In articles of this magazine, already far away in time, we were dealing with the application of the LED lighting source in the architecture and interior design sector and in the industry, product design and manufacturing sector.If by then this new lighting system was fully established and assumed in the value chain, now I would dare to say that it is no longer considered a novelty.However, many of the possibilities it offers, compared to previous systems, are still not sufficiently explored or used, either due to ignorance or a still too traditional conception of lighting.We will begin by dividing the types of luminaires or systems into two groups, according to very general criteria.We will establish, on the one hand, a group that we will call 'iconic designs' and, on the other hand, which we will call 'traditional systems'.It is perhaps a somewhat crude classification, but it will help us understand the concepts of this article.In the first group, 'iconic designs', we will include luminaires or systems that, for some reason, have permeated the collective imagination and are currently recognized pieces.Luminaries such as Coderch's Disa, Castiglioni's Parentesi, Louis Poulsen's PH5, Arne Jacobsen's AJ, Ingo Maurer's Birds, Miguel Milà's TMM and a very long etcetera could fit into this category;and systems such as Linestra tubes, filament lamps, neon tubes, stroboscopic lamps...All these products have in common the fact that, on a scale between technique and aesthetics, the balance tends to tip towards the second aspect.This does not mean at all that they lack technique (in fact, it is the technique behind them that has made them iconic), but rather that it is their appearance that today inclines the user to choose them, more than the features. what are you offering.Updating this type of product to an LED system is not always possible, but even when it is, a result that benefits its uniqueness is not always obtained.Some of the luminaires mentioned (Disa, AJ, TMM) allow an easy change because the light source they use (a traditional lamp with an E27 socket) does not compromise its final appearance, so an LED lamp can be used without worry.The same does not happen, however, with the PH5, the Parentesi or the Birds.These luminaires, despite also using an E27 light source, the fact that it is incandescent is what makes them unique.In the case of the Paréntesi and the Birds it is because the light source is visible and influences the final appearance of the luminaire, and in the case of the PH5 it is because, despite being hidden, the luminaire's reflectors were calculated in depending on the exact position of the filaments of the incandescent lamp, and LED lamps do not provide an adequate result.Two examples of 'iconic design' lamps, such as Parentesi by Castiglioni and Birds by Ingo Maurer, where the LED lamps would distort the object itself.In Louis Poulsen's PH5, the LED lamps do not provide the expected result because they were designed with the position of the filaments in a traditional lamp in mind.As for the systems, incandescent lamps and linestra tubes, although they were born under functional demands (to create a spherical and linear light source, respectively), endure today for their aesthetic appearance, as well as colored neons or lamps strobes.There are LED substitutes for all of them, but despite constant improvement, they will never be the same as the originals.The linestra tube is a system that was born on demand, but today is used as an aesthetic object.There are also examples in which the adaptation to LED of iconic products has indeed been optimal, such as iGuzzini's 'Le Perroquet' projector.This luminaire consists of two different parts: one houses the transformer for low-voltage halogen or halide light sources, and the other the light source and the reflector.In its LED version, the first part now houses the driver and in the second the light source has been replaced by LED chips and the reflectors by optics.Let's now talk about the second group, which is the one that best fits the premises of the article.In this we will include all those systems that, rather than being embodied in specific objects, consist of a series of lighting distributions, for specific uses, that fit with many luminaires.Therefore, concepts such as the focal light downlight, the diffused light downlight, linear systems, modular systems, projectors, backlit systems...All these technological solutions are at the service of a specific objective or requirement and must be adapted to the times and performance, to guarantee both the fulfillment of expectations and energy efficiency.In this sense, it seems logical to think that old technologies or procedures have no place in these systems, unless they are, as we have said before, iconic designs in which preserving their appearance is important.Two illustrative examples of this category would be point light downlights and projectors.Until relatively recently, if a recessed overhead light was needed that allowed directionality, the dichroic halogen low-voltage lamp was mainly used, a product that became a star in the early 1980s, due to its greater efficiency and smaller size than its predecessors. incandescent reflectors and that has lasted until today.Their number of advantages was high: forward light transmission and backward heat dissipation, high intensity (and therefore efficiency), small size... Although they also had a small handicap, which was the need to use a cumbersome and heavy transformer for its operation, which emitted a lot of heat and, sometimes, even noise and also involved energy consumption.The