Amerlux came to the office to show us a few of the new products they have developed. The first fixtures we saw were part of their Hornet line. The Hornet LED line uses refracted lenses to control the beam spread. It comes in 15watt and 21watt versions to act as a replacement for 50watt MR16 and 20watt Metal Halide lamps respectively. The beam spread comes in 15° as a standard option but can be altered with the use of films. We noticed a lot of spill light that is similar to using regular Metal Halide fixtures. We also looked at another line of theirs, the Fiato. It is intended to be a replacement for higher wattage Metal Halide lamps. They designed the Fiato to come in several similar wattage options so you can adapt to meet code requirements. The Fiato comes with 12°, 20° and 25° beam spread options. The Fino is a linear wall recessed up light fixture with a slim profile. The fixture is a unique alternative to cove lighting. The recommended spacing is 3’ from the ceiling for an even wash. We took a look at their recessed fixtures that are going to be released soon. They incorporate the Hornet platform. The recessed line comes in fixed down light, adjustable and wall wash options. The wall wash seemed to have a bit of a hot spot about 2’ from the top of the wall.
A-Light
A-Light stopped by with the Dulanski Group so we could get a close look at the new products they have to offer. Recently, A-Light has focused more on primarily LED products. Different lens options are available for the linear LED and also has no lamp imaging.
A-Light has engineered their linear LED fixtures to maintain the light output levels they achieve from their fluorescent versions. A-Light prides themselves on how they engineer their products around the light source itself so they have a high efficiency rate for their performance. They can do custom lengths up to 1/8”.
Span Mount is a fixture that spans from wall to wall, while it can also be mounted as a cantilever. They also have an LED linear picture light that is a good option for an incandescent replacement.
Because a big portion of their product can be heavily customized, A-Light has created two categories for specifying their products. The Elements line consists of their standard products without customization. Elements comes with a 15 day lead time. Architectural Integration offers their complete line with full customization. With this full customization, there are longer lead times.
WAC Lighting
WAC came by with the Dulanski Group to show some new fixtures they have been working on. The first one we looked at was their Slice fixture that goes hand in hand with the Dice fixture. The Slice is a round surface LED area light while the Dice is a square fixture. Both incorporate a thick wall etched white glass lens. Two sizes are available, 8 7/8” and 11”. It comes in a 3K option, but for large orders WAC could do a 27K version. The price point for the larger version of these fixtures comes in at around $150.
Another fixture we took a look at is their new task lighting option Line. Line uses LEDs to edge light the surface creating an evenly illuminated fixture with a 30° forward throw for under cabinet lighting. Line ranges from 6” to 30” and can be installed easily end to end. The installation for Line uses magnets on the main portion with the lens that snaps in place to the connector mounted to the surface.
WAC also showed us their Exterminator which is an LED track fixture. The Exterminator has a smooth beam spread and good color rendering. We looked at both the 3K and 27K versions and liked both.
VLT
VLT stopped by with the Dulanski Group so we could see what they have been up to and the direction they are taking their company. They highlighted that they are now offering their linear LEDs with new Nichia boards that come with both a higher output as well as a higher CRI of 85+. All of their linear strips come in 4" increments.
They offer a mid-price point option now that comes standard with a clear lens. The lens snaps on to the aluminum extrusion as opposed to the extrusion that comes with the lens as a part of the fixture already. This helps keep the cost down.
Another new product they showed us is the 4SL which is a thin extrusion that comes with a frosted lens that does not show diodes. Their original version of this fixture came with an inch in height but their updated version is able to come with only a half inch hight while still not showing visible diodes when combined with the frosted lens.
A second product that piqued our interest was their Light Run which uses a board that has LEDs closer together allowing for an even smaller profile of 1/2". This fixture runs up to 4' in length. Originally it was intended for display case lighting.
The quarter round light strip is a good option for book cases and provides a wide throw of light in a 45 degree direction which is great for covering distances as well as vertical surfaces.
