Know More About the Second Hand Catering Equipments

Posted on 11th March 2011 in Second Hand Catering Equipment

Know More About the Second Hand Catering Equipments

 

Second hand catering equipments- an overview

Catering equipments help to serve the industry of food catering. There are varieties of catering equipments such as refrigeration, cooking equipments, cutlery, utensils, tableware as well as ovens. These equipments are bought by varied buyers serving catering industry, such as restaurant chains, hospitals, local authorities as well as domestic catering service providers.

These equipments are produced across the world as they serve the purpose of catering in the most appropriate way. If you are into catering sector, it is not always necessary to buy absolutely new and fresh catering equipments. As a matter of fact, these days second hand catering equipments are easily available that can be attained at low costs.

Different catering equipments available

There are diverse products of catering that can be used in different areas. Following are presented some of them:

v Bars: In bars, various kinds of catering equipments that help in preparation of mock tails and drinks such as blenders, juicers, coffee grinders, milk dispensers and water boilers are generally bought.

v Cooking equipments: Restaurants and food outlets buy specific equipments like ovens, slicers, blenders, juicers, potato peelers, chippers, machines for vegetable preps, and crepe machines in order to prepare different types of food items.

v Refrigeration equipments: These equipments help greatly in preserving as well as maintaining the food quality and hygiene. There are extensive ranges of counter freezers and upright refrigerators to serve the purpose in the desirable manner. On the other hand, glass washers, sinks and dishwashers help tremendously in saving the labor costs and work effectively as well as efficiently for you.

Second hand catering equipments – online available

The second hand catering equipments can be bought online as there are many manufacturers that deal in them. Here are presented some of the valuable benefits attached with availing the online services:



The first and foremost benefit of availing online services for buying second hand catering equipments is that these companies provide huge discounts that make your buying highly reasonable and suit the pockets of customers in an appropriate way.
As these online companies are available 24/7, you can buy the products at any point of time and that too with just few clicks of mouse; depending upon the criteria of your convenience.
Another benefit attached with them is that they provide 100% guarantee as well as warranties. This largely gives the stamp of safety as well as security to your buying.
These online companies display all the varieties available so that customer have complete knowledge of all the products along with their features and select the most appropriate product for their utility.

So, always take care of the fact that your business can grow organically only you invest smartly in these second hand catering equipments as they help to save your money by great amounts. Therefore invest in the required second hand catering equipment in order to meet all the projections and enhance the productivity of your business to the desirable level.

Caterequipment is the author of this article on Catering Equipment. Find more information relating to Servery Counters , and Refrigerated Displays here.


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Cast Stone Fireplace Mantel- Do You Know Why You Should Buy It

Posted on 7th March 2011 in Stone Fireplaces
Stone Fireplaces
by Stirling StoneWorks International

Cast Stone Fireplace Mantel- Do You Know Why You Should Buy It

Were you enamoured by the presence of some lovely traditional fireplace mantels at a place that you had to visit recently? Do you feel you should have known about the spectacular ambience that these spectacular fireplace designs and a corresponding fireplace mantel design jointly bring to your home? Ask yourself to know How prepared you are to manage the expenses that fitting these mantels would cost you? I know you would be a touch apprehensive about your original idea as I bring in the effect of a factor called price. But you need not bother much. Cast stone fireplace mantels are lovely substitutes of all those expensive fireplace mantels such as limestone fireplace mantels, Rustic fireplace mantels, decorative fireplace mantel, antique fireplace mantel, so on and so forth.

Before you choose a supplier to buy these cast stone fireplace mantels, you need to know a few elementary things about cast stone and what it brings along in these fireplace mantels. Only when you know it, you would be able to compare and contrast the factors that determine your purchase. So, without any further delay we shall dive into it straight.

Cast stone is generally made use of in buildings which need a polished look on its outer surface so they look like they were made of a costly stone. A lot of interesting elements surround its production. In general, this is made by forming a proportionate blend out of a number of materials such as sand, limestone, a bonding agent and a few other additives to form a liquid paste with extreme thickness. This liquid mixture is then poured into a mold that is designed earlier. This pre-formed mold is structured as per customer requirements.

