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Helping Increase Solar Power Efficiency

July 21st, 2010 Andrew Zanelli No comments

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National Semiconductor has chosen the VCC LCS Series lens/light pipe for its Solar Magic™ project. Solar Magic™ power optimizers are the perfect solution for maximizing the energy harvest of solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays affected by real world conditions. Solar PV arrays are susceptible to large amounts of energy loss from small amounts of shade caused by light barriers like trees, roof obstructions, and debris. In addition, solar arrays require installation with a single orientation and tilt to avoid array mismatch energy loss. SolarMagic™ power optimizers reclaim up to 50% of the energy lost to real world shade and mismatch conditions and enable flexible design installation.

Solar Magic Unit with LCS

During the product design phase, the National Semiconductor engineers realized that they needed an effective water-tight panel solution for the indicator LED being used in the power optimizer. Enter the VCC LCS Series.

The LCS Series was developed to provide moisture sealing and dust control for display panels when the LED is attached to a circuit board. The light pipe component is tubular in shape attached to a low-profile lens. The lens is diffused with Fresnel rings in order to provide a 180 degree viewing angle. The light pipes are molded from an optical grade acrylic plastic for clarity and optimum light transmission. The light pipe tooling is highly polished, to provide a smooth, scratch-free surface to the finished light pipe. This produces an optimum surface for maximum light refraction and ultimate light transmission.

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Tests by an independent testing laboratory have shown that the LCS unit meets NEMA 4 requirements for providing an effective seal against water, ice, and dust. In addition to the water tests, the unit and its retaining system have been tested up to 6Gs of shock and from 0 to 2000 Hz of vibration. Tests also included storage and operating temperature ((-40°C to +85°C), solar, ice and UV). The conclusion attained upon completion of these tests was that the LCS Series exceeded all test criteria.

When not choosing the patented LCS Series as an effective solution, the moisture sealing of a light pipe to a display panel requires the use of RTV-type adhesive. When applying glue for sealing, special precautions must be taken to avoid creating air gaps that would allow sealed joints to leak. Glues are not only difficult to apply but their adhesion to a light pipe surface will change the flow of the light pattern. This will also cause light leakage, which results in the reduction of light emitted by the litepipe. This gluing method will surely result in serious assembly problems and less than satisfactory panel displays, both of which were unacceptable to National Semiconductor for the Solar Magic™ project.

Videos:

How Solar Magic™ Works

National Semiconductor Interview With Maria Bartiromo of CNBC About Solar Magic™

Solar Magic™ in The Green Report

VCC and HST Automotive “Ride” Green

July 14th, 2010 Orlando Diaz No comments

HST Automotive (Horsepower, Speed, and Torque) offers a global brand of high-performance, zero emission electric vehicles. The RIDE state-of-the art, three-wheeled vehicle provides an environmentally conscious means of personal mobility. They can be used for any number of purposes from security and facility maintenance operations to luxury entertainment.

The RIDE is constructed from high quality aluminum and can fold down to 38” for travel and storage; it will even fit inside your SUV. It has front and rear suspension, is 100% electric and travels at 15 mph with optional upgrades allowing speeds of up to 25mph. It can be charged from a standard 110V outlet.

In an ongoing effort to improve the design, HST wanted to implement a viable solution for permitting two different light intensities for the back lights of the vehicle. The LED’s were also required to provide a moisture-sealed lens, have the ability to withstand shock and vibration and be available for expedited shipment to meet development and production schedules. For many suppliers this would be a tall order to fill these special requirements with an off-the-shelf product.

VCC was highly recommended to HST, due our high-quality and versatile products, along with our ingenuity in design and application knowledge. The custom building capabilitiesavailable from VCC allowed us to produce a solution quickly by slightly modifying our standard CNX 460 series LED cable assembly. This type of LED cable assembly can it accommodate a 10mm LED or a Super High Flux LED providing dual intensities for the RIDE backlight application.

Per Jean Jamie, “We were very impressed with Orlando’s ingenuity to provide a quick solution. They were able to provide two different levels of light intensities, and also with its standard features of being moisture-sealed and able to withstand shock & vibration, it was a perfect solution for our dilemma.”

VCC is dedicated to our customers and we take pride in our ability to modify our standard products to ensure a better fit and function for our customer’s requirements. This design knowledge enables us to offer a high-quality product that is better suited for special customer requirements in a very short amount of time.

