20% excess built in so that you are able to use 100% of the stated output power.

For more advice on the application of LEDs, please do not hesitate to contact Spectron LED
on 0161 236 8828 or visit www.ledsignsandlighting.co.uk.

Masterclass - LED Halo Lighting

LED modules are a great product for creating illuminated signs and use much less power than traditional methods. Halo lighting is a popular method of illuminating individual letter and logos to provide subtle and decorative lighting effects.

Compared to traditional methods using neon light sources, LED halo lighting is cheaper, simpler and in a lot of cases does not require planning permission because it gives a subtle glow rather than harsh lighting. It will also keep your clients happy by creating a sign with maximum impact for their marketing message.

Spectron LED have a created a short tutorial to show you how you can achieve a two-tone halo effect.

Equipment List
Spectron WEE-3 Blue 
Spectron WEE-3 Red
UY2 Connectors
UB2A Connectors
PVC Foam Letters overlaid with silver vinyl
Silver Paint
Stand off locators
Matt vinyl applied fascia panel

STEP ONE

Design your letters with a channel at the back to accept the modules. In this example we have used 10mm thick PVC foam, which is relatively cheap. You may also consider using metal or acrylic built-up letters.

The width of the channel should be equal to the width of the modules. It is important not to channel the groove more than half the depth of the letter or you will risk being able to see the channel and spots of light ('hot spots') to the front of the letter.

Equally space the LEDs and fix in place. If possible, locate the power cable at the top of the letters so that it is not visible when looking up at the sign. It’s helpful to position the modules first using Adobe illustrator, both for fixing and cost estimates. If you need help with this, Spectron can supply you a layout and quotation free of charge.

STEP 2

To connect the modules, use UB2A connectors to connect module to module, and cap end modules using UY2. It is important to keep the wires and connectors neat and tight to the channel to prevent shadowing. Alternatively, solder the wires together and waterproof using heat shrink. This will give a much neater finish and virtually no shadowing.

Position the stand-off locators in between the modules with a mounting distance minimum of 25mm from the fitting surface to the LED module. If the letter is mounted too close, the halo will be too shallow and you will see the modules reflected off the surface mount. The larger the gap, the bigger the halo.

STEP 3
 


To achieve the best results, fix the letters to a matt vinyl applied fascia panel. We recommend Grafityp 100 matt vinyl range. For painted panels the ideal paint is zero percent matt. Do not use the matt side of an aluminium composite panel as this surface is satin and will reflect the LED diodes.

For further advice, quotations or orders, please email us or call us on 0161 236 8828.