26.02.2023
Shoplight Ltd
The future of retail lighting is cleaner and greener thanks to Patent Pending VenTEC ® technology
Launching today, NORT is 3D printed track mounted spotlight made from bio plastic blends which reduces CO2 emissions compared to aluminium* production by up to 97.5%*. It uses Patent Pending technology to take heat away from its sources and boost natural convection, making bioplastic feasible for lighting products.
We are acutely aware of the environmental impact of using aluminium in lighting products and the carbon miles generated from transporting them. We also know many of our clients want more sustainable lighting solutions that limit their negative impact on the planet. In response to the need for change we developed a product that lays the foundation for the future of retail lighting.
NORT is backed by the trusted Shoplight expertise and services and comes with an easy to understand 5-year parts and labour warranty.
Innovators and disruptors
Being innovative is part of our culture. We have offered our simple, easy to use single page parts and labour warranty since we began in 2014. Our light focusing service launched in 2017 and packaging collection scheme in 2022.
Now our innovation turns to product. We’re not the first to produce a 3D printed spotlight but we are the first to offer a spotlight that suits the needs of the retail sector and that is produced from recycled, recyclable and biodegradable bioplastics. Our innovative VenTEC cooling system cracks the code for cooling bioplastics with LED light sources. It opens the door to other planet friendly lighting solutions and disrupts retails dependence on aluminium based lighting.
The people behind NORT
Developed by Shoplight, with Fourmation and Hexa-Cubed, NORT is the first product in our journey towards creating zero-carbon products with little or no negative impact on the environment.
As a Certified B-Corporation, we felt it important to move to a carbon zero footing as soon as possible as we know this will have a positive impact for ourselves and our customers. Our Managing Director and Co-Founder Mark Shortland is passionate about our business leaving a positive lasting impact on the environment. He set about to finding a solution to the issue of carbon emissions relating to the manufacture and shipping of spotlights from Asia.
After research, Mark decided to team up with John Foden at Fourmation and James Bryden at Hexa-Cubed, to ensure the product and communications relating to NORT were as clear and concise as possible. In particular, James has over 18 years working as a product designer with 3D printing (including 15 years with Dyson, and it was his expertise that allowed NORT to deliver the superb cooling properties achieved.
The high environmental cost of aluminium
The standard raw material used to make retail lighting products is aluminium. Aluminium can be recycled and doing so saves more than 90% of the energy used to produce a comparable amount of new aluminium. However, recycling alone is not the answer - with a melting point of 600-degrees C, aluminium is incredibly energy-intensive to produce. It takes 17,000 kWh to produce 1 tonne of aluminium! Furthermore, the materials used for making aluminium are mined.
China makes 57% of aluminium and is the world’s largest producer, followed by India and Russia. The top 5 producers of aluminium make 76.5% of the world’s total. Typically, all new aluminium is imported into the UK. 34% of the EU’s carbon emissions comes from imports and, when cross-border EU imports are included, this increases to 50%.
It’s clear that aluminium comes at a very high price. When aluminium production and carbon mile emissions are considered, there is a clear case to make products that are local and from sustainable and renewable sources like bio plastics.
The progressive environmentally positive materials used in NORT
The major metal part in NORT is its heat-sink. We have used a sink produced using cold-forging techniques which compresses metal at room temperature and uses far less energy than traditional high heat hot-forging and casting.
The majority of NORT is made from bioplastic blends. This is a fantastic substitution because it takes over twice as much energy to produce raw aluminium as it does plastic. Most commercial plastics are derived from petrochemicals which tend to resist biodegradation. Our bioplastic solutions are compostable, derived from renewables and are biodegradable.
They are free of silicone which uses hydrocarbons to produce and is difficult to recycle. Our GreenTec Pro is RoHS, REACH and FDA compliant. This means our materials are free from many toxic chemicals like Lead and Mercury, so they are cleaner with substantially less negative impact on people and planet.
Our NonOilen version of NORT further improves its environmental benefits. It is made from a blend of PLA and PHB. PLA is Polylactic Acid, which is derived from renewable, organic sources like corn starch or sugar cane. PHB is Polyhydroxybutyrate is also derived from renewables and is biodegradable.
