The first series cars with LED frontlighting are already on the roads, and further projects using HB LEDs for forward lighting are under development. A pseudo standard of the optical system for these headlamps seems to be the projector type. However, contrary to the situation for Halogen and Xenon systems, the lower temperature levels in LED headlamps permit the use of alternative lens materials. Thermoplastics allow for cost effective production of highly customized lenses, exhibiting significant weight advantages over glass lenses. This becomes even more important, if multi-lens approaches are applied for adaptive LED headlamps. Benefits, challenges and ways for further development of thermoplastic lenses in automotive headlamps are discussed. Injection moldable transparent silicone as alternative polymer material for primary and secondary optics is presented, and the question is raised, whether silicone lenses with its superior thermal stability can be an alternative even for Xenon or Halogen systems.
The advent of polymer projector headlamp lenses
2009
10 Seiten, 10 Bilder, 7 Quellen
Conference paper
English
Design and optimization of a projector headlamp
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