Podcast – Murcu Industrial Workshop Lighting Solutions
Okay, so today we're going to take a look at something that, you know, you might not think about too often, but that's super important when you're thinking about a productive workspace, and that's lighting, and specifically workshop lighting.
Lighting is one of those things, yeah, that you don't think about until it's bad.
Exactly. And, you know, you sent this information over about Murcu, a wholesale custom manufacturer based in China, and I was really intrigued by what they offer, and I thought it would be a great deep dive for us, you know, to go through and figure out, you know, what are some of the key takeaways for our listeners, you know, without getting too bogged down in the detail.
Yeah, because there's a lot there to unpack.
Right, but we're going to try to make it as, you know, digestible as possible.
Absolutely.
So, you know, we'll be looking at information directly from their website, and we'll explore the range, you know, the key features, the customization options, and also the overall advantages of considering Murcu, you know, when you're thinking about workshop lighting.
Yeah, sounds good.
Okay, so, first off, you know, what kind of jumps out at you about Murcu?
You know, right off the bat, I think what's really interesting is that they're not just, you know, giving you a catalog and saying, here's our light, pick one. It seems like they're really positioning themselves as a partner.
Yeah.
Which is cool, I mean, especially for wholesale clients.
Right.
You know, they're located in China, so they're able to highlight their competitive factory pricing.
Yeah.
Which, you know, obviously when you're buying in bulk, that's a big factor.
It's huge, yeah.
But I think even more than that, it's the emphasis on complete customization.
Yeah.
Both OEM, you know, where they'll manufacture to your specs, and ODM, where they'll even help with the design, which is pretty cool.
Yeah, and it seems like they're, you know, really emphasizing that they'll be with you every step of the way.
Yeah.
You know, from the research and development, the design phase, all the way through the manufacturing, and, you know, even the logistics of getting it to you.
And they do offer fast and free quotes.
That's nice. Yeah. That's always a plus.
Yeah. It makes it easy to get started, at least.
Yeah.
So, you know, when we look at the types of workshop lighting that they feature, what struck you as being the most important?
Well, it seems like their core offerings are LED high bays and floodlights.
Yeah.
Which, you know, really are workhorses. I mean, that's, you know, when you think about an industrial environment, that's kind of what comes to mind, right?
Yeah. I mean, those are sort of the classic, you know, work lights.
Right.
And so, I think the key thing that they really highlight is durability and efficiency, you know?
Yeah.
You need these lights in a busy workshop.
Yeah.
I mean, they need to be able to take a beating.
Right.
They need to be able to, you know, be on for a long time without, you know, driving your energy bill through the roof.
And that was something that I noticed when I was going through this information, too, is that they highlight the energy efficiency of their lighting solutions. Yeah. Quite a bit.
And I think that's, you know, as businesses are becoming, you know, more and more conscious of their environmental footprint and also just, you know, the bottom line. You know, it's a huge selling point. So, I think that's really smart on their part to emphasize that.
But it's also interesting because, you know, today we're talking about workshop lighting, but they do offer a pretty wide range of products.
Yeah, for sure.
They've got portable lights, light towers, stadium lights, street lights, LED shop lights, even garage lights.
Yeah.
So, you know, it seems like they've got a pretty broad expertise across the lighting sector as a whole. Exactly. So, you know, it seems like they're, you know, while we're focusing on their workshop lighting, it does seem like they have, you know, quite a bit of experience in lighting in general. Right.
Now, getting into some of the specifics, you know, the key features of their workshop lights, one of the things that caught my eye is this luminous efficacy of 200 lumens per watt, which sounds like a, you know, really energy efficient.
I mean, can you talk a bit more about that?
Yeah. So, lumens per watt is a measure of how much light you're getting for the energy that's being used.
Right. So, the higher the number, the more efficient the light is. And 200 lumens per watt is really good.
I mean, to put that in perspective, you know, those old fluorescent lights that you might see in a workshop, you know. Right.
The kind of buzzing ones. Yeah, exactly. Those are usually like 80 to 100 lumens per watt. Oh, wow.
So, you're basically getting more than double the light output for the same amount of energy. Yeah. Which over time can save you a lot of money on your electricity bill.
