Expert knowledge on light guides, light simulation and light quality
Practical know-how from more than 250 series projects – sorted by topic, from first concept to series production.
Light guides & light systems
How light travels from the LED to the light window.
Pros and cons of light systems
One-piece, two-piece, three-piece: what really determines installation space, cost and light quality.
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2K light guides in injection moulding
Overmoulding disturbs total internal reflection – how to predict efficiency and uniformity.
Read more ›Light systems compared
One-, two- and three-piece systems with cross-sections – in the light development guide.
To the guide ›Light quality & defects
How to recognise a good light pattern – and how defects arise.
Light quality in the product
Colour, uniformity, viewing angle, brightness – the four criteria for a good light pattern.
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Ambient lighting
From 0.01 to 100 cd/m²: visibility in all lighting conditions.
Read more ›Does your light pattern have defects?
Stray light −79 %, uniformity 40 → 87 %: this is what a lighting issue analysis looks like in practice.
To the lighting issue analysis ›Colour & mixing
RGB, mixing distances and colour fringes.
Industry wiki
Together with induux, two wiki articles were created as a quick introduction – with an industrial focus (in German).
Light guides
“For extracting light over a surface, outcoupling structures are then laser-etched into the surface or the surfaces are printed. Panel light guides can be given a slight curvature by tempering …” (translated)To the wiki article ›
Light simulation
“Besides designing the optical components, light simulation helps with the material selection for the entire product. Nearby components often cause irregularities in the light pattern …” (translated)To the wiki article ›
Glossary in 30 seconds
How bright a luminous surface appears to the eye.
How much light falls on a surface.
Evenness of the light pattern, often given as min/max in %.
Light stays inside the light guide as long as the angle is shallow enough.
Structure that directs light out of the light guide in a controlled way.
Unwanted light spilling into neighbouring areas.
Measured light distribution of an LED for the simulation.
Sorting LEDs by brightness and colour.
The path light needs until colours mix.
Your question isn't covered?
Send your lighting issue or a photo – I reply personally, initial assessment within 48 h.
Videos
Roundtable with Ansys and simulation examples – more on the YouTube channel “Light inside”.