3D printed luminaires: why do they matter? Simon Greenwood, Sales Director Trade & Specification, Signify UK&I, has the answers.
Today, the adoption of 3D printing as a “new” manufacturing standard is growing rapidly. Designers and engineers around the globe are discovering the new and unique advantages of this technology.
Generally, 3D printing is set to change the way we make almost everything. Unsurprisingly, the lighting industry, too, is showcasing the fact that 3D printing isn’t just a hype. Colombia’s El Dorado International Airport has reduced its carbon footprint with almost 9,000 3D printed downlights, while a leading Dutch supermarket chain Dekamarkt has undertaken a custom lighting retrofit, with recyclable 3D-printed luminaires. So how do 3D lights help these businesses?
What is a 3D printed luminaire?
The lighting industry is accelerating the transition from a linear to a circular economy as these luminaires are designed to meet specific needs and uses for a variety of applications/sectors.
Whether these needs are performance improvements (higher efficacies in lumen per watt (lm/W) or better light quality), a diverse look and feel (different colour, texture, or shaped housing), or a system upgrade, the modular concept facilitates these needs. Instead of replacing the whole luminaire, modules can be exchanged or added, thus preserving value, and avoiding waste – making this method all about CO2 reduction, waste reduction and capability to make where you sell.
Supporting the sustainability agenda
3D printing is a powerful tool that helps design and manufacture customised, recyclable products for consumer and business customers. At Signify, we lead by example. Our 3D printed luminaires are designed for a circular economy and a lower carbon footprint. For example, some luminaires are printed with 100% recyclable polycarbonate and are fully reused at the end of their lifetime, avoiding material waste.
Because they’re locally printed and produced in Europe this eliminates long-distance shipping. Furthermore, the light weight of polycarbonate slashes their carbon footprint by up to 75% when compared to their traditionally manufactured counterparts, making these luminaires an ideal choice for any organisation with a sustainability agenda.
In a traditional manufacturing process, the components might be made in a different country, sent by sea freight to another location, then delivered by truck to a distribution centre to sit in stock until it is ordered. With 3D printing, we don’t need to do any of that. Everything is made to order, produced, and shipped locally with minimal components and parts. This means less inventory in warehouses.
At the end of the product’s lifecycle, the materials can be easily broken down then simply shredded and recycled. What’s more, when compared with traditional luminaries, these innovative circular designs use no paint as the lamps are already pigmented, as well as less parts, and fewer screws.
The biggest advantage is that 3D printed luminaires are made to a customer’s precise specifications, blending with existing fixtures or integrating highly customised design features, and delivered in a fraction of the traditional manufacturing lead time. A 3D printed luminaire has nearly a 47% lower carbon footprint for its materials, production, and logistics than its conventional equivalent.
Fit for the circular economy
With circularity as an integral part of a sustainable future, 3D printing also supports any organisation’s sustainability objectives, while offering a combination of lighting design, installation, and maintenance (under a service we call ‘Lighting as a Service’). Built on the concept of circular lighting, the design and install, operation, and maintenance of the product ensures there is no need to discard a luminaire.
With the connected system these lights work on maintenance is easy, which cuts down on waste, costs, downtime, and manpower. This model gives the customer the flexibility to return the equipment, re-use it, or recycle it, making these luminaires one of the best examples of how sustainability can usher in innovation and free up investment resources in other avenues.
Not ‘if’ but ‘when’
15 years ago, our studies suggested that LED lighting will be the next big thing and sure enough, LED innovations disrupted the lighting industry and set it on a new course.
At Signify, with customers focusing on a green future, we believe that 3D printing is no longer a matter of ‘if’ it is going to happen, rather than ‘when’ it is going to happen and electrical installers should make the most of the opportunity presented by this innovation.
Additive manufacturing in the lighting industry will allow manufacturers to create uniquely designed lighting products which will suit the exact need of the customer and enrich the wholesalers’ product portfolio. This also gives customers architectural and aesthetic flexibility to design bespoke fittings with innovative designs, different shapes and more complex colours.
What’s more, customers can order products at a minimum quantity of just one luminaire, making this an even more attractive offer. For example, this can help cater to the need for one recessed downlight with an unusual size cut-out for a retrofit while featuring a range of bezel colours, optics, or controls such as Interact wireless, Dali and emergency.
3D printed luminaires can also offer improved customer satisfaction, making this a win-win for the manufacturer, the customer, and the installer – encouraging us to be a part of a changing world and to take a step in the right direction.
A solution for now and the future
3D printed luminaires are a great option to retrofit existing buildings with the right lighting type or to simply opt for a customized bespoke design to complement the interiors of a building.
With ambitious sustainability targets for us a nation to live up to, we at Signify are serious about the need to reduce waste and the carbon footprint of businesses, while supporting customers’ needs at the same time. 3D printed lights offer that exact solution.
To learn more about Signify’s 3D printing service and solutions, click here