Especially in a big workshop. I mean, if you've got all those lights on, you know, eight hours a day. Yeah, absolutely. That's going to add up.
Right. And they also mention SDCM, which they say is greater than five.
Can you break that down a little bit for me? Yeah. So, SDCM stands for standard deviation of color matching.
Okay.
And it's basically a measure of how consistent the color of the light is across different light fixtures. Okay.
So, you know, you don't want one light to be like super warm and another light to be really cool.
You want it to be consistent.
Yeah, you want it to all match.
Okay.
And the lower the SDCM number, the better the color consistency. Now, they'd say greater than five, which for general workshop tasks is probably fine. Okay.
But, you know, if you were doing something where color accuracy was super important, you know, like in a paint shop.
Right.
Or, you know, if you were doing some really detailed electronics assembly, you probably want to look for a lower SDCM. I see.
But, you know, for most workshops where, you know, you're just trying to see what you're doing, greater than five is probably going to be perfectly adequate.
Okay. And they also talk about offering multiple beam angles, you know, 60, 90, and 120 degrees.
Yeah. So, you know, how do these different angles impact the lighting, you know? Well, the beam angle basically tells you how wide the light spreads. Okay.
So a narrower angle, like 60 degrees, is going to give you a more focused beam of light. Okay. Which is really useful for, you know, maybe highlighting a specific workstation or a piece of machinery, or if you're doing a task that requires really concentrated illumination.
Right. Like you're working on some tiny little part or something. Yeah, exactly.
And then, you know, the wider angles. Right. So like 90 or 120 degrees. Yeah.
Those are going to be better for providing more general ambient lighting, you know, just kind of an even illumination across a larger area. So it's more like overall lighting for the whole space.
And it's cool that they offer these different options because then you can really tailor the lighting to the specific layout and the needs of your workshop.
Yeah, absolutely. And you might even, you know, have a combination. Oh, right. Use different beam angles in different zones. Exactly, yeah.
That makes a lot of sense. Okay.
And then there's the durability, you know, they mentioned the L70B10 rating at 100,000 hours. So can you unpack that a little bit?
Sure. So basically what that means is that after 100,000 hours of use, the lights are still expected to be putting out 70% of their original brightness. Oh, wow. So they're not going to like, you know, burn out really quickly. No, they're designed to last a really long time.
Okay.
And the B10 part means that, you know, you're not going to have a bunch of them just dying out on you prematurely. Okay. So no more than 10% of the lights should fail before that 100,000 hour mark. Okay.
I mean, put that in perspective. I mean, 100,000 hours, that's like 40 years. Yeah.
I mean, think about that. If you have your workshopped, you know, open eight hours a day, five days a week. Yeah. You're looking at, you know, decades of use. Yeah.
Before you really have to worry about replacing them. And, you know, less replacements means less maintenance, lower cost. Exactly. It's good for everyone involved. Yeah. And that's not even mentioning the IP65 waterproof rating. Right.
Which means that these things are dustproof and waterproof.
Yeah.
I mean, you can practically spray them down with a hose. I mean, they're made for a workshop environment. Yeah. You know, they're not going to get ruined by, you know, a little bit of dust or moisture or, you know, whatever else is flying around in your workshop. Right.
I mean, that makes a lot of sense. And then, you know, and to top it off, you know, they offer a five-year warranty. Yeah. That's pretty impressive.
I mean, most lighting companies, you're lucky if you get like a year or two. Yeah. I mean, that really says something about, you know, their confidence in their product.
Absolutely. I mean, they're basically saying, hey, we're so sure that these lights are going to last, that we're willing to back them up for five years. Yeah. And for you as the buyer, you know, it reduces your risk.
Exactly. You know, you're putting down, you know, a significant amount of money for, you know, especially if you're doing a whole workshop. Right. It's nice to have that peace of mind. Absolutely.
So if we just kind of take stock for a minute. Yeah. What would you say are the main advantages of choosing Murcu based on what we've seen so far? Well, I mean, you know, the high energy efficiency is definitely a big one. I mean, you're going to see, you know, some serious savings on your electricity bills over time. Yeah.
