The difference between LED mining strip lights and commercial/home LED strip lights and the inevitability of the gradual development of traditional tunnel lights into mining LED strip lights

Summary

With the advancement of technology and the increasing requirements for safety and energy efficiency, mining LED light strips, as a new product for mine lighting, have gradually replaced traditional tunnel lights and other lighting equipment. This article aims to explore the main differences between mining LED light strips and commercial/domestic LED light strips, and analyze the inevitability of the development of traditional tunnel lights to mining LED light strips. By comparing their performance, design requirements and application environment, we seek solutions that are more suitable for mine safety and efficient lighting.

Introduction

Mining operations have complex environments and multiple safety hazards, which require high lighting equipment. Traditional tunnel lights cannot meet the needs of modern mines in many aspects . At the same time, although commercial and household LED light strips perform well in daily lighting, they lack designs that meet the special environment of mines. This article will analyze the similarities and differences between these two types of LED light strips, and explore the necessity and development process of LED light strips for mines.

The development history of mining light strips

The development history of mining light strips is an important part of the progress of mining lighting technology. The following are the main stages of the development of mining light strips:

1. Early Illumination (late 19th-early 20th century):

Mine lighting initially used open flames, such as candles and oil lamps, which posed a fire risk and provided insufficient light.

With the development of electrification, mines began to use electric lights, but their design was not suitable for the complex and dangerous mine environment.

2. Introduction of explosion-proof lamps (mid-20th century):

In response to the special needs of mines, we began to develop explosion-proof lamps. These lamps adopt a safer design to prevent accidents in explosive gas environments.

During this period, mining lamps mainly relied on traditional incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps.

3. Application of LED technology (early 21st century):

With the advancement of LED technology, mining light strips have gradually begun to use LED light sources. LED lamps have the advantages of high energy efficiency, long service life, and low temperature, which significantly improves the lighting effect of mines while reducing energy consumption.

4. Specialized design of mining light strips (2010s):

With the increasing requirements for mine safety and efficiency, mining light strips have begun to adopt special designs that are resistant to high temperatures, impacts and water, and can cope with harsh working environments.

The flexibility and adaptability of mining light strips have gradually improved, and they can be adjusted and installed according to the layout of the mine and operational needs.

5. Integration of smart lighting technologies (in recent years):

Modern mining light strips are beginning to integrate intelligent technology, including automatic brightness adjustment, remote control, environmental monitoring and other functions, which can monitor the mine environment in real time and improve the safety and work efficiency of miners.

Intelligent capabilities in data collection and analysis enable miners and managers to better monitor the mine environment and detect and respond to potential hazards in a timely manner.

6. Integration of sustainable development and environmental protection concepts (current trends):

Modern mining light strips are increasingly focusing on the use of environmentally friendly materials and energy efficiency optimization in their design to reduce the impact on the environment.

In summary, the development history of mining light strips reflects the evolution of mine lighting technology from simple open flame lighting to modern efficient, safe and intelligent LED light strips, and embodies the unremitting pursuit of miners' safety and work efficiency.

Of course, this trend did not leave some entrepreneurs standing idly by. As mining light strips became more popular, we gradually discovered that some ordinary household and commercial LED light strips were misused as industrial solutions. At first, we even worried that we might lose some partnerships because "your competitor's light strips are twice as cheap." However, it wasn't long before we received feedback: the LEDs in household and commercial light strips were not designed to be used in a 365-day, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week mode, so they soon experienced performance degradation and local failures that were almost impossible to repair .

So what is the difference between commercial LED light strips and mining LED light strips?

1. Unlike mining LED strips, most manufacturers produce strips that are made for completely different purposes - commercial and domestic use, which are less demanding in terms of performance characteristics.

Due to the lack of special technology to produce industrial mining LED strips, commercial strips have significantly lower light output and significantly higher energy consumption, which in turn increases the total cost of ownership due to higher energy consumption. Higher light output of commercial strips can only be achieved by increasing the number of LEDs, not by using technology.

In commercial LED light strips, the voltage drop per 10 meters is 3.5 times that of mining LED light strips .

Commercial LED light strips do not have built-in overheat and short-circuit protection. During the test measurement period, the average heating temperature of the commercial LED light strip housing was 39 Celsius, while the mining light strip is 3 2 degrees Celsius.

2. Unlike mining LED light strips , the maximum length of each connection section of commercial light strips is smaller, usually limited to 10-50 meters, while the maximum length of each connection section of mining LED light strips can reach 160 meters , which significantly affects the number of consumables and installation speed.

