Buyers Guide to LED Factory Lighting

Manufacturing facilities, factories, and industrial spaces demand precision lighting solutions that prioritize both safety and productivity. Poor illumination dramatically increases accident risk while hampering operational efficiency. After 17 years designing commercial lighting systems, we’ve seen how proper fixture selection transforms industrial environments.

IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) and ANSI (American National Standards Institute) establish factory lighting standards that OSHA has adopted for occupational safety compliance.

Click Here to See All Our LED Industrial Lights for Factories and Manufacturing Plants

Industrial Lighting Standards: ANSI / IES-RP-7-1991

Light levels are measured in lux (one lumen per square meter) using specialized meters. The ANSI/IES guidelines establish baseline requirements while accommodating specific facility needs.

General spaces like lobbies require 10-20 foot candles where visual precision isn’t critical. Manufacturing and warehouse environments need significantly higher illumination based on task complexity.

Recommended Foot Candles for Manufacturing and Warehouse Facilities

Factory Lighting

• Coarse Material Processing: 10 fc
• Medium Material Processing: 30 fc
• Fine Material Processing: 50 fc
• Extra Fine Material Processing: 50-100 fc
• Wrapping, Packaging, and Labeling: 30 fc
• Picking Stock: 30 fc
• Simple Assembly: 15-60 fc
• Medium Assembly: 25-100 fc
• Difficult Assembly: 50-200 fc
• Complicated Assembly: 50-200 fc
• Exacting Assembly and Inspection: 150-600 fc
• General Food Processing: 75 fc

Warehouse lighting

• Warehousing – Inactive Area: 5-10 fc
• Warehousing – Active – Large Items: 10-20 fc
• Warehousing – Active – Small Items: 15-60 fc
• Warehousing – Active – Medium Items: 20 fc
• Warehousing – Active – Fine Items: 20-50 fc
• Shipping and Receiving Area: 30 fc
• Receiving and Shipping Dock: 5-20 fc
• Receiving and Staging: 15-60 fc
• Maintenance and Shop Areas: 50 fc
• Cold Storage: 10-30 fc
• Open Warehouse: 10-30 fc
• Warehouse with Aisles: 10-30 fc

The Key to Industrial Lighting Design – Lighting Plans

Professional lighting plans ensure successful implementation by positioning high bay or low bay fixtures precisely within your facility. Our software models your exact floor space and ceiling heights to generate detailed reports showing light distribution patterns and illumination levels.

Every plan accounts for specific space requirements, from 20-foot warehouses to 40-foot manufacturing floors. We typically recommend different wattages and beam angles based on mounting height—wider distributions for higher ceilings, focused beams for task-specific areas.

Why Industrial LED Lighting for Manufacturing Facilities and Factories is a Better Option

1. Higher Efficiency or Lumens Per Watt – Energy Efficient Lighting

Luminous efficiency measures actual performance—how many lumens each watt produces. Our industrial fixtures achieve 130-150 lumens per watt, dramatically outperforming metal halide, fluorescent, and HID alternatives.

High-quality drivers maintain consistent efficiency throughout the fixture’s lifespan. Most of our customers see 60-70% energy reduction when replacing traditional lighting with properly selected fixtures.

How Do Long-term Savings Make Up for the Initial Cost?

Energy costs compound daily. A 400W metal halide fixture typically draws more power than a 150W replacement while producing inferior light output.

Calculate savings by multiplying wattage reduction by operating hours and local electricity rates. Most facilities recover their investment within 18-24 months through reduced energy bills alone.

We recommend choosing high-efficiency drivers and premium fixtures for maximum long-term value.

Replacing Existing Fixtures Made Easy

Our retrofit solutions accommodate nearly any existing system:

• Metal halides
• High Pressure Sodium
• Halogen Light fixtures
• Incandescent bulbs
• Fluorescent bulbs

2. Lumens and Brightness

Achieving proper illumination requires balancing total light output with distribution patterns. A 200W UFO fixture might produce 26,000 lumens, but beam angle determines how that light spreads across your workspace.

We typically recommend 60-degree beam angles for general warehouse lighting and 90-120 degrees for high-ceiling applications. Mounting height directly influences both wattage selection and distribution requirements.

How Can You Determine the Ideal Lighting System?

Lighting software eliminates guesswork by modeling your exact building layout. Our plans specify optimal fixture placement, wattage requirements, and expected performance before installation begins.

3. Adapts to Different Voltages

Voltage compatibility simplifies installation across diverse facilities. Most industrial drivers accommodate 100V-277V or 277-480V ranges automatically.

Universal drivers adjust to incoming voltage without manual configuration. Whether you’re running 208V, 240V, or 480V systems, compatible fixtures integrate seamlessly with existing electrical infrastructure.

Three-phase wiring presents no complications. Our drivers handle multi-phase applications while maintaining consistent light output across all circuits.

4. Options for High Temperatures

Extreme temperatures damage standard fixtures and reduce lifespan significantly. Foundries, steel mills, and processing facilities require specialized housings rated beyond typical 50-122°F operating ranges.

Our high-temperature fixtures operate reliably from 158°F to 302°F using enhanced heat sinks and temperature-resistant components. Never position any fixture directly in gas streams or heated airflow paths, regardless of temperature rating.

5. Better CRI ( Light Quality )

Color rendering index measures how accurately surfaces appear under artificial light compared to natural sunlight. Poor CRI values make quality control, safety inspections, and detailed assembly work extremely difficult.

Standard CRI 70 fixtures work well for general manufacturing tasks. Precision assembly areas benefit from CRI 80-85 options that reveal fine details and color variations clearly.

CRI of LEDs

Values above CRI 70 provide acceptable color accuracy for most industrial applications. Food processing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and electronics assembly typically require CRI 80-90 for optimal visibility.

6. Fixture Options

Different industrial environments demand specific fixture types. Manufacturing floors with 25-40 foot ceilings typically use high bay fixtures, while lower spaces benefit from linear or low bay alternatives.

Available configurations include:

• High bay lights
• UFO high bays
• Linear high bay lights
• Explosion Proof Fixtures
• High Temperature Fixture
• Flood Lights
• Wall Packs
• Shoebox / Parking Lot Lighting fixtures
• Fixtures with Lighting Controls

Why Choose LED Lighting Supply for Your Industrial Lighting Project

Our engineering team has completed over 3,000 industrial lighting upgrades across manufacturing plants, warehouses, and processing facilities nationwide. We provide complimentary custom lighting plans that precisely calculate foot-candle levels and energy savings for your specific facility dimensions and operational requirements. Our experienced product specialists help you navigate the complexities of voltage requirements, temperature ratings, and OSHA compliance standards before you purchase. Every lighting plan includes detailed energy savings calculations showing exact wattage reduction, annual cost savings, and ROI timelines based on your current fixtures and local utility rates. This proven methodology eliminates costly mistakes and ensures optimal fixture selection for your unique industrial environment.