Generally speaking, outdoor luminaires require specific characteristics, because the whole appliance, in each of its parts, internal and external, must be resistant to aggressive atmospheric agents.
Our focus points:

• Material: the most resistant material is steel, and marine grade AISI 316L is the class offering the best performance.
• Rate of protection: an high IP for outdoor can be obtained only combining the company’s know-how and the one developed with the experience during the years.
• Disassembly: in the case of internal malfunction, external systems must be easily disassembled, otherwise, if the product is sealed with resins, silicone and glues, you may need to dispose of the whole lamp and change it just because one internal component is broken. Besides the waste, if the model is no longer in production, this means the insertion of a dystonic element with regards to the environment’s original decoration according to the project.
• Prevention against through corrosion: Thanks to the exclusive use of AISI 316L stainless steel, STRAL guarantees its products for 10 years against the through corrosion. In this way also the internal parts of the lighting fixture will correctly work.
• Life cycle: when choosing outdoor lighting systems, the impact of aggressive and corrosive agents on their whole life cycle must be considered. The quality of each individual product is measured according to its ability to maintain the same aesthetic effect (shiny and reflective) for which the product was chosen in the design phase. The consequences over time of the metal’s oxidation constitute an aesthetic deterioration also of the context in which the lamp is placed.

AISI 316L stainless steel
The stainless steel is an alloy, with the mechanical properties of steels, it is resistant against corrosion thanks to nickel and molybdenum contained.
In particular the AISI 316L used by STRAL contains molybdenum and low quantities of carbon, two components that increase the resistance of stainless steel against corrosion. The “L” stands for “low carbon”.
On the market there are steels with lower quantities of these components. For example the 304 one, of common use in the production of lighting fixtures, does not contain the molybdenum and has low quantities of nickel and chromium. It is less expansive but also less resistant than the 316L.
The fundamental properties of AISI 316L stainless steel are:

• Top resistance against corrosion
• It is easy to clean
• Different superficial finishing

Stainless steel can be satin in several shades, it can be coloured and polished.
In marine atmospheres, STRAL uses the electro-polish treatment, a galvanic treatment that selectively removes material from the superficial layer improving its formal and functional characteristics, making the surface smoother, brighter and very easy to clean.