Do you know what an LED light is made of?
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We explain the main reasons for failure of LEDs, their components and some good practices to prevent this from happening and extend the useful life as much as possible.
1 The main components that make up an LED luminaire
LED chip
This is the basic component responsible for providing lighting. Regarding their construction, they are made up of a mixture of different materials from whose mixture the final color of the light is obtained. They are usually made of metals such as aluminum and covered with a layer of polycarbonate. They work on direct current so a source or driver is necessary for their operation.
Driver or transformer
It is the component that allows us to use the LEDs with the current that comes from the electrical network. Its mission is basic, converting this voltage supplied by the network to the operating voltage and amperage of the LEDs. The operation of this component is vital for the operation and stability, both luminous and longevity, of the LED chip.
The motherboard or support
As we mentioned previously, the chips are built on metallic materials such as aluminum that help both heat dissipation and house all the connections of the other components necessary for their operation.
Optics
They are usually portions of crystal or glass, which depending on their shape will make the light projected by the LED chips have one angle or another and how the light distribution will be.
Heat management
LEDs in their minimum expression do not generate heat, which does not mean that when they are integrated into a luminaire a certain amount of heat is not produced. It is vital to evacuate this amount of heat so that it does not affect the LED chip, since it can shorten its useful life and even modify its color tones.
2 Breakdowns in LED luminaires and tips to solve them
It is well known that most of the breakage of LEDs is due to breakage of internal components of the luminaires (bulbs, panels, tubes, etc.) and to a lesser extent due to failures during installation and transportation.
Breakdowns
By far, the largest number of errors and defects in use is found in the driver. Variations in ambient temperature, frequency or current variations can cause the internal components of the drivers to fail, which in turn results in malfunction of the LED luminaire. As we have mentioned previously, this component is the one that most often fails, specifically in 3 out of every 4 failures of LED luminaires. Heat management is the next reason for LED fixtures to break. Incorrect heat dissipation causes the useful life of LED chips to decrease considerably. Therefore, this is a factor to take into account when carrying out an installation. The third most common cause of malfunction is the LED chip itself. This may be due to vibrations that cause the internal materials to move or factory defects in their construction.
Tips
Heat dissipation is the most important factor. Help the LED components with a good aluminum heatsink and good natural ventilation or forced ventilation (fan). Prevents the drivers from receiving occasional surges so that the capacitors do not suffer. It is very important to have facilities in which the current is discharged in a stable and fluid manner, in addition to being safe. Avoid installing LED luminaires in places where there are vibrations, as they may affect the LED components. Respect the on/off cycles, since continuously turning the LED lights on/off affects their useful life considerably. Check the elements of the facilities such as wiring in poor condition, plugs in poor condition and too many electrical devices connected on the same line. Buy materials with accrediting certificates (CE and RoSH certificates), that have good technical characteristics and that have the energy label indicating that they guarantee low consumption.