Now that you know how this is made, you should spend a while knowing its advantages as well. The cost factor is very heartening in this case. Unlike the expensive mantels, cast stone fireplace mantel doesn’t necessarily burn a hole in your pocket.  This bears on the fact that the flexibility of the cast stone mold to take any shape or size doesn’t contribute much to the wastages involved as in the case of limestone and other costly materials. In addition, the speed in which the process happens also cuts down the costs even more.

Do you think you should not compromise between the lack of a particular style of pre-designed cast stone fireplace mantels to befit your preference and the soaring cost of a limestone fireplace mantel? If you think so, you should go for a custom made piece. You can find great designs and go for one that you hanker after. At an affordable cost.  If you think you can afford more than what it generally costs, you can ask the supplier to let you choose a piece that is one of its kinds.

So why do you think you have to wait more? Don’t delay your purchase and make your mind to go for a fantastic cast stone fireplace mantel. You will never repent for it when you start using it.

The author has worked on many interior design projects in or near Los Angeles metro area. Author has designed specificaly several dozens of fireplace mantels to fit the overall design of the house.

http://www.fireplacemantelsllc.com

beautiful fireplace mantels, stone fireplace shelf, stone fireplace ideas, stone fireplace surrounds, marble fireplace, limestone fireplace, old world texture, cast stone products, man-made stone.


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3D Animation: What Beginners Should Know

Posted on 8th February 2011 in 3d Cgi
3d cgi
by NeeZhom Photomalaya

3D Animation: What Beginners Should Know

If you are a fan of cartoons or special effects, then you may be consider learning how to become a 3d animator.  First off, I would like to get the bad out of the way.  Being a 3d animator isn’t for everyone.  You have to be a strong minded individual who can work hard and overcome obstacles.  When entering the world of 3d computer graphics, you’ll either love it or hate it.  The problem with working in 3d software is that you will experience crashes alot.  Sometimes you will even lose all your work right before a midterm.  This is not uncommon, it happens to a lot of animators while they attend college.  You’ll also have to be good at taking rejection and criticism.

Alot of people seem to think that being animator will just showcase their talent and then they will go on to great riches and their work will become famous.  Alot of people end up quitting because their teachers and peers will tell them what they need to work on.  Just listen and be mindful of it.

Your 3d animation software can only take you so far.  Some are more artist friendly and some are technical.  This is very important, but it also comes down to the individual.  Some schools may let you pick which softwares you wish to learn 3d in.  Others will only have one.  The two main softwares are 3d studio max and Maya.  Both are made by the company Autodesk.  You’ll probably need to find tutorials to go along with your schooling.  Remember that everyone teaches different and you may find that you learn some things better in online tutorials than at school and vice versa.

The good thing about learning 3d animation is that it will open your creative mind.  You have many different tools available to help you in todays world.  Some tools are so great that they make 3d modeling and animating easier than ever for an artist to accomplish their vision.

 

The Author is a fan of 3dAnimationcgi.com


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Gas Fireplace – Things to Know About

Posted on 3rd January 2011 in Gas Fireplaces
Gas Fireplaces
by Steve Rhode

Gas Fireplace – Things to Know About

Gas Fireplace – Things to Know About

A gas fireplace is mostly a firebox with a glass face to see the fire. Most of the designs of gas fireplaces are made per specifications provided by the customer. These fireplaces have ducts that help with even distribution of the heat to different corners of the room. This allows for your fireplace to not only work more efficiently, but it leads to maximum utilization of heat and less waste of gas.

Whether it is a gas or a direct vent fireplace, both have a sealed combustion chamber for the release of emissions through the chimney or vent. A gas fireplace in Atlanta has many advantages being that it’s convenient and ignites at the press of the switch. A new range of natural gas fireplaces is getting increasingly popular amongst buyers in the market.

