Litecool files Lumen Block PCB-free LED packaging patent

April 30, 2015
An LED package that doesn’t require any circuit board enhances performance and reduces costs for luminaire manufacturers.

Sheffield, UK, April 2015 - Litecool, a leading innovator in LED packaging and thermal performance, announced that it has filed a patent on a PCB-free LED packaging technology known as Lumen Block™. This new LED packaging enables the assembly of LED arrays with no circuit board, putting the LED package directly on the heat sink for ultimate thermal performance and cost reduction.

Litecool’s Lumen Block™ is an LED package that can connect directly to the next LED package without the need for a circuit board to hold it or provide connections. They can be placed directly onto a heat sink and automatically clip together, forming mechanical and electrical connections. That means no soldering, no PCB, and direct thermal connection to the heat sink.

This LED packaging technology is set to shake up the existing supply chain by removing the need for PCBs and SMT assembly. Litecool takes bare chips from die manufacturers and puts them in their package, which they supply directly to luminaire manufacturers who can then simply place them on their heat sinks. This shortened supply chains means the system is more easily optimized for specific applications, reduces time to market for new products, and reduces costs.

“At Litecool we like to enable higher-performance and lower-cost luminaires. Our technology so far has doubled lumen density, for our customers giving significant system cost saving. The Lumen Block will take this a big step further removing MCPCB [metal core PCB] materials and SMT assembly from the LED array, making it fast and easy for luminaire manufacturers to arrange LED arrays with a simple pick-and-place machine,” said James Reeves, CEO, Litecool.

“Instead of trying to reduce the thermal resistance of an individual component in a system, we ask ourselves why these components were in the system at all. By removing the circuit board form the system we can optimize cost and performance. The Lumen Block is the collimation of Litecool’s technology optimizing thermal performance and manufacturing,” commented Elwyn Wakefield, chief packaging engineer, Litecool.

The Lumen Block™ will be available with a variety of LED die inside, giving a choice of performance. The first product will be a 10mm x 10mm package containing a Cree Gen 3 LED capable of nearly 150 lm/W efficacy. The packages will fit standard optics from Carclo, achieving a range of high efficiency beam patterns.

About Litecool.
Litecool is a leader in thermally efficient LED packaging and thermal design. We believe that by focusing on thermal performance engineering at package level we can help our customers to achieve breakthrough performance in efficiency and reliability, enabling a new generation of luminaires which are sleeker, cooler and more cost effective.

Contact:

Litecool
+44-(0)114-2216-001
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