The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) published its first standard for solid-state lighting today. "SSL 3-2010 High-Power White LED Binning for General Illumination" covers standardized categorization areas (bins) for the colors of “white” light-emitting diodes (LEDs) used for general lighting.
LED manufacturers use binning to manage variations in LED performance during mass production. The standard sets a level of expectation for color characterization that results in a reasonable number of bins for stocking purposes. When manufacturers use different binning structures and labeling, LED system integrators and assemblers face unnecessary testing, verification, qualification and validation processes, NEMA said.