White Light MASTERY STATEMENT:
G R O T E T R A I N I N G S E R I E S
At the completion of this module you will have a thorough understanding of the Grote LED WhiteLight™ program, what is a lumen and the benefits of the Grote LED WhiteLight™ product line.
Introduction..............................................................................................................................2 History .......................................................................................................................................2 Grote Forward Lighting History.............................................................................................4 Regulatory Concerns and White Light ................................................................................5 How is White Light Created?...............................................................................................11 Measuring Light Output .......................................................................................................13 Forward Lighting Beam Patterns .......................................................................................14 License & Backup Lighting..................................................................................................15 Interior Lamps........................................................................................................................15 Grote Lighting ........................................................................................................................16 License & Backup Lighting..................................................................................................16 Interior Lamps........................................................................................................................16 Forward Lighting ...................................................................................................................19 Additional Resources ...........................................................................................................20
INTRODUCTION
The Grote interior lighting line consists of a wide variety of products for use in a wide range of vehicle types. Grote produces lighting for trailers, trucks, RV’s, buses, ambulances, fire trucks, and others. Interior lighting parts use incandescent, fluorescent and LED light sources. They also come in several shapes and sizes from round to rectangle.
Most of the interior lamps are sealed but there are a few bulb replaceable options around as well.
The Grote forward lighting line consists of work lamps, fog lamps, and driving lamps for use in on and off road equipment. A combination of sealed beam and bulb replaceable lighting exists with a recent emphasis on LED lighting products. The forward lighting area is the fastest growing technology and lighting line at Grote.
HISTORY
License and Backup Lamps License lamps and backup lamps were really the final piece to the LED puzzle. Until recently, license and backup lights were the last remaining lights to be offered and available on commercial trucks and trailers. Unlike marker lights that can go in many locations, both license and backup lamps must be positioned in specifically set areas.
Interior Lighting Grote has been producing interior lamps for nearly half of 100+ years of existence. The need to see cargo, steps, maps and floorboards made it apparent early on in the days of transportation that extra light was needed on, in, and around a vehicle.
Early interior lighting consisted of standard incandescent lighting. Incandescent bulbs are very susceptible to vibration and, depending on the lamp design, water intrusion due to the nature of their use many are mounted with the lens facing down, allowing them to capture and hold moisture. Another issue with incandescent/halogen lighting is the heat generated by the bulb. This can make work conditions very warm in the summer months in an already over-heated dry van packed with pallets of cardboard materials. If the lights are left on in transit and the load packed too high or close to the lamps, this heat can cause dangerous and costly fire inducing events.
Bulbs also use a lot of current. These electrical current demands put a strain on the electrical system of the truck/trailer resulting in dead batteries, early malfunction of alternators, or lights not being used often resulting in injury to the driver or mistakes in load logistics.
Over time it became apparent that another light source was going to be necessary for the freight industry and in particular the refrigerated trailer industry. Grote pioneered the use of fluorescent lighting in trailers in the 1990’s. These fluorescent bulbs operated well in the low temperatures of the refrigerated trailer, had good light output and made life generally
Incandescent 1157 Bulb
trucks.
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better for the driver. However, fluorescents are not without their problems. The bulbs are vibration sensitive, the current demands can still cause problems for the trucking industry, and recently food haulers have become sensitive to the mercury count inside the bulbs. Should the capsule burst inside the trailer and the lens be missing, glass and low levels of mercury could be released into the shipment.
Most recently, in 2003, Grote began offering LED interior lighting options to the trailer industry. Over time many different shapes and sizes have been added to the line. LEDs offer great operating temperature range, performing better in the cooler refrigerated trailer temperatures than the fluorescent lamps, they are sealed with no chemical hazards, are not susceptible to vibration, operate with low current demands, have excellent light output for the driver, produce little heat if for some reason they are left on with boxes stacked against them for a period of time.
In 2009 Grote introduced motion sensor options to interior lighting to allow for even more features for delivery vehicles that make many stops and have a lot of foot traffic. As LEDs have improved, Grote continues to reduce the number of LEDs in their lamps, driving down costs and increasing light output.
The last segment in the interior lighting group is not a lamp at all but rather the timer switches that have been introduced to make lighting up a trailer easier. As mentioned previously, often times the driver forgets to turn the lamps off in his trailer when preparing to get back on the road. This can be harmless or significant depending on the situation. Grote introduced a timer switch that is mounted on the trailer. These switches are programmable to give the driver flexibility and peace of mind to know that the lamps will shut off automatically in 20, 30 or 40 minutes after activating the switch. Reset switches can be placed inside the trailer to reset the timer switch if unloading is taking longer than planned. Newer versions of the switch get rid of the timer altogether and replace it with an accelerometer that will shut the lamps off when the trailer is in motion.
The new motion sensor lamps mentioned previously have made the switches less important to LED operators as the switch becomes unnecessary when the lamp shuts itself off when no motion is sensed in the loading area.
Forward Lighting
Over time headlamp technology has improved, from acetylene to incandescent from halogen to xenon and HID to LED. The light output, length of life and styling has improved dramatically.
Halogen lighting was the next significant advancement in the head lighting industry, replacing tungsten filaments.
Followed quickly by Halogen bulbs were the Xenon/HID lighting systems. For a detailed look at those systems we can again turn to Wikipedia “HID stands for high-intensity discharge, a term referring to the electric arc that produces the light. The high intensity of the arc comes from metallic salts that are vaporized within the arc chamber. These lamps are formally known as gas-discharge burners, and produce more light for a given level of power consumption than ordinary tungsten and tungsten-halogen bulbs. Because of the increased amounts of light available from HID burners relative to halogen bulbs, HID headlamps producing a given beam pattern can be made smaller than halogen
LED Interior Lighting 61291
Halogen Bulb Capsule 9004/HB1
Grote’s motion sensor lights operate on heat and movement.
