light diffuser
DESCRIPTION
select a perfect light diffuserTRANSCRIPT
1
Select the perfect
light diffuserp o s s i b i l i t i e s
i n v e n t o r y
p r a c t i c a l e x a m p l e s
Foto
IPV
De
lft
PYRASIED Diffuser Company is specialised in plastics
that make light diffuse. Our diffuser materials offer an
optimum balance between high light transmission*
and excellent dispersion of light - without the light’s
becoming distractingly visible, of course. The quality
of our plastic diffusers is exceptional because of the
use of nanotechnologies, precision processing and
the very best additives and raw materials. These pure
nano-additives are crucial to the optimum balance
between light transmission and diffusion. With our dif-
fusers, you get minimum light loss, maximum bespo-
ke diffusion and colour purity.
Wide assortment
Since there are so many different applications and so
many different light sources with a very diverse range
of light spectra, angles of egress and temperatures,
we have put together a broad range of diffusers with
disparate characteristics and properties. Nearly eve-
ry application comes with its own requirements and,
with our collection, we offer you the desired flexibility.
PYRASIEDdiffusers
2
3
Which material to use? 4
Photometric properties 5
Standard collection 6
Professional collection 8
Advanced collection 10
Decision tree 12
Optical plastics 14
Light guide plates 15
Diffuser tubes 16
Round rod “Ghost” 17
Additional services 18
List of terms 19
Practical examples 20
Also good to know 22
This documentation provides a complete overview of
our entire assor tment of diffusers. We’ve worked on
this enthusiastically for seven years!
To maintain an overview in our wide assor tment, we
distinguish among:
• Standard collection (good properties, the most fa-
vorable price)
• Professional collection (above-average quality,
good price)
• Advanced collection (optimised diffusers with the
very best properties, the highest ‘efficiency’ and a
corresponding price)
Differing material properties
The diffuser collections consist of various materials,
namely acrylic, polycarbonate and PETG.
These plastics have considerably differing proper-
ties, so that you can always satisfy the requirements
demanded by a given application. The diffusers are
kept in inventory in various thicknesses, light transmis-
sions, diffusion factors, shapes and surface types.
The decision trees on page 12 are there to assist you
in making the proper selection. On page 20, you’ll
find three frequently occurring practical examples
with the proper solution.
Quality and research
PYRASIED Diffuser Company has its own technical light
laboratory and test environments. We use these to
inspect the quality of the diffusers (light colour, dif-
fusion and transmission) in each batch or series of
production.
Recommendations
Naturally, we are glad to provide you with all pos-
sible support to find the appropriate solution. Need
advice? Then please feel free to contact us by telep-
hone on +31 587676100 or mail us at [email protected].
We can help you quickly.
Sied Kooistra
*At page 19 of the brochure you’ll find a summary
and explanation of the terms used.
4
The choice is simple: acrylic
Since acrylic has the best photometric properties, our
principal is: always acrylic. Acrylic (PMMA) has an ex-
tremely high rate of light transmission and is 100% co-
lourless. It is stable under the influence of UV, colour-
fast, resistant to temperatures of up to 80° C, fairly rigid
and resistant to many chemicals. Another of acrylic’s
advantages is that it can be produced in small quan-
tities, offering flexibility. Acrylic is durable and recycla-
ble. It has a fire classification of E in accordance with
EN13501. Acrylic burns without forming smoke.
We distinguish between two types of acrylic: extruded
acrylic and cast acrylic. A significant advantage of
extruded acrylic is that it barely has any thickness to-
lerance.
So when do we advise polycarbonate?
Polycarbonate (Makrolon®) can be considered when
you’re looking for material that is impact-resistant. Or
when a fire classification of EN 13501 Bd1s0 is re-
quired. In contrast to acrylic, polycarbonate can be
bent when cold and can resist higher temperatures
- up to 120° C. Polycarbonate is less rigid than acrylic
and is not UV-resistant of itself. Thickness tolerances
are quite small since polycarbonate is extruded.
When do we use PETG?
An advantage of PETG (Vivak®) is that fewer toxic ga-
ses are released in the event of a fire than with po-
lycarbonate. At Schiphol airpor t, only PETG may be
used. PETG is excellent for fairly low-temperature for-
mation without pre-drying. This is a huge advantage.
However, the temperature for use is also quite low:
70° C is the limit.
Exterior applications
impact-resistant, fire classification BS1d0
minimal thickness tolerance
structural application
polycarbonate UVPPETG UVP
acrylic XTpolycarbonate UVP
cast acrylicthickness > 10mm
Interior applications
impact-resistant, fire classification BS1d0
minimal thickness tolerance
structural application
food airports
polycarbonatePETG
acrylic XTpolycarbonate
PETG PETGcast acrylicthickness > 10mm
Which mater ia l to use?
Decision tree for material selection
5
When selecting the proper light diffuser, both material
properties and photometric properties are important.
Here we speak of light transmission, diffusion and ef-
ficiency. Before presenting the various diffusers, we
would like to explain these concepts briefly. Page 19
contains a list of definitions with more technical ter-
minology.
Light transmission
Light transmission (the degree of opacity) is the
amount of light that is measured on the side of the
diffuser opposite the light source. Maximum light
transmission is 92%. The loss of 8% is related to reflec-
tion losses that light encounters upon entering and
exiting the surfaces. These losses can be reduced by
anti-reflective surface treatments.
