Factory hall (low)

Increase labor productivity and safer working conditions through better lighting

Research has shown that better light and thus better visibility leads to higher labor productivity, fewer production errors and safer working conditions.

Today, many factory halls are still equipped with conventional lighting, often with fluorescent tube light lines or high bay luminaires with gas discharge light sources such as mercury vapor, metal halide or high pressure sodium (HPL/HQL, HPI/HQI, SON/NAV). In addition to the fact that these old fashioned lighting systems consume a lot of electricity, they often no longer meet the lighting requirements and/or current European Norms (EN 12464-1).

In addition, it is important for production workers in factory halls that they can see well what they are doing.
For this they need the right light level, as well as an optimal uniformity ad the right light quality. Our experts know which parameters are required in your particular situation. When it comes to factory hall lighting, we always comply with the applicable local standers (European Norms) in our offerings.

Light level
The light level is expressed in lux. At factory halls and other spaces where people work, the light level is measured at working height (0.75m-1m). An average is taken from multiple measuring points. The average needs to reach the applicable standard (European Norm). In most cases the average light level required in factory halls is >300 lux or >500 lux, depending on the activities that take place. Ask our experts which light level is required in your company.

Uniformity
A uniform light pattern over the entire production floor is even more important than the light level. Uniformity is expressed by the quotient of the minimum measured light level over the average measured light level. If there is uneven lighting, the human brain must adjust continuously. The pupils become larger and contract which does not benefit visibility. It also causes fatigue and therefore a higher chance of mistakes and unsafe work situations. The uniformity at factory halls (Emin/Eav) usually needs to be at least 0.4. Ask our experts which uniformity is required in your company.

Light quality
CRI. The quality of light is a.o. expressed in the Color Rendering Index (CRI). The color reproduction of the LEDs is of great importance for light quality. If the applied LEDs are not of the highest quality, this can lead to fatigue among employees and therefore cause errors and unsafe working conditions. The LEDs must have the right Color Rendering Index (CRI) and that means a CRI of more than 80 (Ra> 80) for production work. All LEDs that are applied in the luminaires we offer are of a high quality from only A-manufacturers.

Colour temperature. A second variable which determines the quality of light is the color temperature, expressed in Kelvin. This is about how the light is perceived. The color temperature determines whether the light is perceived as “warm” or “cool”. Research has shown that warm light (,3000K) makes the brain produce more melatonin (sleep hormone). This makes people sleepy. A cooler color temperature (>5000K), more in the direction of daylight, makes people more awake and therefore more alert. We recommend a color temperature of around 4-6000K in production environments.

Prevention of a shadow. It is extremely annoying for production workers to work in their own shadow. This slows down the work and is a recipe for mistakes. The challenge is to get the  light from all directions, without creating sharp shadow lines.

Please contact our experts for advising you on the right lighting in your factory hall.

Dynamic lighting for factory halls

If there is much incidence of natural light through (roof) windows, or if  there is no activity in parts of the hall for longer periods, then it make sense to choose for a dynamic lighting solutions. By applying (a combination of) daylight and motion sensors, the luminaires always deliver the desired light level at any time.

In the event of a lot of daylight incidence, luminaires can be dimmed to the required light level, or can be completely switched off. This results in extra savings in the consumption of electricity.

The same applies to areas in the hall where no activities take place at certain periods. In these cases the sensor can dim the light to orientation level (e.g. 10%) until a motion is sensed and the light switches back to full output. At that moment the light is at full strength again in just a fraction of a second.

Emergency lighting

Are you going to replace the lighting in your factory hall? Think of the emergency and exit lights as well. The European Norms stipulate that in the event of a power outage, an emergency system takes over.  A minimum light level in the factory hall needs to be available so that employees can end their work and leave their workplace safely.

Often it is also desirable to have walk of night light, to be able to walk safely through the factory hall if the work is stopped, for example by security officers.