Laster Tech Unveils High-Power LED Automotive Lamps

Founded in 1999, Laster Tech Co., Ltd. Will launch a high-profile promotion campaign for its high-power LED automotive lamps this year, after four years of diligent product development.

"Prices for low-power models are already terribly low as a result of production overcapacity for handsets," says Jeff Chuang, director of the company's automotive-lighting division.

The company rolled out the lamp series at the end of last year. It has models for 16 car makes, including the Ford Escape and Toyota Altis as well as some Mercedes-Benz and BMW models. The high-end products are expected to have a decided positive impact on the firm's sales; last year's total revenue was NT$1 billion (US$31 million at US$1:NT$32).

Chuang's division, he reports, has overcome technical problems such as heat dissipation that have long held back the market for this type of product. The department's breakthroughs have brought the firm 10 patents and safety approvals from the United States' DOT (Dept. of Transportation) and SAE (Society of Automotive Engineering). He says the patents are mostly for circuit and mechanical-structure design elements and for styling.

Chuang states that the firm's decided technological competitive edge over pure auto-lamp makers stems from the fact it began business with LED sales and developments of LED applications. "The lamps are totally different from tungsten lamps. They require professional engineers who are knowledgeable about LED technology. Pure automotive-lamp suppliers have built their knowledge base on tungsten lamps." Chuang himself is an LED engineer with 10 years' experience, and 20% of his company's 250 employees are LED experts with at least a bachelor's degree in the optical, mechanical, electrical, or firmware sciences.

The company also has other competitive strengths. Chuang reports that it is the exclusive dealer for Lumiled-made diodes in Taiwan and mainland China. Lumiled is the world's No. 1 supplier of high-power LEDs. "Lumiled is now in talks with a number of world-leading carmakers about the supply of LED lamps," he says. "If the deals are secured, we're likely to be Lumiled's chosen contract supplier." Until then, Laster will continue to focus on products for remodeled cars.

The company has a 30-specialist research and development team and specialist equipment including beam analyzers from Optronik of Germany, a welding system for mounting LEDs on printed circuit boards from IVAS Tech, and automated production lines for the making of the auto-lamp modules. Its production software includes CAD Tooling, TracePro, SolidWorks, ProE, and VISI.

The company's research and design is conducted at its headquarters in Taiwan, production in mainland China to keep down production costs. The company now operates several LED-module and lamp-assembly facilities in the mainland.

In the middle of this year, the company will enter production in another important line with great revenue potential, the making of LED backlight modules for liquid-crystal display (LCD) panels, as part of its strategy of leaving mature markets for nascent markets with the potential for rapid growth.

Backlight modules for mobile phones was the company's major revenue earner last year, pushing up its revenue 300% from the year earlier. "The hefty revenue growth came as a result of strong demand for mobile phones and our use of patented diodes, freeing us from patent lawsuits," Chuang notes. Osram is the major source of the company's diodes used in its handset backlight modules. Laster is also the sole dealer for Osram diodes in Taiwan and mainland China.

As a part of its expansion plans, the company will open offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Seoul this year; it opened an office in 2001 in Shanghai. It is also planning office openings in Los Angeles and Dallas.