Flourescent lighting..

[NozSpark]

I've been asked to replace some fittings in a woodshop,, band saws, drills, planes & thicknessers only.. no lathes!!

Am I right in saying that they shoud be HF fittings or would std switch start be ok??

 

[green-hornet]

To be honest at the moment you can fit whatever you like.

However there are new rules for energy savings which is due out in 2010.

Hf fittings will on average save the consumer around 30 to 40%,in comparison with switch start.

Most companies I have dealt with in the last 12 months have been more concerned with the overall running costs, rather than the initial installation costs.

 

[NozSpark]

It's not the energy saving that I'm worried about...

I am more concerned with any possible stroboscopic effects with the machinery..

 

[Northern Electric]

Are you concerned about stroboscopic effect, ie standard fluorescents may make the machinery appear to be static?

I have fitted HF fittings in factories where this was a concern.

 

[Apache]

It's not the energy saving that I'm worried about...I am more concerned with any possible stroboscopic effects with the machinery..

Not sure it's such an issue. I have a lathe and fluorescents and no obvious effect.

 

[green-hornet]

Generally any effects on lighting to be perfectly honest is more or less to a normal healthy person not noticeable.

The problem comes when the light flicker, as all lights do, even hf, at the same frequency.

 

[Evans Electric]

I have seen the large chuck on a lathe appearing to stand still when the operator selected a certain speed , its weird and very dangerous.

An option was to use lead/lag fittings alteratively , these are not made anymore so , either HF fittings or if 3 phase, use sw/start but alternate each fitting on the next phase . R.... Y.....B.....R...Y...B etc

HF fitts the most simple way TBH.

Deke

 

[Adrian]

agree with above but my concern would be the flammable atmosphere created by all that fine saw dust, so I would use enclosed fittings

 

[Andy™]

Not sure it's such an issue. I have a lathe and fluorescents and no obvious effect.

but there is still a chance that once speed matches frequency exactly, it can appear stationary, or rotating slowly.

what phases do you have to play with there? if there spread across 3 phases, you could use switch start if each machine would be lit by different phases, otherwise use HF. or maybe use HF in machine area, and switch start in other areas?

 

[NozSpark]

They have proper dust extraction and collection and the fittings are quite high so that's not a problem...

Andy... they only have a single phase supply

 

[PC Electrics]

If it's any kind of 'company' workshop (ie people are employed to operate machines), I'd say you pretty much have to fit HF fittings for H&S. Any moving machinary can appear to be stationary if the 'speed' of the machine matches the frequency of the lights (50Hz). Even the bandsaw if the blade speed is such that 50 teeth per second pass a stationary point.

If it's a private workshop then the client has the choice. However in this case I would recommend in writing to fit HF - no comeback later if the client declines your advice.

When I first started my apprenticeship back in 1983, we had a half day safety talk as part of the first weeks induction course. We were shown photos of real injuries caused by various mishaps. Some of the group were sick at the sight of some of the more gruesome pictures.

Never discount the possibility of an accident, no matter how wierd or unlikely it may sound. For example, in around 1989 'we' had a chap decapitated by an entrance barrier!! Even at the time it was hard to believe, but I was on site that day and it was in all the local press that night.