Electrical Industry Articles and Stories

The concept of 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, initially surfaced in the 1980s, thanks largely to the innovative work of engineer Chuck Hull. Hull invented a process called 'stereolithography', or SLA, a method that allowed for the creation of 3D models layer by layer, literally bringing ideas to life. It was a revolutionary breakthrough that sparked the beginning of the 3D printing era.

The beauty of recessed can downlights is their seeming sleekness. They barely interrupt the ceiling plane, which can be an especially big bonus in homes with lower ceiling heights and in clean-lined contemporary room plans.

A decade ago, LED lighting was still fighting for acceptance among designers, contractors and consumers. Early product generations suffered from quality control problems, flickering and light that was too far into the blue end of the visual spectrum.

Tube lamps have been a go-to for decades and, while the latest LED fixtures often incorporate integrated lighting elements – in other words, no separate lamps – millions of troffer fixtures initially designed for fluorescent technology are still in service around the globe.

As someone who’s tracked LED lighting since its early days as a commercially available technology, my own experience with the products has evolved. I live in an older house with overhead lighting only in the kitchen and bathrooms, so this has mostly meant experimenting with LED bulbs (or “lamps,” in lighting designer lingo) in the 14 or 15 table fixtures scattered around my home.

As I pondered this topic, I was relaxing in our side yard, gazing at the garden in the dark. Well, not totally in the dark. The garden was delightfully illuminated by flickering tiki torch lamps … lit by LEDs, charged by the sun. Spotlights shone on my miniature windmill as it lazily spun in the evening breeze.