Philips enhances OLED lighting range

Sara Ver-Bruggen - 28 Jan 2010

Next month Philips Lighting will revamp its online store www.lumiblade.com with new offerings and lower prices to spark a second wave of demand for its OLED lamps.

The move is partly in response to feedback Philips Lighting has garnered from lighting designers, architects and other customers for its Lumiblade OLED lighting kits, since launching the range in April 2009.

From February visitors to the Lumiblade site will see greater emphasis on white rectangular OLED panels. The Lumiblade range was originally developed to stress the versatility of OLED lighting, explains Dr Dietrich Bertram. The product line includes some 30 different shapes, colours and geometries.

Bertram, who has spent the best part of a decade steering OLED technology through Philips' corporate research division to its commercial lighting arm, says: 'Largely the feedback has been in favour of the white rectangular panels we supply, something we didn't anticipate. Customers have mainly been using the lamps for practical purposes - perhaps to shine a light on something - and so value the soft, white aerial effect provided by these lights.'

Consequently Philips Lighting has been able to apply uniformity to panel production using its tools in Aachen, resulting in lower prices for some Lumiblade lamps. Customers can also expect improved efficiencies for certain kits as well as other modifications. According to Kristin Knappstein who oversees business development for OLED lighting at Philips: 'One of the most popular Lumiblade lamps, which is a white rectangle of 44 x 47 mm, will cost around €72 from February onwards.'

Bertram adds: 'All feedback has been good. No complaints. And no one has said there is no place for OLED lighting, when comparing with LED lamps for instance. But someone did say the price was too expensive.'

OLED LIGHTING PRICE WATCH

Philips Lighting's Lumiblade range
Launched: April 2009
Dimensions: Vary
Efficiencies: Up to 20 lm/W in different shades of white and RGB
Price: €70-€500

Philips Lighting's Lumiblade rectangle lamp
Launched: Available from Feb 2010
Dimensions: 44 x 47mm
Efficiency: Upwards of 20lm/W anticipated
Price: €72

Osram's Orbeos panel
Launched: November 2009
Dimensions: 80mm in diameter
Efficiency: 25lm/W
Price: €240

Lumiotec's sample panels,
Launched: Shipping in Feb 2010
Dimensions: 145 x 145mm
Efficiency: Anticipated to achieve 25lm/W
Price: €630