modern lighting systems from Poland ES-SYSTEM

MODERN LIGHTING

SySTEMS FROM POLAND

The ES-SYSTEM Group, a company headquartered in Krakow, Poland, is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of professional LED lighting technology. In its plant in Dobczyce, which produces LED modules, emergency lighting systems, power supplies and controllers, it has just launched its third line for the production of complex electronic modules.

The history of the ES-SYSTEM Group goes back as far as 1990. The purpose behind it was to save energy with each lighting solution through the use of the most modern technologies. This concept is reflected in the company’s name, as ‘ES’ refers to ‘Energy Saving’. The ES-SYSTEM NT plant in Dobczyce is the group’s latest and most technologically advanced factory, opened in 2012 (the NT acronym stands for New Technology). This plant has a total area of 6400m2 .

“You could say that the new plant was tailor-made,” begins Rafal Gawrylak, president of ES-SYSTEM. “It fully addresses our needs and expectations, both in terms of the production potential and the working conditions we wanted to create. Visitors, both from Polish and foreign companies, are impressed by the fact that all our luminaires and highly advanced electronic modules are produced by us. This is a huge benefit for our customers.”

There are three production lines in Dobczyce. The latest investments involve the assembly line for electronic modules in SMT technology – i.e. surface mounting and laser marking of electronic products directly in the production line – as well as another line for automatic optical testing. Its launch has shortened the process and increased production efficiency by 40 per cent. In addition, the expanded 9-camera optical system for automated testing reduces the number of false errors during testing, allowing for more effective product control.

The electronics manufacturing process is extremely complex and demanding. To ensure that the machine operates to its full capability and that the components produced are of the highest quality, optimum ambient temperature and adequate humidity are maintained.

Strong tradition in Wilkasy

The ES-SYSTEM capital group includes the Wilkasy plant located in the north-eastern part of Poland. Its origins date back to 1957. Since the 1970s, the company has been focused on the production of industrial, explosion-proof and road luminaires. Nowadays, it is also a specialist in creating plastic and sheet metal housings for luminaires. Since ESSYSTEM SA entered the stock market in 2007, the Wilkasy plant has

undergone a thorough modernisation. Today it is equipped with modern machines for plastics processing, laser punching machines, bending machines and numerically controlled cutters. The Wilkasy machining centre is one of ES-SYSTEM’s largest investments to date.

light is life

ES-SYSTEM runs a BBT-accredited laboratory that has achieved SMT-supervised status. It is one of only two private research centres of this class in Poland, operating in the lighting industry. All the luminaires produced by the company are tested there. This way, customers can be confident they are buying reliably tested products.

ES-SYSTEM is the first company in Poland to promote the concept of photobiological safety. It educates users on the fact that blue LED light does not need to be dangerous: it all depends on the quality of the LEDs used. That is why it is so important to buy luminaires from proven manufacturers.

“We buy LEDs only from reputable suppliers,” says Rafal Gawrylak. “However, the whole process of design and production takes place entirely in-house. At each stage, the product undergoes tests and detailed controls. I have heard people say that the manufacture of LED luminaires is simple, but in fact nothing is further from the truth. There are many cheap solutions available on the market, but it is doubtful whether these can fully exploit the potential of this technology. A luminaire with LEDs is a really complicated electronic device. It must have a suitable power supply, adjusted to the number of LEDs and the structure to protect against overheating. Only then can this technology be efficient and completely safe for users.”

Custom projects made to order

ES-SYSTEM’s annual production is estimated at more than 3000 different projects, but only 20 per cent of them are standard. The remaining 80 per cent of the luminaires are manufactured according to the individual requirements of customers, to fully meet the needs of the specific project. “The production of custom solutions gives us endless possibilities,” says Mr Gawrylak. “Light is extremely malleable and requires a specific approach. It is in fact the creator of the environment. It gives you amazing possibilities for arranging rooms and outdoor areas. The boundless imagination of the designers and our ability to customise the luminaires allow us to create amazing solutions. The effects of such a collaboration can be seen, for example, in the Hall of the Earth in Poznan or in the Deloitte office building in Lisbon.”

The leD revolution

The LED revolution continues, which can be seen from the company’s results. Every quarter shows a greater share of LED luminaires in ES-SYSTEM’s total sales. A few years ago it was only 20 per cent, while today these products account for 60 per cent of sales. Sales of LED solutions in the first half of 2017 amounted to 68.7 per cent of the company’s total sales revenue (i.e. 63.3 million PLN) compared to the 59.7 per cent share (i.e. 48.8 million PLN) in the first half of 2016. Cumulatively, the Group noted an increase in the share of LED products in its domestic sales to 67.7 per cent from 56 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year. The percentage share of LED product sales in the export department decreased to 72 per cent from 74 per cent in the corresponding period in 2016, whereas the value of LED product sales abroad increased by 35 per cent yearon-year, reaching 16.7 million PLN. Foreign markets are more mature and oriented towards new technologies, not only in economic terms but also ecological. Fortunately, Poland is also beginning to show an increased interest in the use of LED technology thanks to the continued development of the economy.

“We are proud that we can show that a Polish company is able to compete with world leaders in this industry; for example, we provided lighting for the French Prime Minister’s office,” emphasises Mr Gawrylak.

In 2017, the company plans the further development of its technological base. This will increase its advantage over other companies operating on the Polish market. New investments will be focused on developing its own technology park to provide state-of-the-art production standards. n