Diffusion
The most prevalent requirement for diffusion (disper-
sion of light) is that we don’t want to see the small
points of light created by LEDs. But this is not enough!
The light surface must also be uniform. You can read
more about this in the practical examples on page
20.
Efficiency
The efficiency of the diffuser is the degree of light
transmission multiplied by diffusion. The greater the
number, the more efficient the diffuser. This aligns with
our objective: the greatest possible light transmission
and the greatest possible diffusion.
Half-peak divergence angle
What is the importance of this? With illuminated ad-
ver tising, we always want to have the adver tisement
be easily observed. This means that the half-peak di-
vergence angle must be as large as possible (see
graph 1). But with lighting, we want the light to shine
only in the precise location where we want to have
it - i.e., a limited half-peak divergence (see graph 2).
The half-peak divergence angle is also very impor-
tant when establishing UGR values. This is a standard
with which lighting must comply. Using several diffu-
sers contributes to achieving the proper UGR norm.
Photomet r ic proper t ies
Graphs half-peak divergence angle
Graph 1. Large half-peak divergence angle Pyraled® ST1
Graph 2. Limited half-peak divergence angle Pyraled® ST6
Light diffusers are nothing new, of course. The classic
opaline sheets are light diffusers that have been used
since the middle of the previous century - in light
boxes, for example. The often-used (light box) opaline
sheet has light transmission of around 30% and good
diffusion. This is fine for classic light sources and suf-
ficient installation depth. These classic opaline sheets
will cer tainly remain in our assor tment and we call
them our standard diffusers. We have even added
sheets to this standard collection, namely: additional
thicknesses of opaline polycarbonate with 30% light
transmission. One advantage of these sheets is that
they are white when the light is turned off. The price
of these common types is also quite favourable. In
addition to opaline sheets, this range also includes
diffusers that are not made of opal, but that provide
limited diffusivity due to their surface structure (satin-
finish or matte). The primary purpose of these diffusers
is to avoid direct bright observation of the light source
and, often, to provide the light source with protection
or to make it water tight.
Assortment
Table 1 provides a complete summary of the standard
diffusion assor tment that we keep in inventory for you.
The assor tment includes sheets of extruded acrylic
(XT), cast acrylic (GS), polycarbonate and PETG. Ver-
sato® is our own brand name for cast acrylic. Primo®
is our brand name for extruded acrylic (XT).
BENEFITS• good diffusivity
• stays white when the light is off
• most favorable price
Standard col lect ion
6
Luminaire of Spinlight
7
Type number Thicknessmm
Light trans-mission %
Diffusivity Efficiency Half-peak diver-gence angle
Impact resistant
UV stable Fire classificationEN.13501
Thickness tolerance
Material Surface
Versato 145.10000* 3 88 0,26 23 9 reasonable high E 0.7mm +/- cast acrylic satin/satin
Primo XT 245.10000 3 87 no pigment - - reasonable high E small acrylic XT satin/satin
Versato M21000 3 87 0,34 29 11 reasonable high E 0.7mm +/- cast acrylic satin/satin
PETG clear satin 2 85 no pigment - 10 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- PETG satin/satin
Versato 145N2* 3 72 0,47 34 20 reasonable high E 0.7mm +/- cast acrylic satin/satin
Makrolon GP2150 3 50 0,70 37 46 high no Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss
Versato 433 AS* 3 38 0,91 34 54 reasonable high E 0.7mm +/- cast acrylic gloss
Versato 433 AS 4 37 0,95 35 54 reasonable high E 0.8mm +/- cast acrylic gloss
Versato 433 AS 5 36 0,90 32 55 reasonable high E 0.9mm +/- cast acrylic gloss
PC OP NU499 UV 2 36 0,90 33 54 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss
PC OP NU499 UV 3 36 1,0 34 53 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss
PC OP NU499 UV 4 36 0,90 34 50 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss
PC OP NU499 UV 5 30 0,90 28 52 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss
Makrolon GP 130 2 30 0,80 25 54 high no Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss
Vivak 2130 UV 30 3 30 0,90 26 54 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- PETG gloss
Primo XT N385 2 30 0,98 30 55 reasonable high E small acrylic XT gloss
Primo XT N385 3 30 1,07 32 54 reasonable high E small acrylic XT gloss
Primo XT N385 4 28 1,32 37 56 reasonable high E small acrylic XT gloss
Primo XT N385 5 22 1,70 38 45 reasonable high E small acrylic XT gloss
Table 1. Standard collection
Luminaire of IDFRM
*Available to 20mm thick
8
Recent improvements in diffusers have been ac-
celerated by the emergence of more efficient light
sources, changed societal viewpoints (sustainability
and energy-saving) and technological innovations
such as extremely precise process control and nano-
technology. Professional diffusers offer more diversity
than standard diffusers. The purpose of these impro-
vements is mainly to find the right balance between
transmission and diffusion. This means diffusers with
40-60% light transmission instead of the 30% from
standard diffusers.
The optimisation from standard to professional lies
mainly in the composition of the additives. These na-
no-additives make the sheet “more efficient” - either
by allowing more light to be transmitted with equiva-
lent diffusivity or, indeed, with the same light transmis-
sion but achieving improved diffusivity compared to
standard diffusers. This means either increased light
efficiency with equivalent input or equivalent light ef-
ficiency with decreased input. An efficiency advan-
tage: lower investments and lower operational costs.