Both must be met for the light to turn
on.
minutes after activation.
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headlamps producing a comparable beam pattern. Alternatively, the larger size can be retained, in which case the xenon headlamp can produce a more robust beam pattern.
Automotive HID lamps are commonly called “xenon headlamps”, though they are actually metal halide lamps that contain xenon gas. The xenon gas allows the lamps to produce minimally adequate light immediately upon power up, and accelerates the lamps’ run-up time. If argon were used instead, as is commonly done in street lights and other stationary metal halide lamp applications, it would take several minutes for the lamps to reach their full output. The light from HID headlamps exhibits a distinct bluish tint when compared with tungsten-filament headlamps.”
There are several advantages and disadvantages to HID lighting:
Pros 1. Increased safety of brighter lights 2. High Efficiency light source 3. Longevity (2000 hours vs 400-700 hours of a halogen)
Cons 1. Glare 2. Mercury content 3. Lack of backwards compatibility 4. Cost
The most recent light source for head lamps utilizes LED technology. While the history of LED lamps is still to be written with LED technology, we know for certain that Grote Industries has been a pioneer of the technology.
GROTE FORWARD LIGHTING HISTORY
For the purposes of this discussion we will not be spending much time on headlamps. Grote does not offer legal on-road headlamps, but we do offer driving lights and fog lamps for legal on-road use. We will spend the majority of the time discussing the off-road segment of our line (work lamps).
In 1989, Grote purchased the Per-lux line of fog and driving lights from the Per- Lux company of West Covina, CA. This extension of the Grote line allowed Grote further in-roads into the truck manufacturing OEMs and full service lighting suppliers. Grote supplied Per-lux lamps to many OEMs during the 80’s and 90’s, predominantly Freightliner. Per-lux driving lamps had both Noryl or Stainless Steel housings and used louvers inside the lenses to reduce light glare on wet surfaces. Available in round or rectangular body styles, these high candlepower lamps were the premium driving/fog lamps of their time.
Over the years Grote has supplied work lamps for all types of equipment and was at one time the main work lamp supplier for John Deere tractors. There are still remnants of the John Deere line in the current Grote catalog.
Most recently the Grote halogen and HID forward lighting history has included complex headlamp bezel designs for Freightliner and Navistar. Grote continues to pursue headlamp bezel opportunities and works with other OEM suppliers to design, mold, and assemble the components for the OEM truck manufacturers.
Coronado Headlamp
HID Headlamp
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In 2004, Grote was approached by Carriage Lite of Pennsylvania with a request to develop an LED driving lamp for Amish Buggies. Since all lighting on the carriage is battery powered, the LED solution was a logical choice allowing prolonged battery life. Grote developed a custom pattern that projected light out in front of the horse and also allowed the carriage to be seen from long distances. In 2005 the Amish were our first adopters of LED forward lighting technology.
After the launch of the Buggy Lamp, Grote continued its development of white LED lamps and in 2006 partnered with Baja Designs of California to develop the first LED off road lighting. The design target was to meet the performance of a 35W HID lamp. In September of that year, Grote kicked off a massive prototype effort to develop parts to be tested at the 2006 Baja 1000 in November. The first parts used 36 high power white LEDs, and machined aluminum housings. Each prototype lamp weighed 12 pounds. Three lamps were mounted on the front of one truck and the #867 Kore Racing Dodge from Alberta, Canada set out to run the Baja 1000 with LED lighting. Piloted by Kevin Ostlund , Richard Thomas and John Zambie the truck was able to make it 650 miles into the race, before the turbo failed, but the Grote lamps were still working perfectly. Grote LED WhiteLight™ was the victor on that day.
The engineering team realized with the first prototypes that there was still work to be done. At 12 pounds and 14” by 6” the package was simply too large for the commercial market. Grote also realized that there were more places this lamp could be used other than off-road racing. Given Grote’s success with halogen work lamps, a LED work lamp would prove to be a great addition to the product line. The engineering team spent 12 months refining the design of the lamp which included reducing the weight by 66%, reducing power output by 50%, and reducing the number of LEDs from 36 to 18. The end result of these efforts produced, in late 2007, the brightest LED lamp on the market, known as the Trilliant. The lamp was privately branded for Baja Designs and sold into the off- road aftermarket. Baja Designs used the 2007 Baja 1000 as a launching platform for the lamp. 5 trucks ran the race with the Trilliant and again in most cases, the lamps outlasted the trucks. On the Grote side, the lamp was launched into the heavy duty and military markets as a high performance LED work lamp / driving lamp to replace halogen and HID light sources.
The technology put into action back in 2006 has rapidly developed for use on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq as the US military has embraced the technological edge that the Grote Trilliant program offers them. Further advancements in the technology have allowed for brighter lights in smaller packages. Grote has worked with our team in Europe to design and manufacture LED driving lights and bezels for Scania.
REGULATORY CONCERNS AND WHITE LIGHT
As has been previously discussed in other segments, the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards set the guidelines for use of “white light” transportation conditions. This next segment will cover FMVSS and how it relates to our line.
License and Backup lights
All commercial vehicle applications for this group must be rear facing and specific to its function. License plate lamps must meet specific measured light output targets measured off of the reflective license plate surface. On the other
Key Points
WhiteLight™ adopters.
Key Points
BAJA Racing.
Trilliant lamp
is the brightest LED utility lamp that Grote offers. It is available in Flood,
Wide Flood, Trapezoid and
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hand, backup lights must meet a specific light output target to the rear of the vehicle. Back-up lamps have more flexibility to placement of the unit, but the light output has a much brighter regulation and is temporary on/off. Backup lamps typically have two options: A single lamp system or a dual lamp system. Either way, the single or combined light output must meet the minimum requirements. License lamp lights are required to be on all times of vehicle operation which is different form backup lamps which may only be operated when the vehicle is in reverse. All license or back-up lamps must be white in visible color.
