Company

ENGINEERING - Mechanical design in 3D and 2D

ENGINEERING - Circuit design, simulation and PCB layout

ENGINEERING - Optical design and optimization

ASSEMBLY - Surface mount (SMT) population

ASSEMBLY - Through hole (THT) population

QUALITY CONTROL - Optical board inspection (AOI)

QUALITY CONTROL - Colour spectrum & brightness check

QUALITY CONTROL - Thermal behaviour check

QUALITY CONTROL - Light source ageing test

QUALITY CONTROL - PSU ageing test

COMPLIANCE - Environmental impact test

COMPLIANCE - Incoming material ROHS test

MULTIFORM™ is a brand of Universal Technical Industries Limited, a multi-national designer and manufacturer of professional entertainment technology products, with operations in Europe and Asia.

MULTIFORM™ addresses the market for small to medium sized lighting applications for entertainment and architecure. Our products aim to strike the right balance of performance, innovation, cost and reliability, where reliabiliy is never sacrificed in favour of cost.

The team behind MULTIFORM™ has a combined experience of dozens of years in this industry, starting from the humble beginnings in 1971 over the groundbreaking release of the first-ever (and vastly copied) MULTISPOT “flat PAR” in 2008, to the advanced operation of today’s 200-staff factory which employs the latest SMT population machinery, as well as automatic optical inspection and semi-automatic parametric testing.

You can rely on this experience with every MULTIFORM™ product delivered.

Where it all started - the original "Multiphase" for shop deco lighting

Our first proper commercial "home"

Refinement from market feedback - the Multiphase 404

A "real" factory!

Our first dimmer - ICs in sockets, screwed Triacs, super-serviceable. The MultiPac is born.

LightJockeys were the new kids on the block. The TSB426 was their best mate.

The big hit - the Mutiphase 412 became the mainstay lighting controller for mobile DJs and bands.

Our first Microcontroller-based product. A leap of innovation - the LightJ.

Next generation hands-on controller: LightFingers. At home in Europe's most famous clubs.

Finally integrating chasing, dimming, switching: LightMix430 becomes the disco king.

The master controller for larger clubs: Quattro with up to 4 zones.

The best mix of preset chases and interactive control: The Maestro is the master.

From disco to stage: The RacPak 605 lights up concerts and performances with Multiform reliability.

Easy yet versatile: our first stage lighting controller, the Aquarius 6.

Centre stage for a new star: Zodiac makes the stages programmable. Big time.

Bigger stages, largers concerts, more dimmer channels and power: the RakPac4610.

Lighting control goes digital, Multiform too: the DMX202 converter.

The first product from our new Asia factory: a brand-new MultiPac, the LP405D.

The legendary LS1310 multispot, our entry into LED lighting. The first "flat PAR" - numerously copied.

The LS1018, one of the fist fixtures with multi-colour LEDs. The competition would follow.

Going outdoors with the all-diecast MultiSpot-G2 (2nd generation) - a big step to new brightness levels.

Back to basics with the new VersoLED™ economy fixture range: affordable innovation.

COB LEDs push color mixing and brightness levels yet further ahead. Multiform presents CoboLED™.

.

Using ceramic substrate LEDs and a innovative cross-unit firmware, the Cobosquare enters the scene.

MULTIFORM™ has a vivid history spanning more than 40 years in the entertainment and architectural lighting industry. Innovation and quality have always been at the forefront of the company’s endeavours. Dive into the past with this collcetion of our milestones and a selection of products from our hall of fame.

