Infrared and Ultraviolet are the terms used to describe radiant light that is beyond the limits of human vision at the extreme ends of the colour spectrum.
But just because we humans are not able to perceive these ‘invisible’ colours does not mean that they are not of use to us! And consequently, there’s a huge range of LED solutions available nowadays that can generate Infrared and Ultraviolet light.
Ultraviolet light is generally subdivided into 3 categories- UV-A, UV-B & UV-C. LEDs are available that operate in all 3.
UV-A is very familiar to us as the component of sunlight that generally causes skin ageing (suntan). LEDs that generate UV-A find widespread use in areas such as the curing of glues & inks and inspection illumination. UV curing ranges from professional industrial adhesives to cosmetic nail varnishes. UV inspection is widely used industrially and for example in banknote verification.
UV-B is familiar to us as the component of sunlight that causes skin damage (sunburn). LEDs that generate UV-B under controlled conditions can be used to treat skin conditions.
UV-C is entirely filtered out by the ozone layer so does not occur naturally on Earth. Consequently, artificially produced UV-C light is extremely damaging to DNA and hence it finds uses in germicidal sterilisation. UV-C LEDs are now becoming quite widely available for this purpose.
Infrared radiation ranges from near-visible deep red to invisible radiated heat but LEDs are only able to operate effectively toward the near-visible range of the spectrum. IR LEDs have been used for many decades as the communications source in remote controls for appliances such as TVs. And they may be used to illuminate low-light scenery in night vision applications or to resolve challenging detail in machine vision systems. Other applications include light therapy, industrial sensors, and scientific instrumentation.
We will combine our technical expertise, engineering experience, and ability to source LEDs from an unrestricted global portfolio to deliver an LED solution that meets all your needs.
So if you're thinking of broadening your spectrum and exploring the possibilities of UV and IR then speak to us.