high voltage version of these halogens eliminated the transformers, but at the cost of losing the high intensity and the powerful white tone characteristic of the low voltage ones.But LED technology arrived and the advantages of these lamps began to become obsolete, compared to those of this new solution.The main one is that LED light sources, with a size smaller than halogen, have a performance ten times higher;that is, they emit ten times more lumens per watt consumed.They also offer up to thirty times longer lifespan.When the LED arrived, two paths were chosen: to manufacture completely new luminaires (although with dimensions similar or equal to those of the rings of the old dichroic ones) with integrated LED chips, or to manufacture LED versions of the old dichroic ones to be able to use them in the old ones. hoopsThe differences between these two paths are not only physical (external light source 'versus' integrated light source), but also functional, and here is the 'crux' of the matter.The first and most basic is to take into account that LED technology is completely linked to electronics, and that, therefore, to work, LED light sources need the conversion of alternating current to direct current, and a specific voltage and amperage. .That translates into the need to use a driver.The further away it is from the light source (and therefore the less heat it receives) and the larger its size, the more benefits it will offer: the main one is a longer useful life.Dichroic LED lamps, given the need to preserve their original size to fit into old luminaires, consist of a tiny driver included in the lamp itself that, being so small and subjected to heat, ends up being damaged and shortening the useful life of the lamp .This problem was solved with the appearance of dichroic LEDs with an external driver, which allowed a much longer use of the lamp, since the driver did not come into contact with its heat, eliminated space limitations and provided the possibility of replace only the driver if it was damaged.Even so, these do not and will never provide a solution to the second difference: benefits.Effectively;luminaires with integrated LED light source offer features that traditional lamps converted to LED will never offer.If we continue with the example of the dichroic, we will go on to talk about spot light downlights.In these products, if they have integrated LED light sources, a whole series of techniques can be applied that will increase the performance of this technology.From the outset, heat sinks will be designed that will significantly increase the useful life of the luminaires and will not be limited by the limitations of the old lamps.In other words, they will be designed specifically for LED light sources and will not be a retrofit of old technologies.On the other hand, they will allow the use of accessories such as optics, reflectors or filters that will multiply the possibilities of emitting light.The technology known as 'focusable', which came to Spain from the hand of the Eflux company and which few manufacturers still offer, consists of equipping the luminaires with a mobile lens that moves closer to or further away from the LED light source and achieves increase or decrease the light beam;that is, that the light is dissipated or concentrated.This allows the same product to offer different types of lighting, increasing its number of possibilities or applications.The use of integrated LED light sources and with external driver also allows the manufacture of ultra-reduced spotlights, without the limitations of dichroic, which can produce an amount of light equal to or greater than that of these, also thanks to the use of specific optics and reflectors.The case of projectors is practically the same as that of spot light downlights, which we will not expand on: Why use old projectors with reflectors designed for halogen or halide lamps, replacing these lamps with LED models, at the risk that the reflectors stop behaving correctly, being able to use new projectors with 'focusable' technology that will guarantee us efficiency and allow us, with the same product, to focus and highlight objects of different kinds?We end with another illustrative example, which is that of linear systems.If until recently a line of light was made by a succession of fluorescent tubes one after the other, taking into account everything explained above, it seems logical that instead of LED tubes replacing the old fluorescent ones, it will be more efficient to use of LED strips.These will ensure a continuous distribution of light, ceasing to exist the small interruptions that occurred between tube and tube, they will allow a greater intensity of light, thanks to their own technology and heat dissipation, specially designed and, due to their reduced size and its flexibility will allow its use in previously unsuspected spaces.As we have expressed on many other occasions, as transmitters of the culture of light that we are, it is our duty to provide users with all this educational information, with the aim of improving their lives through the use of quality light.The comments are the opinion of the users and not that of the portal.Insulting, racist or contrary to current laws are not allowed.Comments that are not related to the news/article, or that do not comply with the Legal Notice and the Data Protection Policy, will not be published.Legal Warnings and Basic Information on Personal Data Protection: Responsible for the Processing of your Personal Data: Interempresas Media, SLU Purposes: Manage contact with you. 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