WERMA LineLIGHT Fusion - Stylish, Flexible, and Well-Protected Signaling for Industrial Electronics
Adding a backlight to industrial machinery improves value perception and operator friendliness. With the LineLIGHT Fusion family, Werma provides lighting drop-ins that preserve the mechanical rigidity of the rest of the design.
Placing cutouts into metallic or plastic enclosures is always interesting: The larger the cutout, the stronger the effect on humidity and dust resistance. LineLIGHT Fusion addresses the problem through the ingenious design shown in the figure below.
The actual lit-up area of the industrial light protrudes from the rest of the unit's housing. This way, the cutout can be mated exactly to the extended area, simplifying the creation of a water- or dust-tight sealing between the machine and its operating environment.
When integrated correctly, Werma provides ratings of up to IP 65 - this is more than sufficient for most plant environments. The actual humidity resistance of the completed assembly depends on the installation and the version of the light deployed. In some cases, IP40 is reached - the figure below provides an example overview for the tape-mounted version.
Designers deploying the clip-mounted version can achieve higher levels of resistance, as shown in the figure below.
Multiple Colours and Optional Audio Output Available
The light-emitting element of the product family consists of RGB LEDs, which are capable of outputting the following seven colors:
Red, yellow, green, white, blue, violet, turquoise (Multicolour)
In addition, some members of the family include a buzzer. Thanks to the maximum loudness of 85 dB, the system is clearly audible even on noisy factory floors. The technical manual, found at https://www.werma.com/media/b6/f6/f7/1747664332/3432050.pdf, then provides the instructions shown below. The industry-standard M12 connector must be energized in various ways to select the desired color and buzzer activity status.
Given that no two machines are identical, WERMA offers a variety of family members. All of them expect a supply voltage of 24VDC and use the connector pinout specified above.
The individual members of the family differ both in mounting style and length. For the clip-mounted version, lengths ranging from 100 to 1500 mm are available. The 100 mm version without a buzzer can be ordered under SKU 300 100 01, while SKU 300 100 02 increases current consumption by five mA and adds a buzzer. The longest version, orderable via the SKU 300 100 63, then needs 850 mA. 300 100 64, instead, yields the buzzer version.
As of this writing, the tape-mounted version is available in 100, 200, and 500 mm lengths. If no buzzer is required, the corresponding SKUs are 300 100 03, 300 100 07, and 300 100 11.
Conclusion
With the LineLIGHT Fusion family, Werma provides industrial machinery designers with a high-grade tool to enhance the optical appearance of their products. When integrated correctly, the lighting and audible signaling functions come at no cost in terms of environmental resistance - an excellent and highly innovative product that cannot be praised enough.