1. License lamps are required on all registered commercial or passenger vehicles. Both the truck and the trailer must have license lamps during operation. For example, if a truck is towing a trailer and the truck license lamp goes out, but the trailer unit still works, the truck is still in violation of federal regulations and can be ticketed.
2. Backup lamps are only commercially required on the powered unit. A 48 ft. trailer being towed by a truck is not required to have backup lamps. Trailer or towed units have no backup requirement.
License lamp FMVSS designation = L Backup lamp FMVSS designation = R
Interior Lamps
There are no FMVSS requirements for the use of interior lamps. Since it does not impact the other vehicles on the road and it would be impossible to enforce FMVSS has no jurisdiction. However, other areas are concerned with LED WhiteLight™ interior products.
ADA Americans with Disability Act stipulates the amount of light necessary to light up step wells and other areas of passenger vehicles. Grote’s 60571 LED step well lamp is designated as ADA compliant. This information can be found on the web and in the catalog.
AMD (Ambulance Manufacturers Division of the National Truck and Equipment Association): KKK-A-1822, Section 3.8.4.1 states that the patient compartment floor should have more than 15 foot candles of intensity. This measurement is to be taken along the center line of the clear floor. With the cot in position, the minimum illumination should exceed 35 foot candles on at least 90% of the cot’s surface area.
NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)1901: These new guidelines identify the safe amount of light for various locations around a truck. The following are guideline numbers that Grote meets with white lighting. 13.10.2.1 - If a hose bed is provided, lighting on the hose bed shall be a level
of 3 foot candles (30 lux) or higher.
60341
WhiteLight™ (right).
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13.10.3 - The apparatus shall have sufficient lighting to provide a minimum level of 2 foot candles (20 Lux) on all work surfaces, steps and walkways.
13.10.3
13.10.4 - The apparatus shall have sufficient lighting to provide an average level of 2 foot candles (20 lux) at each seating surface in the driving and crew compartments.
13.10.4
13.10.5.1 - Each engine compartment and pump compartment shall have a light of at least 20 candlepower (250 lumens).
13.10.5.1
13.10.5.3 - Each enclosed tool and equipment compartment greater than 4’ x 3’ in volume and having an opening greater than 144 in.2 shall have sufficient compartment lighting to provide a minimum of 2 foot candles (20 lux) at any location on the floor of the compartment without any shelves, dividers or equipment in the compartment.
13.10.5.3
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16.9.2/4.10.1.1 - If external illumination is provided, it shall be a minimum of 5 foot candles (50 lux) on the face of the device.
16.9.2/4.10.11
Forward Lighting
Head lamps are regulated by FMVSS, section 1 of the basic equipment required for all trucks, buses and MPVs requires that lower beam headlamps be marked with a H or HR on the lens. Each vehicle is required to have two lamps on the front- symmetrical as far apart as practicable, if a 4 lamp system the low beam must be to the outside or on top. The high beam also requires the DOT lettering on the lens and the H or HR symbol. The high beams, in a four lamp system, must be to the inside of the low beams or below.
Daytime Running Lamps are optional in the US and required in Canada and other countries. They indicate the vehicle is in use and must have the code Y2 on them. There is no legal requirement to have a fog lamp nor is there a federally mandated prescription of what a fog lamp can be. There is a SAE testing mode however.
SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers): The SAE identifies requirements that a lamp must possess in order to meet a recommended level for Fog. The standard developed by SAE is known as J583 which define fog lamps that provide additional roadway illumination for vehicle operators during periods of inclement weather and protects oncoming motorists from excessive glare.
FMCSA: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, particularly as it relates to forward lighting:
FMCSA 393.24 - Head Lamp Positioning requirements
(a) Headlamps. Every bus, truck and truck tractor shall be equipped with headlamps as required by §393.11(a). The headlamps shall provide an upper and lower beam distribution of light, selectable at the driver’s will and be steady- burning. The headlamps shall be marked in accordance with FMVSS No. 108. Auxiliary driving lamps and/or front fog lamps may not be used to satisfy the requirements of this paragraph.
(b) Auxiliary driving lamps and front fog lamps. Commercial motor vehicles may be equipped with auxiliary driving lamps and/or front fog lamps for use in conjunction with, but not in lieu of the required headlamps. Auxiliary driving lamps shall meet SAE Standard J581 Auxiliary Upper Beam Lamps, July 2004, and front fog lamps shall meet SAE Standard J583 Front Fog Lamp, August 2004. (See § 393.7 for information on the incorporation by reference and availability of these documents.)
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(c) Mounting. Headlamps shall be mounted and aimable in accordance with FMVSS No. 108. Auxiliary driving lamps and front fog lamps shall be mounted so that the beams are aimable and the mounting shall prevent the aim of the lighting device from being disturbed while the vehicle is operating on public roads.
(d) Aiming. Headlamps, auxiliary driving lamps and front fog lamps shall be aimed to meet the aiming specifications in FMVSS No. 108 (49 CFR 571.108), SAE J581, and SAE J583, respectively.
NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)1901: These new guidelines identify the safe amount of light for various locations around a truck. The following are guideline numbers that Grote meets with white lighting.
13.10.1.1 The work area immediately behind the vehicle shall be illuminated to a level of at least 3 foot candle (30 lux) within a 10’ x 10’ square to the rear of the vehicle.
13.10.1.1
13.10.1.2 The fire apparatus shall be equipped with lighting that is capable of providing illumination at a minimum level of 2 foot candles (20 lux) on ground areas within 30” of the edge of the apparatus in areas designed for personnel to climb onto the apparatus or descend from the apparatus to the ground level. Areas designed where personnel are to climb onto or descend from the apparatus to the ground level.