These fireplaces keep the house clean and produce less pollution in comparison to the wood-burning fires. A high quality natural gas fireplace in Atlanta heats up to 1,000 square feet of living space efficiently and turns out to be the most cost-effective fireplace option.

Most of us think that revamping the whole hearth is the only option left after picking out the fireplace mantel. But, you can also give your fireplace a new look by installing a gas electric fireplace that has following pros and cons:

Positives of a Gas Fireplace

Gas Fireplace has many benefits like:

• It is reliable and easy to control. Nowadays, gas fireplaces with a remote and a single button allow for easy, hassle-free operation. There are also fireplaces fitted with timers, so that one can control the total time for which the fire should burn.

• Most of the gas fireplaces can be easily inserted and fitted into the old firebox. If you are going for an un-vented gas fireplace, it won’t require a chimney. A vented gas fireplace needs a chimney so that waste product is immediately expelled out.

• With a gas fireplace, 70% of the heat remains in house instead of being lost in the atmosphere.

• When you are using gas fireplace, no time is wasted in building a fire or cleaning the ash later.

Negatives of a Gas Fireplace

Undoubtedly, a gas fireplace is a great addition to your home, but there area few things to consider:

• If you are buying an un-vented gas fireplace, you should know that it has oxygen depletion sensors for turning the gas off if the carbon monoxide level increases. You might be required to install additional carbon monoxide detectors in your home as an extra precaution.

• You can not get the authentic crackle and smell of the burning wood in the fireplace.

• Because the un-vented gas fireplace is hot as the natural gas burning inside it, you have to take extra precautions if there are children or pets in your home.

• A gas fireplace creates extra moisture because water is a byproduct of combustion of a gas fireplace.

The article is written by a heating expert working with MadHatter Services , a trusted name for providing HVAC services.find gas fireplace in Atlanta here.


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Prom Dresses From Overseas Auction Sellers: Five Things You Need To Know

Posted on 11th December 2010 in Prom Dresses UK
Prom dresses UK
by -mrsraggle-

Prom Dresses From Overseas Auction Sellers: Five Things You Need To Know

Browse online auction sites and you’re sure to be amazed by the number of bargain prom dresses being advertised. However many people fail to factor in shipping charges, customs duty and VAT before purchasing a gown and end up with a prom dress which costs more than they expected. In addition to this, buying overseas may make it harder to get a refund if you receive a gown that does not match the description.

The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the things to bear in mind when buying prom dresses from overseas auction site sellers.

1. They may be making money on the shipping charge, not the purchase price

Does the price of the gown seem too good to be true? Many sellers offer a very low price on prom dresses and make their money from charging very high shipping charges. They do this because they know that many consumers will focus on the purchase price, treating the shipping price as an incidental cost. In some cases, by the time you’ve added on shipping costs, you can end up paying more than three times as much as you expected.

What to do: Many people focus on the bargain purchase price and try to put the postage price out of their mind. When ordering a prom dress from overseas the cost of shipping becomes part of your cost of purchasing the item. Always check the postage price and calculate the total amount that ordering this dress will cost you before making the decision to buy.

2. Overseas Prom Dresses will cost you 30% more than you think

If you’re importing a prom dress into the UK from a county outside of Europe you will be charged VAT and Customs Duty by HMRC if the amount you pay (for the item, shipping included) is over £70. VAT and Customs Duty are calculated based on the shipping and purchase cost. Once added on these taxes will normally increase the price of prom dresses by around 30%. This means if you pay £50 for the dress and £70 for delivery the total you will end up paying will not just be £120, it will be close to £160.

What to do: Contact HMRC for advice on how to work out the VAT and customs prom dresses attract.

So let’s say you receive a gown and wish to return it.  What are your options with regards to prom dresses which don’t fit or don’t meet their descriptions?

3. It will cost you money to return the Dress

If the factory agrees to let you return your prom gown then don’t forget that you’ll be the one who has to pay out for international postage to send it back to them.