The long lifespan, you know, that's great. You know, less maintenance, less replacements. That's saving you money and time. Yeah. The consistent color quality. That's, you know, that's something that I think is important for, you know, a productive work environment, because if you've got inconsistent lighting, it can actually be kind of straining on your eyes.
Yeah, absolutely. It can cause fatigue, headaches. Yeah. All sorts of problems. Yeah.
And, you know, you want to be able to focus on your work, not on, you know, the weird lighting. Right. And you want your employees to be comfortable and able to do their best work. Exactly. And then, you know, the different beam angles. I think that's really smart, you know, that they offer that.
Yeah.
Because you can really customize, you know, the setup. Yeah. I mean, every workshop is different, so you need to be able to tailor the lighting to the specific space.
Right. And then, you know, the fact that they're, you know, so durable and, you know, the IP 65 rating. Yeah. Means they can handle, you know, whatever you throw at them. Yeah. Spills, dust, impacts. I mean, these things are built to last. Exactly.
And then, you know, and to top it off, you know, they offer a five-year warranty.
Yeah. That's pretty impressive. I mean, most lighting companies, you're lucky if you get like a year or two. Yeah. I mean, that really gives you that sense of security. You know that you're making a good investment. Right. I mean, they've really thought of everything. It seems like it.
From the practical considerations to, you know, really taking care of the customer. Yeah. And making sure that they're happy with their purchase. Now, one of the things that Murcu really seems to pride themselves on is customization. Yeah.
And they highlight several different aspects of the lights that can be tailored to your needs, you know?
So what are some of the things that jumped out at you when you were looking at this information? Well, first of all, I think it's cool that you can customize the appearance. Yeah.
I mean, you're not stuck with just, you know, boring industrial-looking fixtures. Right. You can actually choose something that looks nice. Yeah. And fits with the overall aesthetic of your workspace.
Right. Like, you can get kind of stylish with it. Exactly. And, you know, they also mentioned CRI, which is Color Rendering Index. Right. And they offer options with a high CRI for more accurate color representation. Right. And, you know, for certain workshops, that's really important.
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, if you're doing any kind of work where color is important, like painting, or if you're assembling something with, you know, color-coded components, you need to be able to see those colors accurately. Right. Otherwise, you're going to make mistakes.
Yeah. So a high CRI is basically going to make the colors look more natural. Right. More true to life. Okay. And then they talk about different voltage configurations. Yeah.
Which, obviously, you know, you need to make sure that the lights are compatible with your electrical system.
Exactly. You don't want to get the lights and then realize that you can't even plug them in. Yeah. That would be a disaster. Right. Okay.
And then they also talk about customizing the luminous efficacy, you know? Right. So basically, you can fine-tune how bright the lights are. Right.
Which is a good way to balance, you know, getting the right amount of light for the task at hand. Right. While also keeping your energy consumption in check. So you can kind of get the best of both worlds. Exactly. Yeah.
Okay.
And then they mentioned dimming and sensors. So how could those be beneficial in a workshop? Well, dimming is great because, you know, you don't always need the lights to be at full blast. Right.
You know, maybe in certain areas you just need a little bit of light. And being able to dim lights down can save you a lot of energy. And it can also be helpful, you know, if you've got natural light coming in, you know, you can adjust the lights to compensate. Absolutely. Yeah.
And then what about sensors? Sensors are awesome. I mean, especially occupancy sensors, because they'll automatically turn the lights on. Oh, right.
When somebody walks into a room and then they'll turn them off. So you're not wasting energy, you know, lights being on in an empty room. Yeah, exactly.
And, you know, it also helps with safety because, you know, you're never going to walk into a dark room and trip over something.
Right. And they also mentioned using sensors for emergency lighting. Yeah. Which is a really important feature, you know, because you never know when the power is going to go out. Right. And you don't want to be fumbling around in the dark if that happens.
So, you know, having those lights automatically come on can be a real lifesaver. Absolutely. Okay. So they've got this step-by-step process for customization. Right. So, you know, how does that work?
Well, first off, you know, they do a needs analysis, which I think is a really important step because, you know, they're not just going to, you know, throw some lights at you and say, here you go. Yeah. They want to understand your specific requirements.