13.10.1.2
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13.10.1.3 Lighting designed to provide illumination on areas under the driver and crew riding area exits shall be switchable but activated automatically when the exit doors are opened.
13.10.1.3
22.13.1 All scene lights shall be provided with a lens or a means for preventing damage from water spray and shall be listed for wet location usage.
22.13.1
ANSI/ISA: American National Standards Institute/International Society for Automation.
ISA 12.12.01 Issued:2007/04/12 Nonincendive Electrical Equipment for Use in Class I and II, Division 2 and Class III, Divisions 1 and 2 Hazardous (Classified) Locations. The purpose of this standard is to provide minimum requirements for the design, construction, and marking of electrical equipment or parts of such equipment for use in Class I and Class II, Division 2 and Class III, Divisions 1 and 2 hazardous (classified) locations. This equipment, in normal operation, is not capable of causing ignition of the surrounding atmosphere under the conditions prescribed in this standard, although the equipment may contain electronic components that operate at incendive levels and may also have field wiring that is incendive. Today Grote has not tested to this specification.
IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission designates an Ingress Protection (IP) code to outline a system of classification for the protection of electrical enclosures against the intrusion of foreign bodies (i.e. tools, fingers, dust, etc)
and moisture. The system of classification was specified by the International Electrotechnical Commission and is officially designated as IEC 60529. The rating is specified by the letters IP followed by two digits i.e. IP25, IP68, etc. IEC 60529 First Number- Degree of ingress protection The first number of the IP code indicates the degree of protection against contact with moving parts and the degree that the equipment is protected against solid foreign bodies intruding into an enclosure. 0 - No protection provided 1 - Protection against entry of objects larger than 50 square mm. 2 - Protection against entry of objects larger than 12 square mm. 3 - Protection against entry of objects larger than 2.5 square mm. 4 - Protection against entry of objects larger than 1.0 square mm. 5 - Protection against entry of dust in sufficient quantity to prevent
satisfactory operation 6 - Complete protection against entry of dust
Second number- Degree of moisture protection 0 - No protection provided 1 - Protection against drops of water falling vertically 2 - Protection against drops of water falling vertically when the luminaire is
tilted up to 15 degrees from its normal position 3 - Protection from entry of water spray from angle of up to 60 degrees from
vertical 4 - Protection from entry of water splashes or spray from any direction 5 - Protection from a low pressure jet of water in any direction 6 - Protection against heavy seas or a strong jet of water in any direction 7 - Protection against immersion up to 1 meter 8 - Protection against submersion up to 1 meter
Additionally there is a German standard added to the above codes IP69K. The IP69K test specification was initially developed for road vehicles, especially those that need regular intensive cleaning (dump trucks, cement mixers, etc.), this standard means that the lamp will not allow water intrusion from high pressure or steam cleaning.
HOW IS WHITE LIGHT CREATED?
The color white is comprised of all of the colors in the visible spectrum and therefore is the most difficult color to generate. Given this fact, it follows that the white LED was the most difficult of the LEDs to produce. White LEDs were introduced almost 20 years after red and amber colored diodes. The white LED is actually a combination of a blue LED and a phosphor coating which reacts with the blue light and produces a combination of yellow and blue light that the eye recognizes as the color white.
Over the years, the public perception of white in regards to was changed. So when you look at one white light source and compare it with another, there may be differences in the color. One could be more blue, another could be more yellow. The common scale for defining the color of light is known as the Kelvin scale and it defines the color white with more precision. A typical value for an incandescent or halogen lamp is approximately 2500 Kelvin as opposed to the typical Grote LED WhiteLight™ lamp that is rated at 6000 Kelvin. Take note that 6000K is in the range of sunlight and this is the type of lighting where the human
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and moisture. The system of classification was specified by the International Electrotechnical Commission and is officially designated as IEC 60529. The rating is specified by the letters IP followed by two digits i.e. IP25, IP68, etc. IEC 60529 First Number- Degree of ingress protection The first number of the IP code indicates the degree of protection against contact with moving parts and the degree that the equipment is protected against solid foreign bodies intruding into an enclosure. 0 - No protection provided 1 - Protection against entry of objects larger than 50 square mm. 2 - Protection against entry of objects larger than 12 square mm. 3 - Protection against entry of objects larger than 2.5 square mm. 4 - Protection against entry of objects larger than 1.0 square mm. 5 - Protection against entry of dust in sufficient quantity to prevent
satisfactory operation 6 - Complete protection against entry of dust
Second number- Degree of moisture protection 0 - No protection provided 1 - Protection against drops of water falling vertically 2 - Protection against drops of water falling vertically when the luminaire is
tilted up to 15 degrees from its normal position 3 - Protection from entry of water spray from angle of up to 60 degrees from
vertical 4 - Protection from entry of water splashes or spray from any direction 5 - Protection from a low pressure jet of water in any direction 6 - Protection against heavy seas or a strong jet of water in any direction 7 - Protection against immersion up to 1 meter 8 - Protection against submersion up to 1 meter
Additionally there is a German standard added to the above codes IP69K. The IP69K test specification was initially developed for road vehicles, especially those that need regular intensive cleaning (dump trucks, cement mixers, etc.), this standard means that the lamp will not allow water intrusion from high pressure or steam cleaning.
HOW IS WHITE LIGHT CREATED?
The color white is comprised of all of the colors in the visible spectrum and therefore is the most difficult color to generate. Given this fact, it follows that the white LED was the most difficult of the LEDs to produce. White LEDs were introduced almost 20 years after red and amber colored diodes. The white LED is actually a combination of a blue LED and a phosphor coating which reacts with the blue light and produces a combination of yellow and blue light that the eye recognizes as the color white.
