Fiber Optic Lighting

Creating an Edge in the Lighting Industry - Fiber optic lighting

Continuously developed for two decades now, fiber optic lighting is relatively new in the lighting industry. Fiber optic lighting has taken the interest of designers, engineers and electrical contractors in addition to conventional lighting due to the challenge and complexity fiber optic lighting offers.

To start with, fiber optic lighting can be installed virtually almost anywhere because its light source, screws, and adhesives can be situated in any convenient, safe and accessible location. Installation includes the fiber cables, harnesses, along with the end fittings, or fixtures. Fiber optic lighting allows for a simplified maintenance. Moreover, the thin optical fiber cabling is structured to retrofit into ceilings or walls.

The basic materials for fiber optic lighting tube are the core and the cladding. The component that transmits light is the core that is tightly fitted around with the cladding. The cladding is a thin material that has a low refractive index. If light beams abrade the cladding at low angles, they are reflected back into the core.

The fiber optic lighting is also ideal to illuminate materials like textiles and paintings because you can possibly attach filters on the illuminator to remove most of the lamp’s IR and UV energy. Take note that ultraviolet rays are damaging to dyes of textiles as well as paintings. Fiber optic lighting is also good to use in museums that house historical artifacts because it doesn’t generate heat within the case. The only contention of fiber optic lighting manufacturers is that the output of fiber optic illuminators are not as bright as its counterparts because it is affected by the long fiber runs bending in the fibers and other installation variants.

Fiber optic lighting has likewise been used in waterfall systems that create a wave of continuously changing colored light. Fiber optic cables can travel through the water-supply pipe and all the way to the surface of the water feature. This gives the appearance of light flowing through the water. These waterfall systems are sold mostly in 1-ft, 2-ft, or 4-ft sections, while these sections can be further assembled to create another system of any length.

Given its benefits, fiber optic lighting accounts a mere fraction of one percent of the lighting industry but the technology continues to awe attendees at the annual LighFair conference. Vendors are continuing their efforts to improve the products that allow fiber to take the place of some traditional lighting applications.