Until now, light-emitting diodes have been unable to compete with light bulbs in terms of light output. A one-watt LED delivers about the same optical output as a hundred-watt light bulb, so diodes are unbeatable in terms of energy efficiency.
Dr. Christian Wenzel from the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen stated that his team of researchers increased the efficiency of the LEDs by using special lenses to direct all of the light to the place where it is needed. “The lenses are cast using an injection-molding technique. The two halves of the tool that serve as a mold have to be aligned with extreme precision just once - they have an accuracy of a few microns, or less than a tenth of the diameter of a hair.”
Experts claim that this technology doesn’t exist anywhere else in Europe and the lens can be manufactured in large batches with relatively low costs. Researchers at the IPT developed the entire process and carefully planned all the stages, from manufacturing the lens systems to checking their accuracy.
