Last week SDA (Stan Deutsch Associates) provided an in depth look into LEDRAbrands and Birchwood with a trip facilities located in Los Angeles, CA. Thank you SDA for the opportunity!
LEDRAbrands currently has three (X3) main lines: Alphabet, Bruck and Molto Luce. Alphabet is the new recessed family including down lights, adjustable and wall washers. It comes in 2",3",4" and 6" apertures with pros and cons to each. Within the 2" line, which seemed to be the most attractive, the down lights are available in restricted beam spreads that are sealed by the manufacturer (ie. cannot be changed in the field). It has a small, bevel, regressed trim. The adjustable down light is open, without a trim. Although the reflectors are interchangeable in the field, there are no accessories currently available. There is a possibility that accessories will be introduced in Phase 2. The wall wash has a small overlap trim and a flat lens. When illuminated the wall wash and down light look similar although a small shadow from the bevel down light regress can be seen. When off, the difference is much more pronounced. The wall wash was effective at 1:1-1/2 spacing (1:2 was installed but did not look perfect). Given pricing between $150-200 DN, a mix of the down lights and wall washers might be useful in an office setting.
The 3" through 6" look similar, with an overlap flange and small bevel trim. The down light, adjustable and wall wash all have the same trim appearance, which makes them a more viable option for use in larger projects. In addition, emergency backup is available in all of the larger sizes. The adjustable fixture includes interchangeable media and 40° vertical and 360° horizontal rotation.
The Alphabet family is available in a few different modules: standard XICATO (80+ CRI) , XICATO Artist Series (90+ CRI), BEAUTY (enhanced skin tones), and Vibrant (enhanced retail), XICATO XIM (Bluetooth enabled), LUMENETIX Araya (color-changing), and BIOS (circadian rhythm). The XIM and BIOS are larger and only available in the 4"-6" trim sizes.
The XIM and BIOS modules are most likely the future of LED. The XICATO XIM module is intelligent and Bluetooth enabled. As an example, in can monitor and accommodate lumen depreciation. LEDRAbrands is also looking into how it can be used with iBeacon. IBeacon is a protocol which can be used to follow clients based on their GPS location. For one example, it could monitor guests in museums to control how long lights are on a piece of artwork. This is especially important when the work of art can be easily damaged due to light exposure. The BIOS module is a new adaptation for circadian rhythm. New studies are showing that CCT and lumen level do not affect biological rhythms - we are more affected by the spectral distribution of light instead.
The Bruck family is a mix of glass pendants, track and sconces. Some notable fixtures are the VIA factory-bendable track which looks great in curves and rings. The hand-blown glass pieces incorporate a brass ring that makes them no longer gravity dependent and able to be used as either a pendant or a sconce. Custom glass is available, although the lead time can be quite long. The standard sconces (in families with both interior and exterior ratings) are neutral yet beautiful. They are available in 3000k and 3500k as a standard with a 2700k available as a custom. A gold interior is available which creates a nice hospitality look without shiftingthe CCT. A special note, the exterior QB (square sconce) is open throughout to avoid the typical snow melt issue - and this might be the only sconce like this on the market!
MOLTO LUCE is a great brand that LEDRAbrands is introducing from Austria. Their products offer minimal and beautiful aesthetics that range from PMMA acrylic (UV stable and impact resistant) to concrete. Products are offered in 3000k and 3500k as standard, with reasonable DN pricing for a European brand. LEDRA worked with Molto Luce to ensure UL list compliance on all their products and even made some tweaks for the US market. They are currently working on the AFTER 8 pendant to remove the chunky power cord and provide low voltage power only through the circuit suspension cables.
The engineering department at LEDRAbrands was most impressive. The have a darkroom and machine that allows them to test any fixture and receive the IES file, TM-30 report, and any other information that a designer might need. They also have some fun fixtures in the works, including a variable beam track head (currently in Bridgelux, but working on XICATO) to match. They are also working on a new 48V system for track and Bluetooth enabled fixtures.
Overall, LEDRAbrands has some nice products and is making a good effort to step up their game in terms of production and quality. The new down lights are competitively priced and the amount of interest they have in researching new sciences is impressive. LEDRAbrands is certainly a company to watch.
BIRCHWOOD is a family owned linear LED company with the majority of their materials made in the USA. We know Birchwood well and are continually impressed with their quality and care. They are extremely custom-friendly and cost competitive. Some unique features are the curved acrylic lenses and the special attention paid to light leaks, cutting their lenses shorter to allow for typical heat expansion and providing gaskets on ends.
Birchwood has a new custom output calculator available online which can be determined through wattage or lumen output requirement. The highest output they recommended to reduce glare is typically listed as the standard HLO option. But the boards they use can go up to 1000 lumens which is significantly higher. On bi-directional fixtures lumen output can be selected individually and there is no restriction when adding the two together (unlike some of their competitors). Birchwood is consistent with their boards and drivers, choosing OSRAM for all. They do also offer ELDO and Lutron but the OSRAM driver can accomodate 10% or 1% dimming.
Some of the new ideas being kicked around at Birchwood are a wall wash perimeter slot (also available as a grazer) . This must be built to exact measurements - and is not available with telescoping ends. They are also working on a down light for integration into their linear product, which will make them more competitive. And finally they are playing with new acrylic panels to reflect light.
Birchwood is a quality manufacturer with good values. The factory was impressive and the new fixtures in development will be an exciting addition to their family.