Fiber Optic Lamp

God said let there be light and there was light - Amen! Well, you might find this cliched, but isn't it amazing that after the discovery of electricity and lights and stuff, this statement proves to be so appropriate! You just turn on the switch and the light is there! Speaking of lights, or to be specific, light sources, amongst a number of types of light sources, fiber optic lights, or rather lamps have become quite common since the past few years. It is no wonder that they are getting popular because they provide a distinct touch to the home or the place where they are used. The text to come up will tell you all about a fiber optic lamp.

Fiber Optic Lighting

It will be good to get an overview of how fiber optic lighting works. To begin with, fiber optic lighting uses optical fiber, which has great ability to transmit light. When used for lighting, fiber optics or optic fibers are wrapped in bundles, which gives them further capacity to transmit images as well. The lighting principle used in fiber optic lighting is that of total internal reflection, transmitting light all across the length of the optical fiber. That too, is done hardly without any dimming or any loss of energy. The light waves are basically transmitted by the core, the inner layers of an optic fiber. The best part about fiber optic lighting is that the fiber optics cable or the optical fiber can be bent around the corner or even in a spiral shape and even then it would emit light at the end of the cable.

Parts of Fiber Optic Lamps

Used for creative and soft illumination purposes, there are a number of things which are a part of the whole fiber optic lighting system. The lamp is one of the important parts of the whole ensemble. So let's take a look at it.

Light Source
As mentioned earlier, it is the most important component of the total lighting set up. The lamp could be of any shape and it could even be a color changing or even battery operated lamp. There are also LED fiber optic lamps. In addition to a lamp, there are other sources as well. Nonetheless, coming back to lamps, the size of individual fibers and the necessary illumination level typically decide the wattage and what is the type of light source needed. The best bet for fiber optic lighting is a source which has a very small area of light generation with a high lumen output. There is a reflector behind and lens in front of the light source further make sure that light is delivered properly in the optical fiber. Usually 20W to 75W low-voltage MR16 lamps and 70W to 250W metal-halide (M-H) lamps are used. MR16 tungsten halogen lamps have a precise beam control from tiny filaments.

Illuminating Device
The power unit housing the light source for the fiber optic lamp or the whole lighting system is known as the illuminator. Also called a projector sometimes, it is made of sheet metal or high impact plastic. It can be fixed or fitted using filter for removing most infrared and ultraviolet energy let out by the lamp. Textiles, paintings and food products are ideal to be illuminated by these lamps.

Guiding Light
By guiding light, I mean the light guide! This part is used for transmitting the light from the light source to the fixture. Called tails, these light guides are bundles of plastic glass or fiber.

Connectors, Et All
Along with ferrules and couplers, connectors are used to join the parts of a system physically, or rather optically. A connector holds the fiber to a fixture or a port and a coupler aligns the fiber with the illuminator or even two fibers in connection with each others. On the other hand, a ferrule is a terminating device and is necessary to keep a fiber bundle positioned properly.

Fixtures
There are a number of fixtures used to fit these lamps. Some of them are underwater fixtures, down lighting fixtures, exterior fixtures, and custom fixtures.

The Port
A master ferrule or port is a metal or plastic connector and it is attached to a fiber optic bundle. It allows you to insert or connect it with an illuminator for optimum light output.

These were the basic parts. A fiber optic lamp can be installed anywhere and with considerable ease. For instance, it can be fitted in the ceiling or even a wall of any structure. Its distinct and powerful lighting suits historical structures perfectly. That is especially when the thing you want to put the spot light on, cannot be penetrated. It is available in various colors as well. This is the factor which has made fiber optic technology so viable and popular.

So all in all a fiber optic lamp seems a pretty good choice! Cheers!