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CATEGORY and GRAND AWARD WINNER |
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(click on the picture to see a larger illustration - it opens in a new window, close that window to return here) |
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| Description: | Backlighting using Color Converting Plastic | Model: | Tahoe |
| OEM: | General Motors | Model Year: | 2007 |
| System Supplier: | Delphi Electronics and Safety | Generic Resin Type: | PC |
| Molder/Processor: | Delphi Electronics and Safety | Resin Trade Name: | Makrolon |
| Toolmaker: | Kno-Mar Tool | Grade: | 2405 |
| Material Supplier: | RTP, BASF, and Bayer Material Science | Other Innovative Features: | The use of light distribution hubs that significantly reduces the number of LEDs to 1/6 of those need by conventional lighting systems. |
| Most Innovative Feature: | An Innovative method of generating customer selected custom colors using patented fluorescent plastics and industry standard LEDs resulting in improved color matches. | Forming Process: | Injection Molding |
| Weight Savings: | N/A | First Time Process Used? | This is the first high volume application. The technology is covered by two Delphi patents. |
| Cost Savings: | The cost of the backlighting system is reduced by 67% over that of conventional systems. | Previous Process: | Color was previously achieved by using individual custom color LED's and White LED's that resulted in higher cost, greater variation, and more color variation. |
| Cost Avoidance: | Cost avoidance due to improved reliability and first time quality. | Transferable to Other Vehicles: | This has broad application to all OEM's and vehicle lines within a given OEM. The ability to provide custom colors including whites and fast color matches give it broad applicability. |
| Benefits to Consumer: | |||
| Direct benefits to the customer include lower cost custom lighting with reduced variation in lighting color and intensity, increased reliability and reduced thermal load. Volume independent customization of back lighting is also possible. | |||
| Method Comments: | |||
| Replace the phosphors in custom color LED’s and white LED’s with fluorescent dyes and proprietary additives in resin. This allowed the color conversion to be moved into the plastic button resulting in more uniform and controllable emitted colors. | |||
| Innovations/Improvements: | |||
| None | |||
| Safety Improvements: | |||
| None | |||
| Environmental Comments: | |||
| Reduced number of electronic components for end of life disposal. | |||
| Additional Comments: | |||
| Allows development of low volume niche colors, control of color development by part manufacture rather than LED manufacturer resulting in significantly faster development cycles. | |||
| Summary: | |||
| This innovative, patented system for producing custom-colored interior backlighting via LEDs (fed through light distribution pipes) relies on patented fluorescing dyes and proprietary light-scattering additives in translucent resins used to mold buttons, knobs, and backlit plates rather than far more costly custom-colored LED bulbs. Moving color control from the LED to the plastic button not only results in more uniform, controllable emitted color, but also makes backlighting in low-volume, niche colors economically feasible. | |||
