Inter-Lux Factory Visit

Two of our team members recently visited the Inter-Lux facilities down in Baltimore with SDA Lighting. We were impressed with their range of product and had an excellent time with the presentation crew! Everyone in the office sector and the factory facility were working enthusiastically as a team and it seemed like a very supportive work culture. Here’s a brief look at what we learned about the many brands Inter-Lux has to offer!

WHITEGOODS LINEAR:

  • Offered in 20(mm), 60, and 100 families.

  • Quick ship products (noted on the website) have 2-3weeks max shipping;

  • Projects needing a quick turnaround time are offered housings shipped to the site for installation ahead of finalizing the lengths. The housing is field-cuttable, (comes in 8ft sections), measurements taken onsite once installed, and then they send the gear tray (shipped in 3 to 4 weeks).

  • Linear lights offer an easy to mount integral magnet system! Attaches to any magnetic surface, including the Whitegoods regressed housing spec. Makes for a quick installation and for easy maintenance.

  • Louver options available for the flat lens options (not the grazer).

  • The Opaque finish looked interesting! Softening the light without killing the output.

  • Nice wallwasher, semi-recessed with the micro prismatic lens.

    • A fully recessed Wallwasher is also available but requires a deeper recessing depth of 1.25" aperture.

  • Tunable is available with all linear 18K to 30K.

  • Narrow spot optics offered with their perimeter lens, very nice light pushing 10 - 20FT up.

  • ProTools 60 Linears:

    • Larger size, 2.4” aperture linear family

    • Offers a regressed extrusion with linear light with micro-prismatic lens

    • They presented the quietest grazing fixture with shield and individual optic we have seen so far!

    • Perimeter light: The same extrusion of the grazer just changed the light engine inside

WHITEGOODS RECESSED:

  • GDL 2.4” Downlight:

    • Interesting retrofit, not requiring j-box, flushed flat lens option - Round and square plaster ring (one plaster ring adaptable for both round and square)

  • 3” ProTools Downlight:

    • Very interesting screw system for focusing - Zoom optic available as an option - Magnetic trim for easy back access.

LINEA LIGHT iLED:

  • Quantum: A downlight, with a deep optics compartment with soft and refined lines.

  • Orma Recessed: Coming on 2023 Q2 - lead time is reduced from 4-6 weeks to 3 weeks - will be manufactured here in the US

  • Orma uplight and Orma downlight: 2 different housing for ceiling and ground - The ceiling version has mounting clips for easy installation.

  • We looked at the 3-degree optic, 21-watt shooting light up to 30 meters!

  • Eyelet: Comes in round and square. The tiniest, powerful indoor and outdoor light! Great for highlighting landscape features and small architectural details. Snoot, half shield. We looked at the 1W with 150 delivered lm.

  • OUTDOOR Bollards:

    • Ryo: A quiet path light with downward distribution, washing the ground. Great for locations where light pollution is a concern. Available in 3 heights.

    • Peak: Suitable for urban public spaces. Also available with L shape bracket head for more district lighting. It has frosted glass, which makes it comfortable to look. Available in 14” and 30” height. There is a pole version also for parking and walkway lighting.

    • Apache: This was a different looking path lighting! A curvy design body with the LED located at the upper part, facing downwards to create an asymmetric distribution. Great glare control with a soft diffused distribution. Architects would like the look of this fixture!

    • Bob: The cylinder shape fixture with 360-degree distribution on top. Suitable for general illumination for landscapes and walkways. THis is also available in two heights.

We also looked at their decorative and architectural landscape light line, HABITAT, offering many battery-powered options!

ORA Local & Lit Show 2022

We stopped by the O’blaney Rinker Local & Lit showcase to check out some of their new and updated products and brands:

Convey Lighting (NEW!)

  • All LED is 90+ CRI Standard - most ranging from 95 - 98 (!) with high R9 values.

  • A variety of channels are offered. We noticed some unique extrusion forms. Not all are shown on the website, but that’s currently being updated. Also reach out for anything custom or unique because they may be able to find a solution. BE-2-8-KF: a great Knife edge channel.

  • Priced competitively, approx. $35 DN price for their TYP. LED tape + extrusion.

  • A optional potentiometer is available on their standard Universal Driver.

  • Looking particularly good was the FLEX family is twistable on a dual axis. Two output options: 3W & 6W, available as static, tunable, RGB, & RGBW. The 22K version produced a very beautiful hospitality color - and this warm CCT is not available from all competitors in this form factory due to color shift.

NY Ceiling

  • They are using their own stretch fabric and lighting extrusion.

