Facility managers in the USA had become frustrated with the constant maintenance and upkeep required of their antiquated traditional lighting on the shop floor. They took just four Dialight 18,000 lumen Vigilant High Bay fixtures on trial, which soon became a complete corporate retrofit across all Miller Industries’ facilities.
In addition, at its Greeneville, Tennessee, facility, Miller was aiming to bring previously out-sourced fabrication in-house, and had converted 60,000 square feet of its manufacturing facility to a fabrication shop, complete with high-tech equipment including laser lathes, press brakes, CNC and other modern machining tools.
Because of the precision work required, Bill Couch, general manager of the Greeneville facility, explained new lighting was a must. “The quality tolerances are much tighter than welding tolerances,” he explained. “We have to make sure the staff can read the micrometer accurately and see the finishes clearly. If you can’t see the part, you can’t make a quality part. Not only do we have a reputation to uphold, but this is our first time doing this kind of work, so it absolutely has to meet our standards and be successful.”
Not only was the previous lighting inadequate, but dust and dirt accumulation on the fixtures was also a major problem. The old HID (High Intensity Discharge) high bays were prone to collecting dust, resulting in a yellow-hued light, and they required constant cleaning, which was rare because of the hassle and difficulty involved. The lights were hard to access and cleaning required blowing the dust off with an air compressor, which of course caused it to rain down on everything below.
Bill Couch continued: “There really wasn’t much of a question about whether to use the Dialight fixtures. The 10-year warranty was the number one reason, along with the ease of installation and their track record for quality and service. We probably quoted three or four different manufacturers but Dialight was competitive on price, and the warranty and ease of replacement sealed the deal.”