Over the years, the public perception of white in regards to was changed. So when you look at one white light source and compare it with another, there may be differences in the color. One could be more blue, another could be more yellow. The common scale for defining the color of light is known as the Kelvin scale and it defines the color white with more precision. A typical value for an incandescent or halogen lamp is approximately 2500 Kelvin as opposed to the typical Grote LED WhiteLight™ lamp that is rated at 6000 Kelvin. Take note that 6000K is in the range of sunlight and this is the type of lighting where the human
Key Points
In general there are very few standard regulations when white lighting is
used.
8000K
7500K
7000K
6500K
6000K
5500K
5000K
4500K
4000K
3500K
3000K
2500K
2000K
1500K
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eye performs best. The eye will see contrast and detail much more clearly in sunlight as opposed to household lighting. Think about driving in the daylight versus at night behind halogen (2500K) headlamps. LED WhiteLight™ comes in the range between 5000K and 7000K and while it may look bluer than traditional light sources, it is actually a closer approximation of sunlight than any other light source.
Incandescent 4411 Par 36 Trilliant 36 LED WhiteLight™
Now that we understand the color white and its many variations we can move on to categorizing light output. Since Edison invented the light bulb in the late 1800’s, a lamp’s power has been measured in watts. Our homes are filled with 60 watt bulbs and 100 watt bulbs, with 100W bulbs being brighter than 60W bulbs. Lamp output has also been measured in candlepower for some time now. Unfortunately neither measurement can be directly related to LED lighting. The measurement Watts is a function of electricity only. A 60 Watt light bulb draws 60 watts of power. A 15cp miniature bulb is roughly 15 times brighter than the light from a candle, and it uses approximately 14W of power. So how can we relate the brightness of an LED lamp to a 35W halogen bulb, or to a 32cp dome lamp? The answer is the LUMEN output of the lamp.
The Lumen is simply a way to categorize brightness. Every light source has a measurable lumen value. A lamp’s lumen value is the total amount of light coming out in all directions. 60W light bulbs are rated at approximately 1000 lumens. This means that if you add up each ray of light coming out of all directions of the bulb, the end result will be 1000 lumens.
LED devices are commonly rated in lumens. When Grote purchases an LED, the manufacturer supplies the lumen value of the device at a specified drive current and the Kelvin temperature.
Keep in mind that the LED is a directional device. This means that light only comes out one side of the device, typically at a 120° conical angle. Compare this with a bulb that emits light out of a 360° sphere. So if you have a 1000 lumen lightbulb and want to compare lumen output with an LED, take 1/3 of the lumen value of the bulb and this would serve as a good comparison. In other words, an LED producing 400 lumens of light will be brighter than a 60W bulb (1000 lumens) because only 1/3 of the bulb’s lumens are contained in the 120° cone.
Now that we have established the lumen as the baseline for measurement of light output, things become more tricky. Many LED manufacturers will assign calculated lumen values to lamps. Sometimes a lamp advertised as a 3000 lumen lamp will actually only produce 1000 lumens.
Key Points
It is critical to know the difference in total lumen output vs.
useable lumen output
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MEASURING LIGHT OUTPUT
One of the most confusing things for most people is the comparison of candela/candle power/foot candles vs lumens/lux/max lumens/usable lumens. The next segment will attempt to clarify these terms for your ongoing usage and give you the ability to explain the differences to your customers.
Candela - power emitted by a light source in a particular direction, a common candle emits light with a luminous intensity of roughly one candela. If emission in some directions is blocked by an opaque barrier, the emission would still be approximately one candela in the directions that are not obscured.
Candlepower - a unit which is used to express levels of light intensity in terms of the light emitted by a candle of specific size and constituents. In modern usage Candlepower is measured with the unit known as the candela.
Foot-Candle - In the lighting industry, footcandles are a common unit of measurement used to calculate adequate lighting levels of workspaces in buildings or outdoor spaces. Footcandles are also commonly used in the museum and gallery fields, where lighting levels must be carefully controlled to conserve light-sensitive objects such as prints, photographs, and paintings, the colors of which fade when exposed to bright light for a lengthy period.
Lumen - The lumen can be thought of as a measure of the total “amount” of visible light in some defined beam or angle, or emitted from some source. The number of candelas or lumens from a source also depends on its spectrum, via the nominal response of the human eye as represented in the luminosity function.
Luminous Flux - Luminous flux is often used as an objective measure of the useful power emitted by a light source, and is typically reported on the packaging for light bulbs, although it is not always prominent. Energy conscious consumers commonly compare the luminous flux of different light bulbs since it provides an estimate of the apparent amount of light the bulb will produce, and is useful when comparing the luminous efficacy of incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs. Luminous flux is not used to compare brightness, as this is a subjective perception which varies according to the distance from the light source.
Lux - It is used in photometry as a measure of the intensity, as perceived by the human eye, of light that hits or passes through a surface. A flux of 1,000 lumens, concentrated into an area of one square meter, lights up that square meter with an illuminance of 1,000 lux. However, the same 1,000 lumens, spread out over ten square meters, produces a dimmer illuminance of only 100 lux. Achieving an illuminance of 500 lux might be possible in a home kitchen with a single fluorescent light fixture with an output of 12,000 lumens. To light a factory floor with dozens of times the area of the kitchen would require dozens of such fixtures. Thus, lighting a larger area to the same level of lux requires a greater number of lumens. One foot candle is about 10.764 lux
Max Lumens - The Max Lumen output is calculated by simply taking the number of LEDs in a lamp and multiplying by the LED rated output.
Usable Lumens - The usable lumen output is calculated by taking the Max Lumen value and subtracting the Thermal, Optical and Assembly losses.
