In daily life, whether working, reading, studying, or watching TV shows, we all use lights in various ways, no matter how big or small. In today's general lighting, most light sources are LEDs, and the popularity of LEDs has only been in the past ten or twenty years. If you think back, the lights used in classrooms when you were a child were all fluorescent tubes, and their traces have gradually disappeared recently. Have you ever thought about why? Today, let’s talk to you about the evolution of lamps.

The origin of lighting

In order for human eyes to see things, there must be light. The easiest thing to obtain in nature is, of course, sunlight. However, once night falls, vision is deprived, and weak starlight and moonlight are mostly of no help. However, by chance, our ancestors learned to use fire, and the path of human illumination began.

As time goes by, we continue to seek more durable and stable light sources. Torches, candles, and gas lamps have been invented and used one after another. However, it seems that we cannot escape our dependence on #fire.

The Rise of Electricity - Incandescent Lamps

In 1854, the first practical lamp that used electricity to emit light, the incandescent lamp, was invented, and the person who invented it was the famous: Heinrich Göbel (#Henry Goebel). After a series of patent battles, it was "#Edison" who finally obtained the patent. After that, incandescent light bulbs continued to improve in materials and design, and finally became the commonly heard tungsten light bulbs.

The principle of incandescent lamp lighting is to pass a long wick (tungsten wire) through current and heat it until it becomes super hot. The higher the temperature of the object, the shorter the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave emitted.

A jump forward in light efficiency - fluorescent lamps

Fluorescent lamps, also known as #lamps, are just long tubes.  The working principle of fluorescent lamps is to use electrons to excite mercury vapor in the gas to produce ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet rays irradiate the phosphor on the inner wall of the lamp tube, causing it to emit visible light. The luminous efficiency of fluorescent lamps is 4 to 5 times higher than that of incandescent lamps, and the lifespan is 5 to 7 times longer. The disadvantages are that the color rendering is relatively low, and the lamp contains toxic mercury.

Contemporary mainstream-LED lights

#LED, called light-emitting diode in Chinese, uses the combination of electrons and holes in n-type and p-type semiconductor materials to directly convert electrical energy into light energy. A group of LED materials have a fixed energy gap and can only emit one color of light (the spectrum is very narrow). Can only red light be seen? So there are two general approaches. One is to combine LEDs that can emit different lights. Add red and blue to make white light. The other is to go back to the old path of fluorescent lights - use fluorescent powder. First, a short-wave LED is used to emit ultraviolet light and hit the phosphor, and then the phosphor emits visible light.

The lifespan of LED is about 4 times that of fluorescent lamps. If the environment is properly controlled, it can even last up to 30,000 hours. The light efficiency can be more than 2 times that of fluorescent lamps. It does not contain harmful substances like fluorescent lamps. Therefore, in recent years, LED lamps have become more and more popular.

As for ubiquitous lights, of course they are also indispensable on machines, such as work lights and three-color lights. Let’s first take a look at the uses and differences between these two types of lights.

『#Work Light』

The primary function is to provide illumination, allowing the operator to observe the work area clearly. It aids in fine machining and inspection in low-light environments.

Typically installed inside the machine, it light up the workpiece and tools, ensuring that the operator can see the details clearly.

『#Three-Color Light』

Used to indicate the operational status of the machine, helping the operator quickly understand the machine's current condition.

• Green light: Indicates the machine is operating normally.
• Yellow light: Indicates a warning state, requiring attention but not affecting the operation.
• Red light: Indicates an error or malfunction, requiring immediate shutdown and inspection.

In summary, the work light mainly provides illumination to ensure the operator can work in good lighting conditions, while the three-color light is used to display the operational status of the machine, helping the operator promptly identify and address issues. Together, they complement each other to ensure the efficient and safe operation of CNC machines.

If you have any additional questions or have any information #Maple can help you figure out which model is best for you, please feel free to contact the #Maple team.

#Trust Maple for reliable performance you can count on.

With over #35 years of expertise and a commitment to quality, the equipment ensures uninterrupted operation and consistent results.