VLT has a 2-3 week lead time for all of their fixtures. They offer 2400K in all of their light strips. They also provide a closet rating for their fixtures and have it documented on their spec sheets. VLT offers more lens options that are available for some of their strips but not all of them. These options are: clear, three levels of frosted, 1/2 opal , opal and a 30 degree beam spread version. We were impressed with the quality of the light VLT is able to produce and the options that come standard. They are strong contenders in a market that has a lot out there already.
Tech Lighting: LIGHTSPEAK 2013
We just got back from a great trip to Dallas and a visit to the Tech Lighting Showroom for LIGHTSPEAK 2013. What a great space and great people as well! Here is a brief re-cap of the visit and some photos to wet the appetite. To see more, visit TechLighting.com. The Tech Lighting factory is located in Skokie, IL and they stock a majority of their pieces. They try and provide a lead time of 3-Days! for most projects, especially for orders under 100 items. Also good to remember is that custom products make up about 15% of their work. It never hurts to ask.
Here is just a peak at some of the beautiful glass elements that Tech is known for. Many of these pieces are hand-blown in Italy. The first image is the new Ecran "Screen" Pendant with platinum and gold silk-screened patterns on the glass. The third image shows the beautiful Sara (round) and Jayden (square) pressed crystal pendants with hand-blown white glass inner layer.
Here's a collection of the industrial Wilmette Series, which has been incorporated into the larger Tech Lighting catalog.
The Artic Family is also really fun!
And finally, a collection of amber glass pendants, beautifully grouped.
In addition to the decorative displays throughout, we received an over-view of the architectural recessed line ELEMENT. This is a family of 3", 4" and 6" apertures with a variety of functions. Unfortunately, we often find that the housing sizes prevent us from using these products in NYC. The standard LED uses a Citizen chip, but the they are now offering products with Xicato (standard and artist series available) and Lumenetix. Lumenetix is offering an exciting product with a pre-programmed warm dim or fully programmable white. The warm dim function is great for residential and hospitality. The fully programmable white may be a good option for retail. The programming offers up to 5 saved scenes, which can be saved to high light the clothes in each season! We've also been told they will begin offering multiples next year.
And finally, Tech Lighting is expanding their UNILUME line to include not only their standard remote phosphor under-cabinet line, but other variations: direct line voltage, remote driver and a cove line. The cove line is very exciting because it offers a field-cuttable piece for completing the ends of runs. The cove fixture is a basic 120° output with no real direction. Great for simulating the look of fluorescent without socket shadows. Color temperatures range from 2400K - 4000K.
We were also shown some exciting new products for 2014, but were sworn to secrecy! Looking forward to the future and to see what Tech Lighting does next!
Metalumen
We got the chance to see some of the updated fixtures Metalumen has been working on; the Rail, the Grande and the Caledonia.
The Caledonia is offered in a pendant, recessed, recessed vertical and surface applications. The surface version currently is not for wall surfaces. The Caledonia requires a remote driver and is only available in LED. The recessed versions are available in flanged and flangeless with mud in ring options. Dimming is standard.
We noticed with the Rail you can see the LEDs on the large version but on the thinner profile, the lens was evenly illuminated. Quick ship is available for some of the fixtures in their lines.
Specialty Lighting Industries
Specialty Lighting Industries stopped by to show us some of fixtures they have been working on lately. We took a look at their recessed linear LED wall washer in their 601 housing. The fixture has a glass lens that has a double micro prism creating the wall washer effect as well as keeping the viewer from seeing the diodes. The wall washer uses Philips LED boards and produced a flood of light without a harsh line at the top. All of Specialty’s linear LED products including the wall washer are now line voltage as opposed to being low voltage in previous versions.
We also looked at the recessed down light with their GE chip option. They are now able to offer a 10° option with GE that comes in a set unit whereas the other beam spread options are adaptable to the various reflector options they provide. Even without the solite lens installed the 10° beam was nice and had a smooth quality to it.
