What is Cree LED?
As you know, there are many different types and brands of LED lighting. Cree LED lighting is nothing more than a brand. It is relatively new, available on the market since 1987. The brand originates from the United States and focuses on the higher-end segment of the market. The high quality also results in a higher price compared to lighting from other countries, such as China. So, Cree LED is relatively new but is already one of the larger manufacturers in the field of LED lighting. In addition to being one of the largest companies, it is also one of the most progressive when it comes to the development of LED chips.
What makes it distinctive?
In the previous paragraph you could read that Cree LED focuses on the higher segment. This becomes clear when looking at the options and specifications, also compared to other types of LED lamps.
It can be used both indoors and outdoors and works best at night. Cree LED lighting is bright white, which makes objects more visible. This is also reflected in the Color Rendering Index (CRI). The CRI is a score between 0 and 100, the higher the value, the closer the lighting is to natural sunlight. Cree LED chips have a CRI of 85, which is much higher compared to cheaper options. Cheap Chinese LED chips often score no higher than 50. What further distinguishes Cree LED is the number of burning hours, under ideal conditions, the lighting can last for 100,000 burning hours. This has been tested in a lab, and these hours are not typically achieved in practice.
Different types of Cree LED chips
CREE is the most advanced company concerning the development of LED chips. Dozens of different LED chips have been developed by CREE. To give you an impression of the differences, we have listed a few here.
First, we have the smallest led-chipnamely the Cree XB-D. This chip is often used in LED bars and has a size of 2.45 x 2.45 mm. The chips gives up to 136 lumens per watt and without lens or reflector the beam is 115°.
The Cree XT-E is a LED chip that is often used in LED worklights. The difference with the XB-D is that the XT-E is slightly more powerful. The size of the chip is 3.45 X 3.45 mm and it can reach a maximum of 178 lumen per watt of light produced.
Als derde hebben we de Cree XM-L LED chip die onder anderen in diverse verstralers en breedstralers wordt gebruikt. Dit is een krachtige 10 watt LED chip met een grootte van 5 x 5mm. Maximaal kan deze LED chip 158 lumen per watt aan licht geven en geeft hij zonder lens of reflector een light beam a beam of 125°.
Finally, we have the XM-L2 LED chip. This is the most powerful 10-watt LED chip found in, among other things, work lights. The difference with its predecessor (the XM-L) is that the XM-L2 has a 20% higher light output. The chip has a size of 5 x 5mm and, without LED lens or reflector, produces a light beam of 125°.
Cree LED at TRALERT®
Various products within the LED lighting range from TRALERT® are equipped with Cree LEDs. A good example of this is the TRSW12281-20D. This LED bar with 4000 lumens can be used for various vehicles. The lamp should be used as a driving beam, similar to the high beam of a car. It is a lamp with a powerful light beam.