Modern lighting designs across residential, commercial and industrial environments combine architectural elegance and durable performance to meet project objectives.
The visual appeal of a lighting fixture comes not only from the design and finish of the fitting but also from the sealing materials used in the housing. An unsuitable sealing material may cause dust or water ingress, or light leakage that can ruin the beautiful aesthetic it has been installed to create.
Problem-solving engineer Vinh Lam, general manager of CSGtech component solutions underlines the importance of selecting the right material for each unique application to ensure performance.
CSGtech manufactures precision components to solve complex problems where sealing and interfacing components must achieve durability, reliability and precision. Recently, the company was called upon to supply – within a tight timeframe – a sealing gasket for a new light housing prototype by an Australian manufacturer of architecturally designed lighting solutions.
“This lighting manufacturer placed a high importance on aesthetics, and their end customers were expecting a high quality product,” Lam explained. “Part of the challenge when specifying the right sealing component was to ensure no light leakage through the sides of the housing – a glowing gasket certainly wouldn’t fit in with their aesthetic.”
The manufacturer also sought durability in addition to aesthetics; therefore, the material needed to have IP66 rating indicating water and dust resistance properties.
“These requirements are common to a broad range of architectural technologies where manufacturers want to ensure their products are reliable and durable, and add to the desired aesthetics of the building or facility,” said Lam.
In order to meet the unique requirements of this application, and provide a reliable, long-lasting solution, CSGtech began testing and developing different material solutions. The final solution was a sealing gasket made from closed cell foam with chemical resistant properties, which met all the requirements.
“The sealing gasket was designed with adhesive on one face and a clamp on the other side. The client requested this design because it’s easier for servicing in the future. For a permanently installed item, double-sided adhesive would be used,” explained Lam.
CSGtech also hand-cut the material to exact specifications and delivered the prototypes to the client.
“The client was very happy with our customised solution. It provided the standards compliance properties, whilst ensuring durability and aesthetics were maintained,” concluded Lam.