Other great advantages of using nano-addi-
tives are colour purity and stability.
Assortment
Type PyraLed® RG is a pure and cost-effective me-
dium transmission sheet that is very suitable for use
in light boxes in which LEDs are placed around the
light box. The satin-finish surface on the inside ensures
excellent dispersion of the light: diffusivity is excellent,
as is transmission. The PyraLed®3 has become a clas-
sic. This sheet is slightly bluish, as we have used a so-
called ‘brightener’. The 1113QN is a type that is often
used in luminaires - warm white, double-sided satin-
finish surface, and with a nice balance between dif-
fusion and transmission.
Professional collection
Standard collection
BENEFITS• efficiency advantage
• colour purity
• colour stability
Profess ional col lect ion
Materials research of Pyraled®3 by Beersnielsen
Type number Thicknessmm
Light trans-mission %
Diffusi-vity
Efficiency Half-peak diver-gence angle
Impact resistant
UV stable Fire classificationEN.13501
Thickness tolerance
Material Surface
PyraLed® RG 3 60 0,73 44 38 reasonable high E small acrylic XT 2 types of satin
PyraLed® RG 4 52 0,90 47 43 reasonable high E small acrylic XT 2 types of satin
PyraLed®4 3 60 0,75 45 45 reasonable high E 0.7mm +/- cast acrylic satin/gloss
Setaled® 3 60 0,65 39 34 reasonable high E 0.7mm +/- cast acrylic gloss/gloss
PyraLed® 1113QN 3 59 0,68 40 36 reasonable high E 0.7mm +/- cast acrylic satin/satin
PyraLed® 1113QN 4 53 0,65 35 39 reasonable high E 0.8mm +/- cast acrylic satin/satin
PyraLed®1* 2 53 0,80 41 to be measured high no Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss/gloss
PyraLed®1 3 55 0,80 45 to be measured high no Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss/gloss
PyraLed®1 UV 4 42 0,90 37 to be measured high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate matt/gloss
PyraLed®1b UV* 4 42 0,80 35 to be measured high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss/gloss
PyraLed®3 10 30 0,78 23 73 reasonable high E 1.4mm +/- cast acrylic satin/satin
PyraLed®3 20 18 0,65 12 45 reasonable high E 2.6mm +/- cast acrylic satin/satin
9
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*Running out of stockTable 2. Professional collection
10
in ceilings with backlighting. The
special microstructure of the
surface contributes to this type’s
perfect appearance. This diffuser
is also recommended as a front
sheet for light-conducting plates.
Bayer’s Makrolon® DX series is the very
best quality polycarbonate diffuser. We keep
all of the types indicated in stock. The DX series
is extremely suitable for use in lighting and illumina-
ted adver tising. In exterior applications, you do need
to use a UV-stabilised version. The DXAR8141 type of
light diffuser is the only one with a scratch-resistant
layer that is also UV-stabilised and very chemical-re-
sistant. So graffiti can be easily removed: practical in
such critical environments such as football stadiums,
parking garages and public transpor tation stations.
Warm and Cool tints are distinguished throughout the
entire Makrolon® DX range. We recommend using
cool white LEDs. For coloured LEDs, warm is better.
This yields a purer representation of the colour and
less whitening. The Makrolon® Lumen series is not yet
in stock but can be supplied. These polycarbonate
diffusers have high light transmission but low diffusi-
vity and are therefore par ticularly suitable as diffuser
sheets in front of a light guide plate.
The advanced diffusers have the best quality. This
quality can be found in the score for variable “effici-
ency”, a multiplication of transmission and diffusion.
In shor t, the most light transmission and the best dif-
fusion. There are also advanced diffusers made of
acrylic or polycarbonate.
The very best additives are used in the advanced
diffusers. In the OPY series made under our direction,
nano-additives are used that range in size between
50 and 100 nm. The method for dissolving these par-
ticles and keeping them in solution requires extremely
stringent process control; our producer succeeds in
this magnificently.
