TCP, Inc. Advances CFL Quality Through Innovative Manufacturing and Testing Process
TCP, Inc., the leading manufacturer of energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), is raising the bar on CFL quality with an innovative manufacturing and testing process that ensures its products exceed industry and performance standards. The company is the world’s only fully, vertically-integrated global manufacturer of CFLs, which allows it to control all aspects of the CFL manufacturing process, including design, development, product testing and packaging. By using a Closed Loop quality manufacturing process, TCP produces CFLs that are brighter, longer lasting, more energy efficient, and a better choice for the environment than standard CFLs.
TCP’s Closed Loop quality manufacturing process includes ongoing, regular tests to verify adherence to technical specifications, material and process control and final assembly consistency. Unlike other manufacturers, TCP owns its glass and circuit board factories and closely controls all raw materials and sub-components used in its CFLs. All products must comply with TCP’s material specifications and suppliers are regularly audited for compliance to TCP’s rigorous quality standards.
To verify its products will operate for the duration of their rated life, all of TCP’s CFLs must undergo two stringent quality tests. The Rapid Cycle test simulates product usage by cycling CFLs for five minutes on and five minutes off. The CFLs must endure one cycle for every two hours of rated lamp life, which means a 10,000-hour lamp must cycle for 5,000 hours. The Average Rated Life test cycles the lamps for three hours on and 20 minutes off until the rated life of the lamp has been reached. At the conclusion of this test, the lamps will have been burned for the full rated life of the lamp. CFLs that do not meet specifications are sent back to TCP’s glass making furnace to be melted and recycled into the CFL manufacturing process.
“It’s important for consumers to understand that not all CFLs sold in the U.S. are created equally,” said Ellis Yan, President & CEO, TCP, Inc. “As the leaders of the energy efficient lighting industry, we are continuously evaluating our manufacturing and product testing processes to ensure the highest quality of every CFL that leaves our factories and enters the homes of consumers around the world.”
TCP was awarded the ENERGY STAR 2009 Partner of the Year for its commitment to manufacturing high quality energy efficient lighting products. TCP’s CFLs have also received high rankings from independent studies conducted by Consumer Reports and Popular Mechanics.