Industry

Open Factory Areas

Industry covers a broad spectrum, from manufacture and assembly areas to heavily industry in dirty, hot and humid environments. Good lighting is very important so the task can be carried out effectively and safely. Appropriate luminaires should be selected to withstand the environmental conditions. Whatever the application, the goals are common: To provide a lit environment that facilitates accurate and fast work To create a safe environment To contribute towards worker comfort and wellbeing This can often be achieved with a three-pronged approach: General lighting that is appropriate for the environment and the main work activities Localised lighting for specific work areas (such as assembly lines, machine shops, etc.) that have specific lighting needs Local task lighting (over work-benches or on and even inside machinery) where a higher illumination level or better quality colour rendering is required. Local lighting is effective for highlighting hazards and obstructions In this approach attention needs to be paid to the Illuminance Uniformity. Detailed guidance is provided in the CIBSE: SLL Lighting Guide 1 - Industrial Environment. Illumination levels for industry are outlined in the CIBSE: SLL Lighting Guide 1 - Industrial Environment 2018 and the CIBSE: SLL Lighting Handbook. If a specific industry is not listed, it should be possible to find a comparative one and correlate tasks and activities. Attention needs to be paid to designing a lighting scheme that meets the needs of the tasks being undertaken. It can be an oversimplification to concentrate solely on horizontal illuminance values and ignore the vertical element. Many tasks need good vertical illumination levels in order to operate control panels, read labels, or to recognise facial features for good communication. The best approach is to use luminaires with a wide distribution, mounted closer together in order to provide good vertical illumination and uniformity. For more detailed guidance, please see the CIBSE: SLL Lighting Guide 1 - Industrial Environment. CRI 80 is standard for ARC Lighting internal luminaires and CRI 70 for external luminaires, making them suitable for most applications. Many luminaires are available to special order with a higher CRI for applications where high quality colour rendition is needed. Please contact your local sales engineer or the sales office for more information.