Mar 28 2006
Royal Philips Electronics has announced an investment of approximately EUR 30 million in its automotive head lighting competence centre in Aachen, Germany. The investment will pay for the installation of an ultra-modern production line for Philips’ Xenon car headlamps. This will enable Philips to meet the increasing demand for Xenon lighting and strengthen its position as the global number one supplier of such lamps.
Philips Xenon lamps are used by almost all of today’s car manufacturers across the world, from the top of the range, such as BMW, Mercedes and Porsche to the more widely established, such as Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen. The headlights use a gas-discharge arc instead of a bulb filament, producing three times as much light and consuming 50 percent less energy than traditional halogen headlights.
The lamps increase safety for drivers by offering greater visibility and illuminating much sooner what’s ahead on the road, whether this be obstacles, signs, others vehicles or pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, they stimulate the human eye in darkness or poor light, which helps reduce driver fatigue.
“This investment confirms our continuing ambition to grow and strengthen our position in the automotive lighting industry,” says Mr. Paul van den Kerkhoff, Manager of the Aachen Competence Centre. “We continue to innovate, raise our level of knowledge and strengthen our technology leadership to offer tailor-made solutions that specifically address the customers’ requirements.”
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