The Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister for the North West and Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families has visited Marl, a successful North West England business, to be briefed on the company's energy-saving LED lighting technology and their young apprentice scheme.

During the Minister's visit, Marl Managing Director Adrian Rawlinson demonstrated a new rail carriage interior light developed by the company that can reduce energy consumption in this area by as much as 50%. Based on long lasting LED technology, the lights last for ten years or more of continuous use, eliminating the need for the maintenance team to check and replace blown bulbs. He also discussed other applications LED lighting technology, which range from interior and security lighting for buildings to panel lights for industrial control panels. Ms Hughes also met the Production Manager, Sales Specialist and apprentice working at Marl.

Marl manufactures LED assemblies for the electronic, rail, architectural, power generation, defence and telecommunications industries at its 6 acre site in Ulverston. Marl has been in the town for 35 years and has over 100 employees at the site. The company has prestigious contracts with businesses worldwide ranging from British Energy to Amtrak, and its products are used by the FIA as part of a crash severity warning system for Formula 1 cars.

Commenting, the Rt Hon Beverley Hughes said, "It’s very good indeed to visit a successful and entrepreneurial North Western manufacturing business whose plans for growth are based on technology that both addresses the issue of climate change and helps reduce maintenance costs. Marl is a particularly inspiring example as the company provides an environment for young people to grow and develop as through its apprentice scheme. I wish Adrian and his team every success with their new product."

Adrian Rawlinson added, "We were greatly honoured to welcome the Minister to our premises in Ulverston. Marl is at the leading edge of ultra efficient LED lighting, a technology that is poised to become the lighting technology of choice in buildings and vehicles, as well as for control panels, as it can reduce energy consumption, improve reliability and save other costs. We appreciated the opportunity to bring this to the Minister's attention."

Savage Marine, one of the UK's leading suppliers of lighting to the yacht market, has halved the energy consumption of its ultra bright interior and exterior downlighters by adopting state of the art 10W LED technology from Marl to replace halogen lights.

According to Jon Freeman, Research Technician at Savage Marine, "The new 10W LED fittings offer the same warm glow as halogen, and don't have the 'ghosting' effect created by some LED lights – yet they use just half the energy of our halogen products. The LEDs last much longer too – up to 50,000 hours as against 1,000 hours for incandescent lights and 1,500 hours for halogen. That is over five years continuous use."

He continued, "Energy consumption is a significant focus for Savage Marine. Marine craft run their lighting from batteries, which are recharged from the engine, in consequence generating CO2 emissions very directly. The heat generated by halogen lights in the cabin will also lead to increased use of the air conditioning if fitted. We're delighted that the new technology offered by Marl is helping us to help our customers address these issues."

Savage Marine created the lights using one of the brightest single chip 10W LEDs on the market, and offers its complete range of interior and exterior 88mm and 100mm fittings in LED, replacing 20W halogen fittings. Previously, Savage Marine used multiple chip LEDs in its higher power fittings, creating multiple shadows ('ghosting') around the light.

About Savage Marine Lighting

Savage Marine Lighting is at the forefront of product development in the marine industry and is fully established with designers and boat builders worldwide. Founded 17 years ago with the specific aim of providing the highest quality lighting products, Savage Marine Ltd is now regarded as the premier supplier of quality lighting to the Super Yacht market.

Contact Marl for more information

A new Marl LED is to be fitted to all Formula One cars for the 2009 Formula One Season, following its approval by the FIA. The LED is used as an indicator for the new Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems.

The mechanical KERS system utilises flywheel technology developed to recover and store a moving vehicle’s kinetic energy mechanically or electrically in a supercap/battery. The energy is received from the driveline as the vehicle decelerates, and is subsequently released back into the driveline as the vehicle accelerates. The FIA has defined the amount of energy recovery for the 2009 season as 400kJ per lap giving the driver an additional 80hp over a period of 6.67 seconds.

When the F1 car stops, the Green LED indicates that it is safe for anyone to touch the car, and the KERS system has been shutdown correctly.

The Marl LEDs specified operate at 5VDC & 8VDC voltages off Formula One vehicle electrics. It is a Green lamp, featuring a smoked lens to give the maximum on-off contrast. The LED intensity has been enhanced and is fully potted and sealed to protect it against the cleaning chemicals used, as well as spillages of fuel and other substances.

Contact Marl for more information

Robust, waterproof LED lights donated by Marl International Limited have been installed on the deck of a Ulverston Inshore Rescue craft to ensure it's easily located even in extreme weather conditions.

Marl's 699 series metal panel LEDs have been fitted to the deck of the Humber Rescue RIB, one of the craft which provides support and rescue to visitors and residents of Ulverston and the surrounding areas. These LEDs were chosen for their high optical performance, outstanding reliability, and resistance to shock, vibration and salt water due to internal potting and sealing specifications in excess of IP67. Numerous colour options are available, but red was chosen to be easily detected yet not to cause any interference with the night vision cameras which are used in night-time rescues.

Bruce Chattaway, Station Officer of the Ulverston Inshore Rescue Team said, "We are very grateful to Marl for donating and fitting these LEDs. We can be out in any kind of weather, day or night in an emergency and locating the rescue craft over the vast and rugged areas we cover is not always easy. Our 14 strong rescue team are all volunteers and we rely on donations and fundraising events. The support of local companies is appreciated as it makes our jobs that bit easier and safer."

"We have great respect for the Ulverston Inshore Rescue team and were pleased to be able to help in supporting their efforts as they provide an invaluable service," said Adrian Rawlinson, Managing Director of Marl. "This project required a product that can stand up to the extreme conditions and LEDs were the ideal solution, and due to their waterproof ruggedness and longevity, they will help out for many years and rescues to come."

View the 699 Series metal panel LED that was used for this project
For more information about Ulverston Inshore Rescue, please visit: http://www.uir.org.uk 

A new Marl LED is an optical and electrical replacement for standard miniature Edison screw filament bulbs in control panels, but lasts 100 times longer and uses much less energy.

Based on a standard T3¾ bayonet cap, the new Marl 261 series is ideal for industrial control panels and annuniciator panels, offering a 100,000 hours service life, compared to 1,000 hours for a typical filament bulb. For many applications the service life of the LED exceeds the service life of the panel, making the component effectively maintenance free.

Marl 261 series LEDs feature full bridge rectification, and operate well from AC supplies as well as DC in either direction.

The warm white version, when used with a coloured lens, offers a true optically matched replacement for a filament lamp. Marl is also offering a cool white alternative. Both colours are highly efficient, generating little or no heat. Like many Marl LEDs, the new 261 series components are fully encapsulated for protection against shock and vibration. They draw just 10mA typically from a 60Vac/dc supply.

Download the 261 Series Datasheet (PDF) | Contact the Marl sales team
View other LED Bulb Replacements