Tail lights in the car help illuminate the rear end of the vehicle, improving visibility to other drivers, particularly when driving in low-light conditions. This feature ensures safety for road users, reducing the potential for accidents. However, like many car parts, car tail lights come in different forms and have unique characteristics.
This article explores the different types of tail lights, including their pros and cons, materials, and manufacturing methods.
What is a Tail Light?
The tail light in a car is the component of the car’s lighting system (usually red) positioned at the rear end. Consequently, it is sometimes called rear light. These red tail lamps illuminate when the vehicle’s headlights are on, providing visibility to the back of the car. This illumination may help act as a signal for other road users, enhancing safety, especially when driving in low-light conditions.
Commonly, car tail lights include the red lights for regular lightning operations and the brighter, additional lights for signaling, braking, and turning.
Types of Tail Lights in Car
There are different types of tail lights depending on the model of your vehicle. Below, we discuss the common types.
Incandescent Tail Lights
Incandescent tail lights are the traditional type used in many vehicles. This lighting system passes an electric current through a tungsten filament, which heats it and produces light. The bulb is usually enclosed in a glass casing filled with an inert gas to extend the filament’s lifespan. The filament glows when the tail light is activated, producing the characteristic red light.
Pros
- Cost-effective;
- Readily available;
- Utilize simple technology, and it’s easy to replace.
Cons
- Less energy-efficient compared to modern alternatives;
- Short lifespan, requiring more frequent replacements.
LED Tail Lights
LED (Light-Emitting Diode) is the standard automotive exterior lighting used in modern vehicles because of its enhanced efficiency and reduced power consumption. This tail light uses semiconductor devices to emit light when an electric current passes through them.
In addition, the lights consist of multiple small diodes arranged in a specific pattern to suit a design type. LEDs produce light through electroluminescence, where electrons recombine with holes in the semiconductor material, releasing energy as photons.
Pros
- Enhanced energy efficiency, consuming less power;
- Longer lifespan, often lasting the lifetime of the vehicle;
- Unlike incandescent tail lights, they have instantaneous response time, improving safety.
Cons
- More expensive incandescent bulbs;
- A little complex to replace and repair.
Fiber Optic Tail Lights
While LED lights are known for their energy efficiency, fiber optic tail lights are an even more optimal variant. This light source uses optical fiber strands as a conduit to transmit light from a central source to the tail light lens. The source is usually an LED located at one end of the fiber, and the light travels through the fiber to create a uniform and distinctive lighting effect. This technology allows for flexible and creative designs, as the fibers may be arranged in various patterns.
Pros
- Allows for unique and customizable lighting designs;
- Provides a uniform and aesthetically pleasing light output;
- Energy-efficient and long-lasting.
Cons
- More expensive to produce and implement;
- Complex installation and replacement process.
Laser Tail Lights
Laser tail lights are a cutting-edge technology that emits light using laser diodes. The laser beam is directed onto a phosphor converter, transforming the laser light into a bright, visible light suitable for tail lights. This lighting system produces a highly concentrated and intense light output, providing excellent visibility.
Pros
- Extreme brightness and efficient light output;
- Compact design, allowing for sleek and innovative tail-light shapes;
- Longer lifespan compared to traditional bulbs.
Cons
- Very high cost due to advanced technology;
- Complex and costly to repair or replace;
- Requires precise alignment and manufacturing.
Materials for Car Tail Lights Manufacturing
Materials for manufacturing car tail lights need to possess good optical properties. Below, we explore the typical material options for creating this car part.
Polycarbonate(PC)
Polycarbonate is an engineering-grade plastic known for its durability and impact resistance, making it an ideal choice for creating car tail lights. Moreover, it possesses excellent optical clarity, providing clear and bright illumination, which is important for safe driving.
The PC plastic is also resistant to heat and UV radiation, ensuring that the tail lights remain functional and aesthetically pleasing for extended periods, regardless of exposure to harsh environmental conditions.
Acrylic(PMMA)
PMMA, commonly known as acrylic, is another popular plastic material for crafting tail lights. It offers excellent transparency and light transmission, similar to polycarbonate, but with enhanced scratch resistance. This plastic is lighter than glass but less prone to shattering, providing a safer alternative for automotive applications. In addition, PMMA is excellent for creating custom headlights and tail lights with varying color options, shapes, and designs.
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene(ABS)
ABS is another tough and durable engineering-grade thermoplastic used in car tail lights’ housing and structural components. This plastic combines strength, rigidity, and impact resistance, making it ideal for protecting the delicate inner components of the tail lights. ABS is also resistant to various environmental factors, including heat, chemicals, and physical impacts. Its ease of molding and cost-effectiveness make it a preferred material for large-scale automotive parts manufacturing, including tail lights in cars.
Polypropylene(PP)
Polypropylene (PP) is known for its lightweight and toughness, making it a common thermoplastic in various automotive applications, including crafting tail lights. It offers excellent chemical resistance and flexibility, suggesting it can withstand repeated stress and environmental exposure. That said, we must include that PP has good optical properties, a characteristic that makes it an excellent fit for creating automotive car tail lights.
Composites
While we have emphasized plastics thus far, composites are another popular material for creating car tail lights. Composites used in car tail light manufacturing often feature a combination of plastics and fibers – usually glass or carbon. The addition of fiber helps reinforce strength and durability while also helping to reduce the final weight.
Compared to plastics, composites offer superior mechanical properties, making them a better fit, especially for high-performance vehicles. They allow manufacturers and OEMs to create a more innovative and lightweight tail light design that provides improved aesthetics and functionality.
Why Choose Custom Tail Lights in Car?