Advanced diffuser assortment
PyraLed® OPY2 and OPY3 are the best that is availa-
ble in cast acrylic. PyraLed® ST6 is an extruded acry-
lic, i.e. without thickness tolerance, and of very good
quality. This diffuser is par ticularly suitable for use in
backlit light boxes - as a front sheet - or as a sheet
BENEFITS• highest efficiency
• best diffusion/diffusivity
• colour purity and stability
Advanced col lect ion
11
Type number Thicknessmm
Light trans-mission %
Diffusivity Efficiency Half-peak diver-gence angle
Impact resistant
UV stable Fire classificationEN.13501
Thickness tolerance
Material Surface
PyraLed® ST6 1,5 89 0,49 43 33 reasonable high E small acrylic XT matt/gloss
PyraLed® ST6 2 88 0,60 53 33 reasonable high E small acrylic XT matt/gloss
PyraLed® ST6 3 79 0,55 43 33 reasonable high E small acrylic XT matt/gloss
PyraLed® OPY2 10 83 0,48 40 25 reasonable high E 1.4 cast acrylic gloss/gloss
PyraLed® OPY2 BS 5 75 0,55 41 26 reasonable high E 0.9 cast acrylic satin/satin
PyraLed® OPY2 BS 10 67 0,58 39 28 reasonable high E 1.4 cast acrylic satin/satin
Makrolon® DX141 1,5 76 0,78 59 39 high no Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss/gloss
Makrolon® DX141 3 63 0,82 52 60 high no Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss/gloss
Makrolon® DX139 1,5 65 0,89 58 76 high no Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss/gloss
Makrolon® DX139 3 58 0,89 52 75 high no Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss/gloss
Makrolon® DX UV 1141 1,5 76 0,77 59 47 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss/gloss
Makrolon® DX UV 1141 3 63 0,78 49 60 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss/gloss
Makrolon® DX UV 1139 1,5 65 0,89 58 76 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss/gloss
Makrolon® DX UV 1139 3 58 0,81 47 75 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss/gloss
Makrolon® DX UV NR141 1,5 74 0,73 54 about 47 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate matt/gloss
Makrolon® DX UV NR141 3 60 0,77 46 about 60 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate matt/gloss
Makrolon® DX UV NR139 1,5 67 0,92 62 about 76 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate matt/gloss
Makrolon® DX UV NR139 3 57 0,86 49 about 75 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate matt/gloss
Makrolon® DX UV AR8141* 3 60 0,80 48 about 75 high high Bs1d0 0.1mm +/- polycarbonate gloss/gloss
PyraLed® ST1 2 61 0,75 64 50 reasonable high E small acrylic XT matt/gloss
PyraLed® OPY3 10 39 0,77 30 57 reasonable high E 1.4 cast acrylic gloss/gloss
PyraLed® OPY3 BS 3 57 0,86 49 47 reasonable high E 0.7 cast acrylic satin/satin
PyraLed® OPY3 BS 10 37 0,80 29 60 reasonable high E 1.4 cast acrylic satin/satin
Table 3. Advanced collection
Lum
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*With scratch resistant layer
12
Edge Lighting Side LightingBack Lighting
close to LEDs
high thickness
PyraLed® OPY2 10mmPyraLed® OPY2BS 10mmPyraLed® OPY3 10 mmPyraLed® OPY3BS 10mmPyraLed®3 10mmPyraLed®3 20mm
PyraLed® OPY1 LightPlex®
minimal PyraLed RGthickness Primo XT N385tolerance PCNU499UV PyraLed®1 PyraLed® ST1
impact resistant PCNU499UV fire classification PyraLed®1BS1d0 PyraLed® ST1 Vivak® (airports)
exterior Primo XT N385application PCNU499UV PyraLed® ST1 Versato® 433 PyraLed®3 PyraLed® OPY3 10 mm PyraLed® OPY3BS 10mm
low price Primo XT N385 PCNU499UV PyraLed®1 PyraLed®1113QN
minimal PyraLed ST1thickness PyraLed® RGtolerance PyraLed® ST6 Makrolon® DX
impact resistant Makrolon® DX fire classification PyraLed®1BS1d0
exterior PyraLed® ST1application PyraLed® RG PyraLed® ST6 PyraLed® OPY2 (BS) PyraLed® OPY3 (BS) Makrolon® DX
low price Versato® 145 N2 M21000 145.10000 245.10000 PyraLed® RG SetaLed®
PyraLed®4 PyraLed®1113QN
minimal PyraLed® RGthickness tolerance PyraLed®1
impact resistant PyraLed®1 fire classification BS1d0
exterior PyraLed® RGapplication PyraLed®3 SetaLed®
PyraLed®4 PyraLed® 1113QN
low price PyraLed® RG PyraLed®1 PyraLed®3 SetaLed®
PyraLed®4 PyraLed® 1113QN
high diffusivity high transmission
more depth diffuser light guide plate medium-high transmissionmedium-high diffusivity
edgelit
Decis ion t ree for i l luminated adver t i s ing/s igns
13
Decis ion t ree for luminai res
Edge Lighting Side LightingBack Lighting
flat luminaires
PyraLed® OPY1 LightPlex®
minimal PyraLed ST1thickness PyraLed® RGtolerance PyraLed® ST6 Makrolon® DX
impact resistant Makrolon® DX fire classification PyraLed®1BS1d0
exterior PyraLed® ST1application PyraLed® RG PyraLed® ST6 PyraLed® OPY2 (BS) PyraLed® OPY3 (BS) Makrolon® DX
low price Versato® 145 N2 M21000 145.10000 245.10000 PyraLed® RG SetaLed®
PyraLed®4 PyraLed®1113QN
minimal PyraLed® RGthickness tolerance PyraLed®1
impact resistant PyraLed®1 fire classification PCNU499UVBS1d0
exterior PyraLed® RGapplication PyraLed®3 SetaLed®
PyraLed®4 PyraLed® 1113QN
low price PyraLed® RG PyraLed®1 PyraLed®3 SetaLed®
PyraLed®4 PyraLed® 1113QN
minimal PyraLed® RGthickness PyraLed®1tolerance
impact resistant PyraLed®1 fire classification BS1d0
exterior PyraLed® RGapplication PyraLed®3 SetaLed®
PyraLed®4 PyraLed® 1113QN
low price PyraLed® RG PyraLed®1 PyraLed®3 SetaLed®
PyraLed®4 PyraLed® 1113QN
minimal PyraLed® RGthickness tolerance PyraLed®1
impact resistant PyraLed®1 fire classification BS1d0
exterior PyraLed® RGapplication PyraLed®3 SetaLed®
PyraLed®4 PyraLed® 1113QN
low price PyraLed® RG PyraLed®1 PyraLed®3 SetaLed®
PyraLed®4 PyraLed® 1113QN
directional diffusers(lightshaper)
diffusers
distance between LEDs
< 10mm
distance between LEDs
> 10mmhigh transmission
line luminaires diffuser light guide plate medium-high transmissionmedium-high diffusivity
medium-high transmissionmedium-high diffusivity
medium-high transmissionmedium-high diffusivity
edgelit
Makrolon® SXLuminit® foilPYR-CDP 3APYR-DDP 2A
Another group of optical plastics consists sheets that
give light a specific direction or that multiply light
sources. We carry a number of products in this type
of material, from producers including Jungbecker,
Bayer and Luminit.
