TECHNOLOGY

OVERVIEW

RESEARCH &
DEVELOPMENT

INTERNATIONAL

OVERVIEW

Producing quality illuminated display systems requires the development and use of technologies that combine:

• High brand visibility (outstanding brightness & clarity)
• Improved energy efficiency, and
• A long operating lifetime.

No single lighting system is suitable for all applications. So, before deciding on an illuminated display system, it’s vital to define the operating environment and required performance by asking a range of relevant questions, such as…

What is the operating environment and application?
Where will the display reside and what’s its purpose?

How reliable does the display need to be?
Weigh up the cost of reliability/quality versus maintenance and downtime costs

How long is the working life of the display?
Consider the cost of replacement (including purchase and installation) versus a product with a long working lifetime

What is the true temperature at the display surface (especially relevant for digital information displays)?
Ensure you consider the environment in which the display will operate, which might be affected by factors such as air temperature, sun and waste heat, etc.

What are the real shock/vibration requirements?
For instance, will your display system be required to withstand the rigours of transport or public spaces?

What are the characteristics of a good display system?
Good visual displays typically feature an effective method for both generating light and distributing the light homogeneously over the entire display area. Legibility and visual acuity are determined by the contrast of the display, as necessary in its intended environment.

On the performance side, the lighting system should maintain its light output in an energy-efficient manner, for an extended period, over a wide range of temperatures.

If it does this, the total cost of ownership and the environmental impacts are significantly reduced. While this sounds easy, it is in fact a specialist task, requiring a deep understanding of lamps, lamp driving and light guide technologies.

It is not only the components that define the performance of a display, but also their interaction with each other (ie. the sum is greater than the parts).

In the past, to create a brighter display, manufacturers needed to adopt technology that drew increased power and generated more heat. The ideal illuminated display system – such as those developed by SEEN – can generate significantly more light with much less heat.

How bright does an illuminated display need to be?
It depends. When asked how bright an illuminated display should be, most people will say something like: “I’m not exactly sure, but brighter is better!”

While this may seem a logical response, it doesn’t take into account the level of ambient light – an important factor to consider when determining the appropriate brightness of a display.

That’s because if a display is too bright in a low-ambient-light environment, or too dark in place of high ambient light, consumers will be less attracted to it.

Viewing a display sample in its intended environment will assist the decision making process, and minimise the possibility of an inappropriate purchase.

The human eye is the ultimate arbiter of what is visually good or bad in an illuminated display. The very best way to determine whether a solution could be better, is to compare different display technologies side-by-side in their intended environment.