Commercial LED light strips are not designed to run continuously 365/24/7 and need to be "rested" periodically. Otherwise, the LEDs will burn out somewhere.

Commercial LED light strips are a high volume product and have a shorter lifespan for commercial reasons. Most of the time, commercial LED light strips use cheap components.

Commercial light strips were not originally designed for use in mines and pits and are therefore significantly heavier, which creates additional difficulties for installation and operation.

3. Unlike mining LED light strips , which have a special nano-coating on the outer layer to create a "lotus effect" and prevent dust from settling on them, commercial light strips were not originally designed for use in mines and pits and are therefore not suitable for high-dust environments. Dust sticking to the outer shell of commercial light strips creates an overheating risk and also affects effective light output.

Mining LED light strips have high tensile strength (proven by documented testing) and can withstand high levels of vibration and shock. Mining LED light strips can be successfully operated near drilling and blasting operations. Commercial light strips were not originally designed for mining and pit conditions, are not suitable for high loads, do not have the required strength, are easily damaged, and are not suitable for use near drilling and blasting operations.

The LED strips for mining were originally designed to be powered at both ends, so that even if a physical break occurs (only the section between the flexible copper printed circuit boards stops working - 5 cm to the left and right of the break), the work can still continue.

4. Unlike mining LED strips , commercial LED strips do not comply with the EN 60598-1: 2008 + A1: 2009 fire resistance standard .

5. Unlike mining LED strips , commercial LED strips do not comply with the IEC 60529:1989+A1:1999+A1:2013 ingress protection standards .

6. Unlike mining LED light strips , commercial LED light strips , connectors and other accessories do not meet the standards for resistance to hydrochloric acid, alkali and seawater splash corrosion as specified in IEC 68-2-11 and GB/T 6461-2002 .

7. Unlike mining LED strips , commercial LED strips do not comply with the Xenon UV lamp standard specified in ISO 4892-2-2009.

8. Unlike mining LED strips , commercial LED strips do not comply with the RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Recycling 2002/95/EC "Restriction of the use of hazardous substances (RoHS) Light Emitting Diode Strip Testing of Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Hexavalent Chromium, Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)".

9. Unlike mining LED strips , commercial LED strips do not comply with the photobiological standard IEC EN 62471: 2008, which confirms that actinic UV or emitted near-UV will not cause irritation to the retina or mucous membranes of the human eye during long-term use.

10. Unlike mining LED strips , commercial LED strips cannot meet the electromagnetic radiation control standard EN 55015:2013 / 6100-3-2:2014 / 6100-3-3:2013/61547:2009, which limits the maximum radiation emitted by LED strips.

11. Unlike mining LED strips , commercial LED strips have not been tested for low voltage devices, which is done in accordance with EN 60598-2-21:2015 and 60598-1:2015. Mining LED strips and accessories are certified in accordance with LVD Directive 2014/35/EU. The product also complies with UL 2108 Low Voltage Lighting and UL 1598 and CSA 250.0-08 standards.

12. Unlike mining LED strips , commercial LED strips are not tested for bending resistance according to UL 2388 Flexible Lighting Fixtures.

13. Unlike mining grade LED strips , commercial LED strips are not tested for weight/tensile strength. All mining grade LED strip lighting types and their accessories undergo extensive weight/tensile strength testing to ensure they are strong enough to withstand the harsh conditions they will face.

14. Unlike mining LED light strips , commercial LED light strips are not impact tested. All mining LED light strips are impact tested internally to ensure that the product has the required impact strength.

15. Unlike mining LED light strips , commercial LED light strips have not been photometrically tested. All mining LED light strips are photometrically tested according to the “Everfine Goniophotometer System Test” to ensure that the high-quality LEDs used always provide the specified brightness.

16. Unlike mining LED strips , commercial LED strips are not lifecycle tested. All mining LED strip types are internally lifecycle tested, i.e. powered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to monitor and test for any reduction in light output, PVC degradation or any other form of deterioration. This testing has been ongoing for 5 years.

17. Unlike mining LED strips , commercial LED strips do not have the patented “easy cut and repair” technology. Low voltage AC/DC LED strips have a unique design that allows for easy cutting and repair/wiring in the field. This easy-cut design is achieved by manufacturing the LED strips with short flexible circuit boards that are powered in parallel.