  • A very fine thin metal edge on the perimeter. Easy installation and access. They do the installation (heat install) and provide maintenance as required.

  • Their Cloud and canopy ceiling is their affordable and configurable solution.

  • They are working on a new stretch ceiling & wall system, Modern. Great for covering existing ceilings and new construction. Easy installation, no visible trim around the edges.

Lumos Control

  • Integrated all-in-one smart wireless control solution. Dali mesh system. They offer a Trailing edge dimmer, Dali controller, two and single-channel DC & AC 0-10V, many sensor options, 4 & 5 buttons wireless switch, a switch interface for push button, and motion sensor wall station.

  • It's a simplified system with manual control and wireless dimming.

Lumenture Lighting

  • Quick shipping on most of their products, 3 to 5 business days from CT.

  • The 120V track head has infinite rotation. Small & large heads deliver 1100lm and 2000lm respectively.

  • We like their single canopy spot with easy installation junction box

  • Their Double side wall washer is a good resource to remember. Unfortunately not available as trimless.


JUNIPER LIGHTING

We closed the month of August with a great visit to the JUNIPER factory for a comprehensive tour and did a short presentation for their team about "the importance of lighting and who is a lighting designer" by our fab studio director, Kelly Roberts!

During the tour, we witnessed the complex up-to-date machinery and technology used in making their products.

They manufacture everything in-house, allowing flexibility for various modifications in length, shape, finish, custom corner, etc. The only thing that is outsourced is the LED board. We noticed that many of the production steps are done manually, from corner welding to unique patina finish baths to achieve various oxidation levels.

A couple of upcoming updates that we are excited about are the surface mounted MULTIVERSE track system and the new LED light and diffuser in their THIN linear family that would give a completely node-free look even when dimmed very low!

AND, the current lead time is about 2 weeks which is excellent!

In the end, many thanks to the whole team for the excellent presentations and warm welcome!

Q-TRAN Factory Visit - 2022

We had a great time visiting the Q-Tran factory with Sighte Studio and MOXIE in early August! Alongside the factory tour, the trip included an overview of their existing fixtures - with highlights on new offerings and a sneak peak at what’s coming up, and an educational session on drivers and transformers (we were visiting Q-Tran after all!). Many thanks to the whole team for the excellent presentations and warm welcome!

FIXTURE UPDATES:

OPTI-OPTICS Fixture: Price-efficient alternative option of VERS ($50~$60 per ft)! The smallest beam spread is 40 degrees, but no louver option yet!

TIPS:

Use static white (SW) tape for projects that require high red rendering.

When specifying Dynamic White tape, use the wattage listed on the cutsheet under “Circuit Wattage”. Dynamic white tape lights have (2) chips that are different color temperatures that are programmed to never pull more wattage than the circuit wattage lists (the chips will never be on at full output at the same time).

Most of their LED tapes are done offshore for cost efficacy. Ones done in-house are more expensive (SMT models except for the Micro family) but allow compliance with the Buy American Act, etc.

NEW:

Dedicated pool & spa rated power supply + FLEX family fixture for use in pools & spa.

UPCOMING - 2023:

An encapsulated millwork fixture designed to be silicon mounted.

Designing magnet and track mount, butterfly bracket for plaster ceiling installation. 

DRIVER UPDATES:

Typically the drivers can be used up to the max wattage, except the DMX driver that needs derating.

Driver selection for Dynamic/Tunable White:
DMX is 3-channel and requires derating for 2-channel control.
The best would be: 1) QTM (large ones, single channel pre-programmed) and 2) QTM-eLED+AW (the two-channel driver) 

Their dedicated warm-dim LED tape is fundamentally different. It has the same price as the dynamic LED, BUT it goes with the QZLP driver with 0-10V & phase dimming (down to 10%). The driver is small and goes up to X2 96W. The single X96W is around $175. 

QTMD driver is the go-to when doing fixtures with runs far from the source. This has taps that allow different voltages high mid low to avoid voltage drop and visible difference in brightness between the ones closer to drive via ones further installed. 

For Landscape: Q-SET-mLED power supply provides up to 300W and has AC and DC together in an inground cap.

App & Smart Control System Compatibility:

QZ Driver is compatible with Casambi Control. 

The QZ Non-Dimmable driver is the Eco option for use with Casambi and requires a separate add-on Casambi component. 

QZ-DMX is for indoor application with up to 4channel, programmable with MLFC app, up to 96W fully used. 

UPCOMING:

New DMX for 4-channel, comparably small size, priced around $240. EldoLed driver is also available but is more expensive 

DAY-O-LITE

Today we looked at DAY-O_LITE and the following two (2) new fixtures could be useful for some of our projects.

