Specifications like these are just the right challenge for Peter Helbig, 57. A department head at a plant belonging to lamp maker Osram in Herbrechtingen, Germany, he has been developing new bases for automobile headlights for more than 20 years. Helbig studied mechanical engineering and specialized in plastics technology. “Plastics have played an increasingly large role in lamp bases since the early 1980s,” explains Helbig. The design of the base on which the halogen bulb, called the burner, is mounted is of decisive importance for an optimal headlight. “For the maximum amount of light to go where the driver needs it, the base and the burner have to be very precisely matched,” says Helbig. The headlights used to be covered with diffusing panels that distributed the light ahead of the car. With the now common “open-face” headlights, which have a clear cover, the distribution of light is primarily dependent on how the coil, i.e., the luminous element, sits in the base and thus in the headlight.

One example of a milestone for even greater precision was a new adjustment method that Helbig conceived for the production of the lamps.  Previously measurements were taken in three adjustment planes to determine whether the coil was properly seated in the base. “That no longer satisfied the more stringent specifications of the industry,” explained Helbig. Too many lamps were not properly adjusted and thus were unusable. Helbig improved a five-axis adjustment method to allow the coil to be inserted into the base much more precisely.

Helbig's 91 inventions, which have resulted in 422 granted individual patents in 102 IPR families, show just how much development work goes into new headlight lamps.  Another example of his work is the refinement of the opening in the base for the coil. “It used to be round, which gave the coil too much play,” is how Helbig describes the problem. He flanged a V-shaped opening to the base and installed a small spring that automatically forces the lamp into the proper location. Osram was awarded a patent for the shape of this spring.

The latest project is the H 16 headlight lamp, which uses an even more precise distribution of the light to deliver more light to the road even at significantly lower headlight outputs. “This is of great interest to the automobile industry because the lamp uses less energy,” says Helbig. The new lamp type can also be used for daytime running lights, which will be mandatory in all new cars in Europe beginning in 2011. The manufacturers have specified that the daytime running lights must consume as little energy as possible. The H 16 lamp base is also manufactured from a unique, particularly lightweight type of plastic. This reflects another demand of the industry, which is always looking for ways to save weight in a car. “This also makes the base completely recyclable,” adds Helbig. Other potential uses for the H 16 are in fog lights and adaptive cornering lights, which are headlights that adjust automatically with the steering to ensure that the road is optimally lighted.

The development of a new generation of headlights takes around eight years. The process starts with working group meetings attended by developers such as Helbig and representatives of the automobile industry, suppliers to the automobile industry and the relevant associations. For approximately two years, these groups discuss new ideas, hone their ideas and determine what is possible. The proposals are then submitted to the various national and international standards organizations, where they are developed into standards over a period of years. “While all this is going on, we lamp makers have to continue with our development efforts so that we can hit the market as soon as a standard is ratified,” says Helbig when describing the process. That means a close coordination process with representatives of the standards committees.

And while this process is paving the way for a marketable lamp, Helbig is already hard at work on the next generation of automobile lighting. The father of four nearly adult children often finds inspiration in nature. “Optimal solutions have generally been found for things there,” says Helbig with a smile.