The rising trend of smaller high power individual components is becoming increasingly obvious. In theory, demands for smaller components to achieve higher optical density, high power, and good heat dissipation are conflicting. Package technology advancements try to juggle these factors in reality. Honglitronic General Manager Lei Lining believes LED flip chips are the solution to the contradicting properties.

The industry’s once popular “package free LED” still requires package technology, noted Li. LED chips need to be prepared, phosphor powder mixed with glue and coated onto the package, slicing and undergoing sorted process.  All these manufacturing processes are part of packaging cycle, and “even require more professional package technology.”

As for the company’s development trends, Honglitronic has been increasingly focused on the automotive lighting market in recent years. The company’s automotive lighting revenue reached RMB 66.82 million (US $10.72 million) in 2013, a Year-on-Year (YoY) increase of 44.78 percent. The company’s profit also peaked to RMB 29.15 million, while gross profit ratio was up 3.64 percent to 44.25 percent. These figures justify the company’s increasing focus on the automotive lighting sector.

Honglitronic General Manager Lei Lining at LEDforum 2014 Guangzhou. (LEDinside)

Naturally, Lei’s talk at the LEDforum 2014 at Guangzhou International Lighitng Exhibition (GILE) 2014 last week was all about automotive lighting.

The trend of environmental friendly low power LEDs with higher luminous output, shorter reaction time, higher power efficiency replacing High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps will become inevitable in the automotive lighting sector, said Li. LED automotive lighting applications have expanded from dashboard applications to now most widely used rear lights, brake lights, turn signal lights and others. In the future, headlamps will hold the most potential in the LED automotive lighting sector.

Li’s observations are backed by statistics. LEDinside projects the market value of LED package for automotive lighting applications will reach US $1.40 billion in 2014, and grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15 percent from 2014 to 2018 to reach US $2.46 billion by 2018.

Honglitronic’s next step in profitable UV LED industry

Manufacturers with the capacity and financing will always turn to highly profitable industries. The next step for Honglitronic will be UV products. Through a joint venture with Chinese UV LED manufacturer Qingdao Jason Electric, Honglitronic will be deploying packaging technologies to become the first Chinese supplier to offer UV LEDs covering the complete UV wavelength including UVA/B/C. In terms of application market share in the UV full wavelength market, UV curing accounts for 30 percent, low/medium power UV LED sterilization is about 12 percent, high power UV LED sterilization 15 percent, analysis instrument equipment 10 percent, medical UV LED seven percent, and other products 26 percent.

LED applications in consumer electronics and other sectors

Lei also shared several insights into major LED application solutions. There has been a long history of LED applications in the consumer electronic lighting sector. In recent years, LED flash products are replacing conventional flash products because it can be run for longer periods, have cooler color temperature, can forgo high pressure, have quick reaction times, and has the advantages of low power consumption. Smaller LED flash lights development trends are shifting towards high power, with 2016 LEDs recently developing 1,000mA electric current solutions.

In the TV backlight sector, large LED-backlit TVs are on the rise. Up to 60 percent of consumers are mostly purchasing 46 inch or larger panel TVs. Demands for panel TVs larger than 60 inches is also soaring. Consumers are increasingly focused on large TVs. Ultra High Definition (UHD) and large sized TVs have become a major consumer trend in 2014. TV backlight technology are also meeting market demands for larger, thinner TVs with better light quality. Low light mixing direct-lit LED TV are as thick as edge-type LED TVs these days. In addition, direct-lit LED TVs have advantages of better Cost/Performance (C/P) ratio, high reflectors, and no need for films. Direct-lit LED TVs are becoming a major development trend.

In addition, LED filament bulbs were also highly popular this year at the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE) 2014 that took place last week. With incandescent bulb bans in effect, incandescent bulbs can only use current technologies and filament to integrate incandescent bulbs original glass structures with LED filaments.  Glass blowing technologies make these bulbs resemble traditional incandescent bulbs, and make it easier for the bulbs to achieve omnidirectional lighting. The bulbs have similar lighting curves to incandescent bulbs and are ideal replacements for incandescent bulbs. LED filament bulb prices have dropped because of simple manufacturing technology and low material costs. Honglitronic’s LED filament bulb market share is expected to further increase with its recent acquisition of SMALITE.