Why Grandlux Vandal Proof LED Lighting Fixtures are Best in Class
The Grandlux® vandal proof LED lighting fixture range was designed by SAL Commercial to meet Australian requirements for high performance, IPART approved, energy efficient vandal proof lighting.
As a custom designed vandal proof LED lighting fixture, Grandlux® has been built for lighting specification where IK10 and IP66 requirements are needed in adverse applications such as light rail and rail platforms, service pits, education precincts, prisons and correctional facilities, mining sites with conveyors, public amenities and industrial sites.
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Definition: Vandal Proof LED
Vandal proof LED means a light fixture with an IK10 rating, as verified by an Australian NATA lab, with anti-tamper screws and rigidity and robustness of diffuser, base and internal components that remains intact when tested to this standard and passed.
It is important before we get started to first define what vandal proof means in the content of the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range.
IK10 is defined by IEC/TR 62696:2011(E) which covers the testing and classification of luminaires according to IEC 62262. The IK rating indicates the protection against mechanical impact and IK10 means protected against 20 joules impact which is equivalent to impact of 5 kg mass dropped from 400 mm above impacted.
SAL Commercial depends on this international standard and local Australian testing and certification at a NATA approved lab for this vandal proof nomenclature.
“National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) is the recognised national accreditation authority for analytical laboratories and testing service providers in Australia. It is an independent, not-for-profit organisation, governed by a board of directors that has representation from NATA members, industry, government and professional bodies.”
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EN_62262
Vandal proof is not the same as Vandal resistant
Vandal resistant is not rated at IK10 and instead rated at IK08 or below. As the impact energy that is measured by the standard to determine the rating is logarithmic, the amount of energy required to meet IK08 versus IK10 is significant.
This means that for IK08 rating 5 joules of energy as part of the test are applied, whereas for IK10, 20 Joules of energy are applied. Therefore, the difference between IK08 and IK10 is far greater (4x) than that naming convention would infer without a proper understanding.
Joules is just one of the factors that increase for the higher IK10 rating and the other elements include the radius of the testing device, the mass, the material, and the free fall weight.
It is the increment in each of these elements that defines IK10 as the maximum rating able to be tested to and what provides Grandlux® with its IK10, vandal proof rating.
Rating over and above IK10 that appear from time to time in the market are generally disregarded as marketing-speak only as there is no grounding in the standard.
“If a higher level of protection than IK10 is reached, the code is IK10+, regardless of the additional energy effect, with the standard recommending a value of 50 J (joules).”
Vandal Proof also-known-as?
Grandlux® is a vandal proof LED fixture or luminaire and this category of lighting is sometimes called or know as:
- Vandal proof LED batton
- Vandalproof outdoor light
- Weatherproof LED batton
- Vandal resistant batton
- Prison light
- Mining light
- Rail light
How Grandlux® Designed-out LED Vandal Proof Lighting Deficiencies
The vandal proof luminaire market in Australia has been unchanged for several decades.
A simple walk through rail platforms, industrial sites and public amenities and one will find umpteen dual (fluorescent) batton-style vandal proof style fixtures in play.
Whilst some fixtures may have now been upgraded to LED as part of the great lighting LED-ification that has been underway for the last 5 years, the form factor and operation is essentially unchanged.
It is this opportunity to update and upgrade to LED vandal proof battons and fixtures that was a source of inspiration behind what has become the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range of LED fixtures.
The opportunity was as much about transforming these types of fixtures to LED, as it was about improving multiple aspects of the overall form factor, installation, emergency testing, autonomous control capabilities and more.
SAL Commercial undertook a completely new product design and development recognising the size of the market and the opportunity to re-make and improve on stalwart product for the adverse lighting applications.
The design process required significant R&D time and capital to create new tools for manufacture, molds and assembly methods to match and exceed the legacy vandal proof fixtures.
The SAL Commercial vandal proof LED design focused on energy efficiency, fixture integrity and ease of installation and maintenance.
Developing a product for today and the future rather than depending on the past, whilst ensuring that projects and applications that appreciate the original design intent can safely migrate to an updated version in the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range.
Customer Focused Design Solved Typical Vandal Proof LED Fixture Issues
The design of a modern vandal proof LED fixture started with understanding our customer’s pain points.
These included staying on top of increasing energy efficiency requirements and programs like IPART and VEET; time, labour and materials associated with installing each lighting point and guaranteeing the integrity of the IP66 and IK10 ratings within the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range.
