Industrial lighting glossary
The most expensive sourcing mistake is treating a parameter name as if it were the parameter. These twenty-four terms are the ones that actually come up in enquiry, comparison and acceptance. Each gets one definition you can quote as-is, and a link to the page that expands it.
Light and electrical parameters
- Lumen lm
- Unit of luminous flux: the total visible light a fixture emits in all directions. Read more
- Luminous efficacy lm/W
- Lumens delivered per watt consumed; the number that drives running cost. Read more
- Illuminance lux
- Luminous flux landing on one square metre of surface; design targets are written in lux. Read more
- Correlated colour temperature CCT (K)
- The warm-to-cool appearance of white light, expressed in kelvin. Read more
- Colour rendering index CRI (Ra)
- A zero-to-one-hundred score for how faithfully a light renders colour against a reference source. Read more
- Unified glare rating UGR
- The lower the value, the less discomfort glare inside the field of view. Read more
- Colour consistency step SDCM
- Steps on the MacAdam ellipse; three steps or fewer keeps two fittings of the same CCT from visibly mismatching. Read more
Protection and environment
- IP rating IP
- A two-digit ingress code: the first digit covers solids and dust, the second covers water. Read more
- Impact resistance IK
- Mechanical impact class under IEC 62262; IK08 to IK10 covers most industrial handling. Read more
- Hazardous area zone Zone
- Zone 1 or 21 marks where an explosive atmosphere is likely, and it decides the fixture type. Read more
- Ambient temperature rating ta
- The maximum ambient temperature at which a fixture's published ratings still hold. Read more
- Lumen maintenance L70
- Hours until output falls to seventy per cent of its initial value; the more honest half of a lifetime claim. Read more
Industrial fixture types
- High bay High bay
- Suspended fixture for ceilings above roughly six metres: warehouse, workshop, sports hall. Read more
- Flood light Flood light
- A wide-beam fixture aimed at a surface or area rather than at a task point. Read more
- Tri-proof light Tri-proof
- A sealed batten rated against dust, water and impact; the default in food and wash-down areas. Read more
- Explosion-proof light Ex-proof
- A fixture built so that an internal spark cannot ignite the surrounding atmosphere. Read more
- Tunnel light Tunnel
- An asymmetric fixture used in tunnel zones where entry brightness has to be stepped down. Read more
- Cold storage light Cold storage
- A fixture rated for sub-zero ambient and repeated freeze and thaw cycling. Read more
- Area and canopy light Area / canopy
- A surface or pole fixture for forecourts, car parks and petrol-station canopies. Read more
Sourcing and compliance
- Minimum order quantity MOQ
- The minimum order quantity per model or per colour temperature, confirmed in writing. Read more
- Full container load FCL
- Full container load; the unit that decides the ocean freight cost per fixture. Read more
- OEM and ODM OEM / ODM
- OEM prints your brand on an existing model; ODM also changes the design. Read more
- Neutral packing Neutral packing
- Plain cartons with no factory mark, so the goods can carry your own label. Read more
- SABER conformity platform SABER
- The Saudi online conformity platform; the lighting energy-efficiency standard behind it is SASO 2902. Read more