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Light guide design

Used for display and signaling applications, light solutions combining light guides and LEDs have become essential. They are particularly appreciated by designers and architects for their ability to emphasize lines and create signatures. 

Their small thickness and robustness make them easy to integrate into many systems. Their ability to guide light allows for large light areas with excellent uniformity.

Mask on light guide

Complexity of a LED light guide design

In these guides, the LEDs are placed on the side and no longer under the surface to be illuminated. This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the number of LEDs in order to obtain large luminous and uniform surfaces in an extremely compact volume.

The reduction in the number of LEDs is accompanied by a lower manufacturing cost for the manufacturer. This also induces a decrease in the power consumption of the system for the end customer. Indeed, to have such a uniformity of 80% on the surface with such a small distance using LEDs placed under the surface, much more is needed than in the case of tangential lighting.

The small thickness of the guides (only a few millimeters) makes them easy to integrate into many display and signaling systems. From a photometric point of view, the ability of these guides to conduct light makes it possible to obtain high luminances over large luminous surfaces. The uniformity of luminance obtained is also excellent with values greater than 80%.

Nevertheless, to obtain such results at the best cost, a great deal of control over the design of the optical systems is necessary.

Skills and tools to design

It is the relevant combination of a choice of LEDs, their operating points, materials and surface treatments in a suitable architecture that achieves the expected quality.

PISEO has the skills and tools to design, simulate, model, optimize and reliably characterize light systems using light guides, as well as other systems using photonic technologies. To do this, we rely on the expertise of our engineers (optics, mechatronic systems, materials), our optical design tools such as ZEMAX OpticStudio 18 Premium or LightTools 8.6 and our characterization laboratory accredited by COFRAC (n ° accreditation: 1-5992).

For example, our 5Mpx Wesboro video-metering camera allows us to quickly and accurately characterize the luminance levels and uniformities of any luminous surface in two dimensions.

Thanks to our network of partners, we can also assist you in the realization of prototypes and during the industrialization of optical systems (design, choice of materials, transformers, manufacturers of electronic cards, integrators) whatever your field of activity : automotive, railway, avionics, merchandizing, general lighting, signage, imaging, health …

Luminance measurements

In addition, PISEO’s CIR and CII agreements allow you to benefit from tax credits for eligible research and innovation services that you have entrusted to us (only possible for customers located on the French territory).