What to do: Ensure that you bear this risk in mind when purchasing your gown

4. You may find UK law unenforceable

What happens if the factory refuses to allow you to return an item? If you were buying from a UK seller you have the options of contacting Trading Standards or taking the seller to small claims court. However, while UK law is enforceable in the UK, you may find it very difficult to enforce if you’ve bought prom dresses overseas.

What to do: Be aware of the risks involved; the greatest protection you have are therefore the threat of negative feedback or using a protected payment method.

5. Raising a dispute may not be successful

If worse comes to worst and the seller won’t refund your money for a dress which doesn’t match the description then you have two options. You can either threaten the seller with negative feedback or (if you’ve used a secure payment method) you can raise a dispute. However do bear in mind that such disputes are often difficult to settle and it is by no means a guarantee that you will definitely get your money back.

Buying prom dresses overseas from online auction sellers not only has hidden customs and VAT costs, it also has inherent risks. Be aware that buying abroad often means paying high shipping costs, customs duty, VAT and can affect your ability to return an item with which you are not satisfied. With this in mind you will be in a position to make an informed decision about whether the costs and risks involved in buying from an overseas seller make it a good option for you.

*** RESOURCE BOX MUST BE INCLUDED – PLAIN TEXT VERSION ***

About the author:

Victoria Ward is the Managing Director of Prom Royalty, an exclusive label specialising in prom dresses, ball gowns and evening dresses.

Prom Royalty Dresses

View the original article in context: http://promdressesuk.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/overseas-auction-prom-dresses/


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I Need a New Boiler. What do i need to know

Posted on 7th December 2010 in Boilers
Boilers
by cindy47452

I Need a New Boiler. What do i need to know

If you have ever need to upgrade your boiler you will know what a nightmare it can be having to choose what  New Boiler you need for your home.  What brand do I need?  Where should I put it?  How long will it last?  The questions are almost as serious as buying a new car or buying a home.  Purchasing a new boiler is after all a capital purchase, and serious consideration needs to be given in selecting the right brand and where it is going to be sighted.  Kitchen, Bedroom, or Loft, there are loads of spin off questions that come from the need for a new boiler.  First of all don’t worry,  there are hundreds of heating engineers that are highly qualified that can help you with your problem and if you are cold and have no hot water, dont get forced into decisions without assessing the options first. The old saying react in haste repent in lesiure is a true statement when choosing and installing a new boiler.

There are normally two types of customer that we come accross that need a new boiler.  1. Customers that need to have a boiler installed yesterday.  2. The customer thats planned their installation carefully because they know that there old boiler has been costing allot of money to run.

In both cases the questions will start to come and go .  So firstly get a pen and a piece of paper and write down what questions arise,  that way when you need to remember them, you have a record of your thoughts to dicuss with your installer.

There are considerations that you need to think about and there are some things that are taken out of customers hands due to Building regulation compliance ,so ill try to be brief so you can get an idea of what things customers can focus on to discuss.

Its important to identify what system you have!

Do I have a hot water cylinder?
Do I have Tanks in the loft, and how many tanks there are?
Do I have a room thermostat?
Do I have a programmer?
Do I have Thermostatic radiator valves?
Do I have a power shower

By finding out the answers to the above questions will help simplify what you need to discuss with your installer  Remember The size of your house is a large consideration when you have a property that is larger than three bedrroms. Purely because normally a 3-4 bed house starts to have other bathrooms and en suits,  more hot water taps than are found in a 2-3 bed home. thus the need for a larger volume of water being supplied to the hot taps. to avoid flow reduction if multiple taps are turned on.

Hot Water Cylinders.
If you have a cylinder in your home you will either have a fully pumped or gravity system an S-plan or C-plan system installed.
Here we go you may think?,  Not so.  If you have a cylinder in your home and its a three bedrromed house then 90% of our customers opt to have a Combination boiler installed in their home (On the whole they are far more efficient).  Its normally being upgraded from either of the systems that i mentioned above. So try to relax and discuss with your installer what you think you need.  He will explain what system you have when he call to give you a quote and survey your home.

