Headlight LED Development Continues

Nov. 11 - According to the company, the new OSTAR Headlamp LED from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors will simplify automotive headlamp optical systems by emitting a highly efficientand clearly defined light beam without the need for external shutters that are common in current designs.

The high-powered LED is available in one-, two-, three-, four-, or five-chip arrays, providing the flexibility to create different illumination patterns for virtually any headlamp design. A glass cover, bonded to the frame, protects the chips and helps prevent scatter losses.

With a street legal color temperature of 6,000 Kelvin, OSTAR headlamp LEDs emit light nearly identical to natural daylight, increasing night driving safety by reducing driver fatigue. Additionally individual components allow headlamp designers to more precisely place and aim high and low beams to reduce glare for oncoming traffic.

"Compared with classic HID systems, that provide about 35 to 45 percent of useable light on the road, the OSTAR LED provides about 10 percent more useable light," said Knittl. "The OSTAR Headlamp also delivers a lifespan of 10,000 to 20,000 hours. In fact, our LEDs not only outperform conventional solutions but generally last longer than the life of the vehicle."