Guide to Industrial Lighting Design

Industrial facilities present unique lighting challenges that demand specialized solutions. From lumber and metal production to aerospace manufacturing, these environments require lighting systems that can handle extreme conditions while maintaining safety and productivity. Industrial buildings typically feature massive spaces with high ceilings and narrow aisles, while areas exposed to extreme heat need high-temperature lights rated for 200°F operation. Hazardous locations with explosive atmospheres require explosion-proof lights certified for Class I Division 1 environments.

Beyond production areas, most facilities also include office spaces and outdoor perimeters that need appropriate illumination. Proper lighting design directly impacts both operational efficiency and worker safety—two factors that determine the success of any industrial operation.

We typically recommend conducting a comprehensive lighting assessment before any retrofit. Check out our Industrial Energy Audit Checklist to identify improvement opportunities and potential energy savings across your entire facility.

Industrial lighting systems must withstand harsh environmental conditions including extreme temperatures, high humidity levels, corrosive chemical atmospheres, and dust-heavy environments. All installations must comply with local fire codes, OSHA safety standards, and material handling regulations. Given these demanding requirements, industrial lighting projects represent significant capital investments that require careful planning.

Smart facility managers choose lighting solutions that maximize operational efficiency, deliver extended service life, and minimize maintenance requirements. LED technology excels in all these areas while providing superior light quality and instant-on performance. Our Industrial Lighting Design Guide shares professional insights to help you navigate these complex decisions.

How Do I Know I’m Choosing the Right Lighting?

Selecting appropriate industrial lighting comes down to meeting your operational requirements within budget constraints. Each facility operates differently, so lighting solutions must be tailored accordingly. Your lighting system should accomplish these essential objectives:

• Creates a safe working environment with proper visibility
• Prevents workplace accidents through adequate illumination
• Increases efficiency and worker productivity
• Integrates seamlessly with your facility design
• Delivers optimal illumination levels for each work area

Most of our customers find that addressing these core requirements leads to measurable improvements in both safety metrics and operational performance.

What Steps Can I Take to Promote Safety with Lighting?

Safety considerations drive every aspect of industrial lighting design. Workers in these environments face numerous hazards—from operating forklifts and heavy machinery to precision metalworking and navigating narrow aisles between storage racks. Uniform light distribution becomes critical for preventing accidents, though “uniform” doesn’t mean identical lighting throughout your facility.

Different work areas require different lighting approaches. We design systems that eliminate both bright spots and dimly lit corners. The most effective way to achieve this balance involves creating a photometric lighting plan that maps light distribution across your specific layout.

Narrow aisles perform best with 60-degree beam angles that focus light downward, while open production areas benefit from 120-degree wide beam fixtures that spread illumination evenly. Improperly positioned fixtures create excessive brightness that causes dangerous glare conditions. For warehouse applications specifically, our warehouse lighting design calculator provides targeted recommendations.

Overlighting creates eye strain and visual discomfort that actually increases accident risk in high-hazard environments. We recommend providing adequate brightness for each specific task without exceeding safe comfort levels that could impair worker vision.

LEDs versus All Other Light Sources

LED technology delivers compelling advantages over traditional lighting systems, particularly in demanding industrial applications. While the initial investment appears higher, energy savings and reduced maintenance costs provide rapid payback in large-scale facilities.

Our LED fixtures consume up to 75% less electricity than comparable metal halide or fluorescent systems. In facilities with hundreds of fixtures operating 12-16 hours daily, these savings generate substantial cost reductions. The energy efficiency also qualifies most installations for utility rebates that can offset 20-30% of project costs.

Service life represents another major advantage. Fluorescent tubes typically last 10,000 hours before requiring replacement, while our industrial LED fixtures deliver 50,000+ hour lifespans. This extended operation dramatically reduces maintenance requirements and eliminates the frequent relamping costs associated with traditional systems.

LED fixtures also provide instant full-brightness startup, produce minimal heat output, contain no hazardous materials, and offer precise dimming control. These benefits make LEDs particularly valuable for temperature-sensitive processes and facilities requiring frequent on/off cycling. Read our detailed comparison of LED versus metal halide performance for complete technical analysis.

How Many Lumens Do I Need?

Determining optimal lumen requirements involves multiple variables specific to your facility type, ceiling height, and work activities. Different industrial applications demand vastly different illumination levels—precision assembly work needs significantly more light than general material handling.

