The two most common brightness measurements used in portable lighting are Lux and Lumens, but what does that mean? Lux's definition is the amount of light cast on a surface, and the meaning of Lumens is the total output of visible light from a light source. They sound very similar, but there are some significant differences.
Lux is a measurement of how much light falls on a surface, while Lumens measures the total light emitted by a single source. The closer the light source is to the surface, the higher the Lux rating will be. Without knowing that distance, the Lux rating is meaningless. For example, a 10 lumen light on a surface area of 0.0001 m2 is 100,000 Lux. Sounds impressive but useless to a person working in a dark room.
Lumens is the amount of light emitted by a single source in all directions and then measured collectively. With the application of a reflector, all the light can be directed in a specific direction, and as Lumens increases, so does brightness.
To combat confusing and deceptive reported product specifications, the PLATO organization (Portable Lights American Trade Association) was formed in 2010 to develop a standardization known as the ANSI/PLATO FL 1 (See example ANSI Panel).
You should avoid buying non-ANSI-rated products for use in a professional environment, where proper measuring and reporting according to ANSI standards is most critical.
Nightstick is a global brand of professional portable LED lighting products that adheres to the ANSI/PLATO FL 1 standards. Our intrinsically safe products are UL 913 certified for Class I DIV 1; most also carry a Zone 0 IIC ATEX and IECEx certification with T3 & T4 temperature ratings, making Nightstick a truly globally intrinsically safe lighting company. Nightstick leads with over 50 safety rated LED lighting products.
Website: www.nightstick.com
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