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The familiarity we feel for screwing in a light bulb wouldn't even be possible without the well-known E27 fitting, which is more commonly referred to as the Edison Screw Cap.

This type of fitting has made changing a light bulb relatively hassle-free for over a century, since it was first developed by Thomas Edison in 1909, and is one of the most easily recognised and enduring features of light bulb design to this day.

However, everyone is just as familiar with the wise old saying "Out with the old and in with the new" and the LED Lighting industry is certainly no stranger to this concept. LED Lighting technology is constantly moving forward; bringing in new and forward-thinking innovations and discarding those that are outdated and obsolete.

With regard to this, a new and radical industry development may just be sounding the death knell of the traditional light bulb fitting.

The innovators at BridgeLux, a Californian manufacturer of LED arrays, in collaboration with Molex, an electronics company based in Illinois, are moving things forward yet again, this time with a great solution to the challenges presented by solid state LED lighting.

The two companies’ Helieon Module uses a 'plug-and-play' system that allows light bulbs to be 'snap' into light fitting’s base without the need for it to be screwed in. This makes them incredibly easy to replace or upgrade without the need for a complete overhaul of the system.

However, the Helieon Module has not just made advances for its unique light fitting alone. In order to function correctly, conventional LED Lights require a specialised driver unit to convert alternating current into direct current. However, in the case of the Helieon Module, the driver is a fully integral part of the unit.

BridgeLux will initially be targeting a commercial market with their Helieon Modules, but they expect them to become viable for the domestic market in the near future as well.

This development is expected to come as something of a relief to lighting manufacturers in general, as it will set a precedent for standardising the LED Lighting industry, in a similar manner to that of the E27 all those years ago.

BridgeLux had the following to say about the Helieon Module: "Until now, designing, installing or replacing a solid-state lighting solution was a difficult and challenging process. With the breakthrough Helieon Module, implementing LED lighting has just become a whole lot easier and much more cost-effective.”

The company went on to add, “Helieon Modules are energy-efficient, long-lasting, eco-friendly and durable — a brilliantly simple solution that delivers the benefits of solid-state lighting with the ease of using a light bulb."

If you have any thoughts about this incredible development, or you’ll simply be sad to the Edison Screw Cap go, why not leave a comment below, or visit our Facebook or Twitter pages and leave a comment there?

Should you require any help or advice about LED lighting products, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our team of customer service advisors here at Wholesale LED Lights on 0116 321 4120 or send an e-mail enquiry to cs@wled.co.uk.