AOLAIT Stage Lighting Product Guidance

The purpose is screening. A completed fixture can start normally during a short function check yet develop flicker, a fan warning, intermittent control, an unstable connection, abnormal movement or a thermal fault after operating for longer. Keeping units powered and exercising selected functions gives those conditions time to appear while the products are still inside the factory and can be contained, investigated and retested.

Burn-in test

A defined powered-operation screen intended to expose early or intermittent faults in completed products or assemblies before release. The useful meaning comes from the written conditions, duration, sequence and acceptance criteria—not the label alone.

Aging test

A term often used by lighting factories for the same production-stage powered operation. It should not be confused automatically with a standardized lifetime or lumen-maintenance test.

There is no single universal burn-in duration or sequence that proves every moving head is reliable. Product power, thermal design, firmware, functions, production risk, customer requirement and factory process all affect the plan. A statement such as 24-hour aging has limited procurement value unless it identifies what operated during those hours, how the lot was monitored, what counted as a failure and how failed units were handled.

A moving head contains several interacting systems. The LED engine and driver create the light; fans, heat sinks or other cooling elements manage temperature; motors and sensors position pan, tilt and zoom; the control board interprets DMX and other protocols; firmware coordinates reset, effects and fault reporting. A burn-in sequence can place these systems under sustained or repeated operation long enough for certain assembly and component issues to become visible.

Testing multiple units together also provides a consistency screen. When fixtures receive the same commands, technicians can spot one unit that resets later, homes differently, misses a cell or changes state unexpectedly. This comparison is especially relevant to rental fleets and touring packages, where a group is programmed and maintained as one system. If a numeric tolerance for output, color or sound is required, however, the factory needs a defined measurement method and calibrated equipment; a camera image alone is not sufficient.

IEC 60598-2-17 defines particular requirements for stage and studio luminaires in conjunction with the relevant general luminaire requirements. An aging bench is not a substitute for that safety framework. Likewise, an IP label or a family-level marketing phrase should not be inferred from a photograph of powered fixtures. The current model, construction and report scope must match.

Start with the exact approved fixture configuration. Model name alone may be insufficient if an order has different power connectors, firmware, LED engine, fan behavior, network option or OEM artwork. Link the test plan to the approved sample and bill-of-material revision, and identify whether every finished unit or a defined sample enters the aging process.

A production line may use an automated or repeating program that cycles colors and movement. That can be effective when the sequence maps to the fixture's major systems. It can also leave gaps if the high-channel personality, network input, zoom endpoint, white presets or standalone recovery behavior never runs. The project team should compare the sequence with the functions purchased, then identify any additional sampled checks.

Begin with a baseline power-on and homing check. Record startup errors and compare reset time across the batch. Run slow pan and tilt movement to reveal hesitation, noise or wiring interference, then run faster and diagonal cues to observe control and repositioning. Command repeatable positions and home the fixtures again. A unit that drifts, impacts a stop differently or reports a sensor error should be isolated rather than allowed to disappear inside a group effect.

For the optical system, exercise the approved dimmer curves or at least low, middle and full output, then primary and representative mixed colors. Move zoom across narrow, middle and wide positions, and operate halo, backlight, ring or pixel layers where the purchased model includes them. High-density personalities can be time-consuming, so use a known diagnostic pattern that addresses every cell or zone and record the fixture profile and channel chart revision used.

After delivery, continue the same traceability with a stage-lighting maintenance checklist. Recording serial number, firmware, faults and parts replacement helps distributors and rental companies distinguish recurring product behavior from handling, rigging, cabling or show-file issues.

During supplier evaluation, ask to see the written test flow and one anonymized example record. During sample approval, make sure the intended firmware, DMX modes and effects are testable. Before production, agree whether every unit enters burn-in, which functions the sequence covers and which additional sampled checks apply. Before shipment, reconcile the aging result with the final inspection, packing list and corrective-action record.