3D printing explored for lighting
The discovery workshop, organized by the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer in partnership with Carbon Group Global, was designed to understand the impact of 3D printing across all areas of buildings and construction, and especially its impact on lighting.
Participants included leaders from Acuity Brands Lighting, Current by GE, Desktop Metal, DSM, Eaton Corp., Finelite, Focal Point, Henkel, HP, Hubbell Lighting, Lumileds, Stratasys, Tempo Lighting, Ultimaker and Carbon Group Global. The group focused on how to best assimilate 3D printing with the lighting industry, the mutual benefits to all stakeholders, and the implications to and the impact on the existing ecosystem.
The group will soon embark on developing an industry roadmap to make additive manufacturing a viable option for the lighting, building, and construction industries. The potential benefits of 3D printing include the ability for manufacturers to create custom products that are uniquely designed for spaces to be illuminated. Fixtures could be printed on-site and on-demand, benefitting the user/customer, the manufacturer, and the local construction industry.
With 3D printing, the manufacture of individual lighting components, such as heat sinks, electrical traces, and optics, could be customized, enabling the design of parts that cannot be manufactured today by traditional methods, improving both aesthetics and functionality. Research is still needed to advance the integration of 3D printing into the lighting industry, beyond the current prototyping stage.
To date, the Lighting Research Center has conducted initial investigations into the potential for printing thermal, electrical, and optical components.
Visit the 3D Printing for Lighting Discovery Consortium page for more information.
Lighting Research Center – www.lrc.rpi.edu
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