Case Study:

Custom Spotlight Enclosure Case Study

Buckeye Shapeform worked with FUEL Lighting to create four completely custom parts, helping to meet their exact product requirements for innovative lighting systems.

Industry

Lighting

Product

Spotlight Enclosure

Customer Profile

FUEL Lighting Systems is a manufacturer of innovative wireless lighting systems for events, restaurants and more.

The Challenges

An Innovative Product Was Missing from the Market

Like many great inventions and discoveries, FUEL Lighting emerged into the market after the unique needs of its preceding company, Boston Uplights, went unanswered. Boston Uplights owner Paul Therrien needed a new kind of spotlight that was light weight, battery powered and controlled remotely. He put in a request for it with his suppliers, but soon realized the unique light he was searching for was absent from the market. Instead of accepting defeat, he saw an opportunity and decided to make it himself.

A Standard Enclosure Was Too Small

Therrien purchased Buckeye Shapeform’s standard E2 extruded aluminum enclosure because it had the perfect look, feel and quality for his new product. But as he tested and refined his new light system, Therrien discovered the case dimensions were slightly too small to fit the product’s exact requirements. There were components that Therrien had custom-designed for the one-of-a-kind light, including a custom Lithium battery system, that were millimeters too large for the E2 extrusion. Therrien contacted our team and inquired about fabricating a custom extruded aluminum enclosure to fit his needs for the innovative new light.

The Solutions

At Buckeye Shapeform, we specialize in custom-built enclosure and chassis systems for original equipment manufacturers. From start to finish, we have the tools and expertise to take an enclosure from engineering conception to a fully-modified and painted, professional-quality finished product.

Our team worked with FUEL Lighting to create four completely custom parts, helping to meet Therrien’s exact product requirements by making several adjustments to the units during the design stage. In the end, FUEL Lighting received a fully-customized E2 Series extruded aluminum enclosure that it could use in two of its industry-leading lighting systems: the Angle Light and the Penda Light.

We finished each extruded aluminum enclosure by installing a round clear overlay that provided protection for a sensor. It also applied silkscreen printing in various colors, anodize treatment and powder coating to give each unit a durable and high quality appearance.

“I started by giving (Buckeye Shapeform) the exact dimensions of the inside of the case I needed. The outside dimensions of the current case were perfect so the task was to make the walls thinner to create the space needed inside, but maintain enough strength in the overall design to protect our custom Lithium battery system. This process was easier than I had hoped since it took only a few drawings through email to be updated to achieve the look and dimensions I had envisioned.”

—Paul Therrien, FUEL Lighting

The Results

  1. The Angle Light, the lighting industry’s first battery powered LED highlight system.
  2. The Penda Light, the industry’s first wireless pendant light.

As a result, a new company of innovative lighting systems was born. Our team provided an end packaging solution for FUEL Lighting that it took to market and successfully sold as a high-end, truly innovative event lighting product.

FUEL Lighting first released the Angle Light, the lighting industry’s first battery powered LED highlight system. The Angle Light features a visually pleasing warm-white LED light output, full dimming capability and a high-contrast optical system that has virtually zero light spill outside a super-narrow 3 deg beam. It’s easily positioned and adjusted using industrial magnets and a remote control system to create various lighting ambiance and effects during events. The Penda Light is FUEL Lighting’s latest addition; it is the industry’s first wireless pendant light.

We helped FUEL Lighting from product conception to fabrication—ensuring a smooth ride throughout the process for this up-and-coming lighting company and its innovative and ever evolving lighting products.

“From the stand-point of a fresh start-up company with no history, I got the sense that Buckeye Shapeform was behind me, and as the project grew, their belief in what I was doing grew with us. When a manufacturer believes in what you are creating and gets behind you, this can be the key difference in helping a product actually get to market.”

—Paul Therrien, FUEL Lighting

Request a Quote on Your Project

Interested in custom enclosure fabrication to produce unique parts? Contact Buckeye Shapeform today to get more information or request a quote.