Tanks in the loft.
If you have tanks in the loft or above your boiler and system, you have a few considerations for them.  Any exposed tank ie a tank without a sealed lid on it has to be upgraded so that it is sealed,  Galvanised tanks have to be removed so check what type of tank you have .  You have to have whats called a By law 30 kit to both tanks installed so if your opting to keep your existing system design and just get your boiler upgraded then water by laws state to all installers that this has to be done.

Room Thermostats.
You may have a room thermostat in your home thats been installed with your central heating system, or you may have had it installed after an old one has broken down.  You may not have one at all.  If you are thinking of just upgrading your old boiler again you have to consider a room thermostat.  Under current building regulations your new boiler has to have whats called a boiler interlock.  That is the control of heat by a combination of room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valve controls.  Your installer will tell you more about this but if you have not got them,  you will need to have them installed so that you system conforms to current building regulations.   Having them installed will help save huge amounts of gas and reduce that monthly gas bill considerably.

Thermostatic radiator valves.
Thermostatic radiator valves come in many shapes and orientations but the most common feature is a control that regulates the temprature of the heat that is in the room.  either by detecting the radiator panel temprature or the ambient temprature of the room the radiator is installed in.  As i explained in room thermostats these are mandatory if your system does not have them and they will help save you around £300.00 in gas anually.

Do i have a Power Shower.
This is where carefull consideration needs to be given.  If you are in a 2-3 bed house and you have a power shower and think.  I can not have a combination boiler because i have that type of shower you would be wrong.  Combination boilers come with many different flow rates some offer up to 19.1 ltrs a minute and still provide enough heat for the heating system and hot water.  With a combined incoming cold mains flow and the hot water flow  you should experience a combined flow rate through your shower in excess of 24 ltrs per minute.  You will find that your shower pump provides water flow rates of around this mark,  so upgrading your system to a combination boiler (certain checks have been made) could still provide the hot water you need for your shower to operate without the noise and electricity from the pump.

Will it be Combination or System Boiler

This is the inside of a normal system boiler.  All of its main controls are on the panel at the front of the boiler and its system controls are ouside the boiler.

Because of building regulations you would have to have installed with this boiler the following from the top of your system to the bottom:

Upgrade tanks and By Law 30 kits.**
Install 3 port valve kit or S-Plan System.**
Upgrade old cylinder.
Re Orientate existing pipework.**
Install Room Thermostats.**
Install Thermostaatic Radiator Valves.**
Upgrade Gas pipe to boiler ( Not in all cases)
Install condensate pipework from new boiler to drain**
Install flue basket If situated below 1.8m outside.**
Exterior components not under Manufacturer guarantee.

 

This is the inside of a combination boiler, you will have noticed from the picture

above that all of its controls are outside the boiler but on this boiler all of the controls are on the inside there are only a few considerations that we need to take into consideration to have one of these installed

Gas Supply needs upgrading
Install condensate pipework from new boiler to drain.**
Install room thermostat.**
Install Thermostatic Radiator Valves.**
Remove excess pipework and seal system.*
Can Be re sighted easily.
More flueing options.
Higher combined efficiency.
All components under  manufacturer guarantee.

 

 

 

Choosing controls that are Effective and look ok too.

Installing efficient controls that are not only effective but pleasing to the eye are the best controls that you can choose.  If you are spending the time to have your system upgraded then its common sense to choose something thats not an eye sore.  some controls such as this Easy stat from Alpha have a radio device on the left of the picture that fits neatly into the boller .  It communicates with the Easy stat by radio frequency and it can be sited up to 60 meters away from the boiler, it operates through walls and does not need line of site to work.  When having a thermostat like this installed meens less wiring.  Means less over all cost.

 

The Costs.

The cost of a new replacement system boiler taking into consideration the nessacery upgrades that have to be done are between £2100.00 – £4000.00 depending on the upgrades that need to be applied,  if you are lucky and you have all the controls that are needed to comply with building regulations then you could expect your system to be installed for under £2000.00  obviously prices will differ depending on when and who you get to install it.  Be sure of one thing whoever you get to install it.  They have to be Gas Safe Registered and they have to have part L for registering there appliance with your local building regulation department.  If they are not registered part L compliant then expect to get a bull from building control for around £200.00 for registering your product.

