Headlight bulbs combined with the reflector have a tough job and have to transfer light accurately onto the road at very considerable distances. This means they perform a vital safety function meaning product quality is vital.

Halogen headlight bulbs must be manufactured and approved in accordance with the legal requirements of EU regulation ECE R37. The specifications include the permitted luminous flux in lumen, the electrical power consumption and all the dimensions, from the glass bulb itself, to the base. This specification aims to ensure, for example, that all H7 bulbs are standard and provide the correct light beam.

Lumileds, the company licensed to use the Philips brand for its automotive lighting and accessories product portfolio, fully meets the stringent requirements of ECE R37, but also applies even stricter in-house specifications which require high-precision manufacturing processes and extremely stringent quality assurance inspections.

Comparison tests carried out by motoring journals repeatedly demonstrate that many bulbs manufactured using cheap production techniques fail to meet these high standards, with errors in the geometry being the main problem. The result is an imprecise light beam, a range that is far too short, or glare.
 
Lumileds says that some bulbs from other brands carry an E-mark and yet perform very poorly in comparison test. Before a bulb can be approved, the manufacturer is required to have five samples tested in a testing laboratory and then apply for approval from the relevant authority in an ECE member country. Unfortunately, the manufacturer is then responsible for ensuring that ongoing production continues to deliver products that match what was initially approved. This is referred to as “conformity of production”, and many suppliers fail to adhere properly to this, during subsequent production.

Richard Armstrong, Business Development Manager Automotive at Lumileds said, “Despite the introduction, in recent years of new lighting technology such as Xenon and LED, most cars on the road currently still use halogen lights. Simply replacing the bulb, for example with a H4 or H7 X-tremeVision, can generate a light beam that is up to 130% brighter and 45 metres longer.”

Richard adds, “Lumileds has been dedicated to providing best in-class Philips branded lighting solutions in the aftermarket and OEM and OES markets. To the extent that one out of every two new cars sold in Europe will have a Philips bulb fitted. Manufactured from high quality products and tested to the highest specifications, our products are designed to maximise the safety and comfort of our customers’ driving experience. Our entire product range is thoroughly tested, controlled and certified (ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and QSO 9000) to the highest ECE requirements. Put simply, this is quality you can trust.”