The living daylight

Many design engineers working in the civil aircraft sector are gradually moving away from traditional lighting products such as fluorescents to LED technology due to the inherent benefits of their greater energy efficiency and longer life.

However, additional benefits in aerospace applications are perhaps less obvious, but include the fact that LED packages are a more robust solution, provide a high light output from a smaller device, weigh less, offer more control over light output, and offer more flexible colour options, instant start-up, easy dimming control and no or low UV/infrared emissions. Add to this the fact that the products contain no harmful chemicals - unlike fluorescent lamps for example - and the case for moving to LEDs becomes a convincing argument.  Expanding into more intelligent lighting systems, Emteq has added its new Daylight lighting system to the company's existing lighting product portfolio. Daylight is a variable white LED lighting system that replicates natural lighting from any time of day inside the aircraft interior. Airline passengers can now enjoy a bright, well-lit environment while working during the flight, or a warm, cosy atmosphere when desiring to relax. Emteq claims the product is capable of outputting multiple shades of white light and is controllable through the aircraft's cabin management system. Utilising two colour temperatures of white LEDs, which blend together for a range of white light colour temperatures, Daylight is controlled via an RS-485 connection to a cabin management system. This eliminates the need for a power supply, dimming module or additional hardware and allows for functional feedback for fault detection. The future is bright Emteq also offers its lightweight 115VAC ELW83 ceiling and sidewall wash lighting solution. The ELW83 wash light provides enough intensity to illuminate the ceiling of a wide body cabin with only two sets of lights. ELW83 is designed to replace the four lights needed with fluorescent lighting systems and is said to offer a brighter, more modern cabin. With several colour temperature and dimming options, this product runs directly off aircraft power, eliminating ballasts and providing an ideal lighting system for airlines. Emteq offers a variety of other lighting products that are said to be ideal for applications throughout the aircraft, including galley/lavatory lighting; flexible and semi-flexible accent lighting; reading and dome lights; emergency lighting and exit signs; and customised products to fit specific aircraft needs. The company reckons that updating to LED lighting provides a refreshed look and increased control over the entire cabin environment allowing existing aircraft to compete against newer fleets. Designers have always taken great care in choosing the fabrics, textures and colours for their aircraft. The same attention should be given when selecting proper lighting. With Emteq Daylight, the designer gains increased flexibility to highlight each special accoutrement with lighting intensity and colour control. Not only will the aircraft interior be enhanced aesthetically, but airline operators can also save on operating costs due to its lower power consumption, lighter weight, lower maintenance costs and higher reliability. In addition, the increased lifetime of LEDs means a reduction in the inventory needed for repairs and replacements. Upgrading to LED lighting can also eliminate many technical problems experienced with existing products and systems. www.emteq.com