Right. They want to, you know, see the space, figure out, you know, what you're doing in the space. Right. How big is it? What's the layout? What kind of work is being done?
Exactly. All of those factors are going to influence, you know, what kind of lighting you need.
Right. And then after that, they put together a design proposal. Yeah. Where they'll get into the specifics of the design.
Right. Like what the fixtures will look like.
Yeah, exactly. You know, the color rendering, any special features like dimming or sensors. Well, and the next step is the sample review, which I think is a really smart move on their part because it gives you the opportunity to actually see and test the lights before you commit to a big order.
Yeah. You can make sure that the lights are going to perform the way you want them to. Exactly. You can check the color, the brightness, the beam angle, everything.
And once you're happy with the samples, then they'll move into production scheduling. Right. To make sure that you get your lights on time. Right.
And then throughout the whole production process, they're doing quality inspections. Yeah. You know, to make sure that the lights are meeting the agreed upon specifications.
They're not just, you know, churning them out and hoping for the best. And they also offer delivery support. Right. So they'll coordinate the shipping and make sure that, you know, your order arrives on time and in good condition. Yeah.
It's nice to know that they're handling everything. Yeah. I mean, it sounds like a very, you know, customer focused approach to doing business. Absolutely.
I mean, they're clearly taking the time to understand your needs and then they're going above and beyond. Yeah. To make sure that you're happy with the final product.
Now, you know, Murcu talks about their capabilities as a manufacturer. And one of the things they highlight is their in-house design and R&D. Yeah. So, you know, why is that so important? Well, it basically means that they have the expertise to not only manufacture the lights. Right. But also to design them from scratch.
Right. And to come up with, you know, innovative solutions that are tailored to your specific needs. Right. I mean, it's not like they're just taking, you know, off the shelf components and slapping them together.
Yeah. They're really involved in the whole process from, you know, coming up with the initial concept to, you know, actually producing the finished product.
And that allows them to have a lot more control over the quality. Yeah. And it also means that they can respond more quickly to, you know, customer requests or your changes in the market. Right. If they have to go to a third party for the design. Yeah.
You know, that's going to slow things down. It's a much more agile approach, I guess. Exactly. And they mentioned a minimum order quantity of a thousand units. Okay. So what does that tell you about their target customer?
Well, it means that they're not really focused on small businesses or individual consumers. Right. They're looking for larger clients. Yeah. You know, companies that need, you know, a significant amount of lighting. Right. I mean, it makes sense because they are a wholesale provider.
So it's not like you're going to go to them if you just need like a couple lights for your garage. Exactly. And they also emphasize, you know, there's stringent quality control, measures, their efficient order management systems, their warehousing and logistics solutions.
You know, all these things that are really important when you're dealing with large scale orders. Yeah. They're not just making the lights. They're handling the whole process from, you know, start to finish. Yeah. They want to make sure that you're getting your lights on time and in perfect condition. Okay.
So now let's look at, you know, some of the reasons that Merck gives for why you should choose them, you know, as your workshop lighting supplier.
You know, they talk about, you know, 10 years of experience in the lighting industry. Yeah. Which is, you know, a pretty long time. It is. I mean, that suggests that they have a good understanding of, you know, what customers want. Yeah. And, you know, what works and what doesn't.
And they probably, you know, encountered a lot of different challenges and figured out how to overcome them. Right. I mean, they've been around the block a few times. Yeah.
And then they talk about their diverse range of solutions. Yeah. So, you know, no matter what your needs are.
Right. They're probably going to have something that can work for you. Yeah. And that kind of goes back to the customization.
You know, they're not just offering, you know, one size fits all solutions. And then, of course, there's quality assurance, which they mentioned again. Right. Which, you know, just emphasizes the fact that they're really committed to producing high quality products. Yeah.
And that's, you know, that's important because you're making a significant investment. Right. You know, you want to be confident that the lights are going to last. So what else do they highlight? Well, they talk about their innovative approach.
You know, they're using cutting edge technology and design principles to create, you know, efficient and effective lighting solutions. Yeah. It sounds like they're not just resting on their laurels. Right. They're constantly looking for ways to improve. Exactly. And, you know, they also talk about their robust customer support. Right.
Which is really important.