Being 100% bio-based plastics means the beginning of this product starts from the soil. The plants used to make our NonOilen version consume greenhouse gas emissions compared to standard plastic which is made from petrol-based polymers which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
It is 100% biodegradable with industrial composting, emitting only water and carbon dioxide with nutrients that can then be returned to the soil.
NonOilen truly adheres to circular economy principles. It retains its mechanical properties after being reused up to 12 times. So, at the end of a lifecycle in store, a NonOilen NORT can returned to the manufacturer for 100% recycling and reuse.
Zero waste customisable 3D printing
3D printing creates no waste and no tooling costs, which allows us the freedom to innovate and improve as new technologies become available. We achieve zero waste with on demand UK production which results in dramatically reduced carbon miles and up to a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions. Localised production anywhere in the world becomes possible. 3D printing also allows for customisation of textures and graphics.
New patent pending technology that increases cooling and performance efficiency.
Typically, plastics are an insulator of heat, whereas metals are not. Most lighting will heat up like a radiator, spreading the heat across the entire the metal surface. Use of metal in this way is a basic way of removing heat from the LED and driver. It successfully lowers the temperature of key components sufficiently at 25-degrees C ambient temperature, albeit in a very rudimentary way.
So that we can use environmentally friendly bioplastics, we have developed our Patent Pending VenTEC ® technology, a new way of increasing cooling across key lighting components. Aerodynamic principles are used to take heat away and boost natural convection. In all orientations heat is directed away from the LED and driver, allowing them to run at a lower temperature which increases the life span and overall efficiency of NORT.
As a result of VenTEC ® our product achieves excellent cooling properties even at 35-degrees C ambient temperature. The cooling is so efficient, we achieve lumen maintenance of L90 at over 54,000 hours meaning that no more than 10% of the initial light output will be lost within 54,000 hours.
Using a standard Citizen LED chip, our product produces up to 27 Watts, 2,925 Lumens, and 107 Luminaire Lumens per Circuit Watt, making NORT one of the most efficient products in our range. Furthermore, when using a new high-efficiency chip, we will increase Luminaire Lumens per Circuit Watt to around 150.
Accessible modular design
The modular design of NORT means all major components such as the LED chip, reflector, and driver are easily accessible and can be upgraded with ease. Additionally, the driver is NFC variant which means output current can be programmed should wattage need to be reduced.
Exhibitor Data Sheet
We are acutely aware of the environmental impact of using aluminium in lighting products and the carbon miles generated from transporting them. We also know many of our clients want more sustainable lighting solutions that limit their negative impact on the planet. In response to the need for change we developed a product that lays the foundation for the future of retail lighting.
NORT is backed by the trusted Shoplight expertise and services and comes with an easy to understand 5-year parts and labour warranty.
Innovators and disruptors
Being innovative is part of our culture. We have offered our simple, easy to use single page parts and labour warranty since we began in 2014. Our light focusing service launched in 2017 and packaging collection scheme in 2022.
Now our innovation turns to product. We’re not the first to produce a 3D printed spotlight but we are the first to offer a spotlight that suits the needs of the retail sector and that is produced from recycled, recyclable and biodegradable bioplastics. Our innovative VenTEC cooling system cracks the code for cooling bioplastics with LED light sources. It opens the door to other planet friendly lighting solutions and disrupts retails dependence on aluminium based lighting.
The people behind NORT
Developed by Shoplight, with Fourmation and Hexa-Cubed, NORT is the first product in our journey towards creating zero-carbon products with little or no negative impact on the environment.
As a Certified B-Corporation, we felt it important to move to a carbon zero footing as soon as possible as we know this will have a positive impact for ourselves and our customers. Our Managing Director and Co-Founder Mark Shortland is passionate about our business leaving a positive lasting impact on the environment. He set about to finding a solution to the issue of carbon emissions relating to the manufacture and shipping of spotlights from Asia.
After research, Mark decided to team up with John Foden at Fourmation and James Bryden at Hexa-Cubed, to ensure the product and communications relating to NORT were as clear and concise as possible. In particular, James has over 18 years working as a product designer with 3D printing (including 15 years with Dyson, and it was his expertise that allowed NORT to deliver the superb cooling properties achieved.