Deglaring platen (Jungbecker)
Glare is “dir ty light”. A light source placed fur ther out
and that shines too broadly is distracting: this “dir ty ”
light does not contribute to the light
needed in the (work) lo-
Luminit® foil
Luminit® foil is a light-shaping material on a polycar-
bonate substrate. The microstructure works as a lens
and changes the parameters of the light bundle. This
way, circular bundles can be transformed into an
oval. Or a bundle of light can be bent to a 20-de-
gree angle. These foils are very promising. The 20°
“light bender” is in stock. Sample materials are availa-
ble for other types that can be supplied from factory
stock.
Type number Thicknessmm
Function Impact resistant
UV stable Fire classificationEN.13501
Thickness tolerance
Material Surface
PYR-CDP 3a 3 deglaring reasonable n.a. E small cast acrylic structure
PYR-DDP 2a 2 deglaring reasonable n.a. E small cast acrylic structure
Makrolon® SX 1,45 x-direction reasonable to be measured Bs1d0 1.4mm +/- polycarbonate structure
Luminit® foil 0,3 20° light deflection n.a. to be measured Bs1d0 small polycarbonate structure
Welle corrugated sheet 2,8 optical corrugated sheet high yes Bs1d0 1.4mm +/- polycarbonate hexagon structure
Opt ical p last ics
Table 4. Optical plastics
cation, but is visually disruptive. De-glaring sheets are
sheets that limit the light’s shining in order to minimise
this “dir ty ” light. CDP and DDP are both de-glaring
sheets, either 2 or 3 mm thick, made of clear structu-
ral pressed acrylic.
X-diffuser Makrolon® SX
Our Makrolon® SX diffuser is an exceptionally succes-
sful example of directed diffusion. Ideal for use with
LED strips to conver t light points into a single straight
line.
14
LightPlex® is a light-conducting plate, also called a
light guide plate (LGP). This is a sheet that emits light,
i.e. a light source. LEDs are placed at the butt end;
the light runs through the plate and is reflected out-
ward through a pattern of points, so the light comes
from the surface. A self-learning computer program
is used to beam the points into the sheet such that
the light sheet lights up uniformly. In shor t, the self-
learning algorithm performs calculations for each se-
parate size, also taking the placement of the LEDs
into account and the way in which the points must be
placed for a truly uniform result.
The LightPlex® sheet guarantees the highest light ef-
ficiency and the most perfect uniformity of all LGP
technologies currently available. The material does
not turn yellow and is exceptionally durable. Because
the sheet is perfectly clear, the colour that the sheet
emits is exactly the colour of the illuminating LEDs. So
this makes it very suitable for RGB.
LightPlex® can be made in sizes up to 2000 x 2000
mm, in thicknesses from 4 - 15 mm. Larger swathes
of light - with LEDs on two sides - can be made by
placing LightPlex® sheets with their polished butt ends
against each other. This can be accomplished wit-
hout a noticeable seam of light. A suitable diffuser,
such as the the PyraLed ST6, is required. In this man-
ner, light tracks of unlimited length can be made.
LightPlex® is supplied without LEDs. We deliver exclusi-
vely to professionals in the lighting, signing and inte-
rior construction sectors. These professionals have the
necessary knowledge and experience in the area of
light sources and power supplies. We are glad to pro-
vide advice, of course. LightPlex® is made of cast
acrylic and therefore has a thickness tolerance. The
complete product datasheet for LightPlex® can be
downloaded from our website.
L ight guide plates
15
LightPlex® by Everseen lichtreklame
LightPlex® by Multiapplicator® Bobis Engineering BV
16
Outer diameter
Wall thick-ness in mm
Light trans-mission %
Material
Ø 40mm 2 82 acrylic XT
Ø 50mm 3 81 acrylic XT
Ø 60mm 3 81 acrylic XT
Ø 70mm 3 81 acrylic XT
Ø 80mm 3 81 acrylic XT
Ø 90mm 3 81 acrylic XT
Ø 100mm 3 81 acrylic XT
Ø 120mm 3 81 acrylic XT
Ø 150mm 3 81 acrylic XT
Ø 160mm 3 81 acrylic XT
Ø 20mm 3 81 acrylic XT
Ø 250mm 3 81 acrylic XT
Ø 300mm 5 81 acrylic XT
Our diffuser range consists of both sheets and tubes.
