A few years ago we released our own borosilicate glass optics series named aLED ALOG100. This series contains six different glass lenses with angles from 20° to 160°. These glass lenses have so many good features, and in this blog post, you’ll understand why aLED ALOG100 is so popular and why you should really consider them in your next luminaire design.
1. Made of high-quality borosilicate glass
As mentioned already above, aLED ALOG100 glass lenses are made from borosilicate glass. Borosilicate glass is one of the most durable glass materials and it’s known for its light transmittance through the lens compared to plastics and lower-quality glass. Therefore, we can say that borosilicate glass is the best glass material used in glass optics.
Technical specifications for borosilicate glass used in aLED ALOG100 glass lenses
| Technical specification | Parameter |
| SiO2 percentage | 78%-80% |
| Boron percentage | 12.5%-13.5% |
| Deformation point | 520℃ |
| Annealing point | 560℃ |
| Softening point | 820℃ |
| Index of refraction | 1.47 |
| Light transmittance | 92%-96% |
| Elastic modulus | 76KNmm-2 |
| Tensile strength | 40-120Nmm-2 |
| Processing point (104dpas) | 1220℃ |
| Coefficient of expansion | 3.3*10-6 K-1 |
| Specific gravity（20℃） | 2.23gcm-1 |
| Specific heat | 0.9j／(kg·℃) |
| Thermal conductivity | 1.2 W·m-1·K-1 |
| Hydrolytic class according to ČSN ISO 719 | 1 grade |
| Acidic class according to ČSN ISO 195 | 1 grade |
| Alkaline class according to ČSN ISO 695 | A2 grade |
2. Always true spectrum
Normal lenses and diffusers tend to shift the color temperature of the LED and also the spectrum and color temperature can change at different angles. Because of the high-quality borosilicate glass, the spectrum stays the same at every angle. In addition, the color temperature stays also same.
3. Withstands ultra-high temperatures
These glass lenses can be used even in extreme conditions. High-quality borosilicate glass makes the aLED ALOG100 glass lenses withstand hot temperatures (up to +450°C). This means that these lenses can be used in hot ambient temperatures or with high-power COB LEDs. This gives a great advantage over regular silicone lenses, as they don’t stand so high temperatures.
4. Easy-to-use holder
All six aLED ALOG100 lenses share the same aluminum holder. This holder is made from high-quality aluminum and has a black anodized coating. Why this feature is important? It gives the possibility to luminaire manufacturers to easily change between different light beam angles, as the different glass lenses share the same screw holes. The designer can design a luminaire for example with a 120° angle, but there is always the possibility to make the same luminaire from angles between 20° to 160°. Even for a small “limited edition” batch as it is so easy to change.
5. High Compatibility with different COB LEDs
Different sizes of COB LEDs are compatible with ALOG100 glass lenses. You must only remember that the LES size can affect how wide the light beam angle is. You can find the chart below how the angles change with standard Citizen COBs. If you use COBs even with smaller LES sizes, like Citizen high intensity COBs, you can have even more narrow light beam angles.
| CLU028 LES ø9,8mm |
CLU038 LES ø14,5mm |
CLU048 LES ø22mm |
CLU058 LES ø32,8mm |
|
| ALOG100-045 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
| ALOG100-060 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 65 |
| ALOG100-090 | 70 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| ALOG100-120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 |
| ALOG100-140-070-10 | 140 | 140 | 140 | not applicable |
| ALOG100-160 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
6. Easy to recycle
ALOG100 glass lens contains only three detachable parts: glass lens, aluminum holder, and silicone gasket. This makes the lens easily recyclable as the doesn’t contain mixed materials that are often hard to recycle.
7. Super high efficiency with borosilicate glass
One of the most important feature of optics is efficiency. In other words, how much light can pass through the optic. aLED ALOG100 glass lens series efficiency is up to 93%. In conclusion, only 7% of the light is lost to the optics.
8. Comfortable antiglare finish
Four of six aLED ALOG100 models have an antiglare finish. Antiglare finish reduces the annoying glare that comes from the luminaire. Luminaires with antiglare optics give a more comfortable working environment. For instance, in warehouses or factory lines, as they don’t irritate the eyes.
9. Flexible product for multiple applications (500lm – 40 000lm)
The first application for aLED ALOG100 glass lenses that comes to mind is of course industrial use, but there are endless possibilities for the series. You can achieve from very narrow light beams to wide light beams that cover large areas. In addition, they can be used with many different lumen packages for example from 500lm to 40 000lm.
10. Long lifetime, no yellowness
One ultimate feature of glass material, in general, is how it will always hold pure color. For instance, some silicone materials will turn yellow in time. The yellowness of course affects the color temperature of the luminaire, so the color temperature can change warmer in time.
Here are only 10 reasons, but I could make plenty more. You can also download a brochure from the link below. From the brochure, you’ll find more precise information about the products and also mechanical drawings. If you have any questions about these glass lenses, you can always email us at info@light.fi
