‘The LS LED luminaries offer a customised solution in any space’
Flexoplast B.V. has been turning plastic pellets into foil packaging for such customers as breweries and frozen vegetable producers at its site on Hoekvaartweg (parallel to the A7) in Wieringerwerf since the mid-1960s. To this end, they have set up a recycling hall, three production halls and a shipping depot on a site spanning some 20,000 m2. Until recently, 400-Watt high-pressure mercury lamps (HPL lamps) were providing an optimum light level in all spaces. Nonetheless, the luminaries in the recycling hall and one of the production halls were well beyond the end of their technical lifespan and had started to show defects, explains Willem van der Vliet, Head of Technical Service at Flexoplast B.V. ‘For that reason, we recently had the lighting replaced with a high-quality, sustainable alternative, which has the added advantage of minimising our energy consumption.’
The assignment for the replacement of the luminaries was awarded to Bever Innovations’ Industrial division, who had given a product presentation at Flexoplast B.V. only a year before. Van der Vliet was extremely impressed with the luminaries and possible lighting controls. ‘However, we weren’t yet ready for the replacement at that point in time’, he says. ‘When the situation changed, I got in touch with Bever Innovations, to discuss the options and our wishes.’ It was important for us to achieve, as a minimum, the same level of light output as before, Van der Vliet emphasises. ‘What’s more, the luminaries had to be capable of withstanding extremely high temperatures of 40-50°C, which can occur during the production process.’
Intelligent dimming
‘In order to convince Flexoplast B.V. of the light output, colour fidelity, robustness and dynamic controls of our luminaries, we installed a test set-up encompassing four LS LED luminaries in the recycling hall’. ‘This test set-up led to us being awarded the contract to replace the lighting in the recycling and production halls.’ Production is 24/7 in the production hall. ‘In this hall, we fitted asymmetrical lamps that light the hall twice from the side and guarantee beautiful, even illumination. With no loss of light on the walls and with a maximum light level on the shop floor as a result.’ The lighting in the hall is dimmed to 30 Watts as standard. ‘As soon as the sensor on one of the LS luminaries detects motion, the lighting turns up automatically to 145 Watts, taking into account the daylight level, the temperature in the hall as well as the applicable health and safety standards. In addition to this, the linked lamps are activated (automatically and fully wireless).’
Maximum illumination, minimal energy consumption
There is no dimming of the lighting in the recycling hall; instead this equipped with automatic on/off functionality. After all, no work is done in this hall in the evening. ‘Despite the fact that a light switch was present in the recycling hall, the lights were often on here in the evenings’, says Van der Vliet. ‘All this has changed with the Bever LED lighting. The new lighting automatically switches off when the last member of staff has left, you see. The luminaries’ intelligent switching options combined with the integrated daylight and motion sensors mean we can not only customise the lighting for each and every room but also achieve considerable savings on energy consumption. A recent measurement shows that energy consumption for lighting has been driven down by a quarter (!), despite the number of lumens in the hall being higher.’
Outside area
Following on from the successes in the recycling hall and first production hall, Flexoplast B.V. has now also requested a quote for the replacement of the lighting in the other halls, the shipping depot and the outside area. The Flexoplast B.V. factory has been continuously expanding since its inception in the 1960s. In this regard, each hall had been given its own lighting and daylight and twilight switches. These switches hadn’t been optimally fine-tuned to one another, though, with the upshot of this being that the lights would be on in one hall but not the other, or hadn’t yet come on in the other hall. To be able to control this better in future, Flexoplast B.V. is keen to replace all the lights with LS Ambiente site lighting, which combines a perfect light level, high quality, and considerable savings on energy consumption with an aesthetically appealing design. A link to the Bever Smart Technology will make managing and controlling all lighting fixtures on the site straightforward. A timer switch and smart sensors mean that the light level can automatically be turned up whenever activity is detected on the site during the night when the lights are usually dimmed.’ The first (faulty) luminaries in the outside area have now been replaced, says Van der Vliet. ‘But to be able to use all facilities, a comprehensive replacement is imperative. That’s what we’ll be working on fulfilling in due course.’
