Following three months of discussion and negotiation, Adrian Rawlinson has acquired the controlling interest in Marl International Ltd.  Graham Round has increased his minority shareholding, whilst Brian Ainley retains a shareholding interest in the Company.

The existing structure of the senior management team will remain in place, with the exception that Brian Ainley’s position as Chairman will now be as Non-Executive.

David Moorhouse and David Ford will remain on the Board of Directors.  It is worth noting that between the five senior officers of Marl, they have 125 years of experience with the company.

The shareholders have decided to make an additional significant investment into the Company in order to take advantage of the exciting opportunities which are emerging in the solid state lighting market for general lighting.  This is an exciting time for the industry and an exciting time for Marl.

New LED uplighters from Marl CreativeArc will produce stunning interior and exterior effects for commercial and domestic premises alike, and are robust enough to withstand tough and wet environments. 

The new Marl 728, 732 and 733 uplight fixtures can be hidden in floors, paths and gardens to offer an unlimited variety of effects to highlight and enhance driveways, landscapes, buildings and shopping centres with attractive displays of light. The range includes the IP68 sealed waterproof 728 series and the 732/3 series with substantial load bearing capability for drive-over applications.

For water features, driveways and paths, the 728 Series is an ideal discrete inground uplighter with IP68 rated protection against long periods of immersion in water and total protection against dust. The polished finish and superb light quality create a perfect solution for decking, pathways, driveways and gardens. A choice of three beam patterns is available and the lens is manufactured in 5mm toughened glass.

Both the 732 and 733 series are capable of withstanding over 2000kg making them ideal for drive over installations including driveways, car parks, landscapes and playgrounds. These highly resilient and stylish fixtures are protected to withstand splashes making them ideal for installing alongside pools or spas. Landscapes and pathways can be stylishly lit with the 733 Series as the light is emitted in a horizontal direction through twelve windows. The 732 and 733 Series have 12mm toughened glass lenses and are IP67 protected against temporary immersion in water.

For more information, please contact us.

Marl CreativeArc, a division of Marl International Limited, today announced the availability of a new dynamic series of lighting fixtures which can fill areas with intense white light or subtly illuminate specific areas with great accuracy. The new low-cost, high quality 725 Series can be installed in walls, ceilings, walkways and stairwells. They are available as standard or adjustable to 80 degrees to create effective mood, display and task lighting.

The new adjustable 725 Series from Marl CreativeArc offers the option to tilt the LED up to 80 degrees, delivering an outstanding concentration of light onto targeted areas. Available in chrome, brass and white, they produce an aesthetically pleasing ambience in any environment. The classic 725 Series with bezel kit is an all-purpose fixture that produces superb lighting levels and is available in three finishes: black anodised, chrome plated or brass plated.

Both easy fit options provide a totally versatile solution and are available in cool and warm white. They feature all the familiar benefits associated with LED technology including a long lifetime, exceptional reliability and durability, ultra low power consumption and they are maintenance free.

Also available is the attractively styled 714 Series which provides excellent illumination without detracting from the aesthetic appeal of a structure. This is available in chrome with cool or warm white illumination. Further options include IP67 sealed fitting to protect against dust and water.

About Marl CreativeArc

Marl CreativeArc is a successful division of Marl International Limited, an independent design, engineering and manufacturing company that specialises in optoelectronic, electronic and mechanical engineering. Marl CreativeArc offers a combination of innovative technology, aesthetic appeal and manufacturing excellence that opens up opportunities to create stunning interior and exterior lighting.

About Marl

Marl has specialised in the design and manufacture of visible LED indication and illumination components and systems for over 30 years, to customers in the electronic, power generation, defence and telecommunications industries. Its highly trained and experienced team of over 100 design and manufacturing specialists operate from a dedicated technology park in Ulverston, England  and stand ready to offer its customers a solution to any requirement. They are able to offer a range of standard products, customised to suit individual projects, or even design a specific component from scratch.  Marl is a quality company. It is registered to BS EN ISO 9001:2000 standard and fully RoHS and WEEE compliant.

For more information, please contact us.

Protection is key to making the most of an LED’s lifetime potential

by Nathan Orton, Design and Quality Manager
Marl International Limited

Service lifetimes of 70,000 – 100,000 hours, and power savings of up to 85% are leading to growing adoption of LEDs in place of other forms of indication and illumination. Incandescent bulbs, halogen lamps and even fluorescent tubes are being replaced in control panels and ambient lighting applications alike.

Since the rated life of the LED can be longer than the service life of the system in which it sits, the component is potentially maintenance free. Not only does this eliminate the direct cost of having a fitter replace the component at intervals, but it also reduces or eliminates the cost of a supporting stock of spares, as well as the need for preventative maintenance inspections.