The high environmental cost of aluminium
The standard raw material used to make retail lighting products is aluminium. Aluminium can be recycled and doing so saves more than 90% of the energy used to produce a comparable amount of new aluminium. However, recycling alone is not the answer - with a melting point of 600-degrees C, aluminium is incredibly energy-intensive to produce. It takes 17,000 kWh to produce 1 tonne of aluminium! Furthermore, the materials used for making aluminium are mined.
China makes 57% of aluminium and is the world’s largest producer, followed by India and Russia. The top 5 producers of aluminium make 76.5% of the world’s total. Typically, all new aluminium is imported into the UK. 34% of the EU’s carbon emissions comes from imports and, when cross-border EU imports are included, this increases to 50%.
It’s clear that aluminium comes at a very high price. When aluminium production and carbon mile emissions are considered, there is a clear case to make products that are local and from sustainable and renewable sources like bio plastics.
The progressive environmentally positive materials used in NORT
The major metal part in NORT is its heat-sink. We have used a sink produced using cold-forging techniques which compresses metal at room temperature and uses far less energy than traditional high heat hot-forging and casting.
The majority of NORT is made from bioplastic blends. This is a fantastic substitution because it takes over twice as much energy to produce raw aluminium as it does plastic. Most commercial plastics are derived from petrochemicals which tend to resist biodegradation. Our bioplastic solutions are compostable, derived from renewables and are biodegradable.
They are free of silicone which uses hydrocarbons to produce and is difficult to recycle. Our GreenTec Pro is RoHS, REACH and FDA compliant. This means our materials are free from many toxic chemicals like Lead and Mercury, so they are cleaner with substantially less negative impact on people and planet.
Our NonOilen version of NORT further improves its environmental benefits. It is made from a blend of PLA and PHB. PLA is Polylactic Acid, which is derived from renewable, organic sources like corn starch or sugar cane. PHB is Polyhydroxybutyrate is also derived from renewables and is biodegradable.
Being 100% bio-based plastics means the beginning of this product starts from the soil. The plants used to make our NonOilen version consume greenhouse gas emissions compared to standard plastic which is made from petrol-based polymers which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
It is 100% biodegradable with industrial composting, emitting only water and carbon dioxide with nutrients that can then be returned to the soil.
NonOilen truly adheres to circular economy principles. It retains its mechanical properties after being reused up to 12 times. So, at the end of a lifecycle in store, a NonOilen NORT can returned to the manufacturer for 100% recycling and reuse.
Zero waste customisable 3D printing
3D printing creates no waste and no tooling costs, which allows us the freedom to innovate and improve as new technologies become available. We achieve zero waste with on demand UK production which results in dramatically reduced carbon miles and up to a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions. Localised production anywhere in the world becomes possible. 3D printing also allows for customisation of textures and graphics.
New patent pending technology that increases cooling and performance efficiency.
Typically, plastics are an insulator of heat, whereas metals are not. Most lighting will heat up like a radiator, spreading the heat across the entire the metal surface. Use of metal in this way is a basic way of removing heat from the LED and driver. It successfully lowers the temperature of key components sufficiently at 25-degrees C ambient temperature, albeit in a very rudimentary way.
So that we can use environmentally friendly bioplastics, we have developed our Patent Pending VenTEC ® technology, a new way of increasing cooling across key lighting components. Aerodynamic principles are used to take heat away and boost natural convection. In all orientations heat is directed away from the LED and driver, allowing them to run at a lower temperature which increases the life span and overall efficiency of NORT.
As a result of VenTEC ® our product achieves excellent cooling properties even at 35-degrees C ambient temperature. The cooling is so efficient, we achieve lumen maintenance of L90 at over 54,000 hours meaning that no more than 10% of the initial light output will be lost within 54,000 hours.
Using a standard Citizen LED chip, our product produces up to 27 Watts, 2,925 Lumens, and 107 Luminaire Lumens per Circuit Watt, making NORT one of the most efficient products in our range. Furthermore, when using a new high-efficiency chip, we will increase Luminaire Lumens per Circuit Watt to around 150.
Accessible modular design
The modular design of NORT means all major components such as the LED chip, reflector, and driver are easily accessible and can be upgraded with ease. Additionally, the driver is NFC variant which means output current can be programmed should wattage need to be reduced.
Exhibitor Data Sheet