Rio Tinto replaces HID light sources with LED white downlights 
(18/03/2008)
Rio Tinto Energy America specializes in the production of low sulfur, sub-bituminous coal, and operates five coal mines located in Wyoming, Montana and Colorado.
Dialight plc recently reached an agreement with Rio Tinto Energy America to install Dialight's LED based SafeSiteTM and LEDBright fixtures throughout many of their coal mining and crushing facilities, thus improving safety dramatically and decreasing maintenance and energy costs in these locations.
Dialight's newest illumination fixture, the SafeSite series is designed exclusively for hazardous locations. Rio Tinto Energy America has begun to replace traditional high pressure sodium, metal halide and florescent lighting fixtures with the new SafeSite and LEDBright fixtures to achieve a better, whiter grade of lighting with an instant "ON" feature so they can be used as needed.
These rugged fixtures are perfect for applications such as this where shock and vibration are present. They provide extremely long life before service is required. With the great reduction in power needed to operate these new fixtures they will assist Rio Tinto Energy America in efforts to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Specific applications at Rio Tinto Energy America include: replacement of Hi Bay Lighting (400 watt HID fixtures) in maintenance areas with LEDBright Fixtures; replacement of lighting on Drill Rigs where vibration shortens the life of traditional lights; and LEDBright fixtures will replace lighting in the wash bays thus eliminating the shock of hitting a hot fixture with cold water.
Rio Tinto Energy America is using Safesite to replace traditional high pressure sodium, metal halide and fluorescent lighting fixtures in maintenance areas and on drill rigs where vibration shortens the life of traditional lights.
Safesite's rugged housing makes it ideal for applications like this where shock and vibration are present. Designed to meet UL Class 1 Division 2 requirements, Safesite uses state-of-the-art solid state LED lighting to create a new era where failed lamps and expensive relamping are a thing of the past.
Safesite incorporates the latest LED technology with proprietary optics to achieve area lighting comparable with traditional light sources. By focusing light where it is needed, Safesite is the most efficient light source available for hazardous area lighting applications.
Safesite is designed to replace 75W to 250W HID light sources in hazardous location applications. The fixture provides better quality light, higher fixture efficiency and 30% greater energy efficiency than traditional HID light source technology.
The Safesite LED white downlight can be mounted on walls, stanchions and pendent mounts. It provides an 'instant ON' response so can be used as needed rather than wasting energy when not required.
Doug Woehler, product manager at Dialight, says: "The emergency of LED technology designed specifically for hazardous environments means that companies like Rio Tinto Energy America can use Safesite to make energy and maintenance cost savings without compromising on their lighting needs. In some environments where coal dust can create a potentially explosive atmosphere, traditional lighting cannot be installed. Safesite provides a new safe option to light these areas."
Future additional applications are presently being considered within the Rio Tinto Energy America facilities.
Related categories: Industrial Lamps Luminaires
