Architectural lighting enhances buildings and open spaces, enhancing their identity and aesthetics. To protect it adequately, highly reliable electrical connection solutions are needed. This is confirmed by two projects that have redesigned the exteriors of a hotel in Milan and a beach on Lake Como – Led Italy supplied the light fittings, Techno the connectors and the watertight circular joints. The electrical connection is of paramount importance for the operation of lighting systems installed outdoors, where dust, humidity, UV rays and atmospheric agents can cause a number of problems, including potentially dangerous conditions for the safety of operators and users.
Choosing products that allow a highly reliable electrical connection and their materials and construction characteristics is therefore crucial. Techno offers watertight connectors and junctions, with IP66 – IP68 – IP69K degree of protection, with capillarity effect prevention functions (xDRY®), i.e. the rising of humidity inside the cable caused by temperature differences between the inside and outside of the powered appliance.
Techno waterproof connectors and joints are used in the LED system in the Italian gardens in front of the Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan. In particular, Led Italy’s Flex Midi Line profiles (IP68 protection) illuminate the structure using the TH391 mini circular joints and the TH402 3-way ‘T’ type circular branch joints of the TEETUBE® family, both IP68 and easy to use in small spaces.
The TH402 circular joints are connected to the main power supply at the input and to two synchronised DLM 1224 DALI dimmable drivers at the output via a 24V DC BUS. The LED profiles are controlled either by a switch or by an analogue detection system. TEETUBE® solutions are totally free of resin or gel components and resistant to water and dust, making them easily accessible even after long periods of operation and suitable for installations which create plays of light that enhance the architectural profile of the building, as in the case of the hotel in Milan.
Another scenario to which Techno solutions contribute is the T Beach at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, suspended on the shores of Lake Como. The beach umbrellas are made up of white and orange segments. They’ve been fitted with white stainless-steel light fittings fitted with a 3000K white LED source. Power is supplied via TH391 miniature circular joints with linear ‘I’ type connections, combined with single conductor grommets (2-hole grommets) and series connections.
The electrical panel is connected to a junction box, which contains a 230/24V converter able to generate BUS 24V DC and two DLM 1224 dimmable drivers with DALI dimming control. From there, the current is directed to other TH391 mini-joints which, through a subsequent connection, power the lighting fixtures in the umbrellas. Their evening lighting creates an evocative mix of lights and colours.
‘The market is increasingly attentive to the issues of protection and safety, as confirmed by the growing demand for connectors that combine practicality with high quality in terms of materials and construction. Thanks to their ease of use and the continuity of service they guarantee over time the TEEfamily® range fully responds to these characteristics, even in extreme operating conditions, reducing installation and maintenance costs,’ explains Mauro Nodari, Product and Business Development Director at Techno.
These products withstand immersions of up to 50m and are suitable for temperatures from -40°C to +125°C. They are made of thermoplastic materials such as PA66 with glass fillers, with flammability ratings of UL94, 5VA/V0 (f1 – UL 746C). ‘Thanks to the specialist skills developed over more than 35 years, Techno is aiming to further enrich the electrical connection sector by bringing solutions to the market that increase the overall quality of the electrical installation.’
TECHNO designs and manufactures technical articles using state-of-the-art materials and technologies. It specialises in the development of innovative solutions for electrical connectivity with a high degree of protection against water and dust (IP68) through a fully integrated production cycle in its Guanzate (Como) plant. It offers a wide range of standard catalogue solutions and fully customised products, investing 10% of its turnover in research and development every year.
LED ITALY specialises in the design and manufacture of flexible linear products for LED lighting. It is based in Carmagnola (Turin) and stands out for its completely Made in Italy production. Using automated lines for automatic LED assembly, sealing and resin treatment of products, it produces hundreds of kilometres of LED strips and bars, as well as recessed spot products and hundreds of customised indoor and outdoor products every year.
