SBIR Phase I: Encasement of Light Emitting Ceramic Devices for Signage and Lightscaping Applications

Meadow River Enterprises, Inc., Lewisburg WV

Investigators

Abstract

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will establish the feasibility of a materials system to encase customized ceramic signage (and other lightscaping products) which utilize solid-state ceramic lamps as a backlight source. These systems should achieve extraordinary power efficiency by illuminating the information rather than the entire sign area and are intended for external operation over a wide environmental range (e.g. extremes in temperature, humidity, acid rain, etc). The proposed encasement method uses special materials formulations applied through ultrasonic spray and CNC technologies to create custom ceramic surfaces. These surfaces display the information content in a backlit format while protecting the light emitting ceramic layer from the external operating environment. This system provides a semi-transparent, multi-colored outer ceramic layer exhibiting a combination of information display and artistic presentation features when backlit by a solid-state ceramic lamp. This technology can be applied to a wide variety of commercial signage and lightscaping applications.