You know, they're there to help you every step of the way from, you know, the initial inquiry to after sales service. Yeah. I mean, if you're a large company and you're making a big investment. Right. You know, you need to know that you're going to be taken care of. And that there's somebody there to answer your questions and help you out if you have any problems.
Exactly. And then they also mentioned their focus on sustainability, which is, you know, increasingly important for businesses today. Yeah. I mean, a lot of companies are looking to reduce their environmental footprint and also, you know, save money on energy costs. Right. So it makes sense that Murcu is highlighting that. Yeah.
And, you know, it also makes their products more appealing to, you know, a wider range of customers. And, you know, they also have this interesting section on their website called Workshop Lighting News, you know, and it features articles about like top floodlight suppliers, you know, in China, the U.K., Australia. So what do you think they're trying to accomplish by including that?
Well, I think it shows that they're, you know, they're plugged into the industry.
You know, they're keeping up with the trends. They're aware of what the competition is doing. Yeah. They're not just, you know, operating in a vacuum. Right. They're paying attention to what's going on in the market. Yeah.
And I think it also suggests that, you know, they're seeing themselves as a major player in the global market. Right. I mean, they're not just a small local manufacturer. Yeah. They're looking to compete on a larger scale. And then, you know, they also have this call to action.
Yeah. Consult your Murcu LED lighting experts.
Right. You know, and it's basically an invitation to reach out to them and get more information. Yeah. I mean, they're making it easy for potential clients to get in touch. Right. And they provide, you know, all their contact information, their location in China, their phone number, their email, their business hours.
Yeah. So there's really no excuse not to reach out to them. Right. And then they close out the website, you know, by just listing all their product categories again, you know, portable light, light tower, floodlights, high bays, stadium lights, streetlights.
Yeah. And they also reiterate, you know, that their comprehensive services, the OEM, service order management, quality control, LED, light manufacturing warranty, and after sales support. Right. I mean, it's just a nice, you know, summary of everything that they offer. Yeah. And it just reinforces, you know, their commitment to, you know, providing a complete solution. Exactly. It's not just about the lights. It's about, you know, the whole package. So as we wrap up this deep dive, you know, what are some of the key takeaways for, you know, our listener?
Well, I think, you know, if you're a listener and you're thinking about, you know, new workshop lighting or upgrading your existing lighting, Murcu is definitely a company that you should consider. Yeah. You know, they're a wholesale provider. They specialize in customizable, high quality LED solutions.
And, you know, they really emphasize energy efficiency, long-term reliability, and excellent customer support. Right. They've got that 200 lumens per watt. Yeah. Which is really impressive. And the L70B10 rating means that these lights are going to last for a long time. Yeah. You know, you're not going to have to worry about replacing them anytime soon.
And, you know, they've got all those customization options. So you can really get the lighting that's perfect for your space. Right. You can tailor it to your specific needs. And, you know, their minimum order quantity suggests that they're really geared towards larger businesses. Yeah. I mean, if you're just looking for a couple lights for your garage, you know, this is probably not the right company for you. Right. But if you're a larger company and you need to, you know, outfit a whole workshop. Yeah.
You know, they're definitely worth checking out. Absolutely. I mean, think about the potential benefits. Yeah. You could have a more productive work environment. Yeah. Safer work environment. And, you know, you could save a lot of money on your energy costs. Right.
And, you know, with all the customization options, you can really create an optimal lighting setup. You know, you can have the right amount of light exactly where you need it.
Yeah. Yeah. And so, you know, given all of this, you know, it really makes you think about how, you know, investing in really good lighting can actually transform a workspace. Yeah. You know, it's not just about providing illumination.
Right. It's about creating a space that's, you know, comfortable and safe and productive. Right. And where people can, you know, do their best work. Exactly.
Sounds like something to think about.
Yeah. I mean, it's definitely food for thought. You know, it's something that, you know, you might not, you know, consider right off the bat, but it can have a huge impact. Yeah. Absolutely. You know, on the overall, you know, efficiency and effectiveness of your workshop. So don't underestimate the power of good lighting.
I think that's a great takeaway, you know. Yeah. Thanks for joining me for this deep dive.
Thanks for having me. And we'll see you next time. See you next time.