Specialty showed us two of their 2watt step lights that we have not seen before. Both threw out a decent amount of light and come in both trimmed and trimless versions. One version had a simple glass lens while the other with the use of louvers provided a good solution when viewing angles and glare might be an issue.
Intense Lighting
Intense Lighting stopped by with some new products to show us. They showed us the MBW2 which is a Pluris Multiple LED fixture available in both flood and wall wash applications. The MBW2 is fully adjustable with the ability to pull the fixture down for more vertical adjustability.
They are implementing a new code system that will make specifying simpler. Each lumen package has its own code that is universal throughout the lines. There are four different lumen packages they can provide and active cooling is for the higher two packages.
We also looked at their wall washer. There was a little scalloping around the top that was due to the scoop reflector they have designed.
One thing to note is that dimming is generally available for their fixtures even if it is not on the cut sheet, and they are able to provide any type of dimming.
A few of the draws to Intense is that they have a lot of their fixtures in stock, they provide them for a good price, fast delivery and now offer 97 CRI across the board on their LED products.
We-ef
Light Abilities brought some We-ef fixtures to the office to give us a closer look at what they have been up to. We took a look at their floodlights that come in three different sizes. Their beam spreads are field changeable. One of their mounting options is their Rail66. The system We-ef also provides some of their fixtures on their quick ship program assuring availability to ten business days plus shipping time. Their entire product lines come out of Pittsburgh. Although a lot of their products are not as refined as their competition (Bega and Erco), they are quality products and are better priced.
ALW
Architectural Lighting Works stopped by with Stan Deutsch and Associates so we could take a look at some of their products they have been improving. They highlighted their linear fixture lines which all come in increments of 1’. All of the linear products are dimmable through either 0-10V or Lutron A Series. The lumen output can be specified for the linear fixtures. One fixture they highlighted in particular was their surface mounted linear wall washer. Right now the fixture is mounted on a fixed bracket, however in the near future they will be coming out with an adjustable bracket providing more flexibility. We also looked at their regular surface linear fixture as a potential for mirror lighting details. The lens is flush with the fixture which would allow it to be installed in a built channel plumb with the mirror edge. ALW also showed us some of their down light collections. They have come out with an LED down light available in both 7watt and 10watt versions. Both versions have a 38° beam spread. This fixture is designed to be used as a replacement for the MR16 down lights when a designated LED board is preferred as opposed to the LED MR16 retrofit. Several of their fixtures are now on a quick ship program assuring fixture availability to ten business days plus shipping time.
Edge Lighting
Enterprise Lighting brought Edge Lighting by to show some of their product to us. The first thing they went over was some of their LED light strip. The SS2P and the SS2C are two of their higher output strips they offer. The SS2P is an 80 CRI strip at 182 lumens/ft. and the SS2C has an 85 CRI at 268 lumens/ft.
They recommend using DC power for longer runs and AC for single fixtures. DC provides 25% more light output than AC.
The Soft Line LED is an indirect LED system that can run in lengths up to 40’. The system uses a tape measure like material and connects to two turnbuckles and can be connected to any surface. The Soft Line can be used with any of the light strips Edge provides. Edge also showed us their Light Channel which comes as a 90° surface, a 45° surface and a millwork recessed option. The light channels can all be specified to use the same LED strips throughout to maintain color uniformity between the fixtures.
The Micro Grazer is a higher output fixture offered in 7watts/ft. and has a 10° beam spread. Edge Lighting recommends mounting the fixture up to an inch away from the surface and offers a mounting bracket to achieve that.
The Cirrus Channels are a higher output fixture that can be used as a replacement to T5 strips. The Cirrus product mounting options are surface, suspended and monorail. With the monorail option the power supply is only offered with AC.
Edge Lighting also introduced their other line of products Pure Lighting. Pure offers fixtures for recessed plaster in applications. Pure’s fixtures are available in warmer color temperature than the other Edge light strips. The Reveal is one of their fixtures which provides an indirect glow and is good for toe-kick or cove lighting.
