LED lighting – not as stable as we’re told?

It’s probably ten years since LED’s started to make real inroads in the machine vision world. Up until that point we’d all used fluorescent and halogen lighting, but LED’s, so we were assured, were stable and long-lasting.

Turns out, that’s not strictly accurate. Yes, LED’s make a great light source, but they are not perfect. More specifically, heat is their great enemy. As an LED warms up its output drops. Not a lot, but perhaps enough to alter a critical measurement.

What’s the answer? Well CCS has a few tips on their website, under the heading of “Skillful use of LED lights.” Take a look and pick up a few ideas for your next project.