23 June 2014

Bridgelux expanding China operations

Bridgelux Inc of Livermore, CA, USA (a vertically integrated manufacturer of solid-state light sources for lighting applications) has announced a major expansion of its China operations, significantly increasing its investment and capabilities in China.

To better serve its rapidly growing customer base in China, Bridgelux has opened an R&D center in Xiamen dedicated to supporting the development and manufacture of new solid state lighting products, including extensions to its V Series chip-on-board (COB) product line. In addition, the firm will be opening an applications lab in Shanghai’s Hongqiao district to assist its China customers with the design and enhancement of lamps and fixtures that integrate Bridgelux’s LED light source products.

Over the last decade, the Chinese LED market has expanded rapidly, to an estimated RMB32bn for LED lamps and luminaire and over RMB8bn at the LED package level in 2013. Bridgelux says that, with its dedication to low-cost LED solutions, it has grown its business steadily over its 10-year history in the country. “Our customers in China are playing an increasingly important role in the global lighting market,” says Tim Lester, VP of operations & chief financial officer. “We are committed to supporting them in their rapid growth and worldwide expansion by dramatically increasing our local in-country capabilities.”

Opened earlier this year, Bridgelux’s Xiamen R&D facility is co-located with Kaistar Lighting, a strategic supply chain partner and investor in the firm. In only a few months, Bridgelux has hired several engineers and installed a pilot line and test equipment. It plans to continue to build critical engineering and product development capabilities at the Xiamen facility through 2014 and beyond. Bridgleux also plans in future to utilize the Xiamen facility in support of the development and manufacture of products geared to meet the requirements of the Chinese market, working closely with Kaistar and taking full advantage of the company’s manufacturing assets in the region.

The new Shanghai applications lab will be located in Bridgelux’s existing office location in the Hongqiao area. It will be modeled after the Bridgelux Application Test (BAT) lab in Livermore, providing critical application design support, including optical, mechanical, thermal, and certification testing services. The firm reckons that, with these capabilities on the ground in China, it will be well positioned to support its customers’ need for faster cycle times.

“With the help of local Bridgelux resources, our customers will be better positioned to participate in the rapid replacement of legacy technologies with high-quality, cost-effective LED lamps and fixtures in China and throughout the world,” says Lester.

Bridgelux exhibited its most recent product releases, including the high-performance, low-cost V Series LED light sources, at the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition in China (9-12 June).

See related items:

Bridgelux expands V Series line of LED chip-on-board light sources

Tags: Bridgelux LEDs

Visit: www.bridgelux.com