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Don't let your electronic-display needs get lost in translation.
At the 2009 ISA Sign Expo, I counted 39 different suppliers of LED electronic message displays and videoscreens. To the best of my knowledge, only three of those exhibitors offered products not produced in China.
Casual observers at the show may have thought they saw many, American-made products. Surprisingly, almost all of them were Chinese products assembled in the U.S. or simply branded by an American reseller. Particularly interesting was the number of Chinese manufacturers who sold their products in the same room as American suppliers who offered the same product with a different name. In at least one case, the same product was offered under three different names by three different suppliers.
If you came to the show to buy LED-display technology, you would’ve found ample offerings, regardless of your sophistication level. But, if you weren’t a tech geek, and you found yourself in the wrong booth, you could’ve been standing on dangerous ground.
I spent the good part of a day visiting the exhibits of Chinese vendors who weren’t represented as American companies. The cultural and language barriers were overwhelming. A neophyte, or even a moderately experienced sign person, couldn’t measure the effectiveness of these companies’ offerings.
At one booth, I inquired about the featured display’s pitch. A young Chinese woman smiled and said, “Ten.” I looked more closely at the display and knew it wasn’t. I asked again