Luminous Media, a producer and supplier of EL and LED products including T-shirts and road signs, is preparing to supply its technology for treadplates in cars.
The move follows on from a successful launch in such an application with Jaguar, where EL treadplates are being used in its latest XJ (X351) model.
According to Luminous Media's European MD Simon Parkes, several car makers are interested in the technology for mid-range vehicles. Introducing EL treadplates can add value to these models by providing a concept of luxury.
GSM Automotive, Europe's largest supplier of treadplates, supplies Jaguar as well as other car makers and has worked with Luminous Media to integrate EL into these components.
Jaguar - a luxury carmaker - will sell in the region of tens of thousands of models of the X351. As more carmakers use the EL technology for their mid-range vehicles Luminous Media, which trades under the name Elumin8 for some markets, will expect to see demand for its displays grow exponentially in the coming years.
The company's production is done in China. 'We have a line that makes tee-shirts, another that does point-of-sale and another that produces products for the automotive and road signage markets. We can flip over one of these other lines for the treadplate application if need be to meet demand', comments Parkes.
Other markets
In other markets the company's EL technology is well established. In T-shirts for instance, the company sells over 65,000 units a month, so capacity will not be an issue for some time.
After UK lighting design firm Elumin8 went bust in early 2009, Luminous Media bought the company's domain name from the liquidators, but recently resurrected the name Elumin8 as a trading name for serving the automotive, aeronautical and road safety signage and products markets.
In 2007 Elumin8 had worked with Jaguar (reported in +Plastic Electronics magazine, vol 1, issue 1) on a concept car that featured EL lighting throughout the interior.
Challenges Luminous Media had to work on for the treadplate application included developing the right driver electronics to drive these panels, so they do not use too much energy and burn out and also developing the right EL colours for both the on and off states of the display. 'We made about 20 swatches for each batch of dye ink,' says Parkes.