Andy Zsinko has 25 years of expertise in aftermarket painting. One day, he set out to craft a glow-in-the-dark paint for a custom bike, and with equal ease applied the paint job to it. The problem, however, is that the glow effect was extremely short-lived and could not be controlled. But this was the first step to developing what is now known as LumiLor, the world’s first and only sprayable electroluminescent (EL) coating system.
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“The principles of electroluminescence are fairly basic,” offered Zsinko about his night of revelation. “The trick to LumiLor was to turn a highly controlled process (that used to make EL panels) into something a professional painter can apply with current air gun technology. With a little research into advanced materials, some time perfecting techniques, and appropriate amounts of serendipity, I was able to unlock the secret.”
In June 2010, Zsinko pulled his 1976 Kawasaki Police 1000 into the parking lot of the Marriott in Berea, OH to show it to his fellow Cleveland Browns fans, who had gathered there for the evening. Painted on the rear box with one of LumiLor’s ancestral formulations was a crude rendering of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album cover. Inside the box, electronics, which when activated demonstrated Zsinko’s apparent madness to be a touch of genius: you can make paint that lights up.
Zsinko’s friend Shawn Mastrian was there in Berea to witness the first paint job that had ever lit up, an unveiling that Zsinko was not proud of, but one that convinced Mastrian to help his friend take his product to market. Shortly thereafter, the two of them teamed to form Darkside Scientific, LLC.“What Andy showed me in that parking lot was something I had never seen before,” said Mastrian. “I just thought the technology was cool, and wanted to help my friend be successful with it. I never dreamed of all the real-world applications we now believe the product to have.” The real difference between LumiLor and other EL solutions in the marketplace is that LumiLor becomes one with the surface to which it is applied, unlike EL laminates, tapes, and wires. It is applied in less than 3 mils total thickness, and will conform to any surface and any shape, as it is a spray-on coating system. It is durable and bright, and able to be top coated, dip coated, and even chromed, and still provides illumination without the possibility of delamination. Essentially with LumiLor, any object can become a light.
Zsinko’s dream really came to light in Daytona this year as he drove his fully painted Cleveland CycleWerks Heist down the strip, brightly illuminated with LumiLor. For a crowd that believed that they had seen everything over the years, this was something definitively new. The bike had back fender and the gas tank fully illuminated, and had a dragon theme airbrushed on the vehicle. Zsinko’s helmet was even fully illuminated.
The possibilities LumiLor offers are remarkable to consider. Just from a motorcycle safety point of view, illuminating the helmet and/or bike provides an enhanced visibility and awareness for the rider, not to mention that it looks pretty cool too. Automobiles interiors and exteriors, watercraft, airplanes, commercial trucks, public safety vehicles, and signage are just a few applications that the team at Darkside are exploring. “LumiLor excites the imagination in people when they realize what they are seeing ” offered Scott Smith, Darkside’s VP of Sales and Marketing. “Artists have a whole new medium to work with now.” According to Scott “ the revolutionary capabilities of LumiLor will really develop when designers and engineers re-imagine what objects can be transformed into a lamp. It is mind boggling to consider the possibilities.”
Darkside Scientific is in the process of establishing its network of Certified LumiLor Laboratories, which will greatly expand their current production capability, but for those customers who want to be the first to benefit from this innovative product, now is the time to come and talk to them. http://lumilor.com
