Lighting is an integral part of building design and demand is growing for bespoke lighting systems. Silicone rubber is helping to drive this trend and is giving designers the freedom to innovate.
The use of silicone rubber diffusers and components is allowing companies to overcome technical challenges and to create lighting systems that would be very difficult or impossible to install using glass or thermoplastics.
This is why silicone diffusers for lighting systems are becoming the norm
Here are five reasons why lighting companies are increasingly choosing silicone rubber diffusers and components for bespoke lighting systems.
- Flexibility. A key feature of bespoke lighting systems is their complexity. Silicone rubber has the flexibility to make complex designs possible. Furthermore, the unique properties of silicone, which is well suited to precision-moulding applications, mean that innovative designs can be created without sacrificing light diffusion quality.
- Heat resistant. Silicone rubber is highly resistant to heat. As a result, silicone materials are very well suited to coping with the increasingly high temperatures of modern lighting systems, in particular LED lighting systems. This superior heat resistance means that silicone materials can be placed in close proximity to an LED light source. Silicone rubber components also maintain their properties when exposed to low temperatures.
- UV resistant. The extreme versatility of silicone rubber means that silicone materials are highly resistant to UV light. As a result, lighting systems that feature silicone diffusers and components offer greater protection against degradation and last longer. This is particularly important for exterior lighting systems that are exposed to the elements.
- Easily pigmentable. Silicone rubber is easily pigmentable, so company or brand colour specifications are straightforward to apply. A specialist silicone rubber manufacturer can create silicone diffusers that are pigmented on roller mills using specific formulas to ensure the perfect diffusion of light without sacrificing structural integrity.
- Stronger. Silicone diffusers and components for lighting systems are generally tougher than thermoplastic equivalents. Because of the superior qualities of silicone, silicone rubber components are not vulnerable to environment stress cracking. This makes manufacturing other parts more straightforward.
Silicone rubber is helping drive lighting system innovation
Silicone rubber is integral to lighting system innovation. It is facilitating advances in architectural lighting design and across the lighting industry, including in consumer, entertainment, medical, automotive and industrial lighting.
To meet the increasing demand for bespoke lighting systems and to overcome the challenges presented by these systems, more and more lighting companies are working with experienced silicone rubber manufacturers that offer profile design, prototype design, manufacture and testing, and mass production services.
Want to know more about silicone diffusers and components for lighting systems from Advanced Materials?
Contact us on 01903 713566 or sales@amsilicones.co.uk.