Picture this scenario: A major brewery was losing thousands of dollars per batch because its process consistently resulted in beer with a more bitter flavor profile than intended. After extensive troubleshooting, the brewery discovered the root cause wasn’t its recipe or fermentation process—instead, it was something they couldn’t see. Literally.
Inadequate lighting within the process vessels prevented operators from properly observing the washdown cycle between batches. This washdown cycle consistently left residue that contaminated subsequent brews. Once the brewery installed proper process lighting, the team could see that the spray nozzles within the process tanks were not positioned correctly and therefore not completing the cleaning process. Truly shining a light into the darkness, proper lighting in the right strength and in the correct place helped correct a problem that had been hidden in the shadows.
This story illustrates a critical truth in industrial processing: if you can’t see it, you can’t control or optimize it. While sight glasses provide windows into your process vessels, ambient lighting rarely delivers the illumination needed for effective observation. Whether you’re verifying complete washdown cycles, monitoring product consistency, detecting foam levels or ensuring proper mixing, specialized process lighting supplies the illumination that transforms your ability to maintain quality control, avoid waste and improve operational efficiency.
The LED Revolution in Process Lighting
The process lighting landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation, with LED technology now dominating process applications. This shift represents more than just following commercial lighting trends—it addresses specific challenges that processing facilities face daily.
LED process lights offer compelling advantages over previous-generation halogen and metal halide technologies. Most significantly, LED lights generate minimal heat output, with only 5% of energy lost to heat compared to 70-80% in legacy halogen systems. This “cold light” characteristic proves crucial for temperature-sensitive processes where traditional lighting could compromise product integrity or process conditions.
The durability factor cannot be overstated. LED lights resist shock and vibration—common challenges in many processing environments—while delivering consistent performance for five years or more. Unlike prior halogen systems with fragile filaments that often failed under stress, LED units maintain reliable operation even in high-vibration applications.
Critical Factors for Proper Sizing
Selecting appropriate process lighting requires understanding multiple variables that impact illumination effectiveness. Simply knowing your vessel’s volume provides insufficient information for proper sizing. Engineers must consider several key factors:
- Vessel characteristics: Overall dimensions, height and interior surface materials significantly impact lighting requirements
- Product properties: Dark materials absorb more light requiring higher illumination, while lighter materials reflect light and need less; vessel interior surfaces also matter – stainless steel vessels provide high reflectivity while glass-lined vessels typically absorb more light
- Viewing requirements: Determine whether you need to observe the full vessel depth or specific areas
- Distance considerations: Light intensity decreases with distance, so the depth from the light source to the target viewing area affects the required lumen output
Distance calculations prove particularly critical. A 40-foot tall tank might only require observation of the top 5 feet when full, but operators may need to see to the bottom when empty. Each scenario demands different lighting intensities and configurations.
Color temperature selection also matters. Stainless steel vessels perform optimally with higher color temperature lighting, while darker vessel interiors may require different spectral characteristics for maximum visibility.
Mounting and Configuration Options
Process lights always mount externally to sight glasses, never entering the vessel interior. This design principle maintains vessel integrity while protecting lighting equipment from process media. However, mounting configurations vary significantly based on application requirements.
Facilities can choose between separate light and observation ports or combination units. Sanitary connections like tri-clamp systems typically dedicate entire ports to lighting, requiring separate observation points. Bracket-mount systems can retrofit existing sight glass installations, while custom mounting solutions address unique vessel configurations.
For facilities requiring explosion-proof ratings, specialized housings meet Class 1 Division 1 (C1D1) and Division 2 (C1D2) requirements or European ATEX standards. The key difference is the frequency of the hazardous atmosphere, whether constant or intermittent. These applications also must consider temperature class restrictions that limit maximum allowable surface temperatures in hazardous environments.
Advanced Control and Integration Capabilities
Modern LED process lighting systems offer sophisticated control options that integrate seamlessly with existing facility automation. Lights can operate continuously, activate with specific process events, or follow programmed cycles that optimize both visibility and equipment longevity.
Some applications benefit from custom programming. One brewery customer required lights that operated at full power initially, then automatically reduced intensity to prevent heat buildup, with warning signals before shutdown. This customization prevented premature equipment failure while maintaining necessary illumination.
Integration with camera systems enables comprehensive monitoring solutions. Synchronized lighting and video capture provide documented evidence of process conditions, supporting quality assurance protocols and troubleshooting efforts.
Maintenance and Longevity Considerations
LED process lights require minimal maintenance compared to prior technologies. Unlike halogen systems requiring frequent bulb replacement, LED units operate for years without intervention. However, facility managers should recognize LED degradation patterns differ from conventional lighting.
LED lights typically exhibit gradual dimming before failure, providing advance warning, unlike halogen bulbs that simply burned out. This characteristic allows proactive maintenance scheduling, but facilities should maintain backup lighting for continuous monitoring applications.
For critical processes, having spare lights readily available prevents extended downtime. While LED units cannot accept simple bulb changes, manufacturers often offer cost-effective repair and refurbishment services for aging units.
The Business Case for Proper Process Lighting
Investing in appropriate process lighting delivers quantifiable returns through multiple channels. Enhanced visibility prevents product contamination, reduces batch losses and improves cleaning verification. Safety benefits include eliminating dangerous manual inspections that require workers to climb tall vessels or enter confined spaces.
