VPK Paper wanted to convert the lighting in the paper mills to LED. That sounds simple, but none of the solutions tried previously stood up to the conditions in this environment.
After several trials with different suppliers, a trial was conducted with JEL’s Snapper HT. That trial was successful and formed the basis for the further rollout. You can read more about our approach on our page about lighting for the paper machine.
In the most extreme cases, the temperature inside the machine rises to +120 °C. This is accompanied by steam generation and very high humidity within the machine itself.
The combination is exactly what destroys standard LED fixtures. Heat shortens the lifespan of the LED and the driver, and steam and moisture find every weak spot in the seal. A fixture must not only work here, but continue to work for years. That requires high-temperature resistant lighting.
Before JEL came along, multiple LED solutions had already been tried in the paper mills. None of them held up under the conditions in and around the paper machine. Every failed trial cost time, money, and faith in the conversion to LED.
VPK Paper therefore opted for an approach based on proof of concept: first, a trial of our Snapper HT under real-world conditions, and only then the rollout. That trial was indeed successful.
Contact our engineering team to discuss lighting for paper mills, paper machines, or other environments with heat, steam, and moisture.
Conversion to LED lighting in paper mills
Belgium
Cardboard and paper manufacturer
In and around the paper machine: up to +120 °C, steam development, and very high humidity
Previous LED solutions did not perform well.
Lighting design and engineering, installation design, delivery of high-temperature fixtures
98x Snapper HT, AC version
100 to 200 lux in the machine, uniformity 0.40 to 0.60, 35 W per fixture
EN 12464-1
JEL handled the lighting design and engineering, designed the installation, and supplied 98 Snapper HT fixtures in the AC version. The lighting design was assessed against EN 12464-1 and tailored to the actual needs in and around a running paper machine. If you’d like to know how we approach this, please visit our Lighting advice.
JEL provided the lighting design and engineering for the paper mills, designed the installation, and supplied the HT fixtures. The Snapper HT is designed for environments where thermal management is critical to the luminaire’s service life. Thanks to its thermal design, choice of materials, and sealing, the luminaire continues to perform reliably in high temperatures, steam, and high humidity.
98 Snapper HT fixtures in AC versions, installed in and around the paper machine—exactly where previous LED solutions had failed.
Steam generation and very high humidity inside the machine itself. Moisture finds every weak point in the seal, so the seal is just as critical here as the thermal design.
In the most extreme cases, the temperature in the machine can reach +120 °C. Heat shortens the lifespan of both the LED and the driver, unless the fixture is specifically designed for it.
The lighting design provides 100 to 200 lux in the machine, with a uniformity between 0.40 and 0.60 across the different areas, tailored to the work on and around the machine.
The conversion to LED provides the efficiency that VPK Paper opted for: 35 W per fixture, with light that continues to perform instead of failing.
This usage period is covered by a 5-year warranty, with a technical design life of 15 years under the temperature, steam, and humidity conditions of these paper mills.
The installation provides 100 to 200 lux in the machine with a uniformity of between 0.40 and 0.60 across the different areas, at 35 W per fixture.
However, the true value isn’t reflected in those numbers. While earlier LED solutions failed over time, the Snapper HT withstands temperatures of +120 °C, steam, and high humidity. That is exactly what VPK Paper was looking for: an LED retrofit that keeps working, with a 5-year warranty and a design life of 15 years. See also our approach in the heavy industry and extreme heat.
There are 98 Snapper HT-Fixtures supplied in AC versions. The Snapper HT is our heat-resistant fixture designed for the harshest industrial environments, where high temperatures, steam, and moisture are present.
With 35 W per fixture, the installation provides 100 to 200 lux in the machine, with a uniformity between 0.40 and 0.60 across the different areas. A 5-year warranty applies to this operating life, with a technical design life of 15 years under these conditions.
In and around the paper machine, temperatures can reach as high as +120 °C in the most extreme cases, accompanied by steam and very high humidity. This combination of heat and moisture is devastating for light fixtures that are not specifically designed for these conditions. VPK Paper tried several solutions before the trial with the Snapper HT was successful.
The luminaire is used in an environment that can reach +120 °C in extreme cases, in combination with steam and very high humidity, with a technical design life of 15 years under those conditions.
At VPK Paper, illumination levels of 100 to 200 lux are achieved in the machinery, with a uniformity between 0.40 and 0.60 across different areas, in accordance with EN 12464-1. This pertains to work on and around the machinery, not fine visual tasks, making lower values appropriate compared to, for example, an assembly hall.
The 98 Snapper HT fixtures that were delivered are AC models, consistent with the installation as designed for these factories.
This usage period is covered by a 5-year warranty, with a technical design life of 15 years under the temperature, steam, and humidity conditions of these paper mills.
Are you working on a lighting project for a paper mill, a paper machine, or another environment where heat, steam, and moisture converge? Our engineering team would be happy to brainstorm with you.
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