In the lighting sector, the talk is often of lumens, optics and design. Much less is said about what really determines durability: materials, surface treatments and testing. Yet this is precisely where the difference between consistent performance and progressive deterioration lies.
Outdoors, every fixture is exposed to a combination of constant stresses: rain, humidity, UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, salt spray, chemicals and mechanical stress. And not in exceptional circumstances but under normal conditions.
Given that, choosing a material does not simply mean selecting an item in a specification. It means determining how a product will perform over the years.
Materials, tests and processes: where reliability begins
There is no single solution. There is only the selection best suited to the environment and the design requirements.
A garden path, a seafront setting, a spa, a restaurant, a private residence and an urban space all require different performance characteristics. That’s why Luce&Light selects different materials based on the product and its intended application: aluminium, stainless steel, technopolymers, glass, brass and teak.
But product development doesn’t stop at material selection. It also encompasses manufacturing processes. An example of this is AC19®, Luce&Light’s proprietary treatment developed to increase the corrosion resistance of AISI 316L stainless steel. Through a combination of physical and chemical processes that act on the surface layers, AC19® compacts and homogenises the material, improving its durability and preserving its appearance over time, even in the most aggressive environments.
This is complemented by design and testing in our own laboratories, where components and fixtures undergo tests designed to assess performance under different operating conditions.
Thermal tests, environmental chamber cycles, impact resistance tests, drive-over tests and IP rating tests allow us to simulate real-world conditions and accelerate ageing processes. These tests enable us to verify that every fixture can maintain its performance, safety and integrity over time, even under particularly demanding environmental conditions.
Aluminium
Aluminium is one of the most widely used materials in lighting thanks to its light weight, excellent workability and ability to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by light sources.
Not all aluminium grades have the same properties, however, and the choice of alloy and manufacturing technology significantly affects how a fixture performs over time. Luce&Light uses die-cast aluminium and Anticorodal aluminium, selecting whichever better suits the specific application requirements.
The die-casting process gives die-cast aluminium considerable design flexibility and strength, contributing to fixtures’ long-term reliability. Anticorodal aluminium, on the other hand, has a low copper content, giving it excellent corrosion and weather resistance and making it particularly suitable for outdoor applications.
To further increase durability, the fixtures undergo a multi-layer coating process inspired by cutting-edge automotive standards. The process comprises surface preparation, epoxy coating, polyester powder coating and a coating of Qualicoat-compliant paint. The entire cycle is verified through stringent salt-spray tests lasting over 1500 hours, ensuring excellent weather and oxidation resistance while preserving the product’s functionality and appearance over time.
AISI 316L stainless steel
Where environmental conditions are more aggressive, a material with inherent resistance is required. In settings such as seashores, spas, swimming pools, industrial environments and underwater applications, where fixtures are permanently exposed to water, salt spray, chlorine, sulphur and chemicals, coatings may not be enough in the long term.
For these applications, Luce&Light uses AISI 316L stainless steel, a material whose excellent corrosion resistance derives directly from its chemical composition, particularly its chromium and molybdenum content.
In products made from this material, even when coated, scratches or minor accidental impacts do not trigger progressive deterioration or coating delamination, ensuring high long-term reliability.
AC19®: maximum protection for the most demanding applications
In some contexts, it is not only environmental conditions that put a fixture to the test but also chemical and physical phenomena such as abrasion, the accumulation of aggressive substances and continuous stress. Over time, these can compromise even high-performance materials.
For these extreme scenarios, Luce&Light went beyond material selection to develop a treatment that further enhances resistance to wear and corrosive agents. This led to AC19®, the proprietary treatment developed for AISI 316L stainless steel.
Through a carefully calibrated combination of chemical and physical processes, the treatment acts on the material’s outermost surface layers, compacting and homogenising their structure. This reduces surface microporosity, where corrosive agents can accumulate and localised deterioration can begin. The result is significantly increased resistance to corrosion, abrasion, salt spray, sulphur, de-icing salts and aggressive chemicals.
The AC19® treatment also produces a uniform satin finish, lending fixtures a sophisticated appearance that is maintained over time.
Technopolymers
Technopolymers also have a specific role in the L&L catalogue. Carefully selected for high performance, these engineered materials meet precise application requirements. They enable the construction of lightweight yet robust fixtures, particularly suited to environments that require exceptional chemical resistance and long-term reliability. Their specific mechanical and thermal properties contribute to effective heat management and stable long-term performance, even in particularly harsh environments.
Natural materials: a perfect blend of durability and aesthetic appeal
Alongside aluminium and stainless steel, the Luce&Light catalogue includes materials that help define design identity, combining aesthetic quality and performance for outdoor applications.
For example, Luce&Light offers bollards whose bodies are made from FSC®-certified teak, a natural material selected for its aesthetic and performance characteristics. The wood’s natural properties, including its high density and protective oils, provide good moisture and weather resistance and help it blend harmoniously into the landscape.
The collection also includes products made from brass, a material that embodies a different approach to durability, in which resistance and aesthetic evolution go hand in hand. Naturally resistant to corrosion, it is suitable for demanding outdoor environments, developing a protective surface patina over time that lets its appearance evolve without compromising its functional properties.
Completing the collection, glass plays a fundamental role in both protecting internal components and shaping the quality of the emitted light. In some fixtures, it is more than a functional element: its materiality is integral to the design, helping to define the fixture’s aesthetic and its relationship with the space.
Luce&Light uses high-transmittance, tempered extra-clear glass, selected for its high mechanical strength and ability to withstand thermal shock. Its transparency and long-term stability help preserve the fixture’s lighting performance, maintaining light beam quality even after years of use.
A difference that becomes apparent over time
At Luce&Light, durability is a design requirement, not just a consequence. Our material selection, development of dedicated treatments and control of the entire production process all stem from a clear design philosophy: to create fixtures that maintain their performance, appearance and reliability over time.
For us, designing high-quality products built to last is the first step towards sustainability, reducing the need for replacement and helping to minimise waste.
That’s also why we extend the warranty on all our lighting fixtures to five years – because the value of a fixture is measured not only by the performance it delivers today, but by its ability to maintain that performance over time.
