News

Date/Range:   18-Jun-2009

Short Abstract: Dialight’s high performance LED luminaire secures ATEX approval

Designed for use in hazardous location applications, Dialight’s SafeSite® Series of LED fixtures is now ATEX approved for Zones 2 and 22. This is the first LED fixture to obtain ATEX certification that can also replace existing 250W high pressure sodium (HPS), 250W metal halide and 165W Induction fixtures.

Farmingdale, N.J., June 18, 2009 – With ATEX approval of its high performance SafeSite® LED luminaire for Zones 2 and 22, world leader in applied LED technology Dialight is now entitled to display the distinctive ‘CE’ mark on this product. Any equipment intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres such as refineries, petrochemical plants or hazardous areas must comply with the ATEX Directive 94/9/EC and the CE Marking Directive in the European Union, so this approval opens up an important market for SafeSite which will be on show at the major exhibition Offshore Europe in September 2009.

With its five-year continuous use warranty and expected lifespan of ten years the SafeSite Series of LED fixtures needs zero maintenance and was originally created to meet the demanding needs of hazardous locations and to replace their HPS and HID lighting solutions. In particular its latest addition, the SafeSite 250, has been created to outperform 250W HPS lighting sources using only 100W per fixture to offer power savings of 60%. In addition whereas HPS lamps emit light almost exclusively in the orange area of the colour spectrum, SafeSite delivers pure “full spectrum” white light that is much easier to see under. This is especially important in low light level conditions when the eye’s rod receptors are more used in visual acuity than the cone receptors and is critical for tasks like viewing colour coded wiring, reading coloured plaques and distinguishing steam from the smoke of a fire.

The new 250 Series offers further significant advantages over traditional lighting solutions and its own predecessors. Using the latest 100 lumen/W Rebel LEDs from Lumileds the SafeSite 250 Series provides 50% more light than the 150 Series, lighting a larger area, so stanchion mounts can be placed at 12’ or higher instead of 8’ and fewer are needed. With its superior light control and higher fixture efficiency, it measurably outperforms traditional HPS light source technology.

John Peck, Dialight’s Director of Engineering, calculates the bottom line benefits for SafeSite end users like Henkel (Loctite), Rio Tinto and Valero: “Making a one-to-one comparison between a 100W SafeSite 250 Series fixture and a 250W HPS fixture in use 24/7, we calculate that over a year a typical plant with 1,000 retro-fitted Series 250 fixtures can save US$164,000 on energy at today’s US prices.”

”But it’s actually better than that,” he adds. “These ATEX approved LED fixtures don’t require a warm-up period and can be operated as ‘instant-on’, reaching full light intensity in a fraction of a second, so the plant could save a lot more by powering down the lights when not needed or using motion control to avoid running them 24/7. On top of that they’d have the added benefit of SafeSite’s 5-year warranty and that means zero maintenance and more cost reduction.”

Dialight’s ATEX approved SafeSite 250 Series is available through Dialight’s global network of distributors.

Tel. +44(0)1638 665 161, stuart.head@blpcomp.com
Dialight plc (LSE: DIA.L) is leading the lighting revolution for industrial users across the world. Applying leading edge LED technology it produces retro-fittable lighting fixtures designed specifically for hazardous locations, obstruction lighting, traffic and rail signalling to vastly reduce maintenance, save energy, improve safety and ease disposal. Versions of these high specification luminaires are also produced for more general industrial and outdoor situations. The company is headquartered in the UK with operating locations in the UK, USA, Germany and Mexico. More information is available at www.dialight.com.