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WORK AND FORWARD LIGHTING BEAM PATTERNS
When speaking of forward lighting two things are very important to identifying the right part for the job at hand.
1. How is the equipment to be used 2. Where will the part be mounted
These two questions play an important role in determining how bright the lamp needs to be and what pattern is the right choice for the job at hand.
Spot - Up to 300,000 candle power of pure focused light. This pattern pierces into the night for long distance viewing of a specific area. Useful for both front and side applications. Primary uses: locating objects in distance.
Flood - Directs a low beam pattern to the ground making it a great light for general illumination of work areas and implements. Useful for front, rear and side applications.
Trapezoid - Provides even illumination in front of the vehicle which makes this a good lamp for night driving in the fields. Beam is wider than a spot and more focused than a flood. Pierces through fog, rain and dust.
TractorPlus - Provides a combonation like pattern of illumination makeing this a great lamp for night driving or in the fields. Produces a wide beam of light close to the source along with a focused sectionof light that illuminates distante objects.
Spot Trapezoid Flood
Distances of light beam patterns are approximate and are directly related to lamp style and mounting/aiming direction.
Light Beam Patterns
30M
30M+
25M+
25M
TractorPlus™
60M+
20M+
Mounted 1M-3M 5° Down Angle
Driving Light - The driving light pattern produces a focused, pencil-shaped white light to reach far beyond high-beam headlights. Driving lights increase long range visibility at highway speeds and provide added safety while driving at night.
Fog Light - Fog lights provide a low, wide angle light pattern to increase short- range visibility, ideal for added safety in fog, sleet and rain. Both amber and clear fog lights are suitable. Amber, while not penetrating, is more visible to approaching vehicles.
Trapezoidal (Trap) - The trapezoidal beam is an ideal, general-purpose work light designed with a narrower pattern for longer visibility.
Flood - The flood beam is an excellent work light which illuminates wide and short areas, giving great medium range visibility.
Wide Flood - The wide flood beam is an excellent near-field work light pattern, when working near a piece of equipment or when needing an extra wide pattern without much depth.
Tractor Pattern - The common, undefined pattern of a Par 36 incandescent bulb. This standard pattern is the result of generic, uncontrolled light output of many older technology work lamps
Tractor Plus - The new version of the Par 36 pattern. A defined pattern that is longer and wider than a standard Tractor pattern. Grote is the only manufacturer to offer this pattern and it is available in Trilliant 36 and Trilliant Cube lamps.
Spot - The spot beam is a long-range light for marking rows, fence lines etc.
WHITE LIGHT APPLICATIONS
Now that you understand the principles of how LED work lamps operate let’s take a moment to examine a few of the various applications that can utilize LED technology.
Key Points
Lighting • Construction
Forward Lighting
White Light
What is the value of adding LED work lamps to any piece of equipment? The first is the knowledge that the lamps will work when you need them. The second the ability begin the work day earlier or to extend it later into the night and finally the third benefit is the color temperature of the Grote lamps is most like sunlight giving the user the most eye-friendly foreground to work with.
Having identified the values above which applications most readily benefit from those propositions?
Work lamps that work when you need them: Loading the piece of equipment onto a flatbed, driving an hour to the work site, unloading the equipment, firing it up, flipping the switch and nothing- the lights don’t fire, now what? You really have two choices; the first is go to the nearest parts store buy a lamp that is close to the right size and attempt a field repair or operate without the proper lighting. • Construction Equipment • Agriculture Equipment • Tow Truck Equipment • Fire Equipment • Search and Rescue Equipment
Work days that begin earlier and last longer: Rain is in the forecast for the end of the week and you still have two fields of soybeans to harvest. It looks like you will be starting early in the morning and working all night long. The day begins alright and one field is done as it starts getting dusk and you flip on the lights, you slow down to make sure you don’t miss a row as you head through the fields. You get the work done, two days later…it is a long arduous task but you say to yourself “next year I need better lights.” • Agriculture/Harvesting Equipment • Tow Truck Equipment • Fire Equipment • Refrigerated Trailers, Food Delivery • Municipal/Utilities Repair Equipment • Garbage/Refuse Equipment • Forestry/Mining Equipment • Search and Rescue Equipment • Oil Rigs/Platforms/Natural Resources Equipment • Mobile Repair Equipment
The most eye-friendly light to work behind It’s been a long day on the fork lift up and down the darkened aisles of the warehouse. Only five more orders to pick today and you are off for the weekend. Now where is that pallet, I hate picking in this aisle, the B’s and 8’s always look the same on these boxes. I wish I had more light back here, it would sure make my picking accuracy score higher. • Material Handling Equipment • Agriculture Equipment • Mobile Repair • Tow Truck Equipment • Refrigerated Trailers/Food Delivery Equipment • Construction Equipment
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These are most high profile applications but the truth is that 100,000’s incandescent sealed beams are still sold every year across North America….now is the time to start swapping out those lamps for the LED alternative.
GROTE LIGHTING
Grote strives to be a complete source for white lighting needs throughout the markets we serve. The following section provides a sample of the Grote white lighting product line and some of our most popular part numbers in their respective categories.
LICENSE & BACKUP LIGHTING
Grote License lamp starting part number designation = 60xxx
• Shell lamp, Peanut lamp, 1x4”, Turtleback II, 2” round, Duramold, Veralite • All Grote license lamps are sealed with the exception of the Duramold and
Versalite lamps.
Grote Backup lamp starting part number designation = 62xxx
• Grote LED license options = 2” Grote Shell lamp and Peanut style lamps • Grote also offers multiple fully integrated STT lamps that contain both license
and backup functions – The core lamps that offer multiple functions are our box lamps and and Versalite (no license) lamps. Grote’s boat trailer kit lamps all offer license lamp functional ability.
