Finnish group developing large-area LED lighting films

15 Feb 2017

Low cost, high-speed and quality lighting sources suit vehicle and architectural lighting applications.

The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is developing new types of LED lighting sources based on large, flexible and transparent substrates in collaboration with Finnish companies Flexbright and Lighting Design Collective.

An easy-to-customise LED foil suitable for mass production will enable the introduction of the large area lighting and display technologies to a range of applications such as vehicles, greenhouses, shopping centers and architectural lighting.

The three-year European project called Delphi4LED is developing design and simulation tools for LED structures to better meet the needs of the rapidly-evolving lighting industry and end users.

Heat management is a key factor dictating the performance and reliability of LED lighting solutions. The operation of LED components is also affected by their electrical and optical characteristics. Combining all of these properties is difficult using the existing design tools.

Delphi4led

In the Delphi4LED project new simulation models are being developed to address the above issues in a simplified form. This saves on computing capacity, enabling a more comprehensive design than has previously been possible.

Detailed measurements are performed to develop a standardized electronic datasheet of the LEDs, which is then fed into modeling software. The team says this makes the design process more efficient and reduces the number of design errors, enabling the faster introduction of the products on the market, with higher quality and at a lower cost than before.

A Finnish consortium coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is now applying the results of the Delphi4LED project to the development of LED luminaires based on transparent large-area foil. These kinds of novel structures enable the implementation of thin, flexible light source for lighting and display applications. For example, a multi-colored video screen can be integrated between planar or curved glass surfaces.

Tools and standards are being developed on various levels to enable the design and manufacturing of more reliable and cost effective led based lighting solutions which can be brought to the market. The availability of these standards and tools is expected to also boost the market for integrated smart lighting solutions and give European industry the opportunity to outpace the global competition.

The project is being coordinated by Philips Lighting from the Netherlands. Other partners in the consortium are Technische Universiteit Eindhoven from the Netherlands; Havells Sylvania Lighting Belgium; Magillem Design Services SAS, Ingélux, PISEO, Philips France and Ecce'Lectro from France; Budapest University of Technology & Economics and Mentor Graphics from Hungary; Mentor Graphics from the United Kingdom; and Pi Lighting SARL from Switzerland.