We offer a full range of marine-, as well as MIL-tested lights, in both seawater-resistant aluminium and stainless steel. We also offer fittings in zinc-treated steel, but due to the salt content in the air, we recommend this type of fitting to only be used in interiors.
Relevant products for this application:
• Floodlights, Bow lights and RAS lights - (FL60N, RLX B, C & D)
• Technical lights - (TL60N, TL60N MIL, TX60N MIL, MIR LED, MIX LED, MAX LED)
Robust, reliable and low maintenance
It is important that the lighting solution chosen for open deck areas is designed to operate in all weather conditions. A good lighting solution will also provide a safe working environment for the crew. Glamox can also offer complete lighting solutions where NVG or Night adaptation lighting is part of the overall solution. We have a full range of MIL tested lighting for open deck applications that covers NVG, Night adaptation RED, dimming, Ex hazardous zones and emergency back-up via battery or UPS (uninterruptible power supply).
As well as achieving reliable, evenly distributed light output, it is also important for open deck areas to provide the correct light colours, light intensity and robust, stable light fixtures for long term reliability. Using the appropriate fixture material for the application is critical to ensure high robustness and a long operating life, resulting in minimal or zero downtime. If the Naval vessel operates a Heli Deck, this should use NVG-compliant lighting.
Important factors when selecting lighting solutions for open decks:
- Type of material
- Ingress Protection (IP) rating
- Mechanical strength/impact resistance, shock and vibration resistance
- MIL product specification on EMC, shock, vibration and NVG
- Temperature range
- Low maintenance and reduced power consumption (high energy efficiency)
- Light quality and colour
Mechanical strength
Using the correct combination of materials in the luminaire is important in order to ensure robustness and a long operating life. Materials are specially selected to withstand high shocks and vibrations, particularly on the upper deck (forecastle) and the foremast at the bow of the vessel. Particularly in areas where heavy vibrations occur, the use of LED light fittings is recommended. LED lighting withstands high shock and vibration levels due to the design of the diodes.
No maintenance and reduced power consumption
Easy installation and various mounting options ensure flexibility, time savings and improves the safety of the crew, primarily because some lights are installed in areas that are difficult to access. The luminaires should consume as little energy as possible in order to reduce the size of power generators and to reduce energy consumption and pollution. The efficiency and life span of LEDs continue to improve, and they are virtually maintenance-free. This means that vessels with LED lighting will have lower operating costs than those with conventional luminaires. The initial investment of the LED installation may be higher than that of a traditional lighting installation, but the LED’s lower energy consumption and maintenance costs means that the difference in price is quickly paid off.
Light quality
In open deck areas, light output quality is important for visual perception and to enable the crew to see details and colours. The colour-rendering index (CRI) should be above 80 to enable colours to be differentiated and to allow real colours to be recognized. Lighting illumination should have an average level of 50 lux in normal operation, but should be significantly lower when in NVG or Night adaptation mode.
According to the different Naval and Marine standards, the lux level required on an open deck will vary depending on the particular application. To avoid shadowing and to reduce glare (UGR), a proper light calculation will need to be carried out and luminaires with homogeneous light distribution should be used.
We always recommend you use MIL tested or marine approved lighting products in open deck areas.
For more information on our open deck applications, please contact: bernd.hilpert@glamox.com