We have three variants of tubes that make light dif-
fuse. XT satin is a right opal tube with a very beautiful
satin-finish surface. XT opal is an opal tube with a
glossy surface. The PyraLed diffuser tube is made of
light satin polycarbonate, very suitable for luminaires
and for lighting applications where impact-resistant
material is important. This is a range that is still under
development, which means that changes to the as-
sor tment are possible. The diameters shown in table
5 are currently in stock. Diffuser tubes are not suitable
for exterior applications.
D i f fuser tubes
Table 6. Satin tube
Outer diameter
Wall thick-ness in mm
Light trans-mission %
Material
Ø 70mm 2,5 65 polycarbonate
Ø 120mm 2,5 65 polycarbonate
Ø 150mm 3 65 polycarbonate
Ø 200mm 3 65 polycarbonate
Ø 250mm 3 65 polycarbonate
Table 7. Opal tube
Table 5. Pyraled® diffuser tube matt
Outer diameter
Wall thick-ness in mm
Light trans-mission %
Material
Ø 50mm 3 34 acrylic XT
Ø 60mm 3 34 acrylic XT
Ø 70mm 3 34 acrylic XT
Ø 80mm 3 34 acrylic XT
Ø 100mm 3 34 acrylic XT
Ø 120mm 3 34 acrylic XT
Ø 150mm 3 34 acrylic XT
Ø 200mm 3 34 acrylic XT
Ø 300mm 4 about 30 cast acrylic
Ø 400mm 4 about 30 cast acrylic
Ø 500mm 5 about 30 cast acrylic
Ø 610mm 8 about 30 cast acrylic
Ø 610mm 5 about 30 cast acrylic
Saxion Hogeschool by Proliad LED Lighting
Diameter Material Surface Impact resistant
Fire classificationEN.13501
Ø 20mm acrylic XT gloss reasonable E
Ø 40mm acrylic XT gloss reasonable E
Round rod “Ghost ”
Table 8. Round rod “Ghost”
17
Ghost round rod is a lighting conductor, an edge-lit
round rod. By shining light on the upper and/or lower
edge of the rod, the entire rod lights up to a length
of max. 1m.
The Ghost round rod is made of cast acrylic and
contains nano-additives that not only conduct light
throughout the entire rod, but also make it glow along
Table 7. Opal tube
the sides. Ghost round rod can be used beautifully
as a lighting rod in display windows, in works of ar t,
decors, banisters, balustrades and furniture. The rod
is clear and transparent when the light is off. Ghost
round rod can be supplied currently in 20mm and
40mm diameters.
Amsterdam Light Festival, picture Janus van den Eijnden
Decor by Invent Design
18
We would be glad to turn our semi-finished product
into a three quarters finished product or a final pro-
duct for you with our modern machines. We can take
care of all processing with a rapid laser, various CNC
milling machines, bending equipment, ovens, poli-
shing lathes and gluing technologies. This, together
with our extensive inventories, makes PYRASIED Diffuser
Company a reliable, exper t link in your supply chain.
Ultimately, you want the perfect material for your pro-
duct with as little cost and effor t as possible. And you
want it delivered on time, custom-made or processed
into a final product, packaged tidily, inspected and
possibly numbered. For us, this is no problem. PYRA-
SIED Diffuser Company makes sure that everything is
done perfectly. No uncertainty in the supply chain.
We work as par tners, constructively and with open
communication. For us, additional services are an
extension of our standard task as a distributor. We gu-
arantee that the right semi-finished products are in
our warehouse in the right quantities.
We have 30 years of experience in fabricating plas-
tics. In both large one-off productions and in recurring
high-quality series work. We have an extensive fleet of
machines and wide-ranging knowledge about fabri-
cation possibilities and material properties.
Material Cutting Milling Lasering Bending Cold bending
Glueing Drilling Faceting Polishing Matting Printing
acrylic XT X X X X X X X X X
cast acrylic X X X X X X X X X X
polycarbonate X X X X X X X X X X
PETG X X X X X X X X X X
Addi t ional ser v ices
Table 9. Additional services for each type of material
Aufheller (brightener) an additive that makes the sheet appear brighter.
Backlit the light source is behind the diffuser sheet.
Diffusivity the degree to which the light is dispersed.
Thickness tolerance a difference in the thickness within a sheet. For A-quality cast acrylic, the norm is +/- 0.4 mm +10% nominal thickness,
so a 10-mm plate runs from 8.6 to 11.4 mm. Within a single sheet!
Edgelit the light source is placed on the edge of the sheet and shines into the sheet (see LGP).
Efficiency the degree of diffusion multiplied by the average degree of light transmission across the spectrum.
Extrusion a continuous production process in which the sheet comes out of a flat extruder and is then formed to the proper thickness/shape.
Cast acrylic acrylic made by hardening between glass sheets.
Glare “dir ty ” light. A light source placed fur ther out and that shines too broadly is distracting:
it does not contribute to the light needed in the (work) location, but is visually disruptive. Related to the concept of URG.
Half-peak angle the optical angle with respect to the perpendicular which reduces the light beam’s strength to 50% of the perpendicular angle.
of divergence
LGP light guide plate a transparent plastic sheet into which a pattern has been beamed, so that light introduced by LEDs on the side is allowed to radiate
uniformly across the surface of the entire plastic sheet (see LightPlex® on page 15).
Lightshaping a microstructure that works as a lens and changes the parameters of the light bundle.
