Perfect light for paint shops

Illuminance

Illuminance, measured in "lux", is prescribed by law for most commercial applications. Different lux values apply for different areas of activity.  

The values stated refer to the amount of light reaching the ground. They therefore influence how much light needs to be mounted on the ceiling. 

Painting and inspection: 1000 lux 

Assembly work: 500 Lux 

Repair work: 750 Lux 

spray booth: 1000 Lux

Colour rendering index & glare

Especially in paint shops it is essential that the light reflects the surrounding colours as naturally as possible.

The CRI (= color rendering index) provides information about the color rendering of light. 

Luminaires for professional, craft businesses should have a CRI of at least >80. The best choice in areas where colour plays such a special role as in paint shops are luminaires with a CRI of >90 to achieve optimum results. 

Colour rendering index of some lamps: 

Incandescent lamp up to 100 LED: 65 -97 

OLED: 80 - 90  

Fluorescent lamp white de luxe: 85 - 98  

White fluorescent lamp: 70 - 84  

Standard fluorescent lamp: 50 - 90 

In paint shops, the lighting should not reflect on the high-gloss surfaces. Uniform illumination is therefore of great importance. Furthermore, the lights must not dazzle under any circumstances, as this is not only perceived as annoying but can lead to accidents and hazards. 

Glare can be prevented by specially developed optics, but the mounting height and angle are also important prerequisites for safe working.  

In order to identify which luminaires cause more or less glare, the degree of glare is measured in the so-called UGR value. For painting, repair and inspection work, we recommend a UGR value of 19.

Luminaires for endangered business premises

Depending on the design of your spray or paint booth, the luminaires must be explosion-proof. You can recognise this by the D and EX markings shown on the right.

You can find a selection of explosion-proof luminaires in our shop. 

We strongly advise against using diffuser luminaires in spray booths, as they are susceptible to deposits of paint residues. We also advise you to regularly remove paint residues from your lights and to install additional protection in the form of metal sheets or glass covers.

Water and Dust Protection Paint Shop

Not only protection against dust and fine mist, but also protection against water is of considerable relevance in paint shops. Both are represented in the IP protection of the luminaire. Here, protection against foreign bodies and contact is the first digit, the second digit refers to protection against moisture.  

What exactly the two digits mean and the differences between them are explained in our YouTube video.