Industrial lights are used to illuminate an industrial setting, whether you are setting up a manufacturing facility or a warehouse for your inventory. The most popular and commonly used lights are LED lights. Although there are other types available like halogen, incandescent, fluorescent and HID lights, LEDs are undoubtedly the best choice for good industrial lighting.
In this article, we will discuss the different types of industrial LED lights, why and where to use them, and how to get the perfect lighting system for your industry.
Understanding Industrial Lighting
Industries are in most cases huge in size and area, and the ceiling height is very high. This causes the light to dissipate much more and lose its strength in order to illuminate a much larger area. For this reason, LEDs designed for industries are much stronger than the normal lights.
LED lights for home or commercial purposes are generally installed at a lower height, therefore they can achieve the desired lux levels quite easily and have a lower lumen rating. Industrial lights on the other hand have a higher lumen per watt rating based on their application area.
Additionally, normal lights are generally more diffused in nature. This means they tend to spread uniformly in an area as their target is different. Industrial LEDs are generally directional with a particular beam angle. Since they are installed at a height, this ensures a better spread of light over a particular area.
Types of Industrial Lights
Different lights have different properties and therefore are used for different applications. The most efficient and proficient lights for industrial purposes are as follows:
- High Bay Lighting
- Floodlights
- Streetlights
- Industrial Battens
High Bay Lighting
High Bay lights or bay-lighting is a term commonly heard when referring to industrial lights. High bay is perhaps the best and most popular light for industries. They are hung from the ceiling, based on the lighting design and lux levels requirement. These can be either square shaped or circular, however, recently companies like Wipro have come up with linear High Bay lights too.
Features:
- These lights are highly intense and used for high ceiling applications.
- They have a beam angle of either 60, 90 or 120. A smaller beam angle allows for the light to be concentrated to a specific area, whereas a higher beam angle increases the spread of light more.
- The light beam is symmetrical and spreads evenly in a particular area.
- They are used for indoor lighting purposes and cover a concentrated area.
- High bays are highly efficient industrial lights and offer excellent performance.
Installation:
- High bays are installed by suspension from the ceiling.
- There should be a gap between the side wall and the suspended light.
- The mounting height is generally greater than 16 feet.
Floodlights
Floodlights are LEDs generally used for illumination of wider areas. They are industrial lights that face in a particular direction and brighten up a large section of the area. They can be generally seen in the parking lots, tennis courts or in areas that are open overhead.
Features:
- Floodlights are directional lights used to illuminate a wider area.
- They can be symmetrical or asymmetrical both. However, symmetrical floodlights with a beam angle of up to 120 degrees are the most commonly used ones.
- Floodlights are mostly used for outdoor applications. However, one can use them indoors too as per requirement.
- The angle of these industrial lights is adjustable and can be set at the time of installation.
Installation:
- Floodlights are installed at side walls.
- The mounting height is variable, depending upon application.
- They come with a U-Bracket which is used to set the angle as per requirement.
Streetlights
Street lights, as the name suggests, are used for outdoor purposes, mainly streets, roads or outdoor passages. Streetlights are often confused with floodlights by virtue of their directional nature and ability to illuminate a wider area. However, this is far from the truth.
Features:
- Streetlights are industrial lights with an asymmetrical beam angle. This means they do not spread equally in a particular area.
- A 60*120 degree asymmetrical beam angle will spread light 60 degrees forward and backward, illuminating the width of the road. The 120 degrees angle will allow the light to spread laterally along the length, illuminating a wider area, thus reducing the number of fixtures needed.
- Streetlights are not recommended for uses in large outdoor areas where a forward spread is required. Rather, they are best installed for concentrated applications where the maximum illumination is available just under the light.
Installation:
- These industrial lights are generally mounted at a height of over 16 feet to ensure maximum spread and minimum glare.
- Before installing, make sure to measure the forward and lateral length of the area and plan the inter-pole distance accordingly.
Industrial Battens
Battens are lights generally used for indoor purposes where a uniform light spread is required. Mostly, battens are used for residential and office purposes. However, in recent years, companies have come up with industrial battens which have a higher intensity and more burning hours, making them suitable for use in industries.
Features:
- Industrial battens are industrial lights with a diffused beam. This means they evenly spread light in all directions.
- Battens are not directional in nature.
- Industrial battens have more LEDs as compared to traditional battens. This guarantees better illumination and a much higher intensity.
Installation:
- Industrial battens are best installed at a height lower than 16 feet to ensure the best spread of light and ample brightness.
- They can be installed either at the ceiling or side wall, depending upon the requirement. In the case of installation on the side wall, they evenly illuminate the ceiling too.
Specialized Industrial Lights
Low Bay Lighting
- Low bay lights are used for illuminating lower height areas when compared to high bays. They are generally mounted at a height of 16 feet or less.
- Low bay fixtures are used to concentrate light in a specific area, for some specialized applications.
- Low bay lighting is generally used in industries which require precision work, like electronics, medical, etc. or for QC operations.
Heat and Chemical Resistant Industrial Lights
- Certain industries involve operations generating high amount of heat or chemical fumes or both. Heat and chemical resistant industrial LEDs are used for such applications.
- These lights are generally bulkier and heavier than other industrial LEDs and offer excellent resistance to heat, fumes and smoke produced in industries.
Non-Electric Natural Light Fixtures
- A concept popularized by tribes in the Philippines, non-electric natural light fixtures are industrial lights that involve use of natural light to illuminate an indoor area.
- These lights work on the principle of Total Internal Reflection and Refractive Scattering, in which light enters from one end, and it is scattered with the help of mirrors and lenses throughout an indoor setting.
- These lights are mainly used in industries which have highly flammable equipment and cannot afford to risk electrical connections or lighting.
VS Electricals is the authorized channel partner of Philips and Wipro for professional lighting. We offer lighting design and consultation services, alongside project implementation and completion. For enquiries, reach out to us.
Must-Know Terminology
- Mounting Height: This is the height at which a light is mounted.
- CRI: Color Rendering Index or CRI determines the similarity between industrial lights and natural light, that is the sun.
- Color temperature: Color temperature is a measure of the color of the light emitted by the LED. It is measured in Kelvin. Different color temperatures have the power to influence mood and productivity.
- Lux Levels: Lux levels are measured in lumen per square meter. Different industries have different lux level standards.
- Burning hours: Different companies offer different burning hours of light. Burning hours determine how long of a life the light will have and how much it will depreciate over time.
Conclusion
Industrial lights come in large varieties and different brands offer lights with different features. Choosing the right light requires determining your application area and designing a lighting system best suited for your requirement. The most popular ones are LEDs.
High bays, floodlights, streetlights, battens and specialized fixtures are the major lights used in industries. Each of them fulfill a different purpose and a combination of these lights is generally used to achieve a desired lux level. Non electric industrial lights are used in industries with highly flammable inventory, while industries with highly thermal and gaseous operations require flame and chemical resistant LEDs. Industry owners should be aware of the basic lighting terminology and choose the right lighting as per their application.