• Grote’s Shell lamp utilizes a very low profile shape to prevent damage from rear collisions. It is fully potted and is exceptional in severe environments. This lamp is non-polarity sensitive so crossing the wires makes no difference in operation. This lamp utilizes Grote’s UBS pigtail connection system for .180 bullets.
• All LED hardwired license lamps contain a three year warranty.
• Grote LED Backup options = 4” Round Single, 4” Round Dual, Oval Single, Oval Dual
• Incandescent options include: 4” round, Oval, Postal, and Surface mount options.
• Grote offers multiple connections configurations in its product lineup. ie – amp or male pin.
INTERIOR LAMPS (61XXX)
The Grote interior lighting section is characterized by two types of lamps: dome and courtesy/cabinet /step well lamps. Grote timer switches are also included in the section but obviously are not lamps.
Dome Lamps: Dome lamps come in many shapes and sizes and from Grote’s standpoint three light source options. Let’s first look at the incandescent offerings:
4” Torsion Mount Round Dome Lamp: available in male-pin and female-pin termination, 15CP
5” Steel based round dome lamp: hardwire termination, 21CP, bulb replaceable 61051-Torsion Mount® II 4” Round Dome Lamp
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Round surface mount dome lamps: available 5” and 6” varieties, with or without a switch in 15CP and 21CP versions.
6” Oval dome lamps: predominantly used in RV’s or small trailers and as porch lamps on travel trailers. Hardwire termination, 21CP
7” Recessed mount dome lamp: school bus, RV and ambulance applications, cannot be used in headliner applications, 32CP
8” Surface mount dome lamp: packaged in chrome housing, most commonly used as an RV Scare lamp (porch light). Not suitable for us in headliners. 32CP
Steel recessed rectangular dome lamp (bathtub): shatter proof lens, lens removes for bulb replacement. 15CP
Eurostyle Map and Dome lamp: stylized automotive style aftermarket dome lamp. Includes a 3-way switch that can be mounted to the door to light up when the door is opened. 12CP and 3CP
Square Dome Lamp: comes with an external switch and two light functions, high 21CP or low 6CP. It can be used to replace existing dome lamps as its size will cover most holes. Large Rectangular Dome: surface mount dome lamp with a plunger style on/off toggle switch. 32CP Economy dome lamp: surface mount, two-bulb DURAMOLD lamp with a low profile. 2CP
Rectangular Porch/Utility lamp: angled base, designed for use on RVs and small trailers. Replaceable snap-on lens. 21CP
Grote also offers two fluorescent options Recessed mount : 18” long with removable lens for easy bulb replacement. This operates from 0°F to 125°F and comes with a 3A in-line fuse. The ballast included is rapid start and prevents EMI and RFI…has a peak amp draw of 2.7A at start-up and 2.5A while in operation.
Surface mount: 21” long with aluminum base and removable lens for bulb replacement. This operates at 32°F to 185°F and includes internal fuse and ballast. The ballast design prevents EMI/RFI.
T5 Fluorescent dome: 15” lamp that produces 800 lumens with two thin 8 Watt tubes, lightweight and has popular RV styling.
Grote offers a number of LED options Recessed Mount: 18” long, fully potted in many versions that all operate at -40°F to 122°F:
High Output: for use in long trailers that are not divided into segments/sections….
61611 61261 61291 61E61 61F61
61791-8” Surface-Mount Dome Lamps
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Multi-Compartment: Often times refrigerated trailer haulers will divide the trailer into segments/sections when making deliveries to multiple locations. In this case they are looking for less in more areas of the trailer. Instead of spreading out 4 lamps throughout the trailer they would prefer to have 6 lamps, switchable in 6 areas (as an example only). Surface-Mount Dome: recently upgraded surface mount dome lamp is a little over half the size of it’s fluorescent counterpart. Operates at -40°F to 155°F with an aluminum base that does a great job of dissipating heat and reverse polarity protected.
Surface Mount 4” dome lamp: Includes an on/off switch and uses our 400 Lumen 4 diode dome lamp.
S100 Surface Mount dome: The S100 was the first motion sensor dome lamp in the industry. This revolutionary lamp senses the motion in its cone of vision and turns itself on. When it has not sensed movement during a 3 minute cycle it will turn itself back off. 300 Lumens and .59” of height/profile, available with and without the motion sensor.
4” Round dome lamps: Recently Grote has re-designed the 4” dome lamp. The new version produces 400 lumens and has been used in a many different applications and products. It includes just the lamp, an integrated flange and a euro style flange. All lamps are available in male pin and hardwire options.
7” Dome: Two versions of the lamp, one used predominantly in ambulance settings, without a logo on the lens and with a dimmable function. The other design is a standard dome lamp for wall mounts or ceiling mounts. Shallow 1 ¼” recess with automatic high temp shut-off
LED “Bathtub” lamps: Available in a variety of mounting options and in the case of military options a variety of colors (red/white, blue white), these lamps offer a 50,000 hour service life and replace the very commonly found incandescent version.
White Light LED technology has recently been implemented into the cabinet, compartment and panel lighting. Grote offers several options in incandescent and LED light sources to make finding the right tool, paperwork or switch easier with compartment lighting.
LED SlimWhite: available in 18”, 48” or with right volume custom lengths the Grote SlimWhite: cabinet lamp produces 500 lumens per 18” segment and is available with a frosted lens or clear and with or without a switch.
The SlimLite: not to be confused with the high output SlimWhite, this economy style lamp has a low profile of less than 1” but is not a sealed lamp and must not be used in wet applications.
Oval LED lamps: can be used as a dome or panel lamp, using the same LED technology as the 4” above the oval is more likely to be used in tool boxes and produces 400 Lumens.
2” and 2.5” courtesy lamps: the 2” is available in LED and the 2.5” in incandescent. For use in low light necessary applications.
