Blog – New LED Lights

Flexible LED strip is such a versatile product, it’s become a staple in the LED lighting industry. Used as a stand-alone or housed in an aluminium channel, it’s the product of choice for many task lighting and decorative lighting applications. And, as you would expect, engineers continue to develop and improve this product as new LED chips are developed. As you are shopping for flexible LED strips, you see some data that you may or may not understand. Let’s take a look at some of the basics. What do the numbers mean? The most readily available flexible LED strips on the market today are produced with 3528 or 5050 LED chips. The numbers refer to the size of the chip, 3528 being 3.5 mm x 2.8 mm and 5050 being 5.0 mm x 5.0 mm. Typically, a 5050 chip is brighter than a 3528 chip. However, the number of chips populated on the strip tell the tale. 5050 flexible LED strip is available in a density of either 30 or 60 LEDs per meter. 60 LEDs per meter is the maximum number of chips that can be put on a flexible board without overloading the circuitry and causing heat issues. In order to fit 120 LEDs per meter without stress, a smaller chip must be employed. That’s where the 3538 flexible LED strips come into play.

We now have 120 LED per meter flexible LED strips in stock. There are a few important characteristics to point out. 3528 LEDs, having a smaller footprint, require only an 8 mm circuit board as opposed to the 10 mm required for 5050 flexible LED strip. There are times that even 2 mm can make a big difference when you are working on your design. The circuit board is white and the spacing of the LEDs closer together than 5050 chips. This makes it ideal for instances where you need a very smooth light output or when lighting behind more transparent materials. Last but not least, lumens per watt considerations. o 30 LED per meter 5050 strip produces 432 lumens per meter with a power consumption of 3 amps, 7.2 watts or 60 lumens per watt o 60 LED per meter 5050 strip produces 864 lumens per meter with a power consumption of 6 amps, 14.4 watts or 60 lumens per watt o 120 LED per meter 3528 strip produces 960 lumens per meter with a power consumption of 4 amps, 9.6 watts or 100 lumens per watt As you can see, one meter of the 120 LED per meter strip not only produces more lumens, but it consumes less power. That’s an important consideration for larger jobs as it can translate into savings on your overall installation. You could run 3 reels of 120 LPM 3528 strip on a power supply that would handle only two reels of 60 LPM 5050 strip. Cutting down the number of power supplies not only decreases equipment cost, but there are labour and other material savings as well. See a more detailed comparison of flexible LED strips. The 3538 LED chip isn’t where it ends. 3020, 3014 and 2835 SMD LED chips are available now. We’ll be experimenting with those next month to determine what is better and why before we offer those to you. Is there a flexible LED strip you need for a specific purpose? Let us know. We welcome your feedback.

By: Mary Wecker