Edge Lighting is working on warm dimming which will be coming soon and will be made available across the board.
WAC Lighting
WAC Lighting stopped by with the Dulanski Group to introduce us to some of their products. Some of those products included their track lines. One highlight of the track fixtures they showed us is that all of the optics are field changeable. They also showed us their LED tape which boasts minimal diode image thanks to their diffusers. The tape also comes with corner pieces that would make lighting coves easier. The tape light is well thought out in terms of easy installations with considerations for channels and mounting clips. They also have RGB tape available. We looked at their under cabinet fixtures as an option for an economic replacement to others we have seen. The LEDme Light Bars come in various lengths and have both side or back conduit entry, which fits with our typical installation details for under cabinet applications. Another fixture they showed us was their mini LEds that are available on a mini track which will be available soon. For a 2watt fixture it produced a good punch of light. The size of the fixture would be good for display lighting applications. We saw a selection of their recessed LED lights available. Their sizes they have available are 1”, 2” and 4”. All of them are available as fixed down lights or adjustable. 27K, 3K, 35K and 45K LED modules are all available. WAC Lighting make all of their parts themselves and they are then assembled in the US. They are a good option for fixtures when the budget is limited on a project.
Aurora Light
Aurora Light stopped by with HTA Lighting to show us some of their fixtures. The fixtures are all engineered to IP68 but are not certified. Their in-grade fixtures have gone primarily LED but still have some halogen options available. Aurora Light has three sizes for their in-grade fixtures. They showed us the Axis fixture. They are adding a lot of adjustability to the fixtures. The carriage holding the LED can now tilt and the LED can also slide up and down up to 2” below the lens. It also has the adjustability of 360° rotation and 45° vertical tilt. The Axis comes in 27K, 29K and 45K and can be supplied with field changeable optics of 10°, 25° and 40° beam spreads. They also showed us their Maglio path light fixtures. The Maglio comes in both fixed and adjustable versions. They added three points of adjustability to the Maglio with vertical tilt and horizontal rotation as well as the ability to rotate the fixture heard as well. All of the Aurora’s fixtures come standard with their copper natural patina, but are also available with either a brushed nickel or bronze living patina finish. All of their standard fixtures are available as samples and special samples can be made available also.
Nulite Lighting
Nulite stopped by to show us the products that they have been developing recently. They are known for their fluorescent fixtures primarily, but are starting to put more of an emphasis on their LED products. The first products we looked at were their troffer fixtures. They have both a regular version as well as a shallow plenum version. With the shallow plenum, we were able to see the nodes but they said that there is an additional insert that can be placed on the lens to correct this. However, this lens would reduce the light output. The troffers are all dimmable with 0-10V out of the box. The dimming is built into the price already. We also looked at their recessed linear LED fixtures that are being released within the next week or so. They will offer three different width options with different light outputs for each. All of their recessed LED products come with integral emergency options. Another product that they are releasing soon is a pendant called YC-R. It is a direct/indirect LED pendant with a unique thin horizontal profile. They have put in a lot of thought and care to the design and performance of their fixtures. Right now because of low sales (only 5%) for their LED products, however, the price point for their fixtures is double that of their fluorescent versions. With more sales and/or a big project that price could potentially go down.
GVA Lighting
The Dulanski Group brought GVA Lighting by to introduce some of their products to us. They focused on their Infinity Line which is great for exterior applications especially lighting tall buildings. The fixture utilizes an acrylic tube to diffuse the light which can be up to 16’ in length. The tubes are a breathable sealed acrylic but are still waterproof which allow for fluctuation in weather with the varying climates and seasons. The LEDs are waterproof as well.
The Infinity is also available as a cove application. The fixture is available in 27K, 3K, 35K, 4K, 5K, 65K and RGB. The system uses a data converter and can be dimmed using any controls as a standard option. The Infinity will be released in the 3rd Quarter of this year.