LED strips for mining are developed for underground installations to illuminate work spaces exposed to specific environmental influences. For example: increased dust, increased humidity, increased vibrations, explosions, etc. Therefore, first of all, LED strips for mining are ideal for lighting underground mines, maintenance areas and substations, lighting subway tunnels, etc. In addition, this type of LED strip is used to organize temporary and emergency lighting, as well as lighting during mine inspections and when detecting/eliminating mechanical failures.

Mining LED light strips have the following advantages:

1. Uniform lighting throughout the length and height of the working face, without shadows, which will undoubtedly affect the comfort and morale of personnel working underground, while also reducing the incidence of accidents, providing continuous lighting in a 7/24/365 mode;

2. Safety in use:

- Special mining versions, and versions for use in explosive atmospheres;

- Tape - Low voltage, powered by 12, 24 or 36 V DC;

- Will not explode;

- IP67 or above Degree of protection, including connection joints;

- Will not burn;

- With dust-proof and anti-static coating;

- When physically torn, such as by a barrel of equipment or something, only a 10 cm section will lose its function, and the rest of the tape on both sides of the tear will continue to glow;

- Increased strength: tensile strength - at least 60 kg, which allows the use of the tape close to where blasting and sandblasting operations are carried out;

- Fast and safe repair.

3. Almost no maintenance costs: The warranty period of mining LED light strips is 5 years or 50,000 hours, there is no "breakage" during transportation, no falling into the mine/shaft, and no voltage drop. In this regard, human resources in lighting maintenance can be optimized and reallocated to other tasks;

4. Simple and fast installation: The tape is supplied in reel form and fixed to the existing communication or tensile steel cable with a plastic cable tie. With the included quick-connect connector, there is no need to fix anchors every 10 meters or frequently connect to the power supply. The installation and connection of the mining LED light strip is faster and easier than traditional lighting fixtures;

5. The effectiveness of mining LED light strips has been proven: since its launch, mining LED light strips have illuminated more than 515,000 meters of underground working faces in more than 500 mines in 47 countries around the world.

1. Differences between mining LED light strips and commercial/home LED light strips

1.1 Function and design

The functional design of mining LED light strips is mainly focused on safety and durability. In order to cope with the explosive gas and dust that may exist in the mine, mining LED light strips generally use explosion-proof, waterproof and impact-resistant materials to ensure stable operation in extreme environments.

In contrast, the design of commercial and household LED light strips focuses more on aesthetics, energy saving and light efficiency. Although they also have the characteristics of long life and low energy consumption, they do not consider special safety requirements.

1.2 Brightness and Lighting Effect

Mining LED light strips need to provide sufficient brightness to ensure the safety of miners during operation. They usually use high-brightness light sources with a large illumination range to reduce shadows. Commercial/domestic LED light strips have greater flexibility in light color and brightness, targeting different decorative needs and user experience.

1.3 Safety Standards

Mining LED strips must comply with strict safety standards, such as the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and mining equipment standards, which ensure their safe operation in complex environments. The safety standards for commercial/domestic LED strips are relatively loose, focusing mainly on electrical safety and energy-saving performance.

2. The inevitability of the gradual development of traditional tunnel lights into mining LED light strips

2.1 Disadvantages of Traditional Tunnel Lights

Traditional tunnel lights usually use incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps, which have problems such as insufficient brightness, high energy consumption, and easy damage. In the mine environment, the use of traditional tunnel lights brings many safety hazards, such as glass fragments caused by lamp breakage and the risk of short circuit of the lamp tube.

2.2 Changes in mine lighting requirements

As mine operations have higher requirements for safety and efficiency, traditional lighting equipment can no longer meet today's needs. The introduction of mining LED light strips just fills this gap, providing higher energy efficiency, longer service life and better lighting effects.

2.3 Promotion of scientific and technological progress

With the continuous advancement of LED technology, its cost has gradually decreased and its performance has been significantly improved. The popularity of LED light strips for mining not only reduces the energy consumption of mines, but also improves the uniformity of lighting and ensures the safe operation of miners.

in conclusion

There are significant differences between mining LED light strips and commercial/home LED light strips in terms of design, function, safety standards, etc. Mining light strips especially emphasize the application in harsh environments. The gradual development of traditional tunnel lights to mining LED light strips is inevitable, reflecting the increasing emphasis on safety and efficiency in mine lighting. Looking to the future, mining LED light strips will continue to develop with the advancement of technology and provide better lighting solutions for mine operations.