A combination system up to around 35KW fully installed is around £2000.00 – £3600.00 depending on flue type and control set.  these systems are far more efficient so you will recover installation costs alltot quicker than you would a system boiler.  guarantees range from 3,5 and 10 years with the prices given above and all the boilers have to have a Gas Safe Registered engineer to install them again they also need top be Part L compliant.

Remember VAT goes up to 20% in 2011

Have your boiler installed by us before the VAT increase  and we will give you up to £100 in Marks & Spencer vouchers.  You will also receive A Free Adey Magna Clean or A Free Fernox TF-1 Filter to increase the life of your boiler.  Fully installed free of charge

We have been installing New Boilers and Central Heating system Nationaly for over twenty years. We supply and install a full range of energy efficient boiler to suit your home and budget. Book you quote online today by simply filling in our online form.


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Boiler Presentation, Presentation Design & Developed By Netservicesindia (www.netservicesindia.com) All Right reserved By Par Boiler Pvt. Ltd. For More information about this boiler visit www.parboiler.com

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What You Need to Know About Party Wall Matters

Posted on 5th December 2010 in Party Wall Surveyors
party wall surveyors
by Dystopos

What You Need to Know About Party Wall Matters

What do you need to know about party wall matters? That depends… how much of a glutton for punishment are you? If you intend to tackle a construction project that involves a party wall matter by yourself, then what you’ll definitely need to know plenty about the complicated world of party wall matters. You can start with a free copy of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s handy 22-page Explanatory Booklet that we can provide you with a link to. But even that, as the booklet will tell you, is “not an authoritative interpretation of the law.” You’ll have to keep researching all the myriad details of your particular situation. For most people, this does not strike them as fun at all. And if you’ll likely ever do but one or two projects involving a party wall matter, then the huge investment of your time required to master the various regulations is probably not worth it. In any case, you (as the Building Owner ) cannot act as a Surveyor. You can serve the Notices but if the Adjoinming Owner dissents / disagrees then you will have to appoint a Surveyor in any case. But you can avoid much of the hassle by hiring a professional party wall surveyor at the outset and authorising them to act on your behalf throughout the entire process.

Whilst you can serve Notices, if they are not properly written and served then they could be invalid and all procedures that follow are null & void – you go back to square one.

Party Wall Matters

Anyone who carries out certain work involving a party wall, construction on a boundary or excavation for foundations close to an adjoining building anywhere in England and Wales is likely to need to consider the requirements of the Party Wall Etc Act of 1996. One of the most important requirements of the Party Wall Etc Act 1996 is that you must give notice to all Adjoining Owners, even if your construction work does not extend beyond the centre line of the Party wall. That is very important to note: even if you didn’t think you’re affected by the Act because all your construction appears to take place upon your property… you still possibly are. And once your neighbours are legally informed that you are carrying out work that could potentially affect their structure and property, they’re also going to feel much better about your project (and likely refrain from causing you potential delays) if they see that you have entrusted the Party Wall matters to a professional firm of Party wall surveyors.

The Party Wall Surveyor

London Party Wall Surveyors can assist you with your project from start to finish. We’ll perform the initial research to determine your specific job needs and give you a written estimate of costs. Our professional surveyors can prepare notices, liaise with your Architect, Engineer etc., and obtain the information neccessary to assist in putting an agreement in place in a timely manner. We’ll keep you advised of the progress of the party wall matters, and our experience in dealing with the issues that arise will help . If any issues do arise, you can rest easy that London Party Wall Surveyors will quickly respond to them.