Stepwell lamps: Grote offer several sizes and types of stepwell and courtesy lamps. In LED and incandescent light sources these lamps light up steps and walkways on transit and airport buses.
61E81-LED SlimWhite
61171-LED WhiteLight™ Surface Mount Dome Lamp
61411-S100 LED WhiteLight™ Motion Sensing Surface Mount
Dome Lamp
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Timer Switches - The timer switch is very important to the safety of the driver and the life of the trailer In the heavy trailer market. The timer switch allows for push button operation of the lamps inside the trailer and can be mounted on the front of the trailer and activated as the driver exits the truck or inside the trailer. The switch allows the lights to be turned on for a specified length of time and automatically shut off after the time has passed. This keeps the lamps from draining the battery of the truck or worse allowing the lamps to overheat or allow combustion of tightly packed cargo.
44240 - the new version of this switch will use an accelerometer to turn the lamps off when the trailer goes into motion instead of a timer. Not to exceed 15 amps (6 LED lamps).
44360 - this switch can be wired to momentary switches placed throughout the trailer allowing the driver to reset the lights without leaving the trailer. This is a safer more efficient method as the driver avoids trip hazards (pallets), climbing in and out of the trailer and fewer non-loading/unloading stops in work.
44380 - Momentary switch, this recessed switch works very well with the 44360 switch mentioned previously.
FORWARD LIGHTING
The Grote forward lighting section of the catalog is a cornucopia of lighting options. In order to most accurately discuss the lamps offerings at length we talk about the categories of lamps and their functions.
The Trilliant Lighting Line - The Trilliant family consists currently of 4 body styles in a variety of 5 lighting patterns.
The Trilliant: The largest of the Trilliant line is the Trilliant lamp. The Trilliant “Big Daddy” work lamp has over 70 part number variations. The part numbers include many combinations of 12V, 24V and multi-volt technology. They also include many different light output/lumen ratings. The Trilliant line is used military, oil rig, refinery, asphalt, concrete, fire, construction, agricultural and snow grooming fields just to name a few. The long-lasting and high output lamps have found a home in all segments of work places where light is needed to make the workplace safer and more efficient. The brightest Trilliant work lamp is 4100 Lumen and Trilliant lamps are available in Spot, Trap, Flood and Wide Flood patterns. The Trilliant line is available in black housings or white, with or without switches and with an optional chrome bezel.
The Trilliant Mini: is a small rectangular lamp that, because of its size, can be used in a multitude of locations. Available three patterns; trap, flood or spot.
The Trilliant 36: Available as bulb replacement for the standard Par 36 bulb (4411) or with a standalone bracket. The Trilliant 36 was launched in the Spring of 2010 and quickly became one of the fastest moving aftermarket products in the LED WhiteLight™ category. At 1300 lumens and with two pattern options, TractorPlus and Wide Flood, the Trilliant 36 is a winner in nearly every application.
The Trilliant Cube: Introduced in the Summer of 2011 the Cube was developed to meet the needs of heavy equipment operators that previously had to rely on vibration sensitive halogen lamps. The Cube, like its Trilliant counterparts, boasts 1300 and 2500 lumens, it is available with AMP Superseal or Deustch connectors.
44240-Electronic Dome Lamp Switch
44380-Recessed Momentary Ground Switch
Lamp
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES These resources can be acquired online or through the marketing department.
Par 36 Lamps: Grote offers 7 variations of the industry standard PAR 36 size product. PAR 36 lamps are roughly 4” in diameter and are sealed beams placed into many different style housings, most popular are rubber housings. These are found in virtually every transportation setting but have also become known Tractor lamps. These utility lamps have a general purpose pattern and are sold in the 100,000’s across the country. For that reason, the opportunity to sell LED bulbs like the Trilliant 36 is almost limitless.
PAR 46 Lamps: One size larger is the PAR 46, this roughly 5” lamp provides more light output than the 36 but is not nearly often used. Grote offers 6 lamp options and 2 additional housing options in this size.
PAR 56 Lamps: The largest size, roughly 7” diameter, not very common for Grote but it is used as a headlamp. Grote offers just one Par 56 style lamp in our catalog.
Off-Road Halogen Lamps: Not meeting specific headlamp, driving light or fog light categories, these off-road lamps can be used on equipment but not as legal headlamps. Grote has many, many offerings that meet this description.
Hand Held Spot Lamps: Super bright and powerful halogen bulbs are used often used in campsites, as surveillance lamps or as trouble lamps.
SnowPlow Lamps: Grote manufactures snow plow lamps for Douglas Dynamics and offers varieties of snow plow lamps to the aftermarket. Many are available as a pair pack (two lamps to one part number) or as individual replacement parts for the aftermarket. Along with the four product options Grote also offers harness adaptors for various OEM blade/truck manufacturers.
Legal Fog/Driving Lamps: As noted before there is no FMVSS requirements describing a legal fog lamp and any lamp can be used in that setting. However, in order to be described as a legal fog/driving lamp it must meet SAE J583 and to be used on a commercial vehicle it must meet FMCSA. Grote indicates the lamps that meet the fog lamp spec in its catalog with a purple fog indicator.
The Per-Lux series: Over time the Per-Lux offering has become obsolete and is now only a shell of what it formally was. With the additions of 90mm projector beams many OEM truck manufacturers had reduced the inclusion of the Per-Lux line and the aftermarket use is now relegated to classic trucks and service parts. However there are still several benefits to the Per-Lux line, including stainless steel housings and glare reducing integrated louvers.
As advancements continue to be made throughout the industry, Grote is committed to offer products that make work areas safer and more productive.
64291-4-Per-Lux® Snowplow Lamps
64931-Par 36 Rubber Tractor and Utility Lamp