Norman Lamps, Inc.

COB (Chip-on-Board) high output LEDs represent advanced LED technology where multiple LED chips are packaged closely together directly on a substrate, creating a single intense light source rather than an array of individual LEDs. This dense packaging produces extremely high luminous flux from a compact surface area—think of it as concentrating the light output of dozens of individual LEDs into a single, uniform emitting surface. COB technology delivers exceptional brightness, superior light quality, and excellent thermal management, making these LEDs ideal for high-intensity applications including high bay lighting, commercial downlights, track lighting, grow lights, and any situation requiring maximum light output from minimal space. The result is fixtures that produce thousands of lumens while maintaining manageable size, efficient thermal characteristics, and outstanding light quality.

The technical advantages of COB LED technology stem from the tight integration of multiple LED chips. Traditional LED arrays use discrete LED packages spaced across a circuit board, with each LED producing light from a small point. COB LEDs place many chips—sometimes dozens or hundreds—directly adjacent on a shared substrate, creating a large, continuous light-emitting surface. This eliminates the multiple point sources and creates uniform, shadow-free illumination similar to traditional light sources but with LED efficiency. The compact design enables smaller reflectors and optics, allowing fixture designers to create lighting solutions that would be impractical with conventional LED arrays. The shared thermal substrate efficiently conducts heat away from all LED chips simultaneously, enabling higher power density and light output.

Light quality from COB high output LEDs excels across multiple metrics. The uniform emitting surface produces smooth, even illumination without the visible multiple shadows characteristic of discrete LED arrays. High CRI (Color Rendering Index) ratings of 80, 90, or even 95+ ensure excellent color rendering, important for retail displays, commercial spaces, and applications where color perception matters. The absence of individual LED points eliminates the striped or dotted appearance sometimes visible with conventional LED fixtures. Premium COB LEDs deliver consistent color temperature across the emitting surface with no green or purple tints, providing pure, clean white light. This superior light quality makes COB technology increasingly preferred for professional and commercial lighting applications where performance matters.

Thermal management is critical for high-output LEDs, and COB technology offers advantages here as well. The shared substrate allows efficient heat spreading across the entire mounting surface, enabling effective heat sinking. COB LED fixtures typically incorporate substantial aluminum heat sinks—often with fins to increase surface area—that passively dissipate heat through convection. This passive cooling is silent, reliable, and maintenance-free compared to fan-cooled alternatives. Effective thermal management is essential because LED life and performance degrade with excessive heat; quality COB fixtures maintain LED junction temperatures well within specifications, ensuring the promised 50,000+ hour lifespan. The ability to dissipate heat efficiently allows COB technology to push power densities and light outputs unattainable with less sophisticated LED solutions.

High output capabilities of COB LED technology make it ideal for applications requiring intense illumination. Individual COB LED modules range from 20-30 watts producing 2,000-3,500 lumens up to 100-200+ watt modules producing 12,000-24,000+ lumens or more. This allows single COB LEDs to replace 250-400 watt metal halide or high pressure sodium lamps in high bay, industrial, and commercial applications. The efficacy (lumens per watt) of quality COB LEDs reaches 130-150+ lumens/watt, meaning a 100-watt COB LED produces 13,000-15,000+ lumens while a 175-watt metal halide it replaces produces only 9,000-11,000 lumens. You get more light while consuming less energy, plus the instant-on, no warm-up, and 50,000+ hour lifespan advantages of LED technology.

Color temperature options for COB high output LEDs typically range from 3000K to 6500K, allowing customization for different applications. Industrial and warehouse spaces often prefer 4000K-5000K for crisp, energizing white light that provides good visibility without being overly blue. Retail and commercial spaces may choose 3000K-3500K for warmer, more inviting illumination, while spaces requiring maximum visibility and color perception (manufacturing, inspection areas) might select 5000K-6500K daylight tones. Some advanced COB fixtures offer tunable white capability, allowing color temperature adjustment to match tasks, time of day, or preferences without changing hardware.

Applications for COB high output LEDs span industrial, commercial, and specialty uses. High bay fixtures for warehouses, manufacturing plants, distribution centers, and large retail spaces benefit from COB technology's high lumen output and quality light distribution. Commercial downlights and track lighting leverage COB LEDs' compact size and excellent beam control for retail displays, art galleries, and commercial spaces. Stadium and sports lighting uses very high output COB arrays to illuminate playing fields and arenas. Horticultural grow lights employ COB technology to deliver the intense illumination plants need for photosynthesis. Street lighting, parking lot lighting, and area lighting utilize COB LEDs for efficient, long-life outdoor illumination. Machine vision and inspection systems use COB LEDs for bright, uniform illumination of parts and products.

Installation and integration considerations include matching the COB LED module's requirements to available power supplies, ensuring adequate heat sinking (never operate COB LEDs without proper thermal management), and verifying that optics and reflectors are designed for the COB light source's characteristics. COB modules typically operate on DC voltage (12V, 24V, 36V, or higher depending on power) requiring suitable LED drivers to convert AC line voltage. The driver selection affects dimming capability, efficiency, and reliability. For retrofit applications, choosing complete fixtures with integrated COB LEDs and drivers simplifies installation and ensures proper component matching.

Common Applications: High bay lighting (warehouses, factories, large retail), commercial downlights and track lighting, grow lights and horticultural lighting, stadium and sports field lighting, street and area lighting, inspection and machine vision, retail and display lighting, anywhere high intensity illumination is required

Key Advantages: Extremely high light output from compact sources, excellent light quality with high CRI, uniform illumination without multiple shadows, superior thermal management, 130-150+ lumens per watt efficacy, 50,000+ hour lifespan, instant-on operation, excellent beam control

Power Ranges: Available from 20W (~2,500 lumens) to 200W+ (~25,000+ lumens). Select based on application light level requirements and fixture design.