Below are some benefits you should consider customizing your car’s tail lights.
Enhanced Aesthetics
A car’s lighting system is easily noticed, making it a common attractive area for customization to improve appearance. Many customize their car tail lights to enhance the aesthetics of their vehicles. Since these tail light designs can feature unique styles, designs, colors, and lighting patterns, car owners can personalize their vehicles to suit their tastes.
Improved Overall Quality
Upgrading your car’s tail light to a customized one can introduce a sense of luxury and sophistication to the vehicle. Customized tail lights often feature high-end technologies such as laser or fiber optic tail lights. In addition, they may feature intricate designs and superior craftsmanship, enhancing the car’s overall quality.
Increased Market Value
This reason particularly relates to car owners looking to sell their vehicles. Prospective buyers will appreciate the added features and unique styling that custom tail lights provide, making the car more attractive in the pre-owned car market. High-quality customizations suggest that the vehicle has been well-maintained and upgraded, justifying a higher asking price.
Better Visibility and Safety
Visibility and safety are the primary functions of car tail lights. Therefore, customizing these car features should further enhance these properties. Advanced lighting technologies like LEDs provide brighter and more consistent illumination. Custom tail lights may even include additional safety features, such as dynamic turn signals and sequential lighting patterns, enhancing communication with other road users and reducing the risk of accidents.
Method for Customizing Car Tail Lights
We have already informed you of the benefits of customizing your vehicle’s tail lights. Below, we explore processes for manufacturing and customizing these car parts.
CNC Machining
CNC machining involves using computer-controlled cutting tools to cut and reshape a workpiece to suit a particular structure, shape, and design. It is a high-precision manufacturing method suitable for creating various vehicle parts, including the car tail light. The process is compatible with various materials, including plastics, polymers, and composites used in crafting automotive car tail lights.
This process is known for its high dimensional accuracy and repeatability, making it ideal for producing custom designs and prototypes. CNC machining is also suitable for creating complex geometries and fine details that are difficult to achieve with other methods.
Vacuum Casting
Vacuum casting suits make high-quality plastic parts. As the name suggests, the process involves passing the liquefied material into a pre-made mold under a vacuum. Compared to similar methods like die casting, vacuum casting can prevent gas porosity, which is a plastic part casting defect.
In addition, it is an effective method for creating small to medium batches of car tail lights with complex designs and smooth surfaces.
Injection Molding
Injection molding is a typical manufacturing process for fabricating plastic objects, including automotive tail lights. The process involves heating plastic into molten form and force-injecting it into a pre-made mold, where it solidifies and takes the intended shape. This process suits making mass production tail light with different shapes and detailed features.
3D Printing
3D printing involves using an appropriate digital model to build parts and components layer by layer till the desired shape and structure is achieved. It is an additive manufacturing process that creates objects using powders or filaments of the intended material – plastics, resins, and even metals. 3D printing is one of the standard processes for rapid prototyping, making it ideal for testing new designs and concepts. Therefore, it is an excellent method for making custom automotive tail lights.
What’s the Difference Between Car Tail Lights vs Brake Lights?
Car tail lights and brake lights are components of a vehicle’s lighting system, both at the rear. However, they serve different purposes and operate under different driving conditions.
The primary function of the vehicle’s tail lights is to illuminate the rear of the car, making it visible to other drivers and road users at night or in low-light conditions. They are turned on when the vehicle’s headlights are turned on.
In contrast, as the name suggests, brake lights are designed to signal to other drivers that the car is slowing down or making a stop. Whenever the driver steps on the car’s brakes, the brake light alerts the other drivers to prevent potential rear-end collisions.
Maintenance and Replacement of Tail Lights
Car tail light maintenance and replacement when defective are essential for maintaining vehicle safety. You should regularly check your car tail lights for any sign of damage or malfunctioning. In addition, any sign of cracking or dimming of the light should be observed. Ensure that the light can reach and maintain maximum brightness and visibility.
If you notice the tail light is not working, the likely cause is that the bulb is burnt out, then replace it. In addition, we must inform people that issues with tail lights should be taken seriously to prevent violating traffic regulations. Failure to fix the problems with your vehicle lighting system may attract fines or even more stringent legal issues.
WayKen Expert Custom Automotive Tail Light
Are you looking to customize your car tail lights? At WayKen, we specialize in providing custom manufacturing services for automotive lighting and other parts. With our advanced technologies and skilled team, we can bring your ideas to life through various production methods, including CNC machining, 3D printing, injection molding, vacuum casting, and a range of rapid prototyping processes.
Whether you need a one-off prototype or full-scale production, our team ensures precise results and quick turnaround times. We work with a wide variety of materials and finishes to meet your exact specifications, ensuring that the final product not only enhances the aesthetics of your vehicle but also meets functional and safety standards.
Conclusion
Car tail lights help improve visibility when driving in low-light conditions, improving safety for all road users. What’s more, the tail light can prove effective for enhancing the car’s aesthetics. Besides improved appearance, many car and motorcycle users customize their tail lights to improve visibility and light dispersion.
FAQs
Are tail light lenses concave or convex?
The tail light lenses are usually convex, curved outward, and bulging away from the vehicle. This configuration helps provide a larger surface area for the light and ensures a more even distribution.
How long do LED tail lights last?
The lifespan of LED tail lights in cars ranges from as slow as 5,000 to 50,000 hours, outlasting even the vehicle. The durability of the LED light depends on its quality and maintenance practices.
How does 3D printing benefit tail light manufacturing?
3D printing is an optional manufacturing method for rapid prototyping and tail light customization. This process allows the creation of unique designs to verify function and appearance.