However, the surrounding environment contains many hazards that can bring about the premature demise of an LED component. Given that an LED has twenty times the operational life of an incandescent bulb, it is also twenty times more likely to encounter abuse or accident. Environmental factors – shock, vibration, moisture ingress - can be to blame. An electrical malfunction or error during installation can expose it to a spike or a reverse current. A silent ‘killer’ is heat. Junction over-temperature can slowly but surely eat away at the life of the component – and impair its efficiency in the process.

A well designed LED fixture provides appropriate protection against such issues, and makes the difference between a component that is essentially maintenance-free, and one that still requires inspection and replacement at intervals.

The environment
In the industrial or transportation environment, specifying an IP67 sealed component that is fully potted for maximum resistance to vibration and shock is a no-brainer. In truth, there is no application where there is zero risk of the component being bathed in coffee or coke, or falling to the floor from an overburdened pair of arms. Marl, for this reason, fully pots almost every LED lamp providing outstanding protection against fluid ingress, shock and vibration. The cost overhead of doing so really isn’t that great, and is infinitely smaller than the cost to the customer than replacing a damaged device in the field.

Marl pots all its LED components to provide protection against damage by fluids, shock and vibration.

To ensure the fixture survives should the equipment be dropped, or worse physically attacked, the front needs to be toughened as well. Precautions that can be taken include the use of shatterproof glass and polycarbonate lenses and metal housings. Where there is serious risk of vandalism, tamperproof fixings can be provided.

Electrical malfunction
In electrical environments that are ‘noisy’ no engineer would dream of fitting an LED without providing appropriate over-voltage and reverse voltage protection. But in the end over-voltages and reversed polarities can come the way of an LED in any circuit. One can never entirely discount the risk of the power supply being connected backwards or adjusted incorrectly.

Fitting a diode or bridge rectifier is straightforward, and need not occupy much space. These simple precautions give reverse voltage protection or allow AC operation, making life easier for the designer, the production engineer and the service manager alike.

This bulb replacement LED incorporates a bridge rectifier to simplify electrical connection – but still fits into the same physical form factor as the bulb it replaces.

Similarly, some LEDs will survive higher levels of overvoltage than others. A 24V LED should not be exposed to more than 24V, but a quality device may survive exposure to as much as 32V. A lesser component will blow at 28V or less. If this sounds a fine distinction, the issue should be considered in the context of our expectations of the component. For an incandescent bulb with a service life of 5,000 hours, the expectation is that it will require frequent replacement. For an LED with a rated life of 100,000 hours, the expectation is that it will not, and it is much more noticeable when it does.

Thermal factors
LEDs are moving from indication to illumination – from the control panel to building and vehicle lighting applications. Although an LED generates minimal heat by comparison with other lighting technologies, it does still generate some. At 1W or above this thermal output can be enough to create issues, especially during prolonged use. Management of the heat output is critical to the longevity for LED components.

The key factor here is the junction temperature of the diode. Keeping the junction cool improves not only the service life but also the efficiency of the LED. The Lamina light engine used by Marl can be used at a junction temperature of 125°C – but is much more efficient if its junction temperature is kept to 55-60°C.

Marl uses a simulation driven design process in order to achieve a thermal design for its products that balances good heat removal with maintaining the minimum size and weight of heat sink. Thermal analysis using SolidWorks COSMOS 2007 software gives the temperature distribution, temperature gradient and heat flowing in the product – as well as the heat exchanged between the product and its environment. The movement of heat through the component and heat sink into the environment can be pictured by plotting heat flux vectors. The investment in software is amply repaid by the results it achieves. All prototypes are subjected to tests in a temperature chamber, and the measured temperatures are normally within 3-4° of the simulation result. Using this process, Marl has never had to redesign a product following the building of the prototype.

A heat distribution image from Marl’s thermal modelling software.

Fit and forget
LED panel indicators and lighting are revolutionising the industry by offering fit and forget illumination that can be all but eliminated from the maintenance schedule. A well designed fixture around the diode itself is needed to allow the LED component to achieve its full potential, in the face of the environmental, electrical and thermal issues it is likely to encounter during its operational life. 

Marl International Limited is pleased to announce that they have agreed to be a premier sponsor of the forthcoming euroLED 2007 conference and exhibition.

The euroLED 2007 event, the 4th annual solid-state lighting conference and exhibition, will be hosted at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham, UK and will cover everything you need to know about LEDs, combining workshops, exhibition and conference and featuring leading industry experts providing a strategic insight into the latest technologies and common issues of LED installation and maintenance.

Marl sponsored the event in 2006 and is proud to repeat their support for euroLED this year, recognising that the event offers a unique opportunity for global organisations to penetrate, expand and understand the world solid-state lighting markets and generates unprecedented industry participation from leading organisations. The event will take place from the 5th to the 7th June.

For further details on visiting us at euroLED 2007 please contact either Julian Cooper or Jenni Keeble on +44(0)1229 582430. Or alternatively visit www.euroled.org. We would be delighted to welcome you there.