Nano-diffusers diffusers whose diffusivity is caused by light-dispersing par ticles smaller than 100nm.
Side-lit this term is used when the light source(s) are placed behind and to the side of the sheet. The heart of the light bundles shines parallel to
the diffuser sheet. Often used for double-sided light boxes or boxes with limited installation depth. Also for shallow furniture.
Transmission for lighting, the amount of light that gets through the diffuser; in other words, the amount measured on the side of the diffuser opposite the
light source. Often displayed as a graph over the spectrum of visible light.
UGR norm Unified Glare Rating - a measure of direct blinding by luminaires. Established in EN 12464-1.
L i s t of te rms
19
20
Elaboration: in order to comply with the requirements
of fire safety class B, UV-stabilised polycarbonate is
required. For maximum energy efficiency, an advan-
ced diffuser is required with the highest efficiency.
Efficiency = transmission x diffusion, i.e. the highest
transmission with the best diffusion yields the highest
score. Simple and effective. So we select a diffuser
from the DX series. Type DX 1139 and type DX NR139
(1 side matt) satisfy the requirements. A thickness of
1.5 mm with an area of 1000 x 1000mm will sag. So
the best is a 3-mm matt. Even if this sags slightly, you
won’t see it because of the matt surface. Therefore:
PyraLed type DX NR139. This has a diffusivity score of
0.92. The definition is D = A/B, where A is the distance
between the light sources (LED lines count as a sin-
gle light source!!!) and B is the distance between the
back of the sheet and the light source. So A = D x B
or, in other words, A = 0.9 x 10 = 9cm. The LED lines
or LED points must therefore be no more than 9cm
apart.
Please note: often, LEDs on an LED strip are close to
each other. To achieve uniform surfaces, this is not at
all necessary. It’s best to keep the distance between
the LEDs the same as the distance between the strips.
For this reason, PCBs are often used instead of strips,
with LEDs in a matrix. It’s easier to achieve a uniform
distribution by using Light Guide Plates (LGP, such as
LightPlex). They are also very thin (minimum 4mm thick
LGP), with less loss but often with higher costs. (LGPs
are par t of our delivery assor tment, with maximum
sizes of 2000 x 2000 or 1500 x 3000 in 1 laser surface
with optimisation.)
matt side
B (10cm)
A (10cm)
A (4cm)
A (9cm)
B (6cm)
B (5,5cm)
B (6,7cm)
difuser DX NR139 1,5mm
backing (wood/alu) with the light sources
back side bar (wood/alu) difuser XT N385
PyraLed RG 3mm
PyraLed ST6 2mm
Example 1: the installation depth is 10 cm; fire safety class B must be met; the material must be UV-stable;
the work must be done as energy-efficiently as possible. White LEDs are used, 5000 K. Appearance must
be uniform. The surface is 1000 x 1000mm, horizontal.
P ract ical examples
21
Elaboration: if it’s not too rough a bar, a 5-mm thick-
ness can be used. If things can get rough there, 10-
mm thick material is advisable. Extruded acrylic is
cheap. Since light efficiency is not important, we will
use a type with optimum diffusion: the Primo XT N385.
matt side
B (10cm)
A (10cm)
A (4cm)
A (9cm)
B (6cm)
B (5,5cm)
B (6,7cm)
difuser DX NR139 1,5mm
backing (wood/alu) with the light sources
back side bar (wood/alu) difuser XT N385
PyraLed RG 3mm
PyraLed ST6 2mm
Elaboration: an extruded acrylic can be used, as
this has little tolerance. The PyraLed ST6, with a thick-
ness of 2mm, is par ticularly suitable. The PyraLed RG
3-mm type (not yet available in 2-mm thicknesses!)
is slightly less efficient but is cheaper. Let’s calculate
both. The ST6 has a diffusivity score of 0.60. So, ac-
cording to the formula B = A/D, in which B is the dis-
matt side
B (10cm)
A (10cm)
A (4cm)
A (9cm)
B (6cm)
B (5,5cm)
B (6,7cm)
difuser DX NR139 1,5mm
backing (wood/alu) with the light sources
back side bar (wood/alu) difuser XT N385
PyraLed RG 3mm
PyraLed ST6 2mm
Example 2: LED strips at a distance of 10cm from each other. The set-up must be as thin as possible. Light
efficiency is not that important, nor is efficiency: it must be cheap and uniform. The surface is ver tical, the
front of a bar.
This has a diffusivity factor of 1.70 in a 5mm
thickness. According to the formula D = A/B,
we get 1.70 = 10/B or, in other words, the
distance to the rear of the plate must not be
less than 6cm.
Example 3: impact resistance is not important, nor is fire safety compliance. But we do want an extremely
efficient solution, preferably as flat as possible. PCB LED boards are used with a point-to-point distance in
the matrix of 4cm. The light colour of the diffuser must be neutral and must be suitable for RGB. It is prac-
tical to have a material without thickness tolerance. The size is 600 x 600mm.
tance between the rear of the diffuser and the light
source and A is the distance between the light sour-
ces and D is the diffusivity factor, the distance to the
rear of the plate is: 4/0.6, or 6.7 cm. If we use RG with
a diffusivity of 0.73, then the distance will be 4/0.73,
or 5.5cm. However, the transmission of the ST6 is more
than 40% higher and will therefore give more light
with less whitening of the RGB.