EQUATOR SR Series: Round low profile luminaire for semi-recessed applications in plaster ceilings. It has a 3″ reveal, or it may be locked into a 5 degree aimed tilt. Available in 2’, 3’, & 4’ diameter.

* A less expensive alternative (flanged) to PRUDENTIAL’s semi-recessed fixture.

MATRIX: Retro-style linear fixture with square lens surrounded by a wrap-around cage - ADA compliant - RGBW and RGBWW - The occupancy sensor is an option but not integral and should be mounted off to the side.

LLI - strip light

WALD received a kit of LLI linear tape light and extrusions. The kit contained the base line of tape (LLIL) with various extrusions, CCT, and output. The offerings of CCT, output, extrusions, dimming protocol, and tunable white/static color are similar to qtran and luminii. Cut sheets are easy to navigate. First select an extrusion, then refer to chart below with compatible tape lights and lensing option, and their imaging quality (uniform, semi-uniform, imaging). Dimension diagram only shows bare fixture without any bracket. Dimension of bracket is on following page.  

  • Hand bendable aluminum extrusion in up/down direction – FLEX extrusion 

  • (3) different lines of static white tape. LLI base (L), High efficacy (HE), and tight pitch (TP) 

  • Color changing with static white CCT 

  • Tunable white with ranges of CCT 

  • DN price range for static white with extrusion is $29/FT + $80/0-10v driver

  • DN price range for color changing with extrusion $34/FT + $90 DMX decoder + $125 DMX controller + $60/nondim driver

In the below photos, tiles are used to show imaging on reflected surfaces. 
Images 1 to 4 are of:
THIN with tight pitch 2.5W tape frosted lens showing a semi-uniform diode imaging true to the cutsheet.

Images 5 to 8 are of:
DEEP with standard 4.4W tape frosted lens showing a uniform diode imaging when at 100% true to the cutsheet and semi-uniform when dimmed.

LUMINII

Today we looked at Luminii's 2021 update to their linear fixtures. They’ve made changes to fixtures and updated their cut-sheet as below:

  • All Static White boards are node free & offered in 1” increments.

  • Now LED tape goes all the way to the edge of the channel.

  • 1" to 4" increments offered for extrusions.

  • Ordering codes change: SO, HO, VHO now are all LL72 LED tape but different outputs.

  • They merged the high efficacy (HE xx) & high quality (L72) in the Static White cut-sheet.

  • All the RGB, RGBW, tunable, and white are now combined in the Dynamic Color cut-sheet.

  • Dedicated 19K to 27K warm dim: Tighter chip, one channel dimming, slight dotting - Dimmed with PSD driver.

  • LL48 and LL64 improved to a higher output but still under 10W

  • Under development: LL68 tunable white with two-channel dimmed with a vintage dim driver.

  • RGBW is now upgraded to have richer color, only available with 30K + RGB

  • FT for asymmetric come with 4w and 7w options. We liked the asymmetric distribution.


SENSO Lighting by LUMINII:

We also reviewed the new Senso line that Luminii has brought on.

  • Titanium body to kick more light out - Special TRI optic, constant voltage - A lot of accessories - Work with any of the current drivers - IC rated as standard.

  • Comes in 3,5,12 inches, lockable, 35 degree tilt - Available in 250, 600, 1260 lm outputs.

  • Distributions: 15,30,55, elliptical

  • Under development: wall-wash optic - Mud-in, trimless wood

  • Coming up as combined louver optic- not a stackable accessory

Pricing: SENOS mini X5 modules 120$ - Track module 110$

Lead time: quick ship Strips and channel available in less than 7days, otherwise 2 to 4 weeks.

LIGHTFAIR 2021

A brief look at LightFair 2021, held at the Javits Center in NYC. Overall, there weren’t many participants and we’d already seen many of them in virtual presentations over the year.

The one worth highlighting was the ORIGAMX. It is a specification-grade architectural lighting system that was developed by BLACK TANK.
ORIGAMX office is located in Atlanta - Mainly custom made - based on request. Their mono-point features are Hybrid Driver Technology (PWM/Current Control), RGBA LED (2000K-10,000K), and White Light or Color Mixing in one Light.

We also enjoyed seeing the PURE EDGE LIGHTING Saber Suspension in person.

iLIGHT by LUMINII

We looked at the updated iLIGHT linear fixtures great for landscape, commercial, and hospitality projects.

