This week our website got a makeover! Out with the old and in with the new for 2014. Lighting Japan 2014 has taken center stage this week, drawing more than 10,000 visitors. This year’s expo was the largest ever, comprising of three specialized shows. Designers, buyers, and visitors all flocked to the exhibition which ran from Jan.15-17 at Big Sight Tokyo. In addition, manufacturers have released their latest financial reports this week.

Lighting Japan 2014 was comprised of three specialized shows, including the LED/OLED Lighting Expo, making it the biggest ever. Running from Jan. 15-17, the show was held at Big Sight Tokyo. Global lighting heavy weights including Philips, Osram, GE, Panasonic, and Toshiba to name a few, all displayed their new products for the upcoming year. LED components were not the only focal point of the expo. Lighting application and high density integration (HDI) systems also draw a lot of attention from buyers and visitors. OLED application in lighting was another notable trend during the show. 

Lighting Japan 2014, an event organized by Reed Exhibition’s Japan arm that ran from Jan. 15-17 at Tokyo Big Sight successfully concluded on the 17th. The three day lighting show has attracted over 9,000 international and domestic visitors during the first two days.

A large number of LED manufacturers have set a high goal for quantity of LED bulb and LED tube light shipments. However, the number of manufacturers who are able to employ a completely automated production system is small. Only a limited number of LED manufactures are currently producing LED bulbs through automated production. LED tube design is yet to be integrated and differences between assembly processes has lead to the market not being fully equipped for automated production of tube lighting.

Larson Electronics has announced the release of a new Bar Clamp Mounted LED Spotlight. The BCML-LEDP-2X10WRE Bar Clamp Mount Spotlight offers high output in a durable, low profile housing. The bar clamp mount on this light makes it the perfect mounting solution for any ATV, UTV, golf cart and boat that has a rail or bar.

RIDI Lighting is pleased to announce its latest LED downlighter – the first to include its own high output chip set module, which lowers costs by around 30%. The long life rating L80 means that it will still be outputting 80% of its total light after 50,000 hours of use.

GIBSS has launched its LED lamp series for residential consumers. The residential LED lighting product line is set to replace traditional technologies such as CFLs, incandescent bulbs and will offer energy savings of up to 80%.

Taiwanese LED manufacturer Everlight intent of further developing LED luminaires becomes more evident at Lighting Japan 2014, which took place from Jan. 15-17 at Tokyo Big Sight. In the far corner of prototype lighting at the lighting trade show, Everlight Group subsidiary Liang displayed a series of new LED luminaire prototypes. The new player on the LED market speaks about its origins and brand philosophy.

At Lighting Japan 2014, it was clear that large manufacturers have been quickening their pace in introducing OLED into the lighting market. Large international manufacturer Osram spoke about developing OLED in the lighting market during the lighting expo.

Hajime Suzuki, Director and Group Vice President of Reed Exhibitions Japan talks about some of the trends observed at Lighting Japan 2014 this year. The exhibition runs from Jan. 15-17 at Big Sight Tokyo and is one of the biggest lighting events in Asia.

Decorative super mini LED luminaire no bigger than a ball pen attracted the attention of many passer bys at Lighting Japan 2014 at Tokyo Big Sight. Founder of Kadoya Studio Rumi Fukumoto speaks about her miniature LED lighting design IEJI at Lighting Japan 2014.

Honglitronics released their 2013 year performance report on January 15th. The company estimated a net profit of between NT $54.36 million and NT $63.82 million (US $1.8 million and US $2.1 million), YoY increase from 15 percent to 35 percent compared to NT $47.27 million in 2012.

Cree will announce the company's 2Q14 earnings during a webcast on January 21st.

GE Lighting’s Evolve LED Scalable Area Light has earned a 2013 LightTrades™ Award presented by EdisonReport, which recognizes the top ten lighting products introduced in 2013.

Xicato announced that its 4000 lumen XSM LED module achieves new levels of light output and light density without increasing the form factor or light emitting surface. This enables more light in applications and, it allows for better, tighter beam control from luminaires that incorporate the XSM light source.

