(The source for all these news items is Nikkei Net - www.nni.nikkei.co.jp)
Toshiba develops new converter for "sunlight" LEDs
Toshiba Corp. has developed a fluorescent converter material that allows white LEDs that produce white light which is close in appearance to sunlight.
The newly developed material transforms blue LED light into various colors ranging from blue to yellow and orange, and is designed to be used in combination with an additional fluorescent material that converts blue to red.
Conventional white LEDs use a fluorescent material that converts blue to yellow, resulting in artificial white light containing no green or orange. As a result, red and green objects appear dark with poor color rendering.
Toshiba is considering whether to sell the new material to LED manufacturers or develop its own white LED lighting products. Products containing the material could be available in as little as two or three years.
Stanley Electric to mass-produce LED headlights
Stanley Electric Co. has said that in 2007 it will begin mass producing headlights that use LEDs as their light source, which are expected to have a longer life than the current high-intensity-discharge (HID) headlights.
Initially, the production will be sufficient for around 5000 luxury vehicles per month. However, by 2010 the company expects to be producing enough for about 600,000 vehicles a year, having moved into supplying midrange and economy models. At that level, LED headlights will account for about 10% of Stanley Electric's total headlight production.
The LED headlights will contain five to six white LEDs, and will last about five times as long as HID headlights, assuming headlights with the same level of power consumption and brightness.
Moriyama to develop and market LED modules
Moriyama Corp, which has a 43% share of the domestic market for automobile instrument-panel light sources, has developed and begun selling a series of LED modules targeting general lighting. Overall, the company is introducing 26 new products for applications such as indirect lighting and decorative lighting.
The products includes ones with LED mounted inside linear and bendable tubes, while others are designed for lighting roads and floors, and feature LEDs covered in strong plastic. Also, there is a line of LEDs in round or polygonal shapes that can be used in spotlights and other lighting applications when high-output LEDs are used.