PLEXINEON White & Color Luminaires:

Rigid and flexible neon fixture; 2-4 W/ft deliver 50-90lm/ft. Available in lengths ranging from a fraction of a foot to 8 feet, Plexineon White 1X and Plexineon White 2X are submersible (IP68).

The flexible model’s tightest bend is 2.5” in diameter.

HYPNOTICA (RGB) Color Changing Series:

Rigid RGB linear fixture, controllable in 6” increments, with an aluminum housing; available in straight lengths up to 8FT and 90 degree mitered corners.

Compatible with any DMX 512 controller or any RDM (Remote Device Management) controller.

HANDRAIL Lighting System:

high quality and well priced (comparing to competitors) handrail lighting fixture 211 to 253 lm/ft. Available for installation in standard and glass handrails; controllable with 0-10V dimmer.

Available in four beam angles: Clear lens: Asymmetric 60 degree, Symmetric 65 and 110 degree - Frosted Lens: 120 degree.



3G LIGHTING

We looked at the updated and new product families today.

MADISON Family:

Micro MADISON Slot: 3.8” wide continuous runs slot with adjustable and lockable Individual fixture heads; up to 1000lm output. The Slot System is available in 4.8” and 5.8” could accommodate camera, speaker, other equipment.

NEW: Madison Slot in recessed and pendant version available as standard.

NEW (Q2) in Downlight family: Wood trim for their 3.3” and 4.5” round & square beveled downlights

Cylinder family: 3.3” aperture model is the NEW addition to the current 4.5” aperture; available in 7” (up to 2200lm) & 11” (up to 4000lm) with NEW Madison Double Gimble. The 3.3" is available in round and square, beveled trim up to 3000lm and with integrated Micro Madison up to 1000lm; Available in tunable and warm-dim.

Another NEW update is the adjustable cylinder in 3.3”, 90-degree tilt and 360-degree rotation, up to 3000lm. Stem mounting will be an option in new future (in-progress)

ZOIE: NEW beam spreads of 10, 15, 35, and 60 degree optics as standard. up to 200lm/cell, Osrom LED Chip

  • Zoie recessed wall wash: 1.14” wide, 4”, 8”, and 12” lengths with NEW integrated louver for better glare control,

  • Zoie Continuous run pendant: NEW is 4’ in length, matching the output options to LINEA (250, 500, 750, and 1000lm); modifiable with a programable driver.

  • NEW (Q2): Surface mounted Zoie continuous run and could be specified in 1FT increment starting from 1FT instead of current 4FT starting length.

NEW: Now LINEA and ZOIE could be mixed in a single continuous run.

LINA Grazer series: NEW 35 degree adjustability.

Grazer products are available in tunable white and RGB.

Standard down to 1% dimming.




EXTANT LIGHTING

Today, we looked at EXTANT LIGHTING for the first time.

They presented the EXTANT EDGE, a linear fixture with a 1.875" square-shaped profile, Nichia LED chip, direct and direct/indirect, controlled independently.

They are using a unique optical lens (Microstructure Edgetech Optics) to achieve an even illumination with minimal glare.

What's unique about this fixture is the utilized 400ft long roll of frosted lens film mounted below an acrylic etched diffuser, which allows a seamless look when run continues without any visible joint lines (comes with the fixture as standard but also purchasable at $1/ft).

HUNTINGTON:

Low profile recessed linear fixture with 1.5" and 3" wide lens, offered with integral driver (2.25" in direct mud-in & flanged mounting) and low plenum profile model (1.75" tall) with remote driver, available with Lambertian, batwing, & wall washer beam spreads.

Available mounting options are mud-in, trim flange, Armstrong, and various T-grid ceiling systems.

low profile single side illumination

Output options are Huntington 1: 193lm/ft to 1480lm/ft and Huntington 3: 224lm/ft - 1713lm/ft

Different shapes like intersection, square, rectangular all possible.

Easy access to LED board by push and eject system. LED board is removable.

BETA CALCO LIGHTING

We looked at this brand for the first time and went over their most popular products.

Beta Calco offers up to 200 different finishes! For example, they have 3 to 4 different antique bronze finishes and a variety of acrylic and linen for shades

They are able to provide any CCT and dimming systems, LUTRON, integrated into control panels (great for hospitality projects).

LE LOUVER: Linear fixture with Direct and Direct/Indirect distributions & UGR >9; available in 4, 6, 8, and 12ft, either stand-alone or continuous runs; available with 5 different louver finishes. Starting from 200lm/ft up to 1200lm/ft.