Energy Efficient vandal proof lighting
With an increasing focus on energy reduction and sustainability in Australia, designing the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range meant exceeding the benchmarks set by existing products, ensuring longevity and future relevance from an energy efficiency perspective.
Many opportunities for Grandlux® exist where fluorescent T8 or T5 legacy luminaires can be swapped out and retrofitted - providing instant energy savings over the older technology along with lower maintenance costs and operational longevity due to the LED technology.
But that LED-ification is really the hygiene performance level in 2020 and beyond.
The combination of the quality LED supplier, the market leading Tridonic drivers and the high transmission and highly robust diffuser developed specifically for the Grandlux, means that less power is required to deliver more light. This efficacy exceeds some inferior legacy LED product by as much as 20%.
A 20% reduction on a single light point is good, however, it will not change a customer’s energy bill notably.
However, across a large quantity of vandal proof LED fixtures on rail platforms, mining sites and industrial applications, this 20% amplifies the energy savings significantly.
Importantly for the general public, often these types of vandal proof led fixtures are used in public amenities such as rail platforms, local sports club facilities - and as these facilities are government owned, which means these incremental energy savings translates to public monies saved.
IPART and VEET Approved vandal proof LED luminaires
With energy saving schemes still active in Australia at the time of writing, like IPART Energy Savings Scheme and VEET, the Grandlux LED vandal proof range is both IPART approved and VEET approved.
“The Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) reduces energy consumption in NSW by creating financial incentives for organisations to invest in energy savings projects. Energy savings are achieved by installing, improving or replacing energy savings equipment”
Source: https://www.ess.nsw.gov.au/Home
To be able to participate in this scheme through use of the Grandlux range - or any other lighting product - the products needed to be tested and certified as a listed IPART Approved element.
This fact sheet download may assist to explain this in more detail if you are seeking further clarity:
Finally, the Grandlux range was designed with an easily removable LED board and gear tray and, should an upgrade to the LED boards be required in the future, in the event of the continued evolution and efficacy of LED lighting, manufacturing with more efficient LED components are unlikely to require re-tooling, keeping pricing relevant, and electricians are able to perform these board upgrades on-site.
Time Saving Installation & Maintenance for vandal proof LED fixtures
A major pain point for electricians was the installation process for vandal proof led fixtures.
Often these luminaires are installed in places where access is difficult, mounting requires additional drilling and fixing requirements and a single person installation is either needed or desired to reduce installation labour costs.
Given that labour is a major risk factor for electrical contractors, enabling a simplified way to install with some innovative design thinking, is where the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range is the electrician’s friend.
Oversized base
The die-cast aluminium body size and form is such that it is specifically designed to have a marginally larger base than legacy fixtures. This is important in retrofit applications where legacy fixtures have been installed, and typically painted around and penetrations in slabs already made for mounting.
The Grandlux® vandal proof LED range die-cast aluminium base dimensions ensure that painting and patching after the retrofit installation are unlikely, reducing installation costs, especially when considering a complete retrofit situation of 10’s or 100’s of fixtures where no make-good is required after mounting.
Captive Screws
Additionally, the removable diffuser is provided with captive screws so that during mounting and maintenance, if needed, installation is a single person job rather than needing a second person to assist.
Captive screws mean that when the diffuser is removed, the screws remain captured in the diffuser. This means that there is no time wasted in climbing up and down a platform to collect a wayward screw, eliminating any safety concerns of a screw falling into areas it should not enter.
On mining projects where all floors are grated, the captive screws provided on the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range are a necessity.
Screws are used due to the vandal proof nature of the Grandlux® versus some weatherproof, vandal resistant style fixtures which use clamps, and are not capable of providing the IK10 rating.
Mounting Brackets and Minimal Luminaire Body Penetrations
The Grandlux® vandal proof LED body is provided with eight (8) x M6 embedded screws fixing points on the die-cast aluminium body for the 4ft version.
Including these as part of the die cast aluminium base mold, ensures electrical contractors do not have to penetrate the Grandlux®, die-cast aluminium body for certain mounting configurations, reducing the risk of water and dust ingress over time.
The Grandlux® vandal proof LED range offers a self-screw four (4) eye-bolt and a suspension kit for suspension style installation and a range of optional mounting kits such as T-shaped wall bracket and a spigot mount for outreach style as used in mine conveyor belt applications.
