Soso LED Network: According to statistics, the output value of the global LED chip component industry (epi wafers, die, packaging, modules) in 2014 was approximately US$20 billion, with an annual growth rate of 6%. Compared with 2013, we can see that in the revenue ranking of the world's top 15 LED component companies in 2014, Nichia still ranked first. After the merger of Taiwan Epistar and Canyuan, it climbed three places and ranked fourth. In terms of mainland companies, Sanan Optoelectronics jumped from the 15th place to the 10th place. Mulinsen, which has risen rapidly, has also risen several levels, ranking eleventh after Sanan Optoelectronics.
The situation is similar to various rich lists such as "Forbes" and "Hurun". Although they are released freshly every year, in fact, those who come and go, go up or down, or rise or fall, are basically still familiar faces clustered at the front. By comparing the revenue rankings of the world's top 15 LED chip component companies in 2013 and 2014, we found that the top 15 top companies in the industry only "fine-tuned" their positions individually. As Lu Shaoxu, project manager and senior industry analyst of the Optoelectronics Association, pointed out, "After years of reshuffle in the global LED industry, the development trend of the big player Evergrande has become increasingly obvious."
The LED lighting market will gradually become the largest application outlet for LED chip components. However, due to the low technical threshold of general LED lighting applications, manufacturers’ influx of investment has caused difficulties in the operations of various companies. The big companies of "Big One Evergrande" are superior. Due to the obvious gap, he believes that competing for output, technology, price, and access are not the survival methods that small and medium-sized enterprises can rely on. How to use limited resources to accurately invest in niche LED application markets with great development potential is an urgent matter.
So, what are the niche LED application markets with great development potential? Let’s take a look at:
1. Intelligent dimming driver for LED lamps
Generally, the ecological chain of LED lighting manufacturers is divided into three major types: consumer type - the market leader Evergrande, commercial lighting - quality first, and intelligent lighting - technology guidance for profit. Reduce the cost of LED components through cost updates, and use application renovation to reduce energy-saving guidance. Intelligent guidance of product value, structural renovation, introduction of new systems or the advantages of power supply architecture guidance drive LED smart lighting to replace the traditional lighting market.
It highlights the higher energy-saving effect of intelligent dimming of LED lamps, reducing light attenuation, extending power life, combined with sensor detection, automatic brightness compensation, and the convenience of free situation changes. Bathroom and enclosed lighting solutions adopt automatic temperature control. Use mobile sensing in parking lots, warehouses, and aisles. The office uses automatic brightness compensation. The conference room and living room use manual energy saving. Color temperature modulation is used in various environmental spaces such as commercial spaces, restaurants, and photo studios.
2. LED explosion-proof lighting
As LED lighting technology is applied in general outdoor places and indoor home lighting has gradually matured, taking the Japanese market, where the LED lighting market has taken off the fastest, as an example, many companies have entered into high-end industrial LED explosion-proof lamps, representative manufacturers such as StarHub Electric, Iwasaki Electric, etc. Explosion-proof lamps are widely used in special working environments where electrical and dust are flammable and explosive, such as petrochemical, chemical, mining, semiconductor, shipbuilding, food, pharmaceutical factories, spray painting fields, etc. Explosion-proof lamps have strict requirements in terms of structure and testing specifications. In terms of product development, power consumption and lifespan are the first priority, followed by color rendering and brightness, and finally cost.
3. Ultraviolet LED (UV LED) light source equipment
UV is divided into UV-V (above 400nm, visible light), UV-A (320~400nm, black light wave; near ultraviolet light), UV-B (280~320nm, erythema wave; semi-ultraviolet light), UV-C (200~280nm, germicidal wave; far ultraviolet light).
The UV curing process is the process of using light energy to harden coatings, adhesives, and inks, instantly turning the coatings, adhesives, and inks from liquid to solid. UV light is used to initiate the chemical process of bridging. The formula does not contain solvents and is a pollution-free process. It is also a low-temperature and easy-to-control process. With the development of UV LED technology, corresponding products that replace traditional UV light sources have also come out one after another, and light source companies have also introduced UV LED light source equipment.
4. LED lamp automotive lighting
Statistics show that the penetration rate of LED products for interior use in automobiles was 80% in 2012, and is expected to rise to 90% by 2020. The penetration rate of LED taillights was close to 40% in 2012 and will increase to 67% in 2020. LED daytime running lights/fog lights will climb from 20% in 2012 to 50% in 2020. The penetration rate of LED headlights will slowly rise from single-digit penetration in 2012 to 21% in 2020.
Future headlights will use an Adaptive Front-Lighting System, combined with white LED lighting sources with high design variability, to intelligently adjust the light pattern distribution of headlights, dynamically enhance corner illumination and blind spots caused by vehicle cornering, and integrate infrared technology and sensing elements to prevent high beams from causing glare to oncoming driving and supplement pedestrian lighting.
5. LED lighting for sports fields
Sports field lighting uses high-pressure sodium lamps and mercury lamps as the main lighting sources. At this stage, LED lighting for large-area sports field lighting is still quite rare. Sports field lighting needs to clearly present the target object (such as the ball) to the athletes, spectators and broadcasters, so it is necessary to pay attention to horizontal illumination, vertical illumination, uniformity, glare (reflection from the surface of the object, it is better to use external oblique illumination), contrast illumination (contrast between the main field and the background), appropriate color temperature and color rendering, protection against ball impact damage, ease of maintenance and other design considerations.
6. LED lamp extremely low temperature lamp special lighting
Due to low temperature conditions, problems such as traditional lamps failing to operate properly, power supply damage, dimming of lights, broken lamps contaminating food, poor color rendering, flickering or failure to light up when the temperature is low, and poor waterproofing may occur. The demand for refrigeration and low-temperature lighting lies in refrigerated warehouses, low-temperature freezers, low-temperature food processing plants, low-temperature logistics/low-temperature containers, biotechnology medical laboratories, cold areas and other places.
In fact, the LED field should focus on the development of LED niche market applications and explore niche LED application markets with great development potential. In addition to the above-mentioned cost-effective LED intelligent dimming drivers, UV LED applications in the printing and electronic industries, LED automotive lighting applications, LED applications in sports field lighting, ultra-low temperature lamps, and LED explosion-proof lamp applications required for special flammable and explosive working environments such as electricity and dust that the petrochemical industry attaches great importance to, it also includes LED biomedical optoelectronics, plant growth lights, etc. According to Lu Shaoxu, in order to gain a place to survive in the fiercely competitive global industry environment, small and medium-sized enterprises should actively deploy these LED niche markets to create a blue ocean market with high profit opportunities.
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