Emerson Introduces Appleton Retromaster: A Cost-Effective Upgrade Path to Energy-Efficient LED Lighting for Hazardous Industrial Areas

January 2, 2024

Appleton Retromaster™ luminaires convert legacy incandescent and HPS lighting fixtures in C1D2 locations to LED without need to rerun wires or cut conduit 

Emerson has introduced the Appleton™ Retromaster™ Series of LED luminaires, the fastest, most cost-effective upgrade path for converting legacy Appleton incandescent and HPS (High-Pressure Sodium) lighting fixtures installed in Class I, Division 2 (C1D2) hazardous locations to economical and sustainable LED technology, while keeping the original fixture’s certification. 

Appleton Retromaster luminaires are directly compatible with the installed base of Appleton V-51™ incandescent luminaires, Appleton Stylmaster™ incandescent luminaires, Appleton Stylmaster-C incandescent luminaires (Canada), Appleton V incandescent luminaires (Canada), Appleton Mercmaster™ Jr. HPS luminaires, and Killark™ V Series incandescent luminaires. Colored polycarbonate globes and stainless-steel wire guards can be ordered to make a new Retromaster luminaire indistinguishable from the legacy fixture. 

“For decades, facilities have relied on Appleton ‘jelly jar’ incandescent and HPS light fixtures to safely illuminate their Class I, Division 2 hazardous locations,” said Christine Buttner, Lighting Marketing Manager for Appleton. “With our new Retromaster LED Series, these same customers have the unprecedented opportunity to take advantage of LED’s reduced energy consumption, improved lighting quality, and long life with minimal maintenance requirements, while supporting their organization’s environmental initiatives, all in one quick and simple upgrade.”  

Christine Buttner, Lighting Marketing Manager for Appleton

Requiring no time-consuming rewiring or cutting of conduit, Appleton Retromaster luminaires typically take only a few minutes to install onto an existing mounting hood, dramatically reducing labor and material expenses. The luminaires are available in an output range from 1000 to 5000 lumens, and each of the four models comprising the Retromaster Series offers the unique versatility of selectable dual lumen outputs, ensuring that the illumination level of the new LED fixture is identical to the one being replaced — a first for hazardous location rated lighting. Once installed, the Appleton Retromaster requires only 7 to 38 Watts to create the same level of illumination as an incandescent drawing 60 to 300 Watts, representing a huge improvement in energy efficiency.  

Another customer problem that the Appleton Retromaster LED Series solves is eliminating the frequent need to replace bulbs in legacy incandescent fixtures. Incandescent light bulbs last approximately 1,200 hours, while Retromaster LED lighting has been tested to perform 60,000 hours (L70) and will not have to be changed for at least seven years. As of August 2023, incandescent bulbs were effectively banned from sale in the United States by the Department of Energy, leaving maintenance departments with only those in inventory. 

More information available here

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