According to Optoelectronics Research Division from TrendForce, the budding UV-C LED market is not only expanding to such countries as Japan, Korea, and the US, but also moving towards applications including large-scale indoor air disinfection and running water disinfection. In particular, there are currently four major application involving UV LED disinfection modules: water purification, surface disinfection, air disinfection, and specialty disinfection, all of which place different demands on UV LED modules but require a certain standard of disinfection efficiency, lifecycle, and safety. LEDinside is honored to interview President De-Heng Zhang and Dr. Nan Meng of major Chinese module manufacturer Viewtech (also known as Hangzhou Huiyi Technology Co., Ltd.) for their insights on both the present and the future of UV-C LED disinfection products.

President De-Heng Zhang, Viewtech

Dr. Nan Meng, Viewtech

Viewtech’s investigations of the market find that most major home appliance OEMs have been placing an increasing demand for disinfection applications since 2020. With regards to water disinfection applications, which are now in high demand, OEMs have diametrically individualized and specific requirements for disinfection modules due to these OEMs’ emphases on different product functionalities. In response to the diverse demands of clients in the water purification industry, Viewtech provides a comprehensive suite of UV-C LED module solutions suitable for either passive or active disinfections, in household or commercial situations, while meeting the aforementioned requirements in disinfection efficiency, lifecycle, and safety. The company designs its high-performance UV-C LED modules based on a precise balance among power, wavelength, and module structure. Furthermore, Viewtech is constantly seeking to improve its product quality and reliability through careful selection of materials, stringent product design process, strict assembly of key materials, and LED lighting aging test – steps that allow Viewtech to surpass the highest specifications from its clients.

At the moment, Viewtech offers more than 30 mature disinfection solutions that exemplify the company’s longstanding insistence on effectiveness, lifespan, and cost-effectiveness. Case in point, Viewtech solutions feature mature and reliable 265-275mm UV-C LED products, paired with the company’s patented heat dissipation and optical structure designs, in turn maximizing its LED’s efficiency. As such, these solutions are the perfect replacement for clients looking to upgrade their existing solutions while meeting budgetary constraints. As a testament to Viewtech’s core competency, the company made significant investments to strengthen its ray optics simulation software and structural mechanics analysis capabilities in order to refine the quality and performance of its products.

Dr. Nan Meng, head of Viewtech’s R&D department, indicates that, of the three considerations of UV-C LED module design (which are power, wavelength, and disinfection time), the first two are determined by the technical competencies of lamp head suppliers. This leaves disinfection time as the key area in which UV-C LED module suppliers must seek competitive advantages, and improvements in disinfection time depend almost entirely on innovations in the structural design of disinfection modules. Viewtech’s latest running water sterilization module features a corkscrew internal design that optimizes the water flow inside the module for a maximum flow speed of 6.5-15 L/min without needing to increase the physical dimension of the module. Viewtech’s module is able to kill 99.99% of waterborne bacteria, making it the perfect active water disinfection solution in the market.

Running water sterilization module

On the other hand, air disinfection will be a market of paramount importance for leading brands in 2021. Viewtech indicates that air disinfection products are generally used in confined indoor areas with stagnant air and an average room temperature of 18-30 degrees Celsius, both of which provide the optimal environment for massive bacterial growth and therefore are conducive to repeat infections. To address these issues, Viewtech has been actively developing various air conditioner disinfection modules that can be directly integrated into the air intake grille of household air conditioners, where they can directly light the air via UV-C LED while disinfecting via UV-A LED photocatalysts in real time. These solutions are safe, space-saving, and easy to operate.

Showerhead sterilization module

On the other hand, air disinfection will be a market of paramount importance for leading brands in 2021. Viewtech indicates that air disinfection products are generally used in confined indoor areas with stagnant air and an average room temperature of 18-30 degrees Celsius, both of which provide the optimal environment for massive bacterial growth and therefore are conducive to repeat infections. To address these issues, Viewtech has been actively developing various air conditioner disinfection modules that can be directly integrated into the air intake grille of household air conditioners, where they can directly light the air via UV-C LED while disinfecting via UV-A LED photocatalysts in real time. These solutions are safe, space-saving, and easy to operate.

Air conditioner disinfection module

In 2021, Viewtech will continue to release specialty products to the market while improving its product quality by placing particular emphasis on reliability and disinfection efficiency. At the same time, Viewtech will increase its marketing and branding efforts in order to promote its UV-C LED disinfection solutions to the rest of the world.

Ceramic sterilization module

Author: Joanne Wu from Optoelectronics Research Division of TrendForce