[what's new in:] Lighting

March 1, 2011
Lights and the harnesses related to them used to be just mere components on a truck. With CSA now in effect, though, these components have taken on added importance. A single burned-out bulb could quickly escalate into a serious CSA issue. Whether you are repairing lights or replacing them, under the new regulatory environment, longevity and reliability are now crucial elements to consider when choosing

Lights and the harnesses related to them used to be just mere components on a truck. With CSA now in effect, though, these components have taken on added importance. A single burned-out bulb could quickly escalate into a serious CSA issue.

Whether you are repairing lights or replacing them, under the new regulatory environment, longevity and reliability are now crucial elements to consider when choosing a light.

“Customers are looking for long-life products, products that [assist in] ways so they can do their jobs better, faster and with less expense,” says John R. Grote, vice president, sales & marketing for Grote Industries, which celebrates its 110th anniversary this year. “They are also looking for products that meet environmental and corporate citizenship requirements.

“Our LED technology produces light closer to the color spectrum of the sun, so workers see better with less eye strain, meaning more productivity and fewer mistakes and downtime,” he explains.

The Grote Trilliant 36 uses less power than a sealed beam at one-eighth the cost of a traditional PAR 36 over its service life, the company says. It is also replaced less often, shines three times brighter, and is built with parts that can be recycled.

Fewer parts also figured into the development of Grote's Infrared Motion Sensor dome light series, which eliminates traditional switches and wires.

The company's recently introduced MicroNova DOT, one of the smallest marker lamps available, also comes in a dual-intensity version. Grote says fleets that install MicroNova DOT lamps increase street visibility without risking damage to the lamps during operation that is common with larger lamps.

“At Grote, we spend more time with fleet owners to understand their business and how new lighting and cabling products can increase the human, vehicle and ROI performance of their businesses,” Grote said.

Truck-Lite Co.'s Brad VanRiper, senior vice president of research & development and chief technology officer, says CSA is pushing fleets to demand more quality and reliability from lighting products. He says customers have a list of four major needs: safety through advanced visibility; quality and reliability; cost-effective solutions; and lower total cost of ownership.

LED lamps provide other benefits that help offset a higher initial investment, he says. Fleets may see a reduction in maintenance, downtime, enforcement actions and replacement costs.

Truck-Lite is also focused on a variety of customer needs, including forward lighting and education efforts to ensure the products purchased are the most appropriate choices for their intended application.

“From the industry-first 7-in. round LED DOT-compliant headlamp to our 4- and 7-in. auxiliary product line [work, spot and flood lamps], great strides have been made to offer the most extensive product line,” says VanRiper.

New products that can solve problems, lower cost per mile, and increase the bottom line are all objectives of Peterson Manufacturing Co. and the fleets it serves, according to Mark Assenmacher, director of marketing.

“A critical problem that causes equipment to fail and leads to downtime is corrosion,” explains Assenmacher. “It is wreaking havoc on the many parts of the tractors and trailers and causing equipment to fail prematurely. The corrosion caused by exposure to the elements, and the many types of chemicals used on the highways today … form a ‘chemical cocktail.’”

Aimed specifically at combating that chemical cocktail, Peterson and Maxi-Seal Harness Systems, a subsidiary of Peterson Manufacturing, created the Defender, a modular harness and LED lighting system that comes with a 10-year warranty against corrosion and defects. The company says it is easy to route and install and is virtually maintenance-free.

Combining Peterson's Piranha LED lights and the Defender, which includes Maxi-Seal's exclusive Power-Seal Technology, is said to make the system impervious to moisture or corrosion.

“Eliminating only one repair in the trailer's life would more than pay for the Defender. OEMs and fleets now have a product capable of lasting the lifetime of their trailers,” says Tim Gilbert, heavy-duty/fleet sales director at Peterson. “That's with no maintenance other than the normal replacement of worn J560 [connectors].”

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THESE WEBSITES:

Grote Industries
www.grote.com

Peterson Manufacturing Co.
www.pmlights.com

Truck-Lite Co.
www.truck-lite.com

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