A-Lite Signs, Maizey Plastics and Exion Corporation worked together to formulate the 1200mm double sided LED tube lights that have been used for the first time in Africa to effectively illuminate double sided under-awning lightboxes in the revamp of Game’s Johannesburg store.
Using standard 150mm sign extrusions, each of the 2.3 x 1m signs were illuminated with eight patented 1200mm EXO LED tubes. ‘These tubes give off more than 2300 lumens each with a dispersed beam angle of 300 degrees, making them especially suitable for double sided signs. This eliminates the need for each face to have its own bank of LED’s and yields considerable savings in lighting support and wiring time,’ said Bruce Badenhorst of Exion Corporation.
The tube lights are powered by totally enclosed Mean Well LPV switching mode power supplies. Maizey supplied their LED optimised Plexiglas WH52 opal acrylic faces and these were decorated with Avery cast vinyl. ‘Notwithstanding the small distance from the lamps to the faces, and a lamp spacing of over 200mm, this specification yielded consistent illumination to the faces with no hot or cold spots,’ added Badenhorst.
For over 50 years, fluorescent lamps have been the predominant lighting medium for signs. But both the demand to reduce power consumption, and the significant developments in energy efficient LED’s, led to an increase in LED usage.
In larger illuminated signs, LED’s, which have straight line lights compared to the circular dispersed light of the fluorescent lamps, resulted in more complex designs and longer assembly times.
‘With EXO LED tubes, signs can be illuminated with the same benefits of the fluorescent lamps while adding the eco-friendly and longevity benefits of modern LED’s. This pattern is evidenced in Japan and Korea, where the use of fluorescent lamps is increasingly being restricted,’ concluded Badenhorst.
Exion Corporation will be visiting Korea and Hong Kong in October to attend CoSign and the Lighting Fair to update its LED tube and machinery suppliers.
