LED lighting systems are beholden to high-quality standards, which present a number of challenges to designers. While not always a requirement for every solid state lighting (SSL) solution, many commercial and residential applications require strict color consistency, especially in multi-fixture applications where it is easy to see even minor variations in fixture-to-fixture color.
In the past, supply chain challenges associated with maintaining color consistency from fixture to fixture were addressed through a complex and costly process of selective bin sorting of LEDs. LED bin sorting is the process of measuring specific outputs of any given LED for color, brightness, and forward voltage and then sorting each into a "bin" of similar components. While this process does offer the distinct advantages of tightly controlling light output and color, as well as for allowing customized differentiation of products, it is not without offsetting supply chain challenges.
The LED binning process can often leave the supply chain at the mercy of unpredictable yields, as well as the additional challenges of special inventory requirements -- all of which can add up to increased component cost, as well as total cost of ownership.
As SSL technology has continued to evolve, manufacturers have moved toward creating modules, or multi-chip components, where the color mixing has already been completed. These module and multi-chip solutions offer compelling advantages to the supply chain, including:
Color and output "guaranteed" without the need for specialized binning
Fewer components to manage on bill of materials
Lower total cost of ownership
Time-to-market advantages from a design and manufacturing perspective
The challenges of selecting the right SSL platform can be complex, and seldom will a one-size-fits-all approach work across multiple applications. It can be helpful to engage a partner (Arrow Electronics Inc. (NYSE: ARW), for instance, has highly trained and dedicated SSL experts) to assist in the creation of designs that minimize specialized binning requirements and reduce component count, cost, and lead-time.
It is only after careful consideration of these benefits and associated tradeoffs that the right selection of a light source will deliver both winning performance and reduction of overall supply chain complexity.
The multi-die in a single package gives you both the benefit of color mixing from the factory, as well as reducing the number of components of multi-device binning solutions. This can reduce total BOM cost, as well as other supply chain concerns such as inventory carrying costs for multiple parts versus just one.
As the cost of LED components comes down, it should be adopted much more readily as a residential lighting alternative. It seems like a great solution to me.
Gary, I think still we had not found necessary application for Led’s in out day to day life. As of now applications are limited to LED TV and lightening system. Since LED’s are more powerful and energy consumptions are very low, we have to promote more equipment with LED.
"I think the article is just referring to some "modules" that Arrow provides which comes with a predetermined color mixing so that the manufacturing customer doesn't have to do the actual mixing."
One of the advantages is that specialized manufacturers such as Arrow would help in the creation of designs at relatively low cost and in time. All this will ease the supply chain challenges that LED lighting suppliers have to face.
I think the article is just referring to some "modules" that Arrow provides which comes with a predetermined color mixing so that the manufacturing customer doesn't have to do the actual mixing.
I just learned that way how the LED's will be filtered at the manufacturing location. But I'm not able to understand how does the multichip technology or any other alternative technology could improve the binning process to reduce the cost. I would also request you to explain more details regarding how Arrow is helping the LED manufacturers to improve the yield.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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