For more information, advice and guidance on tackling party wall matters, visit http://london-party-wall-surveyors.co.uk/


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LED Lighting: 10 Things to Know

Posted on 21st November 2010 in LED Lights
LED Lights
by br1dotcom

LED Lighting: 10 Things to Know

Light emitting diodes, or LEDs, are becoming increasingly popular and more high-quality LED lighting products are being manufactured and sold in the marketplace.  LED lighting is an attractive alternative to incandescent or fluorescent lighting in both residential and commercial lighting applications because they are very energy-efficient, have very long lives, are very small in size, do not have any re-strike time, can be dimmable, generate relatively little heat, have a slow failure rate, are shock resistant, work well in low temperatures, their light can be easily focused, and they contain no toxic mercury unlike today’s popular energy-efficient lighting product, the compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL).  Here are 10 things that you should know about this newly-emerging light source.

1.    Colored and White LEDs LEDs can be red, green, blue, or amber.  The color emitted by an LED is dependent upon the materials used to produce it.  For example, a red LED is made from the chemical elements of aluminum, gallium, and arsenic.  White LEDs are created by covering a blue LED with a yellow phosphorous coating.  A white LED can also be created by using a red, blue, and green LED in close proximity to each other.  At this time, there is not an LED that can emit white light.  Producing an LED that could emit white light is the “holy grail” of LED light research.

2.   LED Brightness A single high power LED can produce about 80 lumens of light.  In comparison, a standard 60 watt incandescent light bulb produces about 900 lumens.  Thus, a single high power LED is only about 1/11th as bright as a 60 watt incandescent light bulb.  In order to produce adequate lighting, therefore, an LED fixture must contain groups of LEDs.  However, the future is bright, pun intended, for LEDs.  The lumen output of LEDs has almost doubled in the last two years.

3.    LED Color Temperature Color temperature is a measure of the color appearance of a light source which helps describe the apparent “warmth” (reddish) or “coolness” (bluish) of that light.  Light sources below 3200 Kelvin (3200K) are considered to be “warm;” while those above 4000K are considered to be “cool” light sources.  For comparison, a traditional household incandescent light bulb is 2800K.  The color temperature of a light source is not related to how hot the light source will get or how much heat is given off by the light.  White LEDs vary in color temperature.  Some white LEDs can be as “warm” in appearance as 2600K but most white LEDs are slightly “cool” in appearance.  This is because most white LEDs are created by putting yellow phosphors over blue LEDs.

4.    LED Color Rendering Color rendering index (CRI) is the ability for any light source to render colors accurately.  The CRI scale goes from 1 (low pressure sodium) to 100 (the sun).  A CRI of 75 is considered to be good, a CRI of 85 is considered to be very good, a CRI of 95 is considered to be excellent, and, of course, a CRI of 100 is considered perfect.  LEDs in a warm white color temperature are currently available with a CRI of 80.

5.    LED Efficacy As with all light sources, the efficacy of LEDs is measured in lumens/watt, the amount of light produced by one unit of power.  Warm white LEDs produce between 25-44 lumens/watt while cool white LEDs are more efficacious by producing 47-64 lumens/watt.  In comparison, the typical household incandescent light bulb creates 10-18 lumens/watt while compact fluorescent light bulbs produce 35-60 lumens/watt.

6.    LED Drivers Fluorescent light bulbs require a ballast in order to function.  The ballast provides a starting voltage and limits the electrical current to the light bulb.  LEDs also require a similar electronic power source.  For LEDs, this electronic power source is usually called an LED driver.  The LED driver converts line power to the appropriate voltage (usually between two and four volts DC for high-brightness LEDs) and current (typically 200-1000 milliamps or mA), and may also include dimming and/or color correction controls.  LED drivers are generally about 85% efficient.  Thus, the efficacy of LEDs should be reduced by 15% to account for the LED driver.

7.    LED Heat Generation It is a myth that LEDs do not generate heat.  In fact, all light sources generate heat and LED lights are no different.  Thus, it is important that an LED fixture is well-designed with “heat sinks” to adequately dissipate the heat that is created.

