Alternative suppliers usually combine standard LEDs with simple deflection foils to change the beam angle. This results in suboptimal contrasts as the beam direction is only slightly tilted and the ‘cones’ of light overlap unfavourably in the tilt plane due to the large aperture angle.

In contrast, each LED in the MST-PSL is tilted. The chosen arrangement allows lateral tilt angles of up to 60°, with 35° being a good compromise between LED packing density and image contrast. At the same time, the lateral opening angle of each LED is limited to ±10°. In addition, the light is focused in the transport direction by a rod lens, the position of which can be optimised for different working distances. The current system easily achieves an irradiance of 2 kW/m² at a working distance of 100 mm. Further optimisations, such as adapted cooling and ‘over-flashing’ of the LEDs, should enable outputs of up to 3 kW/m².

For the first product, the concept of a double illumination was chosen, where two directions of light share one heat sink. This simplifies mechanical integration with a fixed working distance and saves space, allowing the system to be accommodated in an installation space of less than 400 mm.