Pursuing further innovations in automotive lighting, OSRAM recently unveiled its product roadmap for Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs). The company says it is “ready to usher in a bolder way to add bling to vehicles.”
Dr. Karsten Diekmann is OSRAM’s head of OLED products, applications and marketing, and he recently fielded a series of questions about the technology:
Q: What is organic LED (OLED) lighting, and how does it differ from standard LEDs?
A: Technically speaking, OLEDs, as with LEDs, are semiconductors that convert electric current to light. While LEDs emit point light from a tiny luminous chip, OLED panels are luminous surfaces produced by vaporizing various organic plastics onto a substrate material. The luminous layer of an OLED is approximately 400 nanometres thick, corresponding to one hundredth of a human hair. OLEDs, according to the base material, appear reflective, neutral white or transparent in the switched-off state.
Q: How close is the technology to being road ready for practical vehicle use?
A: We have essentially achieved road suitability for our OLEDs and will be offering initial special equipment based on OLEDs this year. In 2016 at the latest we expect to see OLEDs used in series production of new vehicles.
Q: When will we see this technology in the U.S.?
A: Currently there is no differentiation between the U.S. and rest of the world.
Q: What have been some of the engineering challenges in perfecting OLEDs?
A: The most significant obstacle to series production is temperature stability. We increased this at the critical point of 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius) to a record level of several thousand hours. After a further year of research, the remaining obstacles regarding serial production are small.
Q: What are some of the applications being considered?
A: OLEDs are surface light sources. The vast majority of lighting applications in cars requires surface light – especially lighting applications which serve visibility in road traffic such as indicators, rear lights or interior lighting. OSRAM has already developed some concepts of rear lights that were shown at various conferences and fairs. Benefits of OLED lighting:
- New design and styling opportunities, as OLED can be transparent
- Homogenous light distribution
- Ultra-flat and lightweight, which can lead to space and weight savings
- Segmented and can be divided into independently addressable areas, allowing for lighting individualization for each driver
- A high quality surface light that consumes a low amount of power
Q: How would you assess the aftermarket possibilities for OLEDs?
A: Technical requirements seem to be lower, but volumes are less. OEM products are anticipated to come in customized formats because design is a big differentiator. For aftermarket the threshold is higher to bear the initial costs of a new design format; the acceptance of standardized formats needs to be evaluated still.
Q: What are some of the points that can be used for marketing this technology to both OEMs and aftermarket customers?
A: OLED lighting devices are thin, lightweight and offer design options for area lighting. The homogeneity is very good. An early feature is the segmentation of a lighting area. This means the surface can be divided into lighting segments that can be addressed independently and the segmentation line is nearly invisible. This enables dynamic lighting scenarios. OLEDs can have a mirror appearance in the off state, which adds a second functionality to the light source. In the future, OLEDs can be transparent and they can be flexible; this means curved surfaces can be realized.
Q: Is this technology suited for aftermarket sales of do-it-yourself products, or are OLEDs better suited for professional installers to sell to their customers?
A: Most likely, the OLED will be embedded into a plug and play system. The pure light source is more for professional use – as of today’s expectations.
Q: Is special training recommended for installers?
A: OLEDs will most likely come along with some handling instructions.
Subscribe to Aftermarket Business World and receive articles like this every month….absolutely free. Click here.