The TITAN is the first stainless steel addition to the LIFEFORM LED underwater series. Combining intense light output with power saving efficiency, the TITAN has captured the attention of boaters around the world.

Hubbell Lighting announced the perfect energy efficient luminaire for messy industrial environments—Columbia Lighting’s LXEM LED Enclosed and Gasketed Fiberglass Industrial Luminaire. Built with design flexibility in mind, the LXEM is available in a wide range of lumen packages and offered in three different lengths—all in the same family.

Product designer and founder of Step Design Masahiko Uchiyama speaks about his latest prototype lighting Luna at Lighting Japan 2014, which runs at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan from Jan.15-17. Uchiyama graduated with an industrial design degree major from Chiba University Industrial Design Department in 1984.

Elec-Tech revealed on January 14th plans to establish a joint venture focused on LED production in Bengbu city, Anhui Providence. The joint venture will have a registered capital of RMB 1.4 billion (US $231.4 million), of which RMB 1 million is provided by Elec-Tech through funds, materials, and intangible assets. The company will own 71.43 percent in shares. The other 28.57 percent is owned by Bengbu City Holding Corporation who invested RMB 400 million.

At Lighting Japan 2014 in Tokyo Big Sight, OLED industry insiders of have noted that there is still a long way to go before the technology can become mature enough to compete with LEDs.

Refond Optoelectronics released their performance report for 2013 on January 14th. The company estimates that market listed company shareholder net profit will reach between RMB 56 million and RMB 63 million (US $9.3 million and US $ 10.4 million), growth of 20-34 percent YoY. Net profit in 2012 was RMB 46.86 million.

The general conception for OLED applications has been: pretty fancy designs. In the past OLEDs have been mostly used in luxury luminaires, with hefty price tags that only a few can afford. However, manufacturers are looking beyond the niche market of designer made luminaires to more general markets at Lighting Japan 2014, a lighting exhibition event that runs through Jan. 15-17 at Tokyo Big Sight.

Kingsun released their 2013 revised earnings forecast on January 14th. In the company’s earlier 3Q13 report, they originally estimated net profit for market listed company shareholders in 2013 to reach RMB 105-136 million (US $17.4-22.5 million).

Leading chip manufacturers including San’an Optoelectronics (San’an Opto) and HC SemiTek Corp. (HC SemiTek) have been turning from 2 inch to 4 inch epitaxial wafers, which industry insiders anticipated to be the upcoming trend in 2014.

Cree, Inc. introduces the CXB High-Bay LED luminaire, the first LED fixture designed to compete directly with the 67 million traditional high-bay luminaires currently installed in North America. Cree® CXB High-Bay LED luminaire delivers 23,000 lumens and provides an unmatched combination of high performance and affordability, eliminating the need for energy-wasting fluorescent and HID high-bay luminaires.

GE engineers are helping with plans to build the world’s largest crystal chandelier for Cleveland’s Playhouse Square. The 20-foot chandelier will use 4,200 crystal pieces and tens of thousands of GE LED lights and lighting modules. The light piece will be permanently suspended 40 feet above the street from a special steel support system.

Since the launch of its Impact series of LED video display panels—featuring Cree® high-brightness SMD (Surface-mount diode) LEDs—Lighthouse has dominated the outdoor SMD LED display market with more than 107,639 square feet (10,000 square meters) of active outdoor SMD LED area. Powered by LEDs from Durham, N.C.-based Cree, Lighthouse and its partners have wowed people around the world with record breaking installations such as the 2013 display at Safeco Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners (Impact 16).

Acclaim Lighting offers DynaGraze Interior SO, a linear, low profile, single-color, high-output fixture for indoor wall grazing applications.

Aeon Lighting Technology expands its Orion Series of LED retrofit recessed lights with the introduction of a new 4-inch downlight (20W). The new model is for existing sites, new construction and remodel installations.

NTL Lemnis, the LED lighting solutions company, showcased a wide range of products of its brand, “Pharox” at  ACETECH 2014, Ahmedabad.  ACETECH is one of the most important exhibitions for the construction industry.