Shine 360° of shadow-free light on objects under microscopes to make defects more visible during inspections. The even lighting these illuminators produce reduces glare and creates strong visual contrast between small components, such as parts on circuit boards.

LED illuminators use less energy, produce less heat, and last longer than fluorescent illuminators. Ultraviolet LED illuminators expose defects such as cracks and holes in parts when used with fluorescent dye or powder. They’re often used for leak detection and quality control testing.

ESD-safe illuminators have a coating that dissipates static electricity, preventing damage if they make contact with sensitive components during inspections.

Illuminators and replacement bulbs that cannot be sold to the listed areas are restricted by local regulatory limits on mercury content.

Brightness is measured in lumens; the higher the lumens, the brighter the bulb. Color rendering index (CRI) is a measurement on a scale of 0-100 of how accurately the light from a bulb represents an object's true colors; the higher the number, the more natural the colors appear. Any CRI value over 80 will show colors true to life. Bulbs with a warm light appearance have yellow tones. Bulbs with a neutral light appearance are often used in workspaces. Bulbs with a cool or daylight appearance have white/blue tones and are good for inspecting. A bulb’s estimated yearly cost is based on 3 hours of usage per day at $0.11 per kWh. They cannot be sold to Canada because they do not meet local efficiency standards and exceed local regulatory limits on mercury (for disposal information, visit www.epa.gov/cfl).