Thanks to the increasing push by the institutions in favor of a fluid ecological transition, it has become urgent to keep up with, if not anticipate, the trends that influence materials and industrial components and the design of machinery and tools.
And it is to clarify some fundamental aspects of the transition and to provide what industrial machinery designers and manufactures need that we have listed here the six fundamental reasons for leaving neon behind in favor of LEDs.
1. Clean energy
The neon devices contain, within their sealed glass chamber, noble gases such as argon, krypton, xenon or, indeed, neon. However, they also contain a small amount of mercury vapor, a dangerous substance for the environment, during its disposal stages, and potentially threatening for humans and all forms of life. The electrodes placed at the ends stimulate the gases that produce radiation in the ultraviolet so the phosphor coating emits visible radiation in the form of light.
LEDs, i.e. Light Emitting Diodes, on the other hand, do not contain noble gases or harmful substances such as mercury. The light in this case is produced by the movement of electrons. At the passage of a minimum current, the semiconductor "turns on" emitting a light without infrared and ultraviolet, therefore perfectly safe.
2. Instant light
Due to its composition, neon does not allow immediate ignition. That is, the light emitted needs a certain time to reach its maximum level and in that period of time an annoying flicker is experienced. This is due to the interaction between starter and reactor (or ballast) which operate to reach an electrical voltage of 400 V, which is essential for the operation of the neon tube.
In the long run, this causes considerable inconvenience to the operator who may experience recurrent headaches, worsening of vision and lowering of the level of productivity.
LED does not need any time to perform at its maximum, turning it on is enough. Thanks to its structure, in fact, it is immediately able to illuminate to the maximum of its capacity, thus speeding up the times of the industrial production line.
3. Great return
The fluorescent neon tubes provide 360° diffused lighting, which if not well managed with the use of reflective materials, could be dispersed.
The LED light sources instead radiate direct light in the 120° angle; so that 100% of the light can be exploited and directed towards the surface to be illuminated, without dispersion and without resorting to other reflecting elements. All this translates into greater efficiency than the common neon tube.
4. A long life span
Due to its delicate, gas-containing glass structure, the neon tube has a particularly short life cycle. In fact, it can easily deteriorate, with gas leaks, consequent decrease in luminous performance and safety risk, which leads to the need for frequent and expensive maintenance interventions. Furthermore, the high level of heat emitted causes its components to deteriorate faster.
LED devices, on the other hand, are built with materials and components that help their duration with no loss of luminous efficiency. In fact, the luminous decay is very slow over time compared to neon: it stands at level L70. Furthermore, the brightness of the LED device gradually decreases over time instead of suddenly stopping as in tube fluorescent lights.
LED luminaires supplied by CCEA guarantee a nominal life cycle offering at least 70% of the initial luminous flux over a life span of 60,000 hours.
5. Energy and money saving
Another aspect to consider when comparing tubular neon light fixtures to LEDs is measuring their respective energy efficiency.
LED lights have a consumption of 30/50% lower than those of neon tubes, having a decidedly lower wattage power, while maintaining a very high light output. This translates directly into lower lighting costs and greater energy efficiency for an entire manufacturing plant using LED luminaires.
For example, if we replace a 40 W neon light such as a 120 cm T8 tube with our Teide Eco tubular lamp (maximum power 25 W) and assume an average use of 6/8 hours a day, it is evident that the consumption per year with the two different lamps are significantly lower in the case of the LED device. The actual savings are clearly visible also in the monthly bill.
6. Simple and quick installation process
tubular LED lamps which are designed and carefully studied, such as those signed by CCEA, enjoy a particularly careful study on measurements: such as a perfectly fitting diameter in the spaces occupied by a neon device, and simplified connection systems thanks to options with cable and connector. One more reason to replace the old neon tubes in your industrial machinery as soon as possible and immediately start benefiting from low costs and greater operator safety and comfort.
Furthermore, we cannot forget that European regulation will lead to a progressive halt to the production of devices such as T8 neon tubes. It is therefore better not to be caught unprepared and to proceed quickly with the alignment of your industrial systems, to definitively say goodbye to flicker, maintenance costs, high energy consumption and short life of your installed devices.