Green Good Design Awards Tell a friend

Designers: Glen Oross and Peter On, Industrial Design Team, RAB Lighting Inc., Heber, Utah, USA
Manufacturer: RAB Lighting Inc., Heber, Utah, USA 

RAIL is a high-bay light fixture, used for illuminating expansive commercial settings, such as warehouses and gymnasiums. Designing for sustainability was a primary objective for this product, as reflected by decisions made in materials, manufacturing processes, finishes, optimization, and overall longevity of the product. RAIL’s design focused on using sustainable materials and manufacturing processes. To optimize material usage and reduce production waste, RAIL is manufactured using injection molding and extrusion.

The product’s end caps are made from an injection molded bioplastic resin, and the housing is a highly recyclable extruded aluminum. The extrusion also reduces the tooling required for production: by cutting the extrusion at different lengths, the same tool can produce multiple SKUs. Another important objective for RAIL’s design was to use sustainable finishes. Instead of using paint or powder coatings, RAIL’s aluminum housing is bead-blasted. Bead-blasting reduces manufacturing pollutants and ensures the recyclability of the finished part. Bead-blasting also protects the longevity of the product. This finish prevents fingerprints from forming on the metal, which would otherwise create a visible blemish on the surface and cause the aluminum to oxidize more quickly. Bead-blasting minimizes exposure to human oils on the exterior of the product and helps the fixture weather at the same rate.

Additional gains in sustainability were made through product optimization. This is accomplished in two ways. First, by reducing the overall size of the fixture. RAIL is up to 40% smaller than similar products on the market. Second, RAIL was optimized by consolidating features and eliminating part redundancy. The extruded housing of the product was designed as a continuous piece to reduce part count. And, unlike other products in this category, RAIL does not require a metal cage to protect the product from collisions in athletic environments. The polycarbonate lens is robust enough to stand alone.

RAIL is also designed for sustainability by extending the life cycle of the product with built-in thermal ribs. Heat produced by the fixture’s powerful LEDs can damage the product’s internal components. To address this issue, RAIL has aesthetically arranged fins running the length of the product. These features pull heat emitted by the LEDs away from sensitive components and dissipate it into the air. By controlling heat dissipation, the product has increased longevity and reduces the need for replacements.