MENTOR 2-D CUSTOM Light Guides / Light Pipes - No tooling costs, 300 pcs MOQ!

MENTOR’s M-CUT 2-D Custom Light Guide / Light Pipe system opens up a whole new world to electronic design engineers who do not have the tooling budgets or volumes to justify custom light guide solutions.

Any engineer with no matter how small a volume can now specify just about any shape or size they want in two dimensions to create custom area, bargraph or solid strip light guides that are professionally designed using sophisticated techniques and software that are unavailable to most companies. MENTOR’s specialist lighting engineers will use their specialist skills and advanced optical design software to ensure that LEDs are optimally positioned to deliver homogenous light with no bleed and will provide advice on the LED type to use. All of this is possible with no tooling costs and usual MOQ is just 300pcs. An engineer’s dream!!

How is this possible? MENTOR’s new M-CUT system is based on precisely machined homogeneous PMMA sheet that depending on the design requirements is either fully-transparent or more normally features special MENTOR-specified diffusing particles. Unlike classic injection-moulded light guides / light pipes, the production techniques used for the MENTOR M-CUT range require no tooling investment. (Depending on complexity, a modest design charge might apply).

Three different types of MENTOR M-CUT 2D custom light guides have been introduced. They will often be used under a foil or keypad but this is not always a requirement. All three types of custom light guides are mounted on the PCB via integrated press-in lugs. Alternative mounting techniques such as clamping or screwing are also possible.

M-CUT 2D custom area light guides

These will allow you to incorporate high-quality custom background illuminations for logos, graphics or information areas. (Even central cut-outs are possible whilst still retaining homogeneity of light). You specify the size and shape in 2 dimensions. MENTOR engineers will advise on the type and positioning of the LEDs to ensure homogenous illumination. No tooling and just 300 pcs MOQ!

Application example. These corona lighting effect are achieved using just one LED and MENTOR 2D custom area light guides.

Application example:- MENTOR 2D-Custom area light guides provide totally homogenous background illumination.

M-CUT 2D custom bargraph light guides

You can specify these with up to 100 individual elements, size and shape being infinitely variable in two dimensions. For instance, the bargraph array can be curved to match the curvature of a moulded enclosure. MENTOR will advise on the type and positioning of the LEDs. No tooling and just 300 pcs MOQ!

M-CUT 2D custom solid strip light guides

These are your solution when you need a solid strip of homogenous light, either for cosmetic effect or signalling but more usually, for illuminating text. You specify the size and shape in two dimensions. MENTOR engineers will advise on the type and positioning of the LEDs to ensure homogenous illumination. No tooling and just 300 pcs MOQ!

Application example:- This ship’s control panel utilises MENTOR 2-D custom solid-strip light guides (on the left) along with MENTOR illuminated switch caps to present an attractive and easy to understand front panel.

We at Multitron are very excited about this new MENTOR innovation because we know it is just what our Design Engineer customers have always dreamt about – custom solutions without the need for tooling investment or crazy MOQs! (Yes, OK, perhaps some of our Design Engineers may have pretty sad dreams but you know what we mean!) This innovation really will make a difference to the creative options in their professional lives.

I am personally very interested to investigate applications for this new concept. If you would like to talk through possibilities please feel free to call me on +44 203 475 2611 or mail me at dg@multitron.co.uk.