Frontline International, Inc. is a leading global supplier of commercial restaurant equipment for managing cooking oil. The “green” side of its business focuses on manufacturing and warehousing commercial kitchen equipment that efficiently recycles used cooking oil for use as renewable alternative fuels; this has grown steadily to the point where now all of the equipment it produces is geared toward recycling. As the Ohio-based company expanded, many of its eco-conscious customers began asking about the sustainability and environmental impact of Frontline’s own operations, so the organisation’s management began to explore ways to make its operations more environmentally friendly. This search led Frontline to Dialight’s LED lighting solution that is now also available in the UK and Europe.
The search for a “green” lighting solution
At the time of the search, Frontline was in the early stages of designing a new plant facility. In its other facility fluorescent and incandescent lighting had been used for the assembly areas. This required a large number of fixtures to get the bright light needed for assembly operations and energy consumption was enormous. Company president John Palazzo and his team began investigating alternative lighting options to reduce the amount of energy required to light their new plant.
After evaluating high pressure sodium lights, newer fluorescent technologies and LED lighting solutions, they decided that LED lighting was the optimum eco-friendly solution and chose applied LED technology specialist Dialight’s DuroSite™ Series LED High Bays for several key reasons: their robust design and construction, high energy efficiency, hands-free minimal maintenance and low total cost of ownership over time. Frontline felt they would be ideally suited for its high-ceiling manufacturing and warehouse facilities.
Brighter illumination from fewer light fittings
With unique highly efficient 11,600 lumens (77lm/w), the Dialight DuroSite™ Series LED High Bay fittings combine the latest in high brightness LED technology (Cree® XLamp® XP-G LED), precision optics and next generation thermal management practices. These fittings are able to deliver ultra-bright clear white light uniformly across the facility’s assembly floor.
Even though Frontline’s new facility is approximately three times the size of its other manufacturing facility, it was able to significantly downsize the number of light fittings needed in the new plant. It now gets brighter illumination with fewer lights running on far less electricity, lowering energy consumption and costs and reducing its carbon footprint.
Improving safety, efficiency and environment for employees
“Our employees love the new brightly lit facility, joking that it makes the old plant feel like a dungeon,” commented Palazzo. “It was very important for us to make sure we had enough lumens to make the workplace ergonomic for our employees. The Dialight High Bay overhead fittings are a huge improvement, providing light bright enough for assembly work at waist level and even at floor level. The ultra-bright illumination not only expedites assembly work, it also makes the work environment much safer for our workers.”
Frontline’s electrical contractors were sceptical at first of the decision to install LED fittings, Palazzo said. “But once they saw the Dialight fittings and started working with them, they were impressed with how quickly and easily the fixtures installed, and how bright their illumination was. In fact, they brought in light meters that verified the even distribution of clear, white, high quality light throughout the facility, even in remote corners. Now they’re recommending Dialight LED lighting solutions to their other customers.”
Maintenance-free and long life LED light fittings
Another benefit that Frontline likes is that the Dialight DuroSite High Bay fixtures are virtually maintenance free. The LED lights sustain approximately 80% lumen capacity over 60,000 operating hours and last for an average of ten years. This reduces maintenance burden and equipment replacement costs, and the maintenance staff doesn’t have to risk injury from changing high ceiling-mounted bulbs.
For more information see www.dialight.com and for sales call Rob Owen on 01638 665 161 or email rob.owen@dialight.co.uk.
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