Innovative XLS Product Family from Osram is Revolutionizing the Signal Lamp Market
Osram is launching XLS (eXchangable LED Signal), standardized LED light sources for signal light applications in the automotive industry. By combining standardized light sources and LED technology they will fundamentally change the automotive signal lamp sector. “For the first time, a uniform platform with four different light sources can cover all the important signal applications in vehicles. This allows simple replacements, reduces complexity and overall costs for car manufacturers and leads to faster development processes thanks to adapted standards”, said Hans-Joachim Schwabe, CEO Specialty Lighting at Osram. The LED-based signal lamps are scheduled to appear on the roads from the fall of 2018.
Over the past few years, LED technology has brought many benefits in terms of design and has led to greater energy efficiency. As a consequence, however, a bewildering array of vehicle-specific solutions has been created. To reduce this complexity, Osram has developed an innovative standardized LED light source for signal light applications. With the XLS product family Osram is launching a signal light portfolio that offers all the innovative benefits of LED technology while offering the proven benefits of traditional lamps such as standardization and exchangeability.
A single platform for all LED signal light sources
The UN/ECE (R128) standardized lamps will be available in four types for different signal applications in yellow (LY5), white (LW5, L1) and red (LR5). The yellow LY5 with 280 lumen and a life of up to 4,000 hours is used for turn indicators. LW5 is a white signal lamp for reversing and DLR lights with 350 lumen and a life of up to 5,000 hours. The two other members of the XLS product family currently in planning are a red brake, rear and fog light (LR5), which provides up to 4,000 hours of light with a luminous flux of 120 lumen, and a white high-precision fog light (L1) with up to 350 lumen and a life of up to 5,000 hours. With protection against electrostatic discharge, polarity reversal and overvoltages the Osram XLS products comply with all standard requirements for modern vehicle electronics. Osram uses chip-on-board technology for its XLS light sources. This enables the LED chips to be spaced very close to one another with common optics.
Innovative exchangeable light sources setting new standards
The XLS product family delivers a wide range of benefits for consumers, headlight manufacturers and car manufacturers. A standardized platform for LED signal lamps reduces the number of individual solutions for vehicle models. Integrating the heat sink and electronics in the light source eliminates the costs for their design and approval for each individual solution. All this considerably reduces overall costs for car manufacturers across the various areas – such as the supply chain and quality control. The reuse of design modules and the same platforms also cuts down on the time, effort and costs of development. For car workshops and car owners a standardized solution means the light sources can be directly replaced in the event of a fault, which in turn means lower repair costs and greater road safety. Long-term availability of the lamps will encourage the establishment of the XLS product family.
Series production of the lamps in the Automotive plant in Herbrechtingen, Germany guarantees premium quality and is an important milestone in the further development of standardized automotive light sources. Customers of XLS products benefit from the many years of experience at this plant in manufacturing car lamps.
The standardized XLS product family enables design cycles to be shorter and complexity to be reduced, making it a pioneer for the widespread penetration of LED technology in high-volume vehicle segments. Osram’s launch of LY5 and LW5 in yellow and white means that for the first time users (Tier1/OEMs) can equip vehicles with standardized exchangeable LED signal light sources in all signal applications. The first Osram XLS products are scheduled to appear on the roads from the fall of 2018.
For the first time, the uniform XLS platform with four different light sources can cover all the important signal applications.
About Osram:
Osram, based in Munich, is a leading global high-tech company with a history dating back more than 110 years. Primarily focused on semiconductor-based technologies, our products are used in highly diverse applications ranging from virtual reality to autonomous driving and from smart phones to smart and connected lighting solutions in buildings and cities. Osram uses the endless possibilities of light to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities. Osram’s innovations enable people all over the world not only to see better, but also to communicate, travel, work and live better. Osram has approximately 26,400 employees worldwide as of end of fiscal 2017 (September 30) and generated revenue of more than €4.1 billion. The company is listed on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt and Munich (ISIN: DE000LED4000; WKN: LED400; trading symbol: OSR). Additional information can be found at www.osram.com