The brewery case study mentioned earlier demonstrates these benefits clearly. Their lighting and camera system investment represented a fraction of the cost compared to continued product losses. The solution provided immediate ROI while establishing long-term quality control capabilities.
Energy efficiency adds another economic advantage. LED systems consume significantly less power than traditional alternatives while delivering superior illumination. Reduced maintenance requirements and extended service life further improve total cost of ownership.
Process lighting represents a foundational investment in operational visibility and control. As facilities continue optimizing efficiency and quality assurance, the ability to clearly observe process conditions becomes increasingly valuable. The technology exists to illuminate what others miss—the question is whether your facility can afford not to see clearly.
Ready to improve your process observation capabilities? Watch our complete webinar for detailed technical specifications and application examples, or visit our website to explore our full range of process lighting solutions designed specifically for industrial environments.
Color, clarity and consistency. These are just three characteristics that operators can monitor with a sight glass observation port when processing food or beverage products. A sight glass window can supply a visual means to ensure proper blending or mixing, accurate measurements and adherence to stringent quality standards.
A recent article in Food Processing highlighted the importance of a master sanitation schedules. Essentially this schedule serves as a “back-up” to your daily maintenance procedures but involves the periodic cleaning and care for equipment and infrastructure inaccessible to daily cleaning activities.
The article covers two essential parts of the master sanitation schedule – the creation of the schedule and validating the procedures outlined in the schedule.
Schedule Creation
The starting point of creating the schedule, according to the article, is identifying where in your process you have contamination risk. Where are parts that could become a risk, either from poor design, material composition, process requirements, or other factors? Once identified, these non-compliance risks should be analyzed, and a set of cleaning requirements determined and added to the master sanitation schedule.
Schedule Validation
The practical application of the schedule requires validation. The article lays out a method that involves disassembly to reach the parts and visual inspection prior to taking samples both before and after the outlined cleaning. In this way, possible contaminants can be identified, and the cleaning procedure’s effectiveness and frequency are ensured.
Sight Glasses – A Window Into Your Master Sanitation Schedule
It stands to reason that the more parts that are a contamination risk and not readily accessible, the longer your master sanitation schedule, and the more production time lost to accessing and cleaning those parts. However, using accessible and hygienically designed equipment can reduce the number of items that could pose a contamination risk and reduce the time and effort needed to address them in the master sanitation schedule.
LJ Star has several products that fit those criteria.
Our sanitary sight glasses let you see more parts of your process, eliminating unknown corners that could become a concern while offering improved hygienic operation. Properly installed sanitary fittings make disassembly easier to perform and are less likely to add to contamination risks. In addition, LJ Star offers flow indicators, sight windows, bubble traps, and other sanitary products designed to meet various hygienic standards, along with the documentation and traceability to ensure they are, when properly maintained, the products that match your precise specifications.
The LJ Star Resource Center has many tools to help you and your company ensure sanitary standards.
T&C Stainless achieves all 3 with the help of LJ Star and TCI
Exceptional quality, industry-leading service and solutions, and world-class products. For more than 20 years, vessel maker and LJ Star customer T&C Stainless has delivered quality and innovation to the Biotech & Pharmaceutical industries.
They have grown from a garage-based business to an internationally recognized world leader by working with integrity and focusing on three main tenants – Quality, Pricing and Delivery. They work with each customer to set clear and achievable goals for all three, then work internally with their team of ASME Engineers and manufacturing specialists to deliver on those goals.
Also key to this process? Vendors that work the same way, with the same goals in mind. In LJ Star and its subsidiary Tank Components Inc. (TCI), T&C has found not just such a vendor but a true partner.
Quality
Saying you have quality components is all well and good, but with LJ Star and TCI, T&C has partners that can prove it. By using top-of-the-line materials in its ferrules, tank heads, manways, process lighting, sight glasses, clamps and more, and providing the traceable paperwork to prove standards compliance, T&C can meet and exceed the rigorous standards their customers require.
Pricing
T&C and TCI have partnered since T&C was founded, and LJ Star has worked with T&C since acquiring TCI. Together, the three companies have a well-established relationship that allows them to bring the maximum value to each project, ensuring that customers get additional value and superior quality. As much as price, T&C looks to add value to its products, and the LJ Star/TCI partnership has delivered that.
Delivery
Of course, a valuable, well-made vessel does a company no good if it’s held up because of supply issues. Here too, the partnership between the three companies has paid dividends. By being up-front, honest and setting clear expectations, the companies can work together to innovate and deliver the right solution to each issue and the best products for the end customer.
Learn more about this partnership and the gains it has brought to T&C Stainless in this Case Study.
Going to the Craft Brewers Conference in Colorado this week? Stop by booth #3838 for your personal demonstration of our new lights:
- Go green with LED technology
- 2x brighter than a traditional 100-watt halogen light
- See your process like never before for finer control
LJ Star is showcasing its entire line of sight windows, LED lighting and sanitary clamps at this year’s PackExpo (booth # SU-7125), September 27-29. You’ll be able to see our products, videos and even talk with our applications specialists about your specific facility.
Can’t go to the shows? Visit our Virtual Trade Show Booth right now! LJ Star has created its own virtual exhibit, filled with information on new products, links to videos and white papers. You can even chat with one of our applications experts when visiting the booth, via online chat.
Lumiglas Explosive LED Lights for Processing Applications
Learn More: Visit www.ljstar.com to see specs, download CAD files and view tutorials