LED Smart
1. Is your company registered as a Department of Energy (DOE) Quality Advocate? And, have you taken the Quality Pledge for Solid State Lighting (SSL) Products? SSL Quality Advocates pledge to use the Lighting Facts CM label, similar to a nutrition label. The Lighting Facts label provides a quick and simple summary of product performance data as measured by the new industry standard for testing photometric performance, IES LM-79-2008. It reports product performance results in five areas: lumens, efficacy, watts, correlated color temperature (CCT) and color rendering index (CRI). LED Smart is not a SSL Quality advocate as of yet, but will be submitting several key market products to a research laboratory for LM 79 testing (hence Lighting Facts) in September 2010. From there we expect the test to take 3-4 weeks and barring delays, we hope to have the Lighting Facts label (LM 79 test) complete by the beginning of October 2010.
2. Whose LEDs do you use in your products? Have your products gone through an Intellectual Property (IP) clearance? LED Smart only uses LEDs from Nichia. Nichia invented the phosphor coating on fluorescent lights as well as the white light LED and has the highest reputation in the LED industry. Nichia has numerous patents on their LEDs and from our understanding, Nichia has never lost a patent battle. LED Smart has successfully navigated the legal landscape to have a patent recognized in the US (#7,307,391) in December 2007. Our patent is pending in Canada, Europe & China (WPO Patent Pending). 3. What is the LED manufacturer's LED performance rating and what is the rating of your LED system or final product? The LED manufacturer s LED performance rating can be found from the LM 80 testing procedure which Nichia or LED Smart can provide upon special request. The LED system or product performance rating is listed with LM 79. (LED Smart expected completion October 2010) 4. What precautions do you take to ensure that the LED selected for your product will meet the performance requirements for which it's rated? Can you share your data showing the LED selection/testing process? LED Smart begins with arguably one of the best LEDs in the world, made by Nichia. Nichia has LM 80 testing, ANSI color sorting, CRI of 80, silicone encapsulate and other factors ensuring high efficiencies (lumens/watt) and long lumen lifetimes. We conduct in house tests on the SMD LEDs to assure it meets stated specifications from the manufacturer. Nichia conducts 3 rd party tests on their LEDs to validate the claims and specifications of their LED technology.
5. Does your product use LEDs that have been LM80 tested to demonstrate L70 life after 6000 hours of test? If yes, can you share your LM80 data and life model that was used to demonstrate the L70 life? LED Smart uses only high power premium SMD LEDs from Nichia designed for general lighting purposes with LM 80 testing. The LM 80 testing procedure on certain Nichia LEDs is available to view by special request through Nichia or LED Smart. 6. Does your LED product meet the LM79 requirements? If yes, can you provide the LM79 test report from an accredited NVLAP test lab? See question #1. LM 79 expected October 2010. These tests will be performed by an NVLAP accredited laboratory. 7. Do you "design in reliability" or do you just "test for reliability" to demonstrate the long-term performance of your product? Can you share your product development reliability process? LED Smart has a patent recognized in the US that was designed for reliability that includes the two most important factors in any LED lamp: a. Aluminium extrusion as a heat sink to dissipate heat away from the LED source to sustain lumen maintenance and LED lifetime. b. Use of high power premium SMD LEDs. The importance of this can be found with the online link to lumen maintenance levels of white LEDs compared to various lighting sources: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/lifetime_white_leds_au g16_r1.pdf LED Smart products also include a patent, LM 80 testing, UL recognition on low voltage products, ETL listing on high voltage products, ANSI, ROHS & FCC testing.
8. What type of testing do you perform to validate your product life and safe operation? Can you share the test results? LM 79 & LM 80 testing procedures contribute to validating product life. With regards to safe operation: a. Our low voltage tubes (24V DC) UL recognized UL File Number: E324450. b. Our high voltage LED tubes (120V AC & 220V AC) are listed with ETL- control number: 4000613. 9. What actions take place in the factory to ensure your product will work properly when installed by the customer? LED Smart has ISO9001 quality management systems is place. We are in the process to have this registered in September 2010. Some of our tubes are tested in house or by a third party when required for extreme temperature, humidity and vibration testing. LED Smart sells LED tubes to the military that pass extensive temperature and other performance testing. LED Smart was also the first LED lamp manufacturer to successfully install LED tubes into transit rail cars, transit buses and taxi top housings in North America. These three transportation sectors remain strong markets for LED Smart products that continue to pass rigorous shock and vibration testing. 10. How do you ensure the product will continue to meet the specification? LED Smart continues to test, certify, improve and expand on their LED technology. Our R&D department comprised of 7 electrical engineers remains a strong factor of our company. LED Smart technology includes a patent, LM 80 testing, low voltage UL recognition, high voltage ETL listing, ANSI, ROHS & FCC testing. LED Smart strives to offer a very high quality product starting with the highest quality LED and an aluminium extrusion, designed to sustain high lumen maintenance and long lifetimes.