Michael Jackson's Fake Nose And The Evolution Of Lighted Walkways
Springing from the drive to find new ways to reinvent the lightbulb, a variety of lighting alternatives are being introduced.
By Brian Kraemer
Like most of the country in the early 1980s, I was a fan of Michael Jackson's music. It started when I first saw the music video for "Billie Jean." I wanted to have my own sidewalk that lit up when I moonwalked on it. But despite my best efforts, I was never able to emulate the pop star. These days, I realize that's a good thing. Lighted sidewalk aside, I'm no longer a Jackson fan--plastic surgery and questionable relationships just don't do it for me.
Through it all, I've never been able to shake the image of white light appearing wherever I walked. I never thought the technology would catch up with music video magic. But like Michael Jackson's nose, the lighting industry is constantly reinventing itself.
Springing from the drive to find new ways to reinvent the lightbulb, a variety of lighting alternatives are being introduced and released onto the market. Consequently, flatlights have gained popularity in the past year.
Malcolm Hayward, CEO of Landsdale, PA-based CeeLite, believes he has created something to fill the long overdue need for lighted walkways. With phosphor-based flatlights, lighting can be treated in creative new ways.
"Three elements have allowed us to develop flatlights," says Hayward. "First, by working closely with Sylvania, we've had access to new, super bright phosphors. Second, lamination technology--both glass and soft laminates which we seal our lights in--has greatly improved. Finally, we've been able to tie smart inverters into the technology."
Phosphors are the guts of the flatlight. "Phosphor is essentially an inert substance composed of zinc sulfide infused with little pieces of copper and manganese," Hayward explains. "There are two plates that sandwich the phosphor, which is then mixed with a binder. When the phosphor and binder are mixed together, it becomes a paste like substance which can be shaped before it solidifies."
When a current is introduced to the substance, the copper and manganese begins to glow. Sounds easy enough, but spreading phosphor around a facility to create light isn't a terribly clean process, nor would the light last very long.
"Moisture and heat are the killers when it comes to flatlights," says Hayward. So it was crucial to find a material that sealed moisture away from the phosphors. The material had to be clear and able to be completely sealed. Enter lamination.
"The lamination process is simple enough for any printer to seal the phosphors," continues Hayward. The other option is to embed the phosphor in glass, which also prevents moisture from entering.
The result is a product that's lightweight. "It literally weighs two to three ounces and is completely flat. You don't have any level of extrusion," Hayward says. This makes flatlighting a possible choice when lighting windows or anything else that would look good backlit. "Since the light is flat, a facility manager could buy a 5" x 7" sheet, cut the word 'exit' out of cardboard, and then place it over the light. It's a simple way to create signage," Hayward says.
"Another application is in a place where a building wants to make an impression, like a lobby," Hayward continues. "It's a flexible substance that could be applied to the front of a lobby bar or desk and would look really cool."
But if a facility really wants to impress, then it has to consider the smart inverter technology. "We can download programs into the smart inverter and apply them to the light. For example, we can program the inverter so when a motion sensor is passed, the flatlight will light up," says Hayward.
In addition to controlling when it lights up, the inverter technology can also manage a number of other things. It can make the flatlight flash a message or picture, vary its level of brightness, or fade up and down with proximity.
Installation is simple. The inverter must be placed within 30' of the flatlight and connected with three wires. It comes with a RS232 port that opens up a world of integration possibilities. The flatlight, through the smart inverter, can be connected to the building control systems, allowing a facility manager to program the lights to fade up or down as needed.
It is important to note, however, that current flatlight technology can only be used in a supporting role. "This is an extremely efficient low ambient light source," Hayward explains. But it is ambient light and does not yet produce enough light for reading. "My motivation is to move from a backlighting source to a primary light source, but the technology isn't there right now," says Hayward.
But Hayward's ambitions don't end there. "I want to take this technology to lighted drywall," he explains. "We can manufacture the light up to 3' x 6' sheets, and soon, I think, we'll be able to manufacture it in 4' x 8' applications. The effects could be phenomenal. This technology is perfect for generating light in a nightlight type environment, in which case it could last forever."
Lighted drywall? Does that mean the technology could be placed horizontally and installed on a floor? Absolutely.
"It would have to have a layer placed over it to protect the laminate, but it can be installed on floors," Hayward says. And when combined with the inverter technology, it could light whenever someone or something passes over. Every facility could have its own version of the red carpet, but made out of light instead of fabric.
For Michael and I, flatlight technology is a new way to make the moonwalk look cool. Once production ramps up, phosphor flatlights will be relatively cheap, efficient, and ready to enhance any dance number--no plastic surgery required.
Do you know about a material revolution that has changed the way facility managers think? E-mail your comments to bkraemer@groupc.com.
