LED and product development
Singapore 19th August 2013
The product development cycle of lighting products has dramatically changed over the last few years since the arrival of LED technology. Where not so long ago the lead time for a lighting product development would be typically 2 years, it is now fast approaching consumer good levels of a couple of months only, less than one year certainly. This puts tremendous pressure on the established lighting manufacturers who have to adapt to this go-go style of developing products. No more time for “sleepy” meetings and “take your time” decision making. It has to be ram bam, thank you mam! Such is the speed and expectation in the market at the moment.
The leading lighting manufacturers are doing overtime in design and product development hours to find that successful LED solutions. They work in close cooperation with the key LED chip technology producers who have all interest in keeping close contact with the fitting developers as ultimately their LED units need to be properly integrated in light fitting design. I was told that the leading lighting manufacturers are meeting LED developers on a nearly weekly basis, if not at least monthly! That is how fast and furious this LED market is at the moment.
Yet there also needs to be a target deadline for development and presenting new projects to the world and for most manufacturers that is the bi-annual World Light Fair (Light & Build) in Frankfurt, Germany. Most of all new product developments are centred on having them ready for launch or introduction in Frankfurt (next one in April 2014) but with lead times getting shorter and shorter it is not surprising that many don’t wait for Frankfurt and launch new products well ahead of the fair…Frankfurt was obviously structured on the typical 2 year product development cycle…perhaps we may see an annual Light Fair in Frankfurt if the speed of development continues to see this pace…
Light Watch 4-135: As 2014 approaches so do all the lighting fairs! Besides the two leading fairs Light & Build Frankfurt and Light Fair USA, many are already advertising in full force! Such is the time nowadays and unfortunately even amongst the light fairs we now find Light Fair Cowboys…riding the wave of the LED bullet train!
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