Light pipes are essentially plastic or optical fiber cylindrical structure that move light from point A to B. Light pipes help products communicate important information to users using light as a means of communication. For example, on and off power button on your TV, charging meter on EV chargers, and red recording light on your security camera.

Bivar offers two types of light pipes, rigid light pipes and flexible light pipes: The nonflammable plastic, Polycarbonate, is used to create rigid light pipes which can be easily molded and works best for short distances. Optical Fiber is best for longer distances thanks to its flexibility to move around obstacles and tight spaces.

At point A of the light pipe is the LED light source which transmits the light through the light pipe to the lens at point B.

Bivar offers Surface Mount LEDs (SMD) and Through-Hole LEDs in a wide range of sizes, colors, and brightness options that to be paired with light pipes. Bivar’s ZeroLightBleed™ adapters eliminate light bleed which can cause dimmed brightness, false readings, color mixing, and unwanted glow in the enclosure.

With proper pairing of a light pipe and LED, you can maximize light travel and minimize light bleed, providing you the maximum result you need. While relatively simple, light pipes play an important role in your end design as they allow for compact designs, simplify PCB layout and increase the ease for human factor engineers.