By Luca Masella, M.S.

Liquid crystals are elongated molecules that are naturally aligned in the same direction. The beam shaper is composed of two pieces of glass separated by liquid crystals and sealed. When an electric field is applied to the lens, the liquid crystal molecules shift orientation, causing the light to be refocused. It is then possible to shape the light beam by controlling the electrical field and the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules.

This means the beam angle is able to fluctuate between the actual reflector’s angle (when the lens is clear) to the maximum angle, which is accomplished when the lens is frosted and the light gets diffracted (typically 55 degrees).

Zaniboni Lighting offers this technology, which is preferred over mechanical beam shaping systems as an electrical solution. It produces no noise, is very light and has no mechanical moving components that may be susceptible to a limited number of cycles.