Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/521868
June 2015 | EquipmentWorld.com 74 Equipment lighting Beyond a lighting plan, operator visibility while operating machin- ery is a must, and visibility has been top of mind in current paving equipment design. "When we design a machine, we look at a scenarios, such as night and low light conditions," says John Mooney, product manager, pav- ing and milling products for Volvo Construction Equipment. For darker conditions, he says "you have to brighten things up." "Switches are back lit. This al- lows us to not put overhead lights (above the operator) flooding an area with light. They can see in low light situations, which fits well with the LED revolution going on." Mooney references the growing shift from halogen lights to light- emitting diode bulbs, particularly in on-equipment applications. "Ten years ago there were very few displays (with LEDs). Now we've gone to color displays, with night and day characteristics." Mooney says the lower light set- tings are in reverse colors. "They're friendlier to the human eye." New lighting enhancements from Caterpillar Paving Products also focus on visibility in the cab. "In terms of what's new, most new Cat Paving equipment come with backlit controls and some use LED technology," says Jon Sjoblad, Caterpillar Paving Products market- ing communications. Visibility in a range of light conditions that makes controls easier to identify, is what makes backlit surfaces so beneficial for operators. While LEDs are expensive, be- ing three to four times the cost of halogens, Mooney says, they're gradually making their way into more machines because of their longer life and lower power draw. "The whole light revolution has been transitioned with LEDs," he says. "There are a lot of subtleties of LEDs that enhance what you're doing with low light conditions." "LED lights are one of the big- gest improvements to the night paving industry," says Jonathan Oney, product manager, paving and milling for Atlas Copco Con- struction Equipment. "They burn brighter, cooler and more efficiently than traditional halogen bulbs. The brighter LEDs provide greater vis- ibility of the worksite and nearby workers than halogen bulbs, which enhances accuracy and safety. Also, since they are not as hot as halo- gens they last significantly longer, highway contractor | continued Lighting task categories The FHWA and state departments of transportation recognize three categories of lighting needs based upon the task at hand. Generally speaking, the more detail work a task requires, the more light is needed. The tasks listed below are examples only and are not necessarily inclusive for each category. Category I This refers to lighting over an entire work zone of a jobsite, where large size tasks occur that require medium contrast and minimal accuracy. The minimum illumina- tion needed is 54 lux/5 foot-candles. Tasks fitting this category include excava- tion, filling and compacting embankments, asphalt pavement rolling, base course rolling and sweeping and cleaning. Category II This category involves lighting needs to areas in close proximity to equipment where objects being worked on are of medium size and the accuracy needed is considered moderate. The minimum illumination is 108 lux/10 foot-candles. Example tasks include milling, asphalt paving and resurfacing, concrete paving, base course grading/shaping, surface treatment, waterproofing/sealing, sidewalk construction, striping/pavement marking, bridge decks, filling large potholes and drainage structures. Category III Tasks in that category involve small work areas, with objects requiring a high attention to detail. The minimum illumination is 216 lux/20 foot-candles. Tasks in the category include crack filling, small potholes, traffic signals and highway lighting systems. Balloon lights provide softer illumination, which helps cut down on glare and harsh shadows that often appears under overhead lighting.