The most asked questions regarding DVLED are how to understand the various types of LED and differences between SMD, COB, miniLED and microLED. This is closely followed by how to choose a supplier.
We answered the first question in our vendor-neutral webinar “DVLED: Everything Integrators Need to Know,” on CommercialIntegrator.com.
What we did not cover in detail is how to select a supplier.
Stay tuned as we suggest the elements you need to consider when selecting a company to work with.
Why LED Suppliers Matter
The first thing to keep in mind is that DVLED displays are not like typical LCD displays.
Where every 55-inch 4K LCD might look and basically be manufactured like others, a 1.5mm pixel pitch DVLED cabinet can have significant variances exist among brands.
It is the choice of components, manufacturing processes, quality control and testing that makes the difference among brands beyond the relative simplicity of pixel pitch.
To be clear, there are over 100 “real” DVLED manufacturers with others being assemblers of parts, adding a brand and claiming to be manufacturers.
Even the ones who are true manufacturers do not manufacture everything that goes into a display.
Moreover, all manufacturers purchase the core LED diode from one of four or five suppliers. It is also important to note that LED component manufacturers have several levels of quality, and thus different performance levels.
To compare apples to apples in display suppliers, you must therefore begin with similar LED suppliers and quality levels.
Look at the PCBs, Power Supplies
Next, we need to look at the Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) and power supplies inside the cabinet.
Most problems in this field can be traced back to a few common causes including low-quality circuit components, poor-quality PCB assembly or poor-quality control and lack of testing.
One metric of product quality is mean time between failure (MTBF). It predicts the expected time that a device or component will run before it breaks down and requires repair.
Another metric is mean time to repair (MTTR). This measures the average time needed to fix a failed component and return it to service.
Companies, however, have different approaches to both, and most often do not publish their MTBF or MTTR data.
So, when you don’t have the published data, you need to communicate with a person inside the company possessing technical knowledge by asking the following questions:
- What certifications do they hold?
- Are they ISO 9000 certified, and do they have a TQM process?
- What is the most prevalent failure they see?
- What LED suppliers do they use and at what quality levels? Why?
- What do they manufacture in house and what do they outsource?
- Do they conduct a full system pretest before shipping?
- Do they have products and spare parts in the U.S.?
- What is the turnaround time for spare parts?
Closing Thoughts
Suffice it to say, the time spent here with these questions and due diligence pays big dividends in the final project.
Let me now leave you with a few words of advice: The best practice is to select an LED supplier with a proven track record, supported by a sales and technical presence plus spare parts in the U.S.
So, hedge your bets and do your homework to select a supplier who understands what it is to be a true partner.
Alan C. Brawn, CTS, DSCE, DSDE, DSNE, DCME, DSSP, ISF-C, is principal of Brawn Consulting.
