AUGUST 6--StockerYale Inc. (Salem, NH; www.stockeryale.com), a supplier of photonics-based products, has disclosed a new LED (light-emitting diode) COBRA (chip-on-board reflective array) technology. This advanced LED illumination system focuses on demanding machine-vision and inspection applications that require continuous operation, superior efficiency, and increased light output. Applications include high-speed web or automotive lighting where existing halogen, sodium, or incandescent technologies would be replaced with this compact LED package.
"We are capable of manufacturing and delivering fine-pitch chip-on-board LED arrays with the same high optical efficiencies as discrete packaged LEDs," says Liam Kelly, managing director of StockerYale (IRL) Ltd. (Cork, Ireland). "This new technology is compatible with high-thermal performance aluminum and copper core substrates and will further penetrate commercial applications that are hoping to make the transition to LEDs because of the benefits that this technology can deliver," Kelly continues.
The company has developed a COBRA LED line array that consists of a line light that is 150 mm long, has a 3-mm LED pitch, uses an integrated lens array, and offers 80% brighter than normal chip-on-board technology. Thermal resistance is 1° C/W from the LED junction to the base. LED pitches down to 1 mm are available without the integrated lensing.
The COBRA technology is a cost-effective solution when compared to large-chip high-flux sources. It can be applied to both one- and two-dimensional arrays. By applying this technology to industry-standard lighting configurations such as area lights, ringlights, spotlights, and backlights, increased lighting efficiencies can be realized, since COBRA enables optical efficiency on highly thermally conductive substrate technologies.
The company has begun shipping samples of COBRA to select OEM customers for design-in projects. Products are currently available in red and infrared, with extension to green and blue expected in early 2004.