• 1971 – 1st October : Multiform Electronics Ltd formed with 5 directors.
• 1971 – November: Iain Price-Smith becomes Managing Director
• 1971 – December: Company moves into workshop in Queen Victoria’s Boat Shed by Teddington Lock on the Thames
• 1972 – May: Original Multiphase introduced for shop window display lighting
• 1974 – June: Company moves to Portugal Road, Working
• 1977 – March: Multiphase 404 introduced based on design of original Multiphase but with Aubergine / Orange / Red colour scheme
• 1977 – April: Multiphase 410 introduced for mobile disco operators
• 1977 – Summer: B.A.D.E.M. (today PLASA) formed – Multiform a founder member
• 1977 – September: First BADEM Show – Discotek 77 at Bloomsbury Hotel, London – Multiform exhibits for the first time
• 1979 – January: 1^st supplied a Multiphase 405/2kW to an export customer (Germany)
• 1980 – March: Exhibit for the first time at the Frankfurt Music Fair
• 1981 – January: Moved to a new factory unit in Uckfield, East Sussex.
• 1981 – September: Multiphase 420 series launched at the BADEM – DISCOTEK 81 Show
• 1982 – September: Multiphase 425 & 426 introduced with Multipac 4×1 & 6 way Zoner at BADEM – DISCOTEK 82
• 1983 – September: Cooperation with Icelectrics to introduce the Touch Sensitive Switchboard TSB426. Also released the MCU426 Matrix converter  at BADEM Show.
• 1984 – September: Multiphase 412 released at the first PLASA Light & Sound Show
• 1985 – September: Light-J introduced at PLASA 1985.
• 1986 – September: Light Fingers Touch Panel and Remote Switch Panel released at PLASA 1986
• 1987 – March: First product stage lighting product released at Frankfurt Music Messe: the Rakpac 610 Dimmer Pack.
• 1987 – May: Exhibited at S.I.B. Show in Rimini for the fist time
• 1987 – September: Lightmix 430 released at PLASA 1987 Show
• 1988 – June: Mike Galloway (ex Light Processor) joins staff to oversee development and production of MCU-based products.
• 1988 – September: Scorpio 1800 Theatre lighting desk released at PLASA show, new Quattro four zone controller and Mulitpac 4×2 dimmers previewed.
• 1989 – March: Quattro controller officially released at Frankfurt.
• 1990 – March: Frankfurt Music Messe – Aquarius 1800 2-preset desk and Rakpac 605 Dimmer Pack added to the Professional Range.
• 1990 – September: Maestro 16 channel Touch Controller released.
• 1991 – March: Mini 6 and Aquarius 6 released to complete budget end of Professional range.
• 1991 – Spring/Summer: Computer network and MRP System installed in factory to equip the company for future growth.
• 1991 – August: Cliff Makin retires as Director leaving Iain Price-Smith in sole control.
• 1991 – 30^th September: Company 20 years old.
• 1995 – 1^st restructuring with Tony Kingsly (former Abitec Distributor) setting up Multiform Technologies Ltd. Adding distributed products to the range, like Sagitter and Griven. Larger booth at PLASA 1995.
• 1998 – 2^nd restructuring of the company
• 2000 – 4^th October: After a flood destroying much of the factory workshop, factory operations have to be suspended for 6 months.
• 2001 – Release of a range of DMX-to-0..10V converters, allowing to upgrade legacy products to the “digital” world.
• 2003 – Cliff Wilding joins in a merger with his company Light Engineering, and handles all manufacturing and distribution. Factory moves to Basildon.
• 2007 – All Multiform brand and design IP assets are sold to a German investor for further brand development. Setup of a new multi-national design team, and a manufacturing facility in Asia. Original owner Iain Price-Smith remains as a consultant to the brand. Release of LP405 DMX dimmer pack.
• 2008 – Discontinuation of the legacy product range and shift of paradigm towards mainly LED lighting. Release of the groundbreaking MultiSpot LS1310 “flat PAR” RGB LED fixture as part of a range of 3 flat LED fixtures and a matching DMX controller. Previous affiliate Cliff Wilding passes away unexpectedly on 28^th June 2008.
• 2009 – Market-first introduction of 3-in-1 RGB high power LEDs for a new range of higher-output flat fixtures. Added “Multiwall” strip light product and first mobile 4-spot bar “MultiBar” for mobile applications.
• 2011 – Release of the high-power, all-diecast and outdoor-suitable Multispot GII (generation 2)  range. Added high-power, outdoor-suitable version of the Multiwall product. First introduction of 5-color RGB fixtures.
• 2013 – Introduction of the “VersoLED” range of 8 application-specific  economy LED color mixing fixtures. Design patent for the first and only horizontal entry PARcan back.
• 2015 – Adoption of COB technology in a new range of 3 fixtures under the “CoboLED” label. 3 new ultra-compact fixtures for the VersoLED range.
• 2016 – Moving to ceramic-substrate 4-in-1 LEDs for increased heat dissipation and better inherent color mixing for most high-power fixtures.
• 2018 – New matrix blinder with innovative stand-alone firmware and truss uplighter products for the show lighting market.
• 2020 – Covid19 hits Multiform’s factory operation and subsequently most target markets. Most of our team has to go into furlough and a restructuring becomes necessary. Multiform becomes part of Universal Technical Industries Limited with the core development and marketing team staying on.
• 2021 – Release of the all-new GIII (generation 3) range of color mixing fixtures, once again setting the standard for features, reliability and cost/performance ratio.
• 2022 – All-new website and release of a new line of control products for DMX interfacing to USB and wireless DMX transmission.