Manufacturing facilities have lighting requirements that go beyond typical commercial spaces. The work is precise, the hours are long, and the environment is often challenging.

Here’s how to approach LED lighting for manufacturing.

The Manufacturing Context

Manufacturing lighting must support:

Visual tasks: Assembly, inspection, quality control, machining—often requiring high light levels and excellent colour rendering.

Safety: Adequate visibility to prevent accidents around machinery, vehicles, and materials handling.

Shift operations: Many facilities run 24/7, meaning lights are on continuously or for extended periods.

Challenging environments: Dust, vibration, temperature extremes, oil mist, chemicals.

The combination of precision requirements and harsh conditions makes manufacturing lighting a specialist area.

Light Levels for Manufacturing

AS/NZS 1680.1 and .2 provide guidance, but manufacturing often exceeds minimums:

Task	Recommended Lux
General manufacturing	300-500
Assembly work	500-750
Fine assembly	750-1000
Inspection and quality control	1000-1500
Colour matching	1000-1500
Precision machining	500-750 at work surface

For visual inspection tasks, luminance uniformity and shadow control matter as much as absolute lux levels.

Colour Rendering Requirements

Manufacturing quality control often depends on accurate colour perception:

General manufacturing: CRI 80 is adequate for most assembly and process work.

Quality inspection: CRI 90+ is recommended. For colour-critical inspection (paint, textiles, printing), CRI 95+ and controlled colour temperature.

Standardised lighting booths: For formal colour assessment, dedicated inspection stations with D50 or D65 light sources meeting standards like AS 1580 or ISO 3664.

Cheap LEDs with poor colour rendering can hide defects that proper lighting would reveal. In manufacturing, that’s a quality and liability issue.

Task Lighting and Local Illumination

General overhead lighting provides ambient illumination, but many manufacturing tasks need supplementary local lighting:

Machine tool lights: Adjustable lights focused on work areas of CNC machines, lathes, mills.

Assembly station lights: Task lights at workbenches for detailed assembly.

Inspection luminaires: High-output, controlled lighting for QC stations.

Local lighting allows higher levels where needed without excessive overall installation.

Dealing with Harsh Environments

Dust and Particulates

Manufacturing generates dust, swarf, and airborne particles. Fittings need appropriate IP ratings:

• IP54: Dust-protected, suitable for most indoor manufacturing
• IP65: Dust-tight, better for heavy dust environments
• IP66: For high-pressure cleaning requirements

Consider ease of cleaning. Smooth surfaces and accessible lenses simplify maintenance.

Vibration

Machinery creates vibration that can loosen fittings or damage components.

Solutions:

• Use vibration-resistant mountings
• Select fittings with secure internal component mounting
• Avoid rigid connections that transmit vibration
• Consider flexible pendant mounting

Temperature

Some manufacturing areas have extreme temperatures:

• Foundries and heat treatment: High ambient temperatures
• Cold processing: Sub-zero environments

Check thermal ratings: Standard LED fittings may fail prematurely in extreme conditions. Specify products rated for the actual operating temperature.

Chemical Exposure

Environments with oil mist, solvents, or corrosive chemicals require:

• Chemical-resistant housing materials
• Sealed construction
• Appropriate IP ratings

For harsh chemical environments, consult with fitting manufacturers about material compatibility.

Shift Work Considerations

24/7 manufacturing has specific implications:

Energy Consumption

Lights running continuously consume substantial energy. LED efficiency matters more when operating hours are high.

Example: 100 x 150W highbays running 24/7

• Annual consumption: 100 x 150W x 8,760 hours = 131,400 kWh
• At $0.28/kWh: $36,792/year in lighting energy alone

LED retrofit savings scale with operating hours. High-usage facilities see the fastest paybacks.

Circadian and Alertness Issues

Night shift workers can suffer from fatigue and reduced alertness. While lighting alone doesn’t solve shift work challenges, appropriate lighting can help:

• Bright, cooler light (4000K+) during night shifts supports alertness
• Avoid very warm, dim lighting that promotes sleepiness
• Some facilities are experimenting with tunable lighting for shift workers

This is an emerging area. The research is promising but not yet conclusive.

Maintenance Access

With continuous operations, finding downtime for lighting maintenance is challenging.

Strategies:

• Select long-life products that minimise maintenance frequency
• Design for easy access (quick-disconnect mounting, accessible drivers)
• Schedule maintenance during planned production shutdowns
• Maintain spare fittings for rapid replacement

Integration with Production Systems

In advanced manufacturing, lighting can integrate with other systems:

Safety systems: Lights can change colour or flash to indicate hazards, machine status, or emergency conditions.

Production monitoring: Lighting fixtures can host sensors for occupancy, environmental monitoring, or production tracking.

Demand response: Connected lighting can respond to grid signals or facility energy management, dimming during peak demand periods.

For facilities looking at Industry 4.0 or smart manufacturing initiatives, lighting can be part of the intelligent infrastructure. Companies working on smart building automation sometimes include manufacturing lighting in broader facility intelligence projects.

The Retrofit Approach

Many Australian manufacturing facilities still have metal halide, high-pressure sodium, or fluorescent lighting. The retrofit opportunity is significant:

Typical savings:

• Metal halide to LED: 50-70% energy reduction
• Fluorescent to LED: 30-50% energy reduction

Payback factors:

• High operating hours accelerate payback
• ESC/VEEC rebates reduce net investment
• Maintenance savings add to the case

Implementation considerations:

• Stage installation around production schedules
• Maintain adequate light levels during transition
• Commission and adjust for proper light distribution
• Train operators on any new controls

Product Selection

For manufacturing applications, look for:

Quality brands: Established manufacturers with industrial ranges and proper testing.

Appropriate IP ratings: Match to the actual environment.

High efficacy: 130+ lumens per watt for efficient operation.

Good colour rendering: CRI 80 minimum, higher for inspection areas.

Quality drivers: Meanwell, Philips Xitanium, Osram—brands that don’t fail.

Warranty: 5+ years from suppliers who will be around to honour it.

The Business Case

Manufacturing lighting retrofits typically show strong returns:

Energy savings: Substantial, especially for 24/7 operations.

Maintenance reduction: Metal halide lamp replacement in high bays is expensive. LEDs last years without service.

Quality improvement: Better lighting supports better quality outcomes.

Safety improvement: Adequate illumination reduces accidents.

Rebates: ESC/VEEC programs can fund 30-50% of project costs.

For manufacturing facilities that haven’t yet upgraded to LED, the case is usually compelling. The challenge is often finding the installation window, not justifying the investment.

Summary

Manufacturing LED lighting requires:

• Light levels appropriate to the tasks
• Colour rendering suitable for quality requirements
• Products robust enough for the environment
• Design that considers shift operations
• Installation that minimises production disruption

Get these right, and LED lighting supports manufacturing excellence while delivering substantial energy and maintenance savings.

It’s one of the clearest wins in commercial lighting.