Following extensive life testing by Aura of its Ultimate T8 long life fluorescent tubes, the company has been able to re–define its service life specification to an outstanding 70,000 hours, over eight and a half times longer than a standard fluorescent tube. This makes the Aura Ultimate lamps from Greenstock by far the longest life fluorescent tubes in the world.This quoted life, when running on electronic control gear for a warm start, is based on a 3 hour switching cycle calculated to 80% of initial lumens. When the Aura Ultimate lamps were initially launched at the end of last year, the Scandinavian company was characteristically conservative with its life claims, but is now confidently able to state the much increased lifetimes based on the extended life testing according to IEC/EN 60081 testing standards.
Indeed on a 12 hour switching cycle, the lamps are shown to achieve a massive 80,000 hours life when operated on electronic ballasts.
The secret of the huge lifetime achieved lies in Aura's patented cathode shield construction and inside protection layer, which also produces 10% to 12% more light output than a standard fluorescent lamp, as well as a better lumen maintenance throughout its service life. It has a high colour rendering index (CRI) of 85% and comes in 18w, 30w, 36w, 36w 1 metre, 38w and 58w versions in six different colour temperatures from 2700K (interior) to 6500K (daylight).
The Aura Ultimate lamps present a big environmental benefit through less lamp replacements and disposals needed and also a huge cost saving to the user with less lamps and labour costs in maintenance. The lamps are thus ideal for all applications where luminaires are difficult to reach and thus maintenance costs considerably higher. Such high ceiling applications include production areas, warehouses, sports facilities, tunnel lighting, airports, hospitals and sign lighting.