RING: Circular fixture with 3” profile, Down and Up/Down distributions. Available from 2’ up to 18’ in diameter; available as surface and pendant mounted; acoustic panel up to 8' is available as an option. Starting from 4600lm in both Down and Up/Down distributions. RGB is also an option

RAZAR CUBE: Outdoor sconce with 1,2, and 4 sides distributions; this is part of the RAZAR series. Available with 2 beam angles, 3° narrow and 75° wide. the 3° is 2W with 41lm. The 75° model is 5W with 345lm.

Below are some other products that we looked at:

XAL + ARMSTRONG Ceiling

Today We looked at two new recessed linear fixtures, compatible with ARMSTRONG ceiling.

PANO

Low profile recessed fixture available in 2”, 3.25”, and 5.25” wide; compatible with standard length Armstrong’s Woodworks Grille, Woodworks Grille Tegular 9/16”, Woodworks Linear Veneered Panels, and Woodworks Linear Solid Wood Panels.

This fixture only comes in 2’, 4’, and 8’, the same length as the Armstrong panels. For a continuous run, there will be a 1inch reveal between fixtures.

Wider aperture is preferred for use with the wooden gride. No extra hanging wires are needed since there are heavy-duty grids in the Armstrong ceiling structure. Simply fastening brackets needed to grip and snap on to the structure.

This fixture has a remote driver which could also be mounted directly on the back of the fixture (like the integrated driver).

Available lengths for integration into Grille Tegular ceiling are 2’ and 4”, matching the grid length.

LENO

A 3 ⅜" wide recessed fixture, installed from below with easy snap-in installation; great for applications with minimal clearance above the ceiling.

This fixture features plug and play wiring system (not available in PANO).

It’s compatible with Armstrong 9/16" Suprafine, Silhouette, Interlude, 4" TechZone.

The start and end fixtures in the continuous run are slightly shorter to accommodate the ceiling grids.

Armstrong collaborated with AXIOM (3rd party) company for cove and perimeter lighting with prefabricated drywall kit

For lengths greater than standard runs, XAL offers black cover for ends. Although for plaster-in, end to end run, the BASO fixture is a better option. It comes in 1.5”, 2.5”, 4” widths. It’s slightly taller without a plug& play option

BARTCO

We had a quick presentation with BARTCO to review the updated and new products. Below are the highlights:

Faux Finish: A high-resolution image of wood grain, or a graphic image printed on a selection of fixtures.

This finish is outdoor rated and guaranteed for 7 years.


GROM Fixtures family offers 1” tall surface and pendant mounted fixtures in three widths of 1”, 2”, and 3”.

Available driver options are 0-10V, EldoLED,and Lutron 2-wire.  Grom20& Grom30 have integral drivers and direct/indirect distribution.

The Grom30 is available with batwing uplighting. This family is offered with 1” dropped lens as standard in Grom30 and by request in Groom 10 and Groom 20.


BIOS Sky Blue fixture are designed based on circadian redeem, mostly used in the healthcare sector.

Swell Series (HCB-XX) is available in 3 sizes with custom shape and output. Driver options are only 0-10V and non-dim. Offered in static and dynamic white CCT.

Horizon series is a downward lighting fixture with an indirect optic. Available with recessed, surface, and pendant mounting options.

The reflector tray is removable which allows access to the driver. Open and closed endcap.

BHR300_5x5_0220_75p.jpg


Hush Series is an acoustical fixture family (HL2) with over 20 fabric finishes. Offered with fabric endcaps or open ending which reveal the fixture’s metal endcaps.

HL2_featured_0420-flipped.jpg

CORONET - NEW PRODUCTS FOR 2020

A linear system using modular downlights with 4-celled segments in fixed, adjustable (360° rotation and 30° tilt), and wall-washer. Plans are to increase the 4-cells module output to 1500lm. The wall-washer module has a built-in snoot for glare control.

Louver and regressed lens options are available for the linear downlight module (not listed on the spec).

JOINT:

Configurable interlocking modular system utilizing the Rush fixture (the most narrow profile 7/8”) with adjustable hubs. The hub works as both a fixture joiner and for power.

Direct and Direct/Indirect distributions.

Open and closed-loop system. 

What’s interesting is it offers 30° elevation with up and down extender (hub).

Each hub requires a driver (power overfeed) and 8ft is the longest single run on each hub.

LUICE:

Coronet’s new acoustic fixture with stretched fabric cover comes in standard CCTs and Tunable white (27K to 65K). This fixture is only 3/4” deep yet offers a node-free uniform illumination.

Available with trimless and mud-in options.

The standard 4ft X 8ft ships in 8 to 10 days. Smaller versions are available by request with additional 2 weeks lead time.