22
Our assortment: choices made when putting
together the range
PYRASIED develops its own diffusers together with plas-
tics producers. We have these manufactured for us.
Manufacturing is done in Europe, China and Indone-
sia. In addition, we purchase diffusers that manufac-
turers sell in their standard assor tments. Bayer is an
example of this. Extensive research is done into pro-
duction techniques and additives. Our knowledge in
the area of plastics production helps here, as does
our own lighting laboratory. PYRASIED Diffuser Com-
pany has a (almost) complete overview of all diffusers
that can be produced and supplied worldwide. We
know all the manufacturers in Europe and the largest
manufacturers around the world. We have managed
to put together an exceptionally broad range be-
cause we conduct a double strategy: both custo-
mer-specific production and purchasing of standard
materials. We have excellent relationships and direct
access to nearly all of the important manufacturers.
Our current diffuser assor tment is unique in Europe in
terms of size, completeness and deliverability.
How are the measurements performed?
We measure light transmission with a spectrophoto-
meter. The result of the measurement is displayed
graphically: transmission vs. wavelength (colour) of
the light. The graph shows the percentage of the light
- distributed across the visible por tion of the spectrum
- that comes through the sheet. We measure diffu-
sion (dispersion of light) with a set-up using points of
light. The primary requirement for diffusion is that we
don’t want to see the points of the LEDs. But that is not
enough! The light surface must also be uniform. For
this, more distance to the light source is required. If
the distance between the light sources is A and the
distance between the light sources and the sheet is
B, then the diffusion is D = A/B. So the closer you can
get the sheet to the light source while maintaining
uniform lighting, the higher the diffusivity.
Please note: for LED strips, this is the distance between
the LED strips!
To measure the half-peak divergence angle, we first
measure the light intensity perpendicular to the diffu-
ser, with a light source behind it. This is the reference
angle. We then proceed to measure at an increasing
declination toward the plate. The half-peak divergen-
ce angle is the point at which we measure 50% of
the original light intensity.
Remarks about the methodology
All measurements are performed to the best of our
knowledge and ability. However, no rights may be de-
rived from this. For this reason, it’s important that you
yourself test whether the diffuser is suitable for your
application. Proper measurement of transmission, dif-
fusion and half-peak divergence is more difficult than
you might first think. Since the plane of the light’s inci-
dence is equal to that of the measurement surface
in our spectrophotometer, a highly diffusive material
will always show a high level of light loss outside the
measurement surface and will therefore appear to
let less light through than is “actually ” the case for the
sheet. For sheet material with no diffusing additives
- i.e., with only a diffusive surface - you can expect
that the transmission is roughly equivalent to that of
the same material without structure. Measurements
A l so good to know
23
reveal that this is not the case, due to the same ef-
fect. Materials with additives that increase diffusivity
also score lower with a satin-finish surface than do
identical materials with a glossy surface. For acrylic,
92% is the maximum, unless the sheet is given a very
advanced anti-reflective coating such as with the
Optium type.
The light transmission of cast acrylic sheets is inde-
pendent of their thickness. If 10 g of diffusion additive
is added for each mm of thickness in a 5-mm thick
sheet, then this addition will be 5 g per mm in a 20-
mm thick sheet. Nonetheless, measurements show
that differing thicknesses still yield differing transmis-
sion values. Thickness influences the measurement.
For unambiguous statements about transmission, dif-
fusion and half-peak divergence angle, materials of
equal thickness and surface structure must be com-
pared. The measurement results are shown as care-
fully as possible in the tables. But do take note: 87%
transmission in a satin finish is DIFFERENT from 87%
transmission in a glossy finish. And 87% transmission in
a 3-mm thickness is DIFFERENT from 87% transmission
in a 10-mm thickness. Surface structures generally
result in measured transmission loss. By contrast, the
increase in diffusion is quite real! Thicker plates also
result in measured transmission loss while, in reality,
this is actually far less so! The measurement of dif-
fusivity was done by eye, with various observers and
one and the same procedure. The variations among
the observers turn out to be rather large. We have not
performed any statistical analysis that would justify a
statement about the reliability intervals of the measu-
rement data.
For the determination of efficiency: both underlying
variables were given equal weighting. We have no
reason to have either of these be weighted differently
from the other. We are open to substantive contribu-
tions.
The selection table and the measurements are im-
por tant tools for selecting the material likely to be the
most suitable. However, never install without doing a
1:1 test.
Important: with extruded materials, transmission nearly
always decreases with an increase in thickness. This is
because they are produced from the very same ba-
sic material. With cast acrylic, the recipe has chan-
ged and the transmission generally depends on the
thickness!
Guarantees
All materials we supply are guaranteed for their ma-
terial properties as can be found in the datasheets
for acrylic, polycarbonate and PETG. Our factories
generally provide guarantees of at least 10 years. In
the context of technical lighting properties, the reten-
tion of colour purity, transmission and diffusion are, of
course, important. These are covered by the 10-year
guarantee.
Samples and mock-ups
We have sample chains available, selected by ma-
terial sor t, but also from the standard, professional or
advanced collections. Care to request these? Then
please contact us by e-mail at [email protected].
Apol loweg 26
8938 Awarden
T +31(0)58-7676100
www.d i f fusercompany.n l
www.pyr as ied .n l
sa les@pyras ied .n l
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