By Gareth Frankland, Sales & Marketing Director, ACDC Lighting Systems.As a manufacturer of architectural cold cathode & LED Lighting, it's always very interesting when the question of ‘how is the cold cathode marketplace performing?' is posed. Truthfully, it's booming! Yes certain applications for cold cathode may be being substituted with the LED ‘buzz' product, and T5 fluorescents continue to provide a slightly cheaper alternative, there is still more than enough cold cathode work to go around. In fact in many markets, the product is being designed & specified in huge quantities.
"But why?" I hear you ask. Cold cathode still remains the best method of illuminating coves and recesses with a continuous lighting effect, which along with the significant 50,000 hour lifetime benefits, is good cause for specification. The ability to shape the product round almost any shape, and the excellent range of over 30 colour choices (and excellent colour rendering) offers the designer excellent flexibility, enabling the product to be used in a multitude of applications.
And it is this flexibility of application which is one of the key factors to the growth of the cold cathode. Gone are the days of remote magnetic transformers; we're now in the times of low voltage electronic, compact control gear, with dimming and IP options, enabling cold cathode to be used in applications where any other product would simply not perform.
ACDC have focused on developing standard solutions for different projects, creating modular cold cathode luminaires for the most difficult of applications, simplifying the design and hugely reducing installation and site times. Two recent challenging installations include the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai, designed by Points of View in Sydney, and Echo Arena in Liverpool, designed by Speirs & Major, London. Both projects used ACDC's Covelite Exterior system for the buildings' façade, providing an IP65 plug and socket luminaire system. The control gear was mounted integrally within the housing, simplifying the design and reducing installation time on site, with both projects are particularly tight timescales. For the Intercontinental project, the control gear is also capable of operating at temperatures of up to 65 Degrees, therefore capable of coping with the searing Arabian heat. Over 5,000 metres have been installed on both of these projects alone, putting the finishing touches on buildings which are already visually striking in their own right.
It is this approach to the product that ‘it WILL provide a solution' which is driving forward the true product innovators. ACDC are not content with accepting the product in its current form, continuously improving, investing, reworking new forms of the product, providing new solutions and all the while increasing both the size, and their share of the market.
Technological developments are another driving force within cold cathode, primarily driven by ACDC. While other manufacturers are content to leave their control gear design, manufacture and quality to external suppliers, ACDC employ their own in house electronics engineers to consistently develop new products and solutions. In 2001, ACDC became the first company in the world to develop 1-10 Volt electronic dimmable cold cathode, and once again in 2008, ACDC have launched another world's first, Dali controllable digital cold cathode. Both products operate and dim totally silently with zero buzz, eclipsing all other cold cathode products which provide an audible buzz when dimmed. Although this may be acceptable in certain ‘non-noise sensitive' areas, there are many applications where this reverberation would be inappropriate. Another major benefit of the ENIGMA Dali control gear is the level to which the lamp can now be dimmed. Whilst most cold cathode systems will dim down to 5 or 10% at best, the ENIGMA utilised clever digital circuitry to dim well beyond and down to 1%. Once again this will open up potential product applications, and offer the lighting designer yet more flexibility in their project applications.
ACDC continue to work with a large proportion of the top lighting designers in the UK, on projects throughout the world, and the UK market itself seems to be continuing to grow. While other cold cathode manufacturers have left the UK to chase the Arabian dollar, ACDC have developed strategies to target both the home and overseas markets, with outstanding success. The company now have global distribution in over 35 countries, and have even reached Australian shores with distribution partner JSB Lighting, bringing AC/DC back to Australia in 2007!
Cold cathode is truly a global product, with many cross continental specifications being created enforcing the need to be a global player. These major specifications require a particularly high level of detail, support and product knowledge, and local partners also form a key part of the support network. All ACDC distributors have been trained at the company's UK training facility, and there is a close working relationship between the head office and the company's global partners. For example, ACDC have worked closely with Craig Roberts Associates in Dallas on the Atlantis Complex on The Palm in Dubai, and similarly Points of View of Sydney on the Intercontinental in Dubai, and Speirs & Major in London on the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The world is becoming a smaller place, but playing the role of a global company is increasingly challenging.
In 2007 sales levels reached new highs for ACDC's cold cathode business, increasing by over 40% to £3million, and the company is in great shape to continue this growth throughout 2008 and beyond. In fact the company looks set to continue its expansion, by moving to a purpose built 30,000 Sq. Ft factory early in 2008, to cope with the increased demand, and to finally bring back together the Cold cathode and LED businesses after 4 years at separate locations. The company currently has the capacity and demand to manufacture 1500 metres of lamp per week, up from 750 metres per week in 2005, and this new plant will give the company the opportunity to develop this further, to meet the rapidly increasing market demands. The factory will be one of the largest and most advanced cold cathode plants in the world, and will also house brand new offices, presentation and seminar rooms, (to seat up to 40 people), to assist in the development and training of ACDC customers and distributors alike.
There are many challenges facing UK based lighting manufacturers, and who knows where the lighting industry will by in 10 years! A healthy blend of innovation, quality and service will hopefully provide for a challenging, successful and exciting future.
