ULTRA-FINE PATTERN LIGHT EXTRACTION FILMS FOR DIFFUSERLESS LEDPANELS

光学公司开发了一种新概念，以更低的成本制造更高效的LED灯板。侧面发光的LED面板使用一个或两个LED条，一个透明丙烯酸（PMMA）片，用于提取光（称为光导），一个反射器和扩散器。光导的图案允许从它内部的光池中提取光，这样它就可以被引导到被照亮的区域。然而，光导的图案是通过激光加工、机械刻痕、注射成型或丝网印刷等方法单独完成的，一次一个。这些方法是缓慢和昂贵的（昂贵的机器和工具，缓慢的操作和高管理费用）。光学首次开发出一种微型图案薄膜，它可以粘附在无图案的透明材料（光波导）上，以非常有效地提取其耦合的光。这种薄膜，被称为光提取膜（LEF），可以在卷对卷的基础上以比激光加工光板高40倍的速度生产。optical目前正处于验证一卷到卷制造lef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的总耦合和吸收损失，从而提供高达12%的光（或流明）。这个项目的目的是开发一个根本增强的LEF，不需要一个单独的扩散器。我们的目标是通过改变目前lef内使用的设计和材料来实现这一目标。这将推动LEF概念在设计，掌握工具和材料方面超越当前的界限。LED面板市场将显著增长，其较低的能源使用受到鼓励，因此有助于实现英国的二氧化碳减排目标。目前太阳能电池板的高昂初始成本阻碍了其在英国的广泛应用。在目前的LED面板中，漫射器的成本大约是光导堆栈的25%。然而，英国制造商正面临来自廉价中国进口产品的巨大价格压力。拟议中的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，该项目可以帮助在项目完成后的4年内在英国创造（并保存）8个高科技工作岗位。

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.