OSRAM lamps factory closes

The last traditional lamps Brazil factory closed its doors last week. Germany''s Osram, which is in the midst of a process of global restructuring, ended on Friday the production of incandescent, fluorescent and sodium vapor in Osasco (SP), which has been one of the biggest in the industry in the country. Now, only the staff of sales, administration and support remained in brazilian operation, to assist to the brand in the region. Osram was also the last, among the big industry to abandon local production, which has been replaced by imports. In 2009, GE closed the doors of the incandescent lamps of Rio de Janeiro. The Sylvania, whose control has just been bought by Shanghai Feilo Acoustic, also left to produce and started to import the product from China. The following year, Philips announced the closure of the activities at the Mauá (SP). This decline of industry in the country, which today consists of editors of LED lamps (Light Emitter Diode) and manufacturers of luminaires with built-in LED, was influenced by the increasing demand for lower power consumption lamps. Changes in legislation, arising from the recommendation of the United Nations (UN) in its environmental program, accelerated this process. At the end of the year 2000, the strong competition to the compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL), which are produced mainly in Asia. Increasingly, however, LED lamps tend to keep a greater share of the market. "This transformation has occurred because the LED lamps have great advantages over the traditional, such as higher efficiency, longer life, do not take heavy metals, allowing complete adjustment of light", enumerates Isac Roizenblatt, technical director of the Brazilian Association of lighting industry (Abilux). In addition to the technological transformation and competition with Asians, says Roizenblatt, contributed to the end of local production the process of withdrawal of incandescent light bulbs from the market, started in 2010 and that is completed on July 1, as provided for in law. Last year, according to Abilux, consumption of LED light bulbs in the country of 80 million units, with estimated growth of 30% for 2016. This high, despite the prospect of shrinking of 7% of the lighting industry, will be driven by the advancement of the LED on the market for other types of lamps. In 2015, the use of halogen bulbs was 80 million tons, after the CFL (250 million units) and the tubular fluorescent (100 million). Sodium vapor lamps and metallic accounted for other 10 million units. "All with perspective in 2016", says the Director of Abilux. In a statement, Osram confirms that, "due to a structural change in the market that is moving from the traditional business of lighting for a new model focused on more economical lighting products with LED base", it was necessary to adopt new strategic positioning. "This strategy includes, among others, the realignment of the company by means of structuring the business of lamps as an independent company and the home of innovative initiatives based on LED base technologies", he adds. Worldwide, the company, which has already been part of Siemens, is legally separating the area of lamps of other business. The fall of sales of traditional lighting, follows, had an impact on the productive units, "they need to reflect the current and future demand of products". "The decision to close this operation [Osasco] is a difficult but necessary step to focus our resources to meet the needs of the market and ensure a future need," he adds. According to the Steelworkers Union of Osasco and region, of the 240 employees of the factory, 160 were dismissed. The rest were transferred to sectors that will continue in operation, such as logistics, to keep the supply in the Brazilian market with imported LED lamps. Last Wednesday, the unit''s workers approved a package of benefits negotiated with the Union. According to the Union, Osram was installed for 61 years in Osasco, as one of the leading manufacturers of light bulbs in the country. "The plant closing was an option of the company, which completed the manufacturing of LED lamps available in unit, preferring to import this and other types of light bulbs," he says. For Roizenblatt, there is margin for Abilux new companies to import the LED chip and assemble light bulbs in the country. But it is unlikely that the chip itself, today produced mainly in China, have local production. "Do the same chip will hardly happen, because Brazil has lost the streetcar of history by failing to draw up an industrial policy for lighting," he says.