OMC has introduced two surface-mount LEDs, one with a 15° beam and one at 60°.

Both LEDs are produced in a range of package styles at different wavelengths including infra-red versions.

“Narrow beam angle LEDs are often challenging for designers to source with the move to surface-mount components,” according to OMC. “This wasn’t so much of a problem with traditional through-hole (non-surface-mount) LEDs. However, with the move to surface-mount components, some design versatility was lost.”

With through-hole parts, the body is also the lens, moulded around the lead-frame using an optical epoxy or silicone, and there is room for optics producing beams as narrow as 5°.

Surface-mount parts tend to be injection-moulded from non-optical material before the semiconductor die is added. “As a result, the majority of SMD packages do not incorporate any lensing, emitting light in a wide beam angle which generally exceeds 100°,” said the firm. “OMC, however, uses a proprietary post die-mount encapsulation process and is able to integrate narrow angle lensing into surface-mount emitters.”

Applications foreseen are where the beam needs to be seen from a distance, such as signalling, indication, sensing and communication.

“The 30° SMT LED we launched last autumn has proved extremely popular,” said OMC commercial director William Heath, “and these 15° and 60° additions to the range expand the choice available for engineers.”

As well as standard devices, OMC offers a customisation service for other wavelengths and viewing angles.