Driving up safety with Hella lighting range
Whether providing illumination for the driver when on the move, the work area when loading and unloading, or when operating in the highway, vehicle technology supplier Hella offers a host of auxiliary lighting products for both tractor unit and trailer to help maximise road safety and visibility.
Its portfolio includes the Jumbo LED auxiliary high beam headlamp, with a characteristic light signature adopted from the EdgeLight technology that Hella developed for the automotive sector. The striking trim in the upper part of the headlamp was inspired by the round Luminator LED auxiliary headlamp, says Hella, which was launched in 2019.
A great advantage of LED is that the light colour is similar to daylight, which contributes to reducing driver fatigue, says Hella; it also highlights the instantaneous high beam light signal that enables the use of the headlamp flasher function.
The Jumbo LED is available in two mounting versions, either for upright or pendant installation and boasts an impact-resistant, lightweight housing made of thermoplastic, provides high energy efficiency with low power consumption, and is suitable for both 12 and 24 volt systems.
The Light Bar 470 PO, another LED light source, provides long distance penetration in the dark as well as daytime running light safety, says Hella. Its low energy consumption characteristics, allied to its low profile design and light weight, are said to make it a highly efficient lighting solution for both 12 and 24 volt systems.
Providing an alternative, Hella’s Valuefit range also includes light bars that incorporate LED technology. With three powerful light designs, offering multiple mounting options, the LBE light bar series, which come in lengths of 50 or 100 cm, each employ a shock resistant housing with integrated cooling fins, but the larger 320 and 480 versions are also equipped with a useful positioning light.
Further solutions include the Valuefit work lamp series, suitable for trucks, trailers, construction and agricultural vehicles, which conforms to the same tests and approvals, such as electromagnetic compatibility and overvoltage protection, plus vibration, temperature and chemical resistance, as more expensive offerings.
To help ensure the safety of personnel responsible for loading and unloading goods, working in and around the yard, as well as the warehouse or highway, Hella has introduced the Valuefit Thermal Management Series. Encompassing six models, four square profile TS variants and two round versions, with the TR classification, both are available with light power outputs of either 1,700 or 3,000 lumens.
Designed to operate in the most severe conditions, the Thermal Management Series is able to remain unaffected by extremes of temperatures from +50°C to -40°C, says the company. Both the TS3000 and TR3000 achieve 3,000 lumens at an ambient temperature of 25°C, making them one of the most powerful in the Valuefit work lamp range.
Despite their compact design, the smaller TS1700 and TR1700 reach 1,700 lumens and this makes them particularly suitable as a halogen substitute, says Hella, where more light is required, but space is limited. In addition, unlike many other work lamps of this size, both are also ECE R23 approved reversing lamps, which means that operators incorporating this lighting solution are not in breach of government legislation.
Although powerful and efficient work lamps are essential to enable those loading or unloading vehicles, or working adjacent to them if maintaining the highway – for example, to operate in safety – light can also be used for other welfare purposes, such as illuminating danger zones.
As a result, Hella has introduced its Visiotech projection module, which is suitable for applications from 12 to 48 volts.
Using illumination technology, Hella’s Visiotech light module can project a suitable warning symbol, such as an exclamation mark or hazardous area chevrons, onto the ground and so optically warn other vehicles or passers-by, drawing attention to any danger or to delineate certain work areas.
In addition, other projection symbols can be developed in collaboration with customers, which could be especially important in the construction and mining industries, where the danger zone can clearly and easily be identified for everyone on site, when shovels or dump trucks are being unloaded, for example.
Other scenarios include when employees working for municipal services have to regularly step down from the cab and are exposed to serious danger from other road users, or for trucks, ambulances and emergency vehicles, that require loading or safety areas that need to be clearly marked and highlighted.
This enables work safety and security during routine operations to be significantly enhanced whether day or night, says Hella.
