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Lighting specialist CWB Electrical Engineers was chosen as the supplier for a new high-tech sled facility – and the result has had a huge impact
CWB Electrical Engineers ended 2022 on a high, having had a tremendously successful year. In December, the British company completed a bespoke LED lighting system for a crash testing facility – its fourth in the UK. The project involved developing a unique lighting system for the facility, which houses a 2MN ServoSled, said to be the largest-capacity sled in the UK.
CWB was tasked with delivering the maximum amount of flicker-free light over the sled carriage, to enable the high-speed cameras to film at 1,000fps. The solution features state-of-the-art lighting technology that provides in excess of 80,000 lux using only 45kW of power. The system achieves market-leading high-speed camera viewing quality with an exceptional depth of field, using only a fraction of the energy of incandescent systems.
“We delivered a bespoke, high-efficiency lighting system mounted on a welded curved aluminum framework. This is suspended on a modified crane gantry system to enable the lighting to be moved
out of the way between tests. It gives free access for the separate, main overhead crane equipment to be
used for test preparation on the sled,” electrical engineer and founder of CWB, Chris Burton, explains.
To mount the lighting unit, an aluminum frame was chosen, which kept the weight to a minimum while maintaining strength – a favorable option over a conventional steel frame. This enabled adoption
of a moving gantry system for maneuvering the whole lighting system in and out of the test area.
An added benefit is ease of access for maintenance.
It is the first curved system that the supplier has designed and installed. The customer wanted not only a functional lighting system, but also one that enhanced the aesthetics of the facility. All the electrical infrastructure needed to be built to fit the curved frame and keep the overall refined look.
“We chose complementary cable containment that could be manipulated to follow the contours
of the framework, thus achieving the desired sleek aesthetics and providing an almost wireless look,” Burton says.
Total lead time for the project was around 14 weeks. The CWB team spent just three weeks on-site installing and commissioning the high-tech infrastructure. The modular design significantly reduced implementation time.
Previously, the client outsourced its testing to third parties. The new cutting-edge resource, tailored to
its needs – and outfitted with high-quality lighting technology from CWB Electrical Engineers – enables uninterrupted evaluation on-site.
CWB Electrical Engineers has designed and installed specialist lighting systems at testing grounds across the UK.
“After the success of the latest lighting system, we decided to create a dedicated business to cover work
in this specific area,” Burton says. “The new business, Leading Light Technology, solely focuses on lighting technology and facility design for test facilities and projects similar to this.”
Clear choice
Through working as a vehicle crashworthiness engineer at a proving ground in Buckinghamshire, UK, for 10 years, Chris Burton gained a wealth of practical experience in the crash test sector in both full-scale crash and sled-based analysis applications.
His role covered a broad range of areas including automotive, aeronautical, pedestrian impact and safety systems.
“This is a very niche area and the client approached multiple organizations to help deliver this lighting system, but to no avail. We were the only company to respond and say that we could deliver a solution,” Burton proudly states.
“Thanks to my in-depth, practical knowledge of the industry, coupled with my extensive skills in electrical engineering and automation and control systems, we can deliver truly innovative solutions and lead the way in bringing exciting new capabilities to the market.”
