LED Luminaires - flicker/strobing

[DieselShunter]

I'm looking to fit out lighting in a new workshop that contains a number of machine tools. I want to use 600x600 LED panels surface mounted on the ceiling to get a nice flat fill without shadows. But I am concious that some LED panels strobe at 100Hz (presumably because the PSU manufacturer could save 15p a unit by leaving a capacitor out) which is unacceptable in a machine shop.

Is anyone aware of or able to recommend 600 square LED panels that don't flicker/strobe, or have any experience of using LED luminaires near rotating machinery?

 

[Pete999]

I'm looking to fit out lighting in a new workshop that contains a number of machine tools. I want to use 600x600 LED panels surface mounted on the ceiling to get a nice flat fill without shadows. But I am concious that some LED panels strobe at 100Hz (presumably because the PSU manufacturer could save 15p a unit by leaving a capacitor out) which is unacceptable in a machine shop.

Is anyone aware of or able to recommend 600 square LED panels that don't flicker/strobe, or have any experience of using LED luminaires near rotating machinery?

Fit an incandecent lamp close to the rotating machine, sorry forgot to ask is the supply 3 phase by any chance?

 

[DieselShunter]

Yes the supply is 3-phase. I appreciate the incandescent lamp advice, but there's a number of machines, and we also want to use light hand tools anywhere in the workshop as well.

 

[Pete999]

I'm looking to fit out lighting in a new workshop that contains a number of machine tools. I want to use 600x600 LED panels surface mounted on the ceiling to get a nice flat fill without shadows. But I am concious that some LED panels strobe at 100Hz (presumably because the PSU manufacturer could save 15p a unit by leaving a capacitor out) which is unacceptable in a machine shop.

Is anyone aware of or able to recommend 600 square LED panels that don't flicker/strobe, or have any experience of using LED luminaires near rotating machinery?

Send the details of the workshop and explaine what you require, to as many light fitting suppliers as you can, most of them will send you a design, FOC providing you purchase their equipment, saves time and money. I used to do it regularly when I was working, try it, nothing ventured nothing gained, they can only say no.

 

[Rpa07]

You could also ask to send a sample for you to mock up temporarily and see if it has the effect that you are trying to escape. Pete’s got the best in getting in touch with a reputable industrial lighting company who will have experience and a tech team.

 

[mattg4321]

You need to look for the term 'flicker free' as thats what they will most likely be marketed as.

I know Bell led panels are flicker free as the rep was trying to flog me some a while back on a trade day.

 

[davesparks]

You need to look for the term 'flicker free' as thats what they will most likely be marketed as.

I know Bell led panels are flicker free as the rep was trying to flog me some a while back on a trade day.

I wouldn’t be so sure to rely on ‘flicker free’ meaning that stroboscopic effects can’t occur.

 

[davesparks]

Fit an incandecent lamp close to the rotating machine, sorry forgot to ask is the supply 3 phase by any chance?

With incandescent lamps being inefficient and increasingly rare that’s not a very sensible solution.

 

[Marvo]

Any kind of lamp that's driven by a decently designed electronic ballast or driver will flicker in a range of kHz. The Meanwell PWM and HLG series LED drivers are especially designed to be flicker free for slow motion photography applications for example.

If you really want to be sure then supply alternate or adjacent light fittings from different phases of the supply.

 

[Ib≤In≤Iz]

If its a 3 phase supply, why not power the panels from different phases. 1/3 on L1, 1/3 on L2 and 1/3 on L3.

 

[Pete999]

With incandescent lamps being inefficient and increasingly rare that’s not a very sensible solution.

Lots of large 3 Phase rotating machines had a incandescentlamp fitted to the machine to stop the stroboscopic effect, or they did when I were a Lad. Agree not really a viable answer, not trying to be unhelpful.

 

[bomjac]

I'm with Pete on this one. Fluorescents and Arc lamps all flicker. Every time the current passes through a zero point the lamp dims.

This happens too fast for the eye to see, bit it is there nonetheless. Shine an optical tachomer at a fluorescent and it reads as running at 7200 rpm (I'm in a 60Hz zone).

Traditional methods of reducing the stroboscopic effect were using an incandescent lamp at the moving parts of a machine tool, using natural light to reduce illuminate it or splitting the load across 3 phases.

Split the load across 3 phases would be reduce he strobe effect, plus it gives you redundancy if one circuit trips.

Makes me wonder how many factories have replaced their incandescent lamps on the lathes with cfl's not knowing the danger.