ULTRA-FINE PATTERN LIGHT EXTRACTION FILMS FOR DIFFUSERLESS LEDPANELS

Optrical开发了一种新的概念，以更低的成本制造更高效的LED面板。侧光式LED面板使用一个或两个LED灯带，一片透明丙烯酸（PMMA），用于提取光（称为光导），反射器和漫射器。光导的图案化允许从其中的光池中提取光，使得光可以被引导到被照明的区域。然而，光导的图案化通过诸如激光加工、机械刻划、注射成型或丝网印刷的方法单独地一次一个地完成。这些方法是缓慢和昂贵的（昂贵的机器和工具，缓慢的操作和高的管理费用）。光学公司首次开发了一种微图案薄膜，可以粘附在未图案化的透明材料（光导）上，以非常有效地提取光耦合。这种薄膜称为光提取薄膜（LEF），可以以比光板激光加工高40倍的速度在卷到卷的基础上生产。Optical目前正处于验证LEF卷到卷制造的工业可行工艺的最后阶段。LEF已被证明可以减少高达1/3的总耦合和吸收损耗，从而提供高达12%的光（或流明）。该项目的目的是开发一种根本上增强的LEF，不需要单独的漫射器。我们的目的是透过改变现时轻型货车的设计和物料来达到这个目的。这将推动LEF概念在设计、主工具和材料方面超越当前的界限。LED面板市场将显著增长，受到其较低能源使用的鼓励，因此有助于实现英国的二氧化碳排放量减少目标。目前太阳能电池板高昂的初始成本是其在英国更广泛采用的障碍。当前LED面板中的漫射器的成本约为光导堆叠的25%。然而，英国制造商正面临来自中国廉价进口商品的坚韧价格压力。该技术有可能帮助英国（及其他地区）的制造商在性能上竞争，同时具有商业竞争力。因此，该项目可以帮助创造（和保存）8个高科技工作在英国的4年内项目完成。

Optrical has developed a new concept for making more efficient LED light panels at lower cost. The side-lit LED panels use one or two LED strips, a sheet of transparent acrylic (PMMA) that is patterned for the extraction of light (called a lightguide), a reflector and a diffuser. The patterning of the lightguide allows extraction of light from the pool of light within it so that it can be directed to the area being lit. The patterning of the lightguide, however, is done by methods such as laser machining, mechanical scoring, injection molding or screen printing individually, one at a time. These methods are slow and expensive (expensive machine and tooling, slow operation and high overheads). Optrical has, for the first time, developed a micro-patterned film that can be adhered to an unpatterned transparent material (lightguide) to extract the light coupled of it very efficiently. Such film, named, light extraction film (LEF) can be produced on reel-to-reel basis at upto 40X higher speeds than the laser machining of light panels. Optrical is currently in the final stage of validating an industrially viable process for reel-to-reel manufacture of LEFs. The LEFs have been shown to reduce total coupling and absorption losses by upto 1/3, thus giving upto 12% more light (or lumens).The aim of this this project is to develop a radically enhanced LEF that does not require a separate diffuser. We aim to do this by changing both design and materials used within the LEFs at present. This will push the LEF conept to and beyond the current boundaries in design, master tooling and materials.The LED panel market is set to grow significantly, encouraged by their lower energy usage and therefore to help meet UK's CO2 emmission reduction targets. The current high initial cost of the panels is a hurdle for wider adoption in the UK. The cost of the diffusers in current LED panels is around 25% of the lightguide stack. The UK manufacturers however, are facing tough price pressure from cheaper chinese imports. The propsed technology has the potential to help UK based (and beyond) manufacturers compete on performance and at the same time be commercially competitive. This project therefore can help create (and save) 8 high technology jobs in UK within 4 years of project completion.