Article about Industrial machine lighting and choosing the best that will suit your business.
Lighting is more than it seems at first glance. Sure,
it allows your workers to see. However, the right task lighting in your factory can improve productivity and safety. Think about it for a moment. Overhead lighting is inefficient when it comes to illuminating work surfaces. Good industrial machine lighting is essential to ensuring high work quality. After all, it's difficult to do a good job on something when you're straining to see the details. A good mill light, lathe light or press light can make all the difference in the quality of your product.
When you take safety considerations into account, industrial machine lighting takes on even more importance. Adequate lighting in the work area helps prevent injuries, and fewer injuries mean lower insurance costs for your business. For that reason alone it makes sense to invest in a machine light for each piece of heavy machinery or precision equipment that your employees operate.
As an added bonus, the best industrial machine lighting can also save you money on your energy bills. High-efficiency lighting is the key. If you also choose a machine light with a long life rating, you'll save money on replacement costs as well. Of course, there's more to choosing the right industrial lighting than the actual bulbs. Here's what you should look for when choosing lighting for your drill presses, lathes and other industrial equipment.
Industrial Lighting Types
Standard fluorescent tubes, common in every factory and office building, are fine for general lighting, especially if you use them to supplement natural light. There are situations that call for customized lighting solutions, though. Task lighting for your lathe and mill operators is one of those situations. The best style of lighting for those types of machines is a sturdy light that can be mounted directly on the machine and positioned to focus the beam exactly where it's most needed.
There are many different types and styles of machine lights. Understanding the basics can help you choose the style that's best for your needs. These are some of the things you should consider when choosing industrial machine lighting for your workshop.
Mount Type: A machine light can be mounted on presses, punches, mills and lathes in a number of different ways. Some machines have a mounting deck for a light built in. If you're fitting a lathe light, mill light or press light for a machine that has a built-in mounting deck, check the manufacturer's website or with the manufacturer's representative to find out if they offer a lighting solution for your machine. Other machine light choices mount to your machine via clamps or can be screwed to the surface.
Housing and Construction: Lights mounted on machines will experience almost continuous vibration, which can reduce the life of the bulbs and even cause them to shatter. High quality industrial machine lighting, like the options made by Dur-a-lite, is designed to reduce the vibration transfer and keep the actual lighting source safer. A durable, heavy-duty machine light will cost more than an off-the-shelf solution that's jerry-rigged for your machine, but in the end, you'll garner a greater return on investment. You'll see higher productivity, better quality work, and lower injury rates among your workers when you install quality industrial machine lighting on all of your heavy equipment.
