Automotive Lighting:  Testing and Requirements
I.D. # C0618 Duration 1 Day

It has not been commonly known that automotive exterior lights are safety devices and must comply with governmental regulations. Since the 1930s, the SAE Lighting Standards Committee has been actively working with the automotive industry OEMs, lamp makers, tier-two suppliers, and human factor experts to develop automotive lighting standards. These standards have been widely used or referenced by the U.S. federal or state governments in establishing and enforcing the lighting regulations. This seminar emphasizes the safety importance of automotive lighting devices and provides important information on lighting functions, standards or regulations, testing and evaluations.

This course has been approved by the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR) for 6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Upon completion of this seminar, accredited reconstructionists should contact ACTAR, 800-809-3818, to request CEUs. As an ACTAR approved course, the fee for CEUs is reduced to $5.00.

Learning Objectives
By attending this seminar, you will be able to:
  • Describe the legal aspects and implications related to automotive lighting
  • Search for and use the lighting related standards for all exterior lighting devices
  • Establish or assist with lighting tests and evaluations
Who Should Attend
Automotive engineers and product development personnel who are responsible for lighting design, manufacturing, quality assurance, installation, vehicle interface and integration will benefit from attending this seminar. Regulatory personnel who are involved with the legal specifications of automotive lighting and law enforcement agencies or individuals responsible for lighting regulations will find the information valuable and relevant as will testing engineers or technicians who are responsible for evaluating and verifying the compliance of lighting standards and regulations.
Prerequisites
Participants should have a technical background and some knowledge related to automotive lighting devices; an undergraduate engineering or related degree is preferred.
Seminar Content
  • Introduction - SAE Lighting Standards Committee
    • Current organization
    • History
    • Duties, responsibilities and membership
  • Definitions and Terminologies Used in Automotive Lighting
    • Illumination devices -- Functions; Types; Basic structure
    • Classification of automotive lighting - definitions and operations -- Forward lighting; Signal lighting; Auxiliary lamps
    • Automotive lighting terminology -- Terminology; Identification code; Inspection code
  • Testing and Evaluations
    • General categories -- What needs to be tested?; Photometry tests; Environmental tests; Electrical tests; On-vehicle tests; Special tests for selective devices using HID, LED, neon and other light sources
    • Testing equipment -- Photometry test equipment; Environmental tests equipment; Electrical tests equipment
    • Test methods: lighting sources, subsystems, and devices -- Light source test; Special test for subsystems; Device test
    • Material tests -- Weatherability; High deformation temperature (HDT); Optical characteristic; Chemical and physical behavior
    • Human factor evaluations -- What are human factors?; Headlamp safety - seeing distance; Driver's comfort and glare; Signal detection
  • Automotive Lighting Requirements
    • Industry standards and government regulations
    • SAE Requirements -- Classification; Component related requirements; Device related requirements
    • U.S. federal government requirements -- NHTSA; FVMSS 108; Petition and interpretation; Recalls
    • Comparison of SAE vs. U.S. federal regulations -- Light source and subsystem requirements; Photometry requirements for all lamps; General environmental requirements for all lighting devices; Additional environmental requirements for forward lighting devices; Additional environmental requirements for device functions - forward lighting and signal lighting devices; Technology specific requirements; Material requirements
    • International requirements -- Economic Commission for Europe (ECE); International Harmonization; Global Technology Regulations (GTR)
Instructor(s): Jianzhong Jiao
Dr. Jianzhong Jiao is an internationally recognized lighting expert for light sources and lighting products design, technology development, testing, industry standards and government regulations. Dr. Jiao has been actively involved in professional and industry organizations and standardization activities. He is the Chairman of the SAE Lighting Committee, past Chairman of the Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance (NGLIA), Chinaman of the NEMA SSL Section Technical Committee, and active member of IESNA Committees, ANSI-NEMA SSL Working Groups, UL LED Standard Technical Panel, as well as member of CIE, SPIE, ITE and other organizations. Dr. Jiao is the SAE Follow, and has received several industry awards.

Dr. Jiao holds a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University, a M.S. degree in Applied Physics, and a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is titled to 9 U.S. Patents and has over 20 technical publications. Dr. Jiao currently serves as the Director of Regulations and Emerging Technologies at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors Inc. He also served as an adjunct professor teaching physics and electrical engineering courses at Purdue University and Lawrence Technological University. He has been teaching SAE seminars since 2003.

Fees: $725 SAE Members*: $580 - $653
* The appropriate SAE Member discount will be applied through the Registration process.  Discounts vary according to level of membership: Elite Member 20%; Premium Member 15%; Classic Member 10%
CEU .7