About Fiber

How Does an Optical Fiber Transmit Light?

A fiber optic cable consists of core, cladding, coating and jacket (sheathing).The light travels through the core by constantly bouncing along the cladding, a principle known as total internal reflection. Fiber optic cable functions as a light guide that transmits from light source end through the other end with minimal loss. Light source can be either halogen lamp, metal halide lamp (H.I.D.), or LED.

Benefits of Fiber Optic Lighting

1. Fiber optic systems provide remote lighting through fiber optic cables with NO electricity, heat, ultraviolet (UV), and infrared (IR) at the point of illumination.
2. Fiber optic systems save energy by using a single lamp illuminator to provide multiple illumination points.
3. Easy to maintain as illuminator can be placed where it is accessible. Hassle free of single lamp changing in the illuminator is all it takes.
4. With a metal halide lamp (H.I.D.) illuminator, the lamp generates more output than traditional halogen lamps at the same wattage conserving energy due to the efficiency of the metal halide lamp with the integrated reflector.
5. High quality light output. This is especially noticeable from the metal halide lamp. Metal halide lamp produces a whiter color and higher output. A special warm or density filter can be used for specific applications.
6. Elegant and smooth color change of illumination by using color wheel system inside the illuminator. Color wheels can be designed with different color combinations and effects.
7. Recommended applications to incorporate fiber optic lighting:
   • Difficult access locations: Pools, spas, fountains, ceilings, chandeliers, signages, and exterior landscaping.
   • Fragile articles: Perishable food, vintage wines, flowers, fine textiles, fine jewelry, and cosmetics.

Make Up of A Fiber Optic Lighting System

1. Illuminator:
   Light source (aka light engine) from single lamp illuminator (both halogen and metal halide lamps are available).
2. Fiber Optic Cable:
   Harness (fiber port) that bundles and connects stranded fiber cables from illuminator to the target of illumination. 
3. Fixtures:
   Fittings for endpoint of fiber optic cable to provide specific effects for different applications.
4. Installation Aids:
   Installation guides, couplers, water-resistant housings, and other tools to assist in the installation process.

Advantages of Luster Lighting’s FiberBright Lighting System™

1. Proprietary high grade PMMA-based compound plastic fiber that is available in side lighting effect and end lighting effect. Unlike glass fiber which is more expensive and difficult to customize, PMMA based fiber is durable, flexible, and extremely easy to work with.
2. Luster Lighting’s fiber optic cables have the smallest bending radius ratio in the industry and highest transmission of light is its class. Our propriety fiber can achieve optimal performance similar to glass fiber with significantly less cost.
3. Proprietary technology patented in the US, Germany, and Japan uses advanced laser etched technology to overcome the inefficiencies seen in other side lighting cables. Luster Lighting SparkleLight Side Light Fiber provides superior brightness with a neon-like, uniform illumination and distinctive sparkle effect through entire length of the cable.
4. Light transmission up to a recommended 65 ft. (20M) for End-Spot End Light Cable and 100 ft. (30M) for SparkleLight Side Light Cable on closed-loop setup. This is one of the longest in the industry.
5. Super quiet and high efficient illuminators utilize our proprietary technology on the electronic ballast and reflector that we developed and manufactured in-house. As a point of reference, we have tested our 150W metal halide illuminator light output to be comparable to other 250W metal halide illuminators.
6. The advanced illuminator design allows the illuminator to generate less heat and run cooler. This will prevent the fiber optic cable from becoming discolored as a result of the illuminator heat after prolonged use.
7. Although standard metal halide and halogen lamp fittings can be used, our proprietary lamp-base design has been tested to provide an average rated life of 6,000 hours for 150W metal halide lamps and 3,000 hours for 100W halogen lamps. These longer duty cycles will provide you with fewer lamp replacements which will translate to lower maintenance and operational costs.
8. Our PMMA-based fiber is easy to handle and install. Unlike glass fiber which requires delicate cutting and polishing techniques, our fiber can be cut at the installation site and does not require polishing for standard applications.
9. Currently, our largest fiber port can accommodate up to 1,200 strands of our 0.75mm fiber optic fibers.
10. Master and slave illuminators can be used to synchronize color effects without complicated, expensive DMX equipment.