EXFO is a global leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of light-based delivery systems. Our focus is within the following market applications:

LED Technology

Originally used for indicators or low power illumination, LEDs are just now beginning to find application in general illumination and in the more specialized fields of photoactivated material processing and high brightness specialty illumination. It was the development of high power LEDs, and in particular, high power UV LEDs in the late 1990s that have enabled these new applications. EXFO was an early pioneer in creating LED based systems for material processing and specialty illumination, developing patented technology catered to photoactivated material curing and creating the world's first commercial high power UV LED array for adhesive curing.

LEDs have numerous advantages when compared with arc lamp systems. Underlying all these advantages to processes such as photoactivated material processing or specialty illumination is the concentrated spectral content of the generated light. The narrow spectrum of the LED emissions has a very strong impact on the overall energy efficiency within the target application and eliminates unwanted secondary effects such as heating. Other advantages inherent with LEDs include long life, which can be 5 times or more the life of arc lamps. This leads to an overall lower cost of ownership for this technology. In addition, it is possible to switch LEDs on and off very quickly, eliminating the need for internal or external shutters. The optical output of LEDs can be controlled by varying the electrical drive signals, allowing for electronic intensity control. This removes the need for mechanical attenuators, which further simplifies system design and improves product reliability. LEDs are also more environmentally friendly than arc lamps due to their higher effective efficiency and the lack of mercury.

The EXFO Advantage

With the launch of two new LED products in 2009 (OmniCure® LX400 & Excelerate® PIN100), EXFO has proven that LEDs can be effectively used in UV curing and digital print applications. These products take advantage single die LED packages.

Through extensive market research and technology review EXFO has identified an opportunity to differentiate from the competition and address a greater number of applications by developing modular high power, high density LED arrays utilizing patent pending technology that can be customized for specific applications. These array modules overcome many of the primary barriers for widespread adoption of LED technology in the UV curing and illumination fields.