UK gets LED testing facility

A new laboratory which will allow SMEs (small and medium size enterprises) to test LED displays and lighting has been opened in Gloucestershire, according to Electronics Weekly.

The new centre will allow companies to try out LED lighting and signage, testing it using advanced technology which is far more accurate than older kit.

A whole range of variables will be measurable at the lab, including colour, temperature, chromaticity and luminous flux.

In a statement from Photometric Testing, the company responsible for the new facility, it was said that LED displays and lighting will not be the only technology which can be analysed by the equipment.

Older LCD displays can also be studied and put through their paces alongside the latest LED screens, which should give clients a good idea of the relative performance benefits of switching to LED systems.

In layman’s terms, the lab will allow firms to check whether an LED display or light is performing as advertised and whether one particular device offers better viewing angles or illumination properties than another option.

The lab will eventually be used for the testing of LED road signs as well as vehicle lights and other signals used every day, according to Dr Gareth John, who heads up the operation of the site.

The display and lighting market has become particularly competitive, with companies looking for quality as well as efficiency. Of course when it comes to road signs and traffic signals, there are other factors to consider, such as safety, so legibility and durability have to be factored into the process of testing and choosing displays.

It is good to see another centre opening up in the UK to make sure that LED systems can be thoroughly examined in an independent environment before companies put their money on the table.