Osram celebrates 40 years of LED expertise
From the first surface-mountable LED (TOPLED) in 1990 to the awarding of the Deutscher Zukunftspreis (German Future Prize) by the German Federal President in 2007 and the efficiency record for red high-power LEDs in 2011, it all proves their expertise in LED.
40 years of business with opto semiconductors at Osram’s Regensburg plant has brought countless seminal achievements in the fields of lighting, visualization and sensor technology. Just in time for this jubilee, the current fiscal year will see Osram Opto Semiconductors achieving total revenue of over 1 billion euros for the first time in company history.
“LED technology is the growth driver of the entire lighting market. In the age of digital light, intelligent solutions help us to achieve a better quality of life, higher productivity and highest energy efficiency. Four decades of established LED expertise at Osram give us a clear advantage in the market,” said Wolfgang Dehen, CEO of Osram Licht AG.
At Osram, semiconductors have been manufactured in clean-room conditions for as many as 40 years. Siemens first started building a manufacturing plant for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) back in 1973. With a workforce of over 7,000 worldwide, Osram’s Opto Semiconductors business unit currently develops and manufactures LED components for industrial applications, entertainment electronics, the automotive sector and general lighting.
The product range also includes infra-red diodes and semiconductor-based lasers.
Headlights are becoming even more intelligent
The new variant of the Osram Ostar Headlamp Pro enables the simple implementation of Advanced Forward Lighting Systems (AFS).
This means headlight systems that for example adapt their illumination direction to the direction of the bend when driving through curves, can now be even more simply realized by automotive producers. The high-tech company Osram Opto Semiconductors from Germany developed with the new Osram Ostar Headlamp Pro for the first time a specific LED component for this particular implementation.
The five chips of the new multi-chip LED can be individually controlled and thus flexibly switched on and off according to the driving situations and positions of other road users.
Thanks to LED technology, Advanced Forward Lighting Systems (AFS) can be implemented more simply than before because no mechanical assemblies are required to move parts of the headlight or the complete headlight. With LEDs such as the new Osram Ostar Headlamp Pro, the individual chips are specifically switched on and off via intelligent control. The control utilizes sensors and electronic components for high beam light without glare by flexibly concealing areas within the light cone of the headlight according to the specific driving situation and with dynamic adaptation to the positions of other road users. It is also thanks to LED that adaptable cornering light and spot light can be easily implemented for illuminating possible obstacles at the edge of the carriageway.
The new Osram Ostar Headlamp Pro: The first LED specifically for AFS
Multi-chip LEDs with higher performance classes are needed for use in headlights, and the Osram Ostar Headlamp LED range features high performance-capable technology, homogeneous luminance and temperature stability, and is therefore especially suitable for high power applications.
This is the reason why LEDs of this family have been used since 2008 for various automotive lighting functions. “Osram Ostar Headlamp Pro is now the first LED specifically developed for use in AFS. Its five chips each with one square millimeter can be controlled individually, forming the basis for intelligent light solutions,” explained Peter Knittl, responsible for LED Automotive Marketing at Osram Opto Semiconductors.
Optimal vision for vehicle drivers
“Intelligent headlight systems with our light emitting diodes give car drivers optimal vision even on the edges of roads or with approaching vehicles, offering better protection from possible accidents. Thanks to the five individually controllable chips, more than one road user can be concealed from view and the intermediate area is still completely illuminated,” said Knittl.
A distinct bright-dark contrast of 1:65 between illuminated and non-illuminated chips is required so that the AFS is as effective as possible and the light beam on the road is optimally transmitted. This means that concealed chips must be genuinely dark and must not be illuminated by their adjacent chips. An integrated shutter also enables a clearly defined light beam from the headlight.
The Osram Ostar Headlamp Pro is to be unveiled today at the trade fair “ISAL 2013” in Darmstadt, Germany.
