Minalex Collaborates with DeepLight Labs on Programmable LED Installation for Music Festivals

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Minalex was called in to help DeepLight Labs with its signature showstopper product, “The DeepLight,” a programmable art installation piece comprised of two-way mirrors and hundreds of LED lights housed in a geometric frame. DeepLight Co-Founders David Hughes and Neil Merchant—both software developers and frequent music festivalgoers—designed the DeepLight to dazzle audiences at music festivals and other high-profile events with custom elaborate light shows and animations that can be manually controlled and synced with music.

The DeepLight started out as a prototype named “Carl” that was designed specifically for music festivals. The prototype was fabricated with a custom 3-D printed frame, acrylic mirrors and 720 LEDs. Hughes and Merchant knew they would not be able to use 3-D printing technology for the units they would eventually sell to the public, nor could they continue to experiment with 3-D printing in the prototype phase, due to cost considerations. DeepLight Labs turned to Minalex, widely known for expertise in custom prototyping, to devise a solution.

Minalex regards prototyping as a critical step in the manufacturing process, to ensure the end result will be to the client’s exact specifications. Minalex engineering and design teams work collaboratively at the prototype stage, using precise, accurate specifications that enable everyone involved in the manufacturing process to identify issues that may need correction. This effective, efficient process helps save substantial amounts of money and time down the road.

With the prototyping phase successfully completed, DeepLight is now in the final stages of rolling out units that will be sold to the general public. For the physical framework of the new DeepLight units, Minalex created custom, high-grade anodized aluminum extrusions, chosen for their high quality, strength and lightweight properties. The extruded parts both shape the structure of the DeepLight and house the complex array of wiring and electronics that drive the DeepLight’s highly sophisticated visual effects, including dozens of custom lighting modes and animations.

The Minalex process for prototyping truly takes customization to the next level. They can easily produce low-volume runs for limited products. They also offer “no minimum” quantity orders, meaning they are able to create just one single custom item if that is all that is required. To learn more, take a look at how Minalex created a successful prototype solution for Pella.