Lumines Basic PC frosted diffuser 1 m, cover for LED profiles, polycarbonate

This is a diffuser (cover) one metre long, slid into an aluminium LED profile. The Basic version, in polycarbonate (PC), with a frosted finish — translucent, gently diffusing the light.

The three jobs a diffuser does

The maker states them plainly. First protection: the cover shields the LED strip from dust, moisture and mechanical damage, which extends its life. Second light diffusion: it spreads the flux so the lighting is even rather than dotted. Third appearance: it masks the mounting parts and the light source itself, so the profile reads as a continuous line rather than a strip of diodes.

Frosted — the middle position

Within the Basic family the same cover comes in several versions differing in transmittance and how white the plastic is. Frosted sits between the two extremes: transparent diffuses almost nothing and leaves the diode dots visible, while opal hides the inside of the profile completely at the cost of a larger loss of flux. Frosted damps the dottiness without killing the brightness — the choice for situations where the profile is in view but not at eye level.

Polycarbonate or PMMA

Lumines offers the same cover in two plastics. Polycarbonate (PC), as here, is more resistant to impact and to heat — the material for profiles in places exposed to contact, for long runs heavily loaded with strip, and where the cover must be cut on site. PMMA (acrylic) usually has slightly better light transmittance and is stiffer, but more brittle. The maker publishes full transmittance figures for every version on its catalogue card.

Specification

• Type: diffuser (cover) for an LED profile
• Model: Basic
• Material: polycarbonate (PC)
• Finish: frosted (translucent)
• Length: 1 m
• Manufacturer index: 11-3292-10

Which profiles it fits

The Basic cover is compatible with a very wide group of Lumines profiles — among them series A, B, C, D, G, H, Y, Z, Q18, Q20, W, J, V, and also COSMO, RETO, MONO, TIANO, FLARO, FALCO, GAUDI, SLIMO, SONO, BRUNO, CANTO, VIGO, FLEXA, inFLEXA and APA12/APA16 plus IPA12/IPA16. That makes it the default cover in the system: with most standard profiles there is no need to look for a dedicated one. Before ordering, though, match your own profile designation against that list — a few series with unusual cross-sections (such as the triangular CONVA) have covers of their own.

One metre, two or three

This item is the 1-metre length; the maker offers the same cover in 2 and 3 m as well. When planning, count in whole lengths: a longer cover means fewer joints along the light line, and every joint shows as a thin darker mark once lit. For a 2.5 m run a 3 m length cut down beats two one-metre pieces plus a half.

About the manufacturer

Lumines is a brand of aluminium profiles and hardware for LED strip, developed by LED Labs. The programme covers surface, recessed, corner and suspended profiles together with the full set of accessories: covers, end caps, brackets and mounting parts.