LED Technology Established

as NDT Industry Preference

as HID/Bulb Manufacturing Ceases
and LED Technology Improves

TREND REPORT
 History of
HID to LED
MIGRATION:
In the past, UV High Intensity
Discharge (HID) inspection lamps
were at the forefront of nondestructive
testing (NDT). These workhorses were the
first to the market and were the best technology
at the time to excite fluorescent particles and
penetrants in NDT inspections. However, because
these lamps have some operating issues,
technicians and specifying agencies have almost
universally transferred the use of Light Emitting
Diode (LED) based ultraviolet lamps for these
applications.

Most experts in the ultraviolet

inspection industry are moving toward
LED technology due to its greater
functionality and longevity. LED units
produce power that is comparable to HID lamps,
but avoid the pitfalls and problems associated with
HID and Mercury Vapor Bulb Lamps. LED lamp
sales have surpassed HID bulb lamp sales by 68%
in the past three years alone.

At this juncture, HID bulbs are no Spectronics corporation founder

longer being manufactured due to Bill Cooper using HID lamp to
the firmly established rule of LED perform fluorescent inspection,
circa 1955.
inspection lamps for NDT.

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 High-intensity discharge lamps (HID lamps) are obsolete in the NDT
industry due to many issues, from overheating, to expensive bulb
replacements. Problems associated with HID include the following:
HIGH
ELECTRICAL
CONSUMPTION:
HID lamps consume a greater
amount of electrical energy during
operation than LED-based lamps.
As a case in point, a 100W mercury
vapor bulb operating at 120 volts
will draw 1 full amp of current. Other
HID lamps with higher wattage
bulbs operating under the same
voltage can draw up to 5 amps!
And because of the nature of bulb
technology, only a small portion of
this energy consumption is used
for UV irradiation; the majority is
dissipated as heat.
LARGE SIZE AND
WEIGHT:
Because of their basic design
characteristics, HID lamps are
heavier and bulkier than their LED
counterparts. The heads on many
popular HID lamps can weigh 2
pounds (0.9 kg) or more, with a
total lamp weight (including ballast)
of up to 6 pounds (2.7 kg) or more.
Head diameters can often be 7
inches (17.8 cm) or greater, which
makes getting into tighter quarters,
when required, more challenging.
DANGEROUS
HEAT:
It is not uncommon for the filter of
an HID lamp to be as hot as 230C,
and certain sections of the lamp
housing can run as high as 150C.
Thus, caution must be exercised by
the technician during inspection to
avoid burns.
HID
BULB
LONG WARM UP
PERIOD:
Almost all HID lamps require a
warm-up period to reach full UV
intensity. In fact, when you shut
down most of these lamps, you
should wait a few minutes until they
cool sufficiently before restriking.
LACK OF
PORTABILITY:
HID lamps are typically AC-
powered, which is not an issue
when electrical outlets and
extended-length cord sets are
readily available. But this can be
problematic when they are not.
Battery-powered HID lamps are
available, but due to the high power
that is required, the batteries tend
to add an appreciable amount of
weight to the overall lamp package.
BULB BREAKAGE
/ DISPOSAL:
HID bulbs must be handled with
great care. While many have a
useful service life of up to 5,000
hours, it is no guarantee. Care must
be taken in the normal disposition
of a blown HID bulb, due to current
environmental issues associated
with the disposal of mercury-based
products. Moreover, while extremely
rare, ultra-high magnetic fields,
produced sometimes by the NDT
equipment itself, can affect an HID
lamps performance by disrupting
the arc discharge column, thereby
slightly varying the UV light output.
www.spectroline.com | (516) 333-4840 | 3
 An LED lamp is a light-emitting diode (LED) product which is
assembled into a lamp (or bulb). This technology is ideal for NDT
due to many benefits and features, including the following:
PORTABLE:
Due to the cool
temperature of LEDs, UV LED
lamps can be DC-powered using
compact, high output rechargeable
batteries, adding increased flexibility
to the NDT process.
OPTICS:
The optics employed
with UV LED-based lamps versus
HID lamps are very different. Our
long-lasting dome-type lenses are
used very effectively with UV LEDs to
efficiently disperse, or alternatively to
focus, the UV output. New varieties
of LED lenses also allow for better
beam uniformity without the need
for a diffusion filter, which can affect
a lamps transmission efficiency.
INSTANT-ON
OPERATION:
UV LED lamps require no warm up
or cool down period, which means
that they are ready to go to work
immediately upon being switched on.
4 | (516) 333-4840 | www.spectroline.com
COOL LONGER
RUNNING: LIFE:
UV LED-based lamps run much Another advantage of LEDs is that
cooler, so lamp housings run at they have a rated life of up to 50,000
40-50C compared to around 150C hours.
for HID lamps.
LESS POWER
CONSUMPTION:
LEDs consume less power than a
typical LED-based lamp; operating
at 3.7 volts and 500-700m and LED
lamp will consume just 3 watts.
This is the reason why compact
Li-Ion or NiMH batteries can be
used effectively. In addition, the UV
light output itself can be controlled
by adjusting the LED drive current,
making the lamp tunable.
SAFER:
LED In the past, burns
BULB from HID lamps were common
and technicians had to take extra
precautions to not let skin come in
MERCURY contact with metal lamp housings
FREE: that contained burning hot bulbs
(225F on average). LEDs run, on
LED lamps contain no mercury, average, at 109F at full operation.
which virtually eliminates any This is not hot enough to cause skin
environmental concerns. damage to the lamp operator and
are therefore much safer to use.
 FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS:
The use of HID lamps is waning, and the manufacturing of BLE HID bulbs has ceased. End users in NDT are sure to
see more LED lamps hitting the market in future years. However, plenty of HID lamp enclosures still exist in the field.
These enclosures are mainly functional, but they require old HID bulb technology to operate.

To address some growing pains as HID is phased out, new to the market is a UV-A LED replacement bulb that works
with these older HID lamp enclosures, eliminating the need to purchase older bulb technology. Upgrading to LED
ensures the end-user is staying ahead of the curve.

The Spectroline VIVID is a replacement bulb using LED-based technology. This replacement bulb offers all the
advantages of LED technology. With built-in aluminum heatsinks, a lower operating temperature, and a high-grade
outer casing, the VIVID is a step above traditional HID bulbs. The VIVID is energy efficient and lightweight,
weighing in at just one pound.

HOW DOES VIVID COMPARE?

-VS-
VIVID
100S/M BLE-150CS

MERCURY VAPOR /
VIVID LED BULBS
HID BULBS

109 Degrees F (Warm) 225 Degrees F (Burning Hot)

50,000 Hour Lifespan 5,000 Hour Lifespan

Instant On Wait To Warm Up

One Bulb Lasts Over 4 Years Use 10+ Bulbs in 4 Years

Large, Uniform Beam Pattern Small Hot Spot, Diffused Beam

For more information on LED lamps for NDT, visit us online

For questions or inquires contact us at:

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marketing@spectroline.com
06/17 A17117

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