Additionally, a standard slab mounting bracket kit is included with each Grandlux, enabling the contractor to mount the bracket to the fixture with the provided fixing points prior to mounting the fixture to the slab, without penetrating the body.
A standard power cable entry is side located with an IP66 rated gland provided to maintain the water ingress protection rating of IP66.
The only instance when a contractor would need to penetrate the die-cast aluminium body of the Grandlux® is when a new installation or vandal proof LED retrofit project requires a single, centre cable entry point when mounting directly to a slab.
Vandal proof LED Maintenance Improvements
Two pain points discovered as part of customer interviews during the design and development process for Grandlux® vandal proof LED range related to maintenance.
Many rail platforms, service pits and circulation areas use vandal proof LED luminaires due to the exposure to the public and the harsh environments of rail operations. Rail is also known as an electrically challenging environment that requires additional protection devices, especially for longevity of lighting.
SAL Commercial took these pain points into consideration and every model in the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range comes with a 10KV surge arrester as standard.
Vandal proof LED with Innovative Emergency Testing Method
Finally, as part of the AS/NZS 2293.1:2018 emergency testing standard, which requires 6 monthly duration testing on all emergency devices, emergency testing for single-point vandal proof solutions is time-consuming and requires a staged process.
Typical vandal proof luminaires have the emergency testing switch and indicator light behind the diffuser. Beyond the difficulty of identifying the indicator LED from a distance, to activate a single point emergency test would require removal of the diffuser to initiate.
Beyond the time this takes in publicly accessible areas, this could mean after-hours work required for emergency testing.
Each time a diffuser is removed and replaced, there is a greater chance that the integrity of the seal is compromised and as such, the ingress of water, dust or insects can enter through a weak point.
To solve this problem, the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range features an emergency test switch at the end of the die-cast aluminium body, with an illuminated ring - red or green - depending on the test state and operation.
A single press of this button starts the emergency test without ever touching the diffusers or dismantling the luminaire in anyway unlike some other products.
Intelligent installation practices could possibly provide a saving in time if all Grandlux® Emergency luminaires are mounted in the same orientation and from a single vantage point, the electrical contractor or facility maintenance personnel can determine the test status and test outcome which would be visible at a glance for recording into the emergency test log on site.
Vandal Proof and Water Ingress Integrity
As a vandal proof LED fixture, rated at IK10 and IP66, the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range is built with luminaire integrity top of mind.
The IK10, IP66 rating has been certified in Australia by a NATA approved lab. From the initial design brief, it was determined that anything less would not be acceptable in the vandal proof design intent.
A key element in achieving this rating is a consequence of the die cast aluminium body which has been custom designed by SAL Commercial to meet and exceed industry standard and provided a hardened approach to vandal proofing whilst maximising water ingress protection.
This custom design process addressed weak points in legacy products specifically related to the unwanted flexibility of the base of those fixtures when under stress. That is, under test, the body of some of these legacy products bow under impact load.
Once the body bows, water ingress and vandal proof rating are void.
To overcome this shortcoming, the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range has been designed with a substantial number of integrated die-cast aluminium strengthening ribs along the length of the body to provide significant rigidity and structure to eliminate this bowing evident on other solutions.
Grandlux® vandal proof LED Colours for Adverse Applications
The Grandlux multi-colour vandal proof LED range is designed to be installed into areas where adverse operation is likely.
Many of these applications have a range of safety requirements from a lighting perspective and ensuring that the vandal proof luminaires used can also perform these safety requirements, simplifies purchasing and maintenance by sourcing from a single supplier.
These safety requirements include:
- Green - Eyewash bays and emergency shower bays on industrial and mining sites
- Amber - Fog and mist for ports and low-lying areas and turtle-safe/marine-animal safe lighting
- Red - Warnings and danger signage as well as custodial security night lights
- White – Security night lights for custodial applications 3k, 4k, 5k
Green Light - Vandal Proof Eyewash Lighting
According to Enware, one (1) out of every 1000 workers experiences an eye injury, 60% of eye injuries in Australia occur in the construction, mining, agriculture, forestry and fishing industries resulting in 500 hospital admissions.
There are clear Australia standards for minimum expectations in regards to performance and user requirements for emergency showers and eyewashes covered by the Australian Standard AS4775-2007
From a lighting perspective whilst there is no Australian Standard that deems that eyewash stations and emergency shower locations are lit with a green vandal proof LED light, there are indeed both reasons to use a green light to identify the space and signage requirements within these standards.
Lighting specific requirements dictate that signage will be highly visible and that the areas are well illuminated.
The use of the colour green is indicative rather than legislated, in that a green light is associated with medical outlets and as a common, culturally accepted paradigm, use of green lighting for these emergency areas is a practical application and easily understood in times of emergency.
Using a vandal proof luminaire which is IK10, IP66 in these environments is a sensible choice for illumination and operational longevity.
And given the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range has a green option specifically to meet this eyewash and emergency shower need, engineering departments can purchase one (1) range of luminaires that meets all normal lighting requirements and specialised requirements for eyewash and safety shower areas too.
Amber Vandalproof LED Light - For Ports and Low-lying Areas
There are no Australia standards that specifically regulate lighting levels for ports or associated loading and shipping activities. Referring to standards such as AS4282: 1997 for controlling obtrusive effects of outdoor lighting and AS/NZ1680.2.4 for mines and quarries may be an appropriate guide.
However, the use of amber lighting at ports and low-lying areas that are impacted by fog and mist commonly choose to use amber lighting for outdoor illumination for several reasons primarily related to glare and visibility.
Like industrial applications, lighting ports is challenging as it is an extremely adverse location for lighting being close to the sea, primarily outdoor working environments and use of heavy machinery in close proximity, which can cause vibration and risk of impact.
Vandal proof IK10 and IP66 rated luminaires with an amber output option like the Grandlux are an ideal lighting source to both meet the adverse requirements and provide the amber lighting needed throughout these spaces.
Red Vandalproof LED Light - For Warning, Danger & Juvenile Custodial Applications
Red light is often associated with warnings and danger.
More recently red light has been associated with the ability to improve sleep, reduce stress and decrease episodes of PTSD related behaviours, specifically with respect to reducing blue light exposure in the evenings.
Using red lighting for warnings is another of those culturally acceptable paradigms that are easily understood in adverse environments when the speed of action and notification can save lives.
The Grandlux® vandal proof LED lighting range provides a red lighting option for use in these adverse applications. In addition to providing red light, the ability to print on the IP66, IK10 rated diffuser provides a one-two combination of lighting indicator as well as printed warning signage.
Some juvenile detention environments maintain a preference for the night light capability of in the cell/ in-room lighting to be provided as a red light versus white light.
Considering the research around red light therapy acting as a nonpharmacologic, non-invasive therapy for treating sleep disorders; research on cognitive function of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) finding participants benefited from significantly improved cognitive function and saw decreased episodes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), they also reported improved sleep.
In addition to automatically providing the potential for reducing the impact of blue light on sleep, improved sleep patterns and related behavioural benefits, the vandal proof nature of the Grandlux matches practical suitability for both these areas and general population and circulation areas in custodial applications too.
Vandal proof LED Night Lights
Custodial applications often require night lights for inmates. As described above, juvenile custodial applications often prefer these to be red, however, many still utilise a white light.
Grandlux comes with a dual colour night light - red and white - which is set by a dipswitch within the fixture upon installation.
Prison and gaol operators can purchase a single range of luminaires that meet their needs across multiple applications, simplifying ongoing maintenance and streamlining the installation process due to familiarity.
Autonomous Vandal Proof Lighting Control with Built-in Sensors
The right light in the right place at the right time is the goal of providing artificial light and maximising energy savings.
Use of vandal proof, IK10, IP66 rated luminaires in adverse locations is the right light for the right place.
At ‘the right time’ is achieved with the integration of a microwave sensor into each vandal proof led luminaire, which can be setup to perform several functions to meet the application’s energy saving requirements.
As microwave sensors can transmit through the diffuser on the Grandlux® vandal proof LED range, once installed the array of sensor-controlled-lighting control occurs autonomously, from fixture to fixture from that point forward.
A typical application for vandal proof lighting is fire stairs where the lighting does not need to be at 100% output all the time to meet Australian Standards, and hence being able to dim the lights when no presence is detected is advantageous from an efficiency perspective.
A typical application for microwave sensor control is described in the following lighting control logic.
Lighting control terminology for microwave sensors
Microwave sensors operate by transmitting pulses of specific microwave frequencies into the space being monitored, filling the space.
When these waves are interrupted, by a moving object, the sensor is made aware as the waves ‘bounce’ back to the sensor and it performs its programmed function.
Microwave sensors can detect objects through some materials and being able to manage the sensitivity of microwave sensors is an important part of the configuration to avoid false positives in the area under control. False positives reduce the energy efficiency impact of installing the sensor - that is, lights are on when they should not be due to a lack of fine tuning.
Lighting Control Sensor Terms
To understand the logic below its important to understand four (4) simple lighting control terms.
- Time out: The time since motion was last detected before changing the lighting level
- Standby level: The level the vandal proof fixture is dimmed to, after the initial time-out.
- Hold time/ Dwell time: After the initial timeout has occurred, what period of time should the light remain in its stand-by level?
- Fade time: The time taken to change from 1 lighting level to the next. Often this fade time will be different from the initial time out to the standby level; and then from the standby level to off.
This logic assumes:
- When the microwave sensor detects motion, immediately drive the luminaire to 100%
- Continually scan for motion
- Timeout for 5 minutes, if no motion then go to a standby level of 20%
- Hold at the standby level indefinitely. This ensures that 20% light output is always maintained - and the lights never turn completely off, yet, they do not consume the same amount of energy as they do at 100%
- This is a typical emergency or exit stair lighting control logic program.
- These settings can be modified using the on-board dip switches on the microwave sensor integrated into each Grandlux® vandal proof LED luminaire when ordered with a sensor option. The electrical contractor will set each fixture in according to the installation specification.
Of course, a DALI option and DALI emergency option is available should projects require a networked lighting control option too.
A Word on Anti-ligature Vandalproof Luminaires
It appears that there is no specific Australian Standard that defines what and how an anti-ligature luminaire is built and tested to be afforded the anti-ligature luminaire nomenclature.
Anti-ligature fixtures and furnishings are typically used in high-risk patient rooms, common rooms and bathrooms and are designed in such a way as to help keep at-risk patients safe.
As there is no standard, whether a fixture is anti-ligature or not is therefore subjective.
One possible variable to depend upon when it comes to vandal proof luminaires being rated as anti-ligature, could be related to the installation, and mounting of the product.
Once installed if the mounting of the product can withstand only a certain amount of measured suspended weight, and not provide the capability to affix, attached or loop any materials around the luminaire - could it then be rated as anti-ligature.
As a good portion of that definition requires the mounting to be performed in the correct manner, the anti-ligature application may need to be applied to both the design of the product and the method of installation.
This description is itself subjective and should not be depended upon to specify any anti-ligature products for any application.
Vandal Proof LED Australian Stock
Just-in-time manufacturing the world over has seen many manufacturers, suppliers and resellers hold less and less inventory.
Additionally, many maintenance departments in both government and private enterprise have reduced the stock holdings of their maintenance departments, depending instead on the supply chain to deliver in a timely manner.
This is not always possible, and with many lighting supply chains often quoting a considerable number of week lead times for re-supply when inventory is exhausted.
Given the nature of the applications where Grandlux® vandal proof LED is typically used, these lead times for resupply are clearly unacceptable yet remain common.
As SAL Commercial has designed the Grandlux from the scratch and owns all of the molds and manufacturing capacity for the full range of vandal proof led lighting.
Importantly, stock of the Grandlux range and components is held in Australia with the additional assembly capabilities to customise the fixtures locally to deliver the wide range of options available in the range.
It is important to understand that product variations may sometimes involve longer lead times.
By controlling the assembly in our own facilities, we are able to ensure the IP66 and IK10 ratings are maintained whilst being able to supply in the shortest time frames to meet customer’s needs when something critical happens on their site or in their facility.
When SAL Commercial set out to develop a range of products to meet the demands of rail, industry, mining, custodial and public amenities, the intent was to create a best in class vandal proof LED luminaire.
The resulting Grandlux® vandal proof LED range with a five (5) year warranty as standard across all ranged products embodies the “Build for Specification” mantra of SAL Commercial.
The deliberate intent to create a vandal proof LED luminaire which is equal to or better than what has been available in Australia for the last 30 years has been achieved with superior efficacy, installation and range selections, including adjustable power rating from a single driver.
The Grandlux® vandal proof LED range is definitive example of how SAL Commercial represents itself and values quality and our client’s needs.