Light quality also affects perceived brightness. Color Rendering Index (CRI) measures how accurately colors appear under artificial lighting. A fixture producing 30,000 lumens with CRI 90 may appear brighter and provide better visibility than a 35,000 lumen fixture with CRI 70.

Professional lighting design requires analysis of your specific space dimensions, mounting heights, and task requirements. A photometric lighting plan provides precise lumen calculations and fixture placement recommendations for your facility. The following IESNA Lighting Handbook recommendations offer general guidance for common industrial applications.

Additional IESNA specifications are available in the comprehensive Lighting Application Guidelines for LEDs technical document.

Manufacturing Plants

Manufacturing facilities require lighting levels matched to specific production processes. Material handling areas need less illumination than precision assembly stations. Here are standard footcandle recommendations for common manufacturing operations:

• Leather Production:
  • Cleaning, cutting, stuffing, and stretching: 20 fc to 30 fc
  • Finishing: 50 fc to 75 fc
• Explosives Production:
  • Running generators, boiling tanks, and extractors: 20 fc to 30 fc
• Paper Production:
  • Beating and grinding: 20 fc to 30 fc
  • Finishing: 50 fc to 75 fc
  • Inspections: 100 fc to 150 fc
• Electrical Equipment Production:
  • Insulating and electromagnetic coil winding: 50 fc to 75 fc
• Hat Production:
  • Dyeing, cleaning, refining: 50 fc to 75 fc
  • Forming, finishing, ironing: 100 fc to 150 fc
  • Sewing: 200 fc to 300 fc
• Glove Production:
  • Knitting, sorting: 100 fc to 200 fc
  • Pressing, sewing: 200 fc to 300 fc
• Jewelry and Watch Production: 200 fc to 300 fc

Complex detail work may require supplemental task lighting beyond general area illumination. Portable LED work lights provide focused illumination for temporary high-precision operations.

Woodworking & Processing

Lumber processing and woodworking facilities need carefully planned illumination for both safety and quality control. All measurements reflect lighting levels at 3.3 feet above floor level:

• Bench/Saw Frame Assembly: 30 fc
• Turning, Cutting, Dressing: 50 fc
• Polishing: 100 fc

Loading Docks and Welding Shops

Loading dock areas require sufficient visibility for workers to identify potential hazards while moving materials safely through high-traffic zones. Standard dock operations need 10 fc minimum illumination, while areas handling small parts with detailed labeling require up to 30 fc.

Welding operations demand precise lighting control since both inadequate and excessive illumination create safety hazards. Welding area requirements include:

• Worker Orientation: 20 – 30 fc
• General Welding: 30 fc
• Precision Arc Welding: 500 – 750 fc

Assembly Line Work

Assembly operations span a wide range of complexity levels, from simple component handling to intricate precision work. Lighting requirements scale accordingly:

• Simple: 20 – 30 fc
• Moderate: 50 – 75 fc
• Difficult: 100 – 150 fc
• Very Difficult: 200 – 300 fc
• Extraction: 500 – 750 fc

Paint Booths

Professional paint spray booths require exceptional lighting quality for color matching, surface preparation, and defect identification. Poor illumination leads to costly rework and customer dissatisfaction. Our specialized paint booth lighting systems provide the precise illumination needed for professional results.

Different booth areas have varying lighting requirements based on the specific tasks performed:

• Paint Processing (Dipping, Spraying, Hand Painting): 20 – 30 fc
• Fine Hand Painting, Finishing: 100 – 150 fc
• Paint Mixing: 100 – 200 fc
• Extra-Fine Hand Painting, Finishing: 200 fc

Automotive paint inspection facilities often require extreme illumination levels up to 10,000 lumens at 3.3 feet to meet certification standards. Professional paint booth lighting systems must also meet strict electrical codes for hazardous locations.

Why Choose LED Lighting Supply for Your Industrial Project

LED Lighting Supply has provided industrial lighting solutions for over 13 years, working with manufacturers, warehouses, and production facilities nationwide. Our team of lighting specialists brings extensive experience from complex automotive plants to specialized chemical processing environments. We understand the unique challenges industrial facilities face because we’ve solved them repeatedly across diverse applications. Our complimentary lighting design service creates detailed photometric plans specific to your facility layout and operational requirements. This analysis includes precise energy savings calculations that show exactly how much your LED retrofit will reduce monthly utility costs. Many clients discover savings of $10,000-$50,000 annually on electricity expenses alone. When you work with LED Lighting Supply, you get direct access to product specialists who have actually designed lighting systems for facilities like yours, not general customer service representatives reading from scripts.