Monthly Archives: September 2015

ZERO-GLARE™ RokLUME

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ZERO GLARE ROKLUME

ZERO GLARE™ TECHNOLOGY

HELLA Mining has developed the ZERO GLARE™ optical system to bring the safety and comfort of highway driving to mining operations! The ZERO GLARE™ optical system ensures no light from oncoming traffic will be directed into the eyes of oncoming drivers eliminating the occurrence of discomfort or disability glare. The innovative optical system has a sharp horizontal cut-off to control the light onto the ground in front of the vehicle and not into oncoming operators field of vision. HELLA Mining utilised the HELLA Automotive LED optical developments for high end LED headlights for luxury cars and developed an extremely robust work lamp which offers all the benefits of highway driving.

Most work light manufacturers active in the Mining Industry do not have the capability to design and develop in house optics, optical systems typically used are ‘off the shelf’ components from household down lights or outdoor flood lights. This means as light outputs increase, so does the issue of glare where lots of the light going into the oncoming operators eyes. This was such an issue that a lot of mine sites that had tested LED work lamps reverted back to the original lighting systems, despite the many benefits of LED technology. At HELLA Mining we consulted with the mining industry and invested into the research and development of an optical system that would put the light only where it was needed. The end result is ZERO GLARE™ where operators get increased visibility and increased safety without blinding oncoming operators on-site for both surface and underground operations.

RokLUME™ 280 and 380 LED Work Lamp

HELLA Mining is proud to introduce the RokLUME 380 and RokLUME 280 LED Work Lamps – incorporating over 100 years of automotive optical design into the worlds most advanced heavy-duty worklights for the Mining industry. By cleverly combining the strength and durability of the AS 5000LED with the same optical technology developed for luxury cars, HELLA have created ZEROGLARE™ – a new benchmark in Mining equipment lighting.

The RokLUME 380 and RokLUME 280 feature a powerful light engine of 7000 and 3800 measured lumens respectively, with the ability to choose from 5 different light distributions including our industry first ZEROGLARE™ optic. To meet the demands of different weather conditions, RokLUME is available in 2 colour temperatures, including 5,000° Kelvin colour temperature for enhanced colour rendering in normal conditions and 1,800° Kelvin colour temperature for minimal back scatter in fog or snow use.

Advanced Design Techniques and Assembly Robotics

Advanced design techniques and assembly robotics ensure that RokLUME is manufactured to be fully sealed and submersible to meet the stringent requirements of IP6K9K and IP6K8, ensuring no dust or water ingress can occur. RokLUME features an advanced NanoSafe non-stick and easy to clean surface coating, and are fast to install thanks to the Nord-Lock washers and the aiming angles laser engraved onto the bracket. Connecting the RokLUME 380 to the machine is safe thanks to the double insulated silicone supply cable and heavy duty cable gland. We also supply a DT Connector with both ends of the plug, so retrofitting as well as new installations are a breeze.

Only the best manufacturing materials were considered during the development stage of RokLUME, including a high impact resistant hardened polycarbonate compound lens, stainless steel bracket and premium grade anti-corrosion aluminium housing. A proven rubber dampening system keeps everything in check from vibration and statutory approvals include ECE R10 and RCM compliance.

EXCESSIVE LUMEN OUTPUT AND DISABILITY GLARE IN MINING OPERATIONS

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trafficglareToday, illuminating mobile equipment for an open pit or underground mine operation is paramount to the safety of drivers and machine operators, who work in extremely dangerous conditions. Due to the lack of a standard specification for lighting systems for mine site traffic, mining operators have to fend for themselves, or rely on standard lighting equipment supplied on machines from the factory. The standard lighting fitted to mining equipment is generally under specified or not suited to the task at hand, and is generally the lowest cost option available, relying on halogen, xenon, or poor quality LED work lights. The result is poor or inadequate illumination and lighting systems for mining operations, impacting overall safety.

In recent years the mining industry has progressively replaced outmoded and unreliable lighting systems with LED technology. The LED work lights provide longevity, better overall efficiency and increased light output, but only if well designed and constructed. With the increases in light output in LED fittings very little work has been done to control the emitted light. This has resulted in a growing discontent within the mining industry that LED work lights cause more glare than older technologies. Thus, a new supply chain has emerged and over-saturation of mining markets with low-quality LED work lamps, causing an influx of complaints pertaining to glare.

Correctly specified and installed lighting systems are paramount to machine operator safety in a mine site. Operators rely heavily on visual cues to see fall of ground and to assess the conditions and potential hazards present on haul roads. When insufficient or poorly directed illumination levels exist in an operator’s field of vision, there is an increased risk of fatigue and accidents.

Choosing a lighting system for a mobile equipment fleet in the absence of a viable industry specification is a challenging task. The LED work light market is saturated with misleading information making it impossible for buyers to make an informed choice about what is best for their fleet. Purely specifying a product becomes even more problematic when the complete lighting setup and interaction with other mine site traffic is not considered.

Contrary to a widely held industry belief, one of the primary instigators of glare discomfort and impaired safety in mine sites is low quality optics, coupled with the excessive lumen output that is so often lauded by prominent lighting manufacturers, including VisionX, Speaker and Nordic, as a safety enhancing feature. In reality, poor lens system design and inability to adequately focus and direct a light source increases glare sensitivity, which is a context exacerbated by manufacturers who use of ‘off the shelf’ optics sourced from the residential LED down-light industry. Thus, the mining industry needs a reliable, replicable and robust specification to address the problem of mine site traffic.