TM-21 Explained

TM-21 is a standard used in the lighting industry to estimate the lumen maintenance of LED lighting products over time. It is related to LM-80, which is a standard used to measure the lumen maintenance of LED packages (the individual components that make up an LED lighting product).

LM-80 is a standardized test method that measures the lumen maintenance of LED packages over time. It is used to determine how long an LED package will maintain its initial brightness, based on accelerated testing under controlled conditions. LM-80 testing provides data on the lumen maintenance of an LED package for up to 6,000 hours of operation.

TM-21, on the other hand, is a standard that uses LM-80 data to estimate the lumen maintenance of an entire LED lighting product over time. By using LM-80 data from the LED packages used in a specific lighting product, TM-21 can estimate the expected lumen maintenance of the entire product over a longer period of time (typically up to 100,000 hours or more).

TM-21 is a useful tool for manufacturers, designers, and specifiers to estimate the long-term performance of LED lighting products. It can be used to compare different LED products and select the most suitable product for a specific application based on its expected lumen maintenance over time. Additionally, TM-21 can help ensure that the specified lighting levels are maintained over the lifetime of the product, which is important in many applications where consistent lighting levels are critical.

In summary, TM-21 is a standard used in the lighting industry to estimate the lumen maintenance of LED lighting products over time. It is related to LM-80, which is a standard used to measure the lumen maintenance of LED packages. TM-21 uses LM-80 data to estimate the expected lumen maintenance of an entire LED lighting product over a longer period of time.

Application Example

Let's say that a lighting manufacturer is developing a new LED lighting product for use in a commercial office environment. The manufacturer wants to ensure that the product will maintain its initial brightness level for at least 50,000 hours of operation, which is the expected lifespan of the product.

To determine whether the product meets this requirement, the manufacturer conducts LM-80 testing on the LED packages used in the product. Based on this testing, the manufacturer determines that the LED packages have a lumen maintenance of 95% at 6,000 hours of operation.

Using this LM-80 data, the manufacturer then employs the TM-21 standard to estimate the lumen maintenance of the entire lighting product over 50,000 hours of operation. Based on the TM-21 calculation, the manufacturer estimates that the product will have a lumen maintenance of at least 85% after 50,000 hours of operation.

This estimate provides the manufacturer with confidence that the product will meet its performance requirements over its expected lifespan. It also allows the manufacturer to compare the estimated lumen maintenance of its product with that of other LED lighting products, helping them to select the most suitable product for their specific application.