Finder has announced the new 10 Series light dependent relays, which have the ability to control lighting according to ambient light levels. These relays will be of particular interest to designers, specifiers and installers both of lighting and of lighting control systems, and will find applications in the automatic control of exterior lighting around factories, loading bays, schools, offices and similar areas where lighting is required for security or safety reasons during the hours of darkness.

There is a growing need to reduce energy consumption, maintenance and replacement costs by ensuring that essential exterior lighting is lit only during times when the ambient natural light falls below an acceptable level, and it is this requirement that the 10 Series has been developed to address.

The 10 Series relays feature an integral photoelectric sensor combined with innovative light feedback compensation circuitry designed by Finder, which prevents the controlled lighting from ‘hunting’ on and off due to the perceived increase in ambient light when lights are automatically turned on. This feedback capability is achieved by monitoring the effect of the controlled lighting over a ten-minute period, which ensures compatibility with slow starting gas discharge lamps. ON and OFF delay times are reduced to zero for the first three cycles, which aids set up and commissioning and reduces installation time.

The new family of relays includes both single-pole and two-pole output types rated at 16A, and also a miniature type, 10.51, with a single 12A output. The double output 16A 10.32 allows Live and Neutral switching, while model 10.41 has a single 16A NO output for Live switching.  All the relays in the series operate from either a 120V or 230V AC supply.

The ambient light switching level is adjustable in the range 1 – 80 lux, and the relays are capable of switching up to 2.3kW of incandescent or halogen lighting, allowing the switching behaviour to be optimised according to both the needs of the individual application and the physical location of the unit.

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Finder has announced the introduction of the 13.81 electronic step relay, which is designed for the pushbutton control of lighting. This step relay is particularly suited to complex multi-point installations.

The desire for more sophisticated and flexible control of lighting, coupled with the need to reduce material and installation costs, is influencing consultants, designers and installers of lighting control systems to consider using electronic relays, especially for applications where quieter operation than that of conventional electromechanical step relays is desired. They will be able to use the 13.81 electronic step relay in locations that have multiple entry points, or in large areas where a number of switching positions are required for the control of lighting. The unit will be of particular interest to lighting designers who wish to achieve easy central control of multiple light fittings.

The 13.81 allows the connection of up to 15 illuminated push buttons, to enable multiple switching points to be served with a minimum of wiring, and is capable of switching up to 3kW of incandescent or halogen lamp loads. Indirect control of lighting – isolated from the AC mains – means that lighter gauge wiring can be used between pushbutton and relay, while electronic operation is much quieter than conventional electromechanical switching and offers a longer life. The cable run between the pushbuttons and the relay can be up to 200m in length, providing flexibility of mounting location, especially in large areas such as warehouses and factories.

The 13.81 is housed in a compact 17.5mm wide enclosure for 35mm DIN rail mounting, and is suitable for consumer units.

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Arcolectric have introduced the Temperature Micro-Logger, an intelligent panel mounted device that monitors and stores temperatures for downloading over a wireless data link.
 
The device is ideal for applications where monitoring process temperature is important, particularly within the food preparation industry. It is especially useful for food storage, retail displays and prepared food outlets where accurate record keeping is essential. The Temperature Micro-Logger adds advanced logging functionality to a food storage unit for little cost increase, much smaller than would be expected by the end user. 

The Micro-Logger provides a clear and simple visual indication of the temperature conditions within the piece of equipment, utilising a simple go/no-go display principal. Blue LED illumination indicates when process temperatures are within safe limits. The display changes to a Red indication if the safe temperature limits are ever exceeded. Temperature measurement range can be set between -30ºC and +80ºC.
 
Designed for quick installation, the Micro-Logger has an industry standard snap-in profile, with a temperature sensor on flying leads for convenient remote mounting. The product can directly replace the mains neon indicator usually found on freezers, refrigeration and cold storage equipment, providing a fast, cost-effective upgrade of non-compliant or un-monitored equipment.
 
The temperature data is logged into an internal non-volatile memory at user programmable time intervals ranging from 1 second to 12 hours. Up to 14,000 measurements can be stored. The data can be downloaded via the built-in wireless infrared communication port using a PDA, Notebook or laptop computer and is time and date stamped, simplifying reporting and providing documented evidence of historical storage temperatures.
 
Retailers and producers need to ensure food products are kept at the recommended safe temperatures, and for self-protection, adequate temperature records must be kept. Complying with the relevant food storage regulations does not lay with the equipment manufacturer; it is the responsibility of the equipment end user. The addition of the Micro-logger to an item of food storage equipment enables manufacturers to supply added value to end users, and a facility to contribute to complying with the regulations.
 
The Micro-Logger carries UL, CE and FCC approvals

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April 2007 – A comprehensive range of miniature incandescent lamps including advanced Xenon filled types and matching drop-in replacement sockets is available from CML Innovative Technologies (CML-IT). Delivering a cost-effective solution with high luminous output, traditional incandescent lamps still have a valid role in many applications such as automotive, gaming, aviation and transport, where cost restrictions don’t warrant the use of still higher-priced, modern LED lamps.

Produced in Bury (United Kingdom) and Bamberg (Germany), CML-IT’s range of Xenon filled miniature incandescent lamps, for example, benefits from a long service life of 10000 hours, a cool wall temperature (about 30 degrees Celsius less than comparable Argon lamps), a very high colour temperature and high output in low watt versions. Compared with conventional incandescent lamps, Xenon filled types also offer power savings.

Miniature incandescent lamps generate significant sales of approximately $40M per year for CML-IT and recently prompted a major investment at the company’s production facility in Bury. A new socket machine was commissioned and will increase the production of sockets from 440000 units per week up to 660000 units per week. This will make it even easier for customers to directly source miniature incandescent lamps together with matching sockets from CML-IT.

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Overview:
Includes standard size basics, miniature, subminiature, hermetically sealed, high temperature and special application switches. The precision snap-action mechanisms are available with a wide variety of actuators and operating characteristics. These products are often ideal for applications requiring compactness, light weight, accurate repeatability and long life. This family also includes pushbuttons, toggles, rockers, key switches and indicators for use where manual operation is desired.

http://content.honeywell.com/sensing/prodinfo/basicswitches/

Best Used For:
Used for presence/absence detection where physical contact with the object is permissible. Often ideal for applications requiring compactness, repeatability and long life.

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April 2006 – Penetrating the growing architectural lighting market where optoelectronics at component level are largely unknown is an important opportunity for leading LED manufacturer CML Innovative Technologies (CML-IT). LEDs have been perceived as difficult to use, requiring a range of power supplies, drivers, resistors, soldered connections, making them tricky to market in this industry. CML-IT’s new Connect&Glo© program, is designed to make solid state lighting easy, and is changing this perception. The company is offering a system of linking LED lighting units that anyone can connect together, just as easily as ordinary light bulbs.

Part of the Connect&Glo© program and specifically targeted at the architectural lighting market is CML-IT’s Arcilume range of products, designed to illuminate different interior or exterior areas of buildings with style and innovative LED solutions.

A key product is the Acsentio series of accent lighting offering subtle shades of light. Available in blue, red, green, yellow and white, Acsentio lights are available in 12V, 24V and 240V versions. Easy to fit and install, the lights feature an internal heat management system enabling them to run at relatively low temperatures, making them an ideal for use within furniture and fittings. Manufactured in CML-IT’s European facility in Hranice (Czech Republic), Acsentio accent lighting carries all necessary approvals for worldwide use.

Also within the Arcilume range are LEDules, a behind-the-scenes system of LEDs mounted on PCBs in a whole variety of shapes and sizes and designed to allow designers to mount lighting into whatever shape is available.

The Arcilume portfolio also includes Color Line, a range of rigid and flexible light guides complete with ‘light engines’ that offer a linear light in either straight or curved form to enable specific features to be illuminated to their best effect.

Completing the Arcilume range is a programmable illumination effects lighting system for interior and exterior use. Color Ray offers lighting units in a variety of shapes and sizes. The devices are all LED based providing an infinite variety of colours and effects.

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February 2006 - In order to test new LED lighting concepts, CML Innovative Technologies equipped three KTM enduro motorcycles with LED lighting system prototypes for the inaugural “Desert Logic” rally for such motorbikes. Philippe Gosselet from CML-IT in Besançon, France, one of the company’s engineering centres of excellence for light design, kitted out the bikes for the rally. He also formed part of the CML-IT/KTM team riding them to a winning position after seven days and 1000km in the desert of southern Tunisia.

All LED lighting systems used on the motorcycles were specifically designed to withstand the difficult environmental conditions in the desert (big temperature changes from very hot at day to very cold at night, high winds containing grains of sand and constant shocks and vibration from riding in sand and over dunes). Due to the low power requirements of the LEDs, the batteries of the bikes experienced only minimum drain from CML-IT’s LED lighting systems.

Each motorcycle featured a high power LED brake light offering increased security in conditions with limited visibility. A LED system illuminating the roadmaps with high brilliance white LEDs ensured roadmaps were readable in all lighting conditions. A rheostat enabled the system to be adaptable to ambient luminosity. A security system consisting of two high power LEDs blinking consistently at the front and back of the bikes allowed the riders to be seen in the pitch black of the desert nights.

Created and organized by Fabio Fasola, Italian specialist of enduro and long-distance motorbike rallies, the first “Desert Logic” enduro motorbike rally took place from December 3 to December 10, 2005 in South Tunisia. The venue for this first event, which totalled 1000km of links and specials tests, was the oasis of Ksar Ghilane.

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February 2006 – A new range of Xenon filled wedge based lamps is available from CML-IT. Designed for use in a variety of automotive, gaming machinery, aviation, signalisation and architectural applications, the latest Xenon lamps are currently available in three different models: 1503X (14V 3.4W rating, T10 size, 10000 hour life), 501x (12V 5W rating, T10 size, 3000 hour life) and 1260X (12V 6W rating, T10 size, 1000 hour life).

Xenon bulbs offer numerous advantages over traditional Argon, Krypton or Vacuum filled lamps. The new devices offer suppressed tungsten evaporation meaning a cleaner, longer burn with less blackening. A three times longer life and an increased light output by typically 30% more luminous flux are further benefits.

Bulb wall temperature is 30°C lower compared with corresponding Argon filled lamps. This is significant when the devices are in close proximity to surrounding plastic or wood materials, which could be damaged. Furthermore, Xenon lamps also benefit from a whiter light. A higher filament temperature provides excellent contrast ratio and affords attractive sparkling appearance to the eye.

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April 2006 – The latest design innovation from CML Innovative Technologies (CML-IT) is a LED replacement for traditional 6S6 lamps currently used in theme parks as decorative lamps and for illuminating entrance portals to attractions. Developed in partnership with a major theme park, CML-IT’s new Sixcess lamp significantly reduces cost of ownership due to the LEDs’ low power consumption and longer life (5x) than traditional lamps. Maintenance savings alone are estimated to be over £170/€250 per device over its five year life cycle.

Sixcess lamps incorporate eight LEDs within a traditional screw based package. LEDs are laid out in a pattern to exactly mimic the visual effects of a regular filament lamp. CML-IT specifically developed the colours of the LEDs used for the Sixcess range, creating a visually equivalent drop-in replacement for 6S6 lamps.

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