8.    LED Lifespan LEDs do not burn out like an incandescent light bulb.  Instead they get progressively dimmer over their lifetime until they no longer emit enough light to be useful.  An LED is generally considered to be no longer useful when it is emitting only 70% of the original amount of light the LED produced.  The time that this takes is often referred to as the “rated life” of an LED.  While some LEDs may have a rated life of 100,000 hours, this is usually only under perfect laboratory conditions.  Under real-world conditions most LEDs operating in light fixtures might last up to 60,000 hours.  The rated life of an LED is often much less when the LED is operating in a light fixture as opposed to the same LED operating outside of a light fixture due to the buildup of heat inside the fixture.  The typical LED inside of a typical light fixture may have a rated life of 35,000 to 60,000 hours.

9.    OLED An OLED is an organic light emitting diode.  It is an LED that also contains carbon.  OLEDs are generally manufactured as flexible lightweight sheets.  Today, OLEDs operate at significantly lower efficiency than inorganic (crystalline) LEDs.  OLEDs typically generate less light per area than inorganic, solid state LEDs, which are usually designed for use as point-light sources.

10.    Infrared and UV Radiation White LEDs do not emit infrared, or heat, radiation like an incandescent light bulb.  In addition, white LEDs do not create ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) like a fluorescent light bulb.

Although there has been a lot of media attention given to LEDs, there are still far too many LEDs that are not well-designed.  In short, the LED lighting market is still maturing.  Research continues to improve LED brightness, efficacy, and the rated life of LEDs at a remarkable pace.  However, in the short-term be cautious when selecting an LED lighting fixture.

This article, “LED Lighting: 10 Things to Know,” first appeared on the Pegasus Associates Lighting website.

About the Author
Tom Farin is founder and President of Pegasus Associates Lighting. Dr. Farin has been in the field of lighting for over 20 years. He has extensive training and experience in lighting, physics, mathematics and education, acquired at the undergraduate level, in graduate school, and in the field. It is Dr. Farin’s interest and expertise in education that drives the overall design of the www.PegasusAssociates.com site – with its heavy emphasis on lighting terminology, lighting techniques, and thorough information on each lighting product.


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Know More about PCB Design in UK

Posted on 29th August 2010 in Pcb Design
pcb design
by ッ Zach Hoeken ッ

Know More about PCB Design in UK

On a daily basis, we use different types of electronic items such as mobile phones, television, laptops, computers and lots more. These all electronic equipments make the use of PCBs (printed circuit boards). A PCB can be defined as a platform where different electronic components are fixed all together in order to make the device functional. PCB design UK is an essential part of business.

A PCB designer etches, or traces, conductive pathways from copper sheets that have been laminated onto a non-conductive base. There are numerous electronic companies in UK that are involved into electronic components manufacturing make the use of PCBs on a large basis. These companies either make the PCB itself or purchase it from somewhere on bulk. A company involves into PCB design is capable of designing the circuit board for different types and sizes of electronic products. In simle words, the PCB design UK for a laptop is different from a desktop. To cater the needs of different markets, the PCB Design companies UK make the use of latest manufacturing technologies. The wide range of Printed Circuit Board layout services includes Assembly Drawings, BOM Creation, Schematic Capture, PCB Layout, and Library Part Creation etc. There are different types of PCBs such as Single-Sided, Double-sided, SMT, Multi-layer, Blind and buried vias, Flexi-rigid, and Rigidised flexi.

There are numerous softwares available in the market that is specifically developed for PCB design in UK. These softwares include Vutrax, Cadstar, and P-Cad etc. Modern PCB design tools fulfill a number of functions. They must be capable of facing the complex tasks in miniature, whist being quick and accurate in use. Modern PCB design UK systems make the use of latest technology in order to cater the need of different electronic markets.

PCB design services often utilize numerous platforms, so it’s essential the use interface of each is comprehensive and easy to use.

Established in 1987, Blackburn Circuit Design Ltd provides a high quality PCB design, manufacturing and assembly service to the electronics industry. We are a team of professional PCB design UK engineers offering a wealth of layout experience ranging from single-sided boards for the consumer market through to complex multi-layer flexi-rigid PCB’s for the defense industry.

For more Information Click here

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