For quick solutions to your specialized LED and cabling application needs, please contact us today at www.vcclite.com. For more information on the RIDE product visit: http://www.ridevehicles.com/

VCC and King III – Weathering Harsh Environmental Conditions

July 1st, 2010 Gregg Johnson No comments

We’ve all been there. You’re stranded alongside the road or in an abandoned parking lot. You’re tired and worn out from the day. It’s a dark, damp, cold night, the wind is whipping through you and to top it off, your car won’t start. Just as you’re about to cover your face with your hands, you see a bright blue light flashing. Instantly relief floods that cold space and you realize that help is just a call away.

You reach up to press the button and see a green panel light come on indicating a connection. You don’t even realize you are holding your breath until you hear the voice on the other side say “How can we help?” and hear the release of air from your body. A few short minutes later the knowledge that help is on the way provides comfort and your sense of isolation recedes.

VCC adheres to this way of operation daily. Not only do we wish to assist our clients but also strive to provide the comfort and knowledge that in the expansive field of indication and illumination, you are not alone. That is why Kings III of America has chosen VCC and our line products to meet their illumination needs. Kings III indicators must endure harsh environments and exposure to the sun, rain, wind and even dust.  All these elements wreak havoc on standard LEDs and lenses. VCC helped Kings III resolve this issue with our line of UV additive Polycarbonate Lenses, which are specifically designed to withstand these environments.

In addition, our CMS series products meet NEMA 4 and 6P standards for use in conditions that include exposure to elements such as rain, sleet, windblown dust and rain and other harsh conditions.  VCC lenses are ideal when used with the Conxrite interconnects for mounting the LED directly to the panel.  Finish your illumination with the wide selection of VCC light pipes and you have provided a reliable, durable method of transmitting the light from a PCB mounted LED to your panel.

Anytime a special application arises and you need a reliable protective lens and LED solution VCC is here to help. There are many options out there in the world of LED’s and our experts are dedicated quickly and efficiently finding products to meet the requirements for your project. To learn more or get answers to your LED questions, visit us at www.vcclite.com. We will be happy to assist you with all selections as well as sending a free sample for you to inspect or use in your latest prototype.

VCC Panel Lenses Indicating Safe Drilling Conditions

June 21st, 2010 Orlando Diaz No comments

Hougen Manufacturing is a leader in providing the highest quality portable magnetic drills, annular cutters, sheet metal cutters and Ogura/Punch-Pro electro-hydraulic hole punches. Their recent development of the HMD925S portable power drill with Smart technology implemented state-of-the-art features to optimize feed rate for increased tool life and precise, clean hole drilling.  The addition of a swivel base provides much more versatility in placement and alignment.

With the ability to offer a power feed setting to the client, safety becomes an even more critical issue. Installing a clear, bright and reliable indicator for placement and lift detection was an important design requirement. The ability to make this connection in a reliable yet flexible manner was also important. Hougen engineered, selected and implemented VCC panel lens products into their latest development to achieve that goal.

“The Bi-Color CNX “D” connector was selected for easy assembly to the front panel and multi function of a Bi-Color RED / Green LED for their Safety Indicator Light.” said John Haas, from RC Merchant, VCC representative,   “ Thus, providing an Indicator to ensure the power drill is operated in a safe manner.”

VCC’s LED cable assemblies provide extensive time and cost savings over the traditional methods of wiring. With our pre-made assemblies there is no need to solder wires to the LED orheat shrink the insulator. This saves the client time, cost, storage room and testing time. Changes in design or replacement of components down the road are also completed in a more timely and efficient manner.

VCC offers a wide assortment of pre-made cables to meet all your project requirements. We will also engineer and manufacture custom cables. Our entire line of panel lens products is available for your project’s indicating and signal needs. Check out our catalog or contact us today for more information.

For more information about the line of products from Hougen Mfg, visit their website at http://www.hougen.com. Fore more information about the HMD925 Drill, click here.

VCC Assists RuBee™ Wireless Visibility Product

June 1st, 2010 Gregg Johnson No comments

In today’s business environment it has become critical to be able to instantly track inventory. Knowing the location and status of current inventory can be imperative in closing a deal, forecasting product sales and planning production schedules. At times this is even more challenging due to the nature of materials or the environment in which those materials are stored.

Visible Assets, Inc. (VISIBLE™) sells asset visibility networks based on a new wireless technology known as RuBee™.  In the past, RFI (Radio Frequency Identification) was employed somewhat unsuccessfully in tracking products. Physics and environmental conditions such as steel, water, people and electrical noise could interfere and result in faulty data. Rubee can read through steel, water and other harsh environments. It is even safe for explosive environment applications. The new RuBee system, which has been in development for twenty years, provides low cost, long-life, low power, wireless, active asset and people tags that work in most any environment.

Kiran Panchal from the Research and Development Laboratories of VAI came to VCC Optoelectronics looking for assistance in modifying an existing product so that it can handle being exposed to a bit more moisture than a typical office environment. In some cases the products being tagged are in wet areas or underwater resulting in a damp and humid atmosphere. VAI had been using an LED without any sort of lens so we introduced them to our CMS 442 CTP Moisture Sealed Lens. This product has solved the concern of atmospheric exposure to moisture and making the product “splash-proof”.

During the development of adding the moisture-sealed lens, VAI decided they wanted to come up with a different cable assembly for the LED’s.  We then introduced VAI to one of our standard cable assemblies, p/n CNX 440 E02 4 1 08.  The ability of VCC’s standard cable to fit this application allowed this product to enter production and service quickly.

For more about Visible Assets, Inc., click here.

To reach VCC Optoelectronics for your LED and cabling needs, click here.

VCC Helps Scott Health & Safety Navigate a Challenging Indicator Design

May 21st, 2010 Orlando Diaz No comments

For Scott Health & Safety, when it came to developing an indicator on an instrumental detection device used to identify poisonous gases, the solution presented some special LED requirements. Working in Health and Safety, reliability is essential in every product that is manufactured. To increase the reliability and effectiveness of their product, Scott designed an indicator with increased viewing angles. This was accomplished by splitting the light from a single source LED into a dual output light pipe. The increased viewing angle will provide clear indication for the user no matter how the device is held. Another important feature will be the ability of VCC products to create a tight mounting seal. These combined design requirements are being met through a working partnership between VCC and Scott Safety and Health.

“VCC expertise in quick SLA water clear prototyping and high quality production parts is of great interest to us” said Todd M. Haver. “We are working with VCC because of the experience they have in rapid prototyping and helping guide our engineers in a working design.”

“VCC holds many patents in light management and utilized some of these design characteristics in our custom light pipe application”, said Orlando Diaz Sales Specialist.  “With SLAs we are able to provide a working sample for customers to verify the design”

VCC Experts have the knowledge and skills required to assist you in a variety of applications that present special challenges and circumstances. Our many years of combined experience give us a wide range of applicable solutions from which to draw.  Our large inventory allows us to respond rapidly with samples and product assistance from the prototype stage through production. We also enjoy the challenge of working out custom solutions for new developments. Contact us today with your specialized needs.

Click here for more about Scott Health & Safety Products.

Bazzaz Performance Selects VCC to Resolve LED Allocation Challenges

May 12th, 2010 Gregg Johnson No comments

In the fast changing world of aftermarket motorcycle performance products, having quality inventory is key.  Today’s riders not only want their custom aftermarket products rapidly, but they demand quality components that will improve the look and performance of their machine. Recently, Bazzaz ran into lead-time and performance issues on one of their shifter lights with their current LED supplier.  Bazzaz knew they needed to quickly resolve both issues and Joel Romero turned to VCC for help.

“VCC has a massive inventory of products on hand, this is reassuring when our customers have short lead times and buy on demand”. I just can’t wait for my current supplier anymore. I found information about VCC Optoelectronics on the web and contacted their Sales Team right away. VCC recommended and had stock on a part that was slightly better than the parts we previously looked at for less money. Within days, we received the VAOL-10GSBY4 (10MM, single color Blue LED) samples VCC recommended which outperformed the current one in brightness “ Said Joel.

VCC is has a team of professionals that are dedicated to service and have the knowledge to quickly assist our customers in finding better, more efficient and complete solutions. Our large variety of LED’s with many different lighting, power and mounting capabilities will provide the options and available inventory you have been looking to find from your LED supplier. Contact VCC today with your project requirements and let us help find a solution for your project needs.

For more information on Bazzaz performance products please visit www.bazzazperformance.com.

Caliper Life Science selects VCC Custom Interconnectors

May 4th, 2010 Mark Baker No comments

In the growing demand for quick lab results, Caliper Life Science diagnostics group selects VCC Custom LED interconnect to help with the indication demands required to meet FDA regulations.  The desire was to quickly and efficiently retrofit a current product to meet the new demands.

“The idea was to use a pre-existing product platform and change the front cover. We needed a way to bring the indication to the new cover without having to rewire the existing platform. The intention was to make a less expensive product but still have the options of allowing for future upgrades.” Said Shawn Allen head mechanical engineer.  “Because of VCC’s vast array of products and configurations and their knowledgeable customer service it was a simple and easy process for us.”

The CNX series offers an easy solution when a demand arises where the indicator needs to be mounted to a front panel. Since connection lengths vary widely, this series can be ordered in standard or custom lengths and arrive at your facility pre-wired with the required connection length for the application.  No tools for assembly are needed. You can order your interconnect with the type of termination needed for the specific application as well. VCC provides you with the option to use a header connector, stripped, bare wires, terminal attachments or arrange to have this component soldered directly to your circuit board.  The CNX series of interconnects have been modified to resolve panel pushback issues and will withstand high levels of vibration, making them the perfect product for retrofit applications where secure fit can be an issue. The CNX series gives you flexibility, durability and ease of implementation that are needed in both your new and retrofit projects.  To learn more about VCC Interconnects please visit our web-site at www.vcclite.com.

VCC Goes to the Movies

April 13th, 2010 Orlando Diaz No comments

MovieStuff, a leader in HD home movie equipment needs, has expanded their line of Reel-to Reel transfer systems. MovieStuff specializes in frame-by-frame scanning to assure transfers are 100% flicker free, crystal clear and razor sharp from corner to corner.

MovieStuff WorkPrinter-HD Telecine

The ScanStream DV8 Sniper-HD, featuring unique PulseGate Technology, was custom designed and fabricated to create super 8 and regular 8mm transfers that offer sharpness and clarity that can only come with frame by frame scanning in high definition.

MovieStuff has selected and implemented the VCC panel lens products into their latest system. The Bi-Color CNX “D” connector was selected for easy assembly to the front panel and multi function of a Bi-Color RED / Green LED. The traditional methods of soldering wires to the LED and then heat shrinking the insulator was time consuming and costly.

“We do lots of panel work and need a quick and affordable solution for mounting LED’s. We’re pleased we found VCC. “ Said Daniel Jircik.

VCC specializes in developing and producing LEDs, connectors and other devices that are not only suitable for a wide variety of applications, but are also easy to install. Our development of alternative connections options support LED leads by providing the stability necessary to eliminate the broken and damaged lead problems. LED push back problems are also resolved through these innovations and result in a more secure assembly.

The CNX “D” connector was perfect for this project as it simplified method of electrically connecting Bi-Color LED’s and required no tools for assembly. The CNX “D” provides a simple, fast press-fit connection to the CLIPLITE lens. The “D” connector enables the pre-assembled wire harness, precluding the need for hard wire directly to the LED. This configuration permits easy replacement of defective LED’s in final assembly and will reduce both time and cost associated with test and field service operations.

Contact VCC today for your specialized application needs.

MovieStuff is the world’s leading supplier of high def and standard def telecine equipment for the small business.

For “Something New Under the Sun” visit MovieStuff at: http://www.moviestuff.tv

VCC Takes to the Skies

March 24th, 2010 Orlando Diaz No comments

Once again VCC has come through with the high quality products necessary to meet the stringent guidelines of a custom application. One of our prized clients, L3 Unmanned Systems, needed a water tight LED/Lens assembly for use in their flightTEK® SMC controller.

L-3 Unmanned Systems(L-3 US) provides engineering, designing, manufacturing, integrating and supporting of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), and has a history of delivering proven products, systems and services for a variety of customers and applications.

To provide a smaller, more integrated flight control system, their specifications required an LED Lens or LitepipeTM which would provide a moisture-seal, resist shock and vibration, and provide ease of installment for this LED indicator application.

VCC was able to offer a standard, off-the-shelf product to meet their needs. Our LCS 032 CTP, an LED Lens and LitepipeTM assembly, met all the required specifications. After reviewing and testing the LCS 032 CTP, Michael Stephens from L-3 responded,”We have chosen to design-in your product due to its moisture barrier provided by the o-ring, having no leaks, and very easy to install.”

The LCS series is a threaded, moisture-sealed LitepipeTM assembly that requires no special tools, just for the retaining ring to be “hand tightened”.  Its CMS 442 lens meets IP67/Nema 6P requirements; providing a seal against water, ice, shock/vibration up to 6g at 2000Hz, Solar & UV exposure.  The attached LitepipeTM captures the LED light and transmits it up, illuminating the lens thru the front panel. The characteristics of this LitepipeTM made it the perfect match for this and any application that will be exposed to the elements or requires a protective seal.

This smaller, more itegrated solution developed by L3 Unmanned Systems uses proven, state-of-the-art UAS guidance, navigation and control software and is now available as a stock product.

For more information about L-3US:http://www.l-3com.com/UAS/

Additional information on the new, innovative flight control solution can be found here.