103 into various mobility solutions as a finished component. Within the mobility industry, it can thus relieve the burden on low-volume OEMs as well as start-ups by reducing development costs and time-to-market. Reflector headlights are almost as old as the modern car – in fact, they have been the standard for electric vehicle lighting since the 1910s. Although they have faced competition from more complex projection technology since the 1980s, they are still the first choice for many new cars – in recent years increasingly with energy-efficient and long-lasting LEDs as the light source. „The main reason for this is that the reflector simply focuses on lighting functionality,“ says Carsten Taeuscher, Head of Optical Systems at ARRK Engineering GmbH. „Unlike earlier reflection spotlights, the new LED reflectors can now be designed very small so that they take up less installation space and are suitable for many applications due to their size and lower development and production costs.“ With the LED projection module, on the other hand, you have to pay a higher price for the added functionality: both in the literal sense in terms of production costs and in the form of space requirements and complex control electronics. This has a noticeable effect on development times, production and assembly and drives up costs. This is why the „big brother“ is more suitable for higher-class vehicles or for equipment packages that are subject to an extra charge, while many cars, but also two-wheelers, commercial and agricultural machinery through to transport vehicles and pedelecs, are better served with simple but functional LED reflectors. LED reflector module solution fills a gap in the market However, vehicle manufacturers who opt for the cheaper lighting solution face a problem: most major headlight manufacturers mainly offer more complex LED projection modules, which also generate higher sales. As a result, they have to develop customised LED reflectors for their respective applications, which in turn takes time and involves additional expenditure. „There is a clear gap in the market for LED reflectors,“ confirms Taeuscher. „That‘s why we invested last year in the development of a readymade LED reflector module for high and low beam that can be easily integrated into different vehicle types, drastically reducing the time to market.“ The development partners ARRK Engineering GmbH and ARRK SPG are currently presenting the prototype to interested users and are working on getting the module solution ready for series production. Not least due to the versatile combination options for various lighting applications based on the two reflector modules, it should be just as suitable for small quantities, e.g. for start-ups, as it is for small and medium quantities for OEMs. To ensure that the light module can be used as flexibly as possible, the developers attach great importance to miniaturisation. „The difficult thing is to achieve optimum efficiency and light distribution despite the small size,“ reports Taeuscher. „Choosing a reflector that is too small quickly results in a significant loss of efficiency, which we ARRK Engineering GmbH and ARRK SPG Prototyping presented the prototype of their new LED reflector module for the first time at ISAL 2023. don‘t want to accept.“ For this reason, not only the positioning of the light source and reflector in relation to each other will be further optimised in the course of the subsequent series development. At least as important is a high-quality coating that enables maximum reflectivity and minimises light losses. ARRK Engineering GmbH and ARRK SPG, in particular the ARRK Visibility Solutions (AVS) business unit, which specialises in light, are working closely with the Japanese parent company Mitsui Chemicals in this context and in the search for dimensionally stable high-performance materials for the individual components. Slim design for versatile use In view of the current market dominance of cost-intensive LED projection modules, start-ups in particular are dependent on affordable and ready-to-use solutions for front lighting. However, low-volume OEMs can also benefit from the new light module from ARRK Engineering GmbH and AVS: Due to its compact yet flexible design, it can be easily customised to individual requirements. It leaves valuable space for additional cameras and sensors, for example, which are required for increasingly complex driver assistance systems, especially ADAS. „As we are focussing development on a slim design with maximum light output, the application is not limited exclusively to the automotive sector. With minor modifications, the LED reflector modules can therefore also be a good choice for transport, commercial and agricultural machinery through to two-wheelers and pedelecs,“ summarises Taeuscher. ARRK Engineering GmbH https://engineering.arrk.com Reflector headlights are almost as old as the modern car. LEDs are far superior to older, cost-effective technologies such as halogen or HID lamps due to their high energy efficiency and long service life. Carsten Taeuscher, Head of the Optical Systems department at ARRK Engineering GmbH Image: © ARRK Engineering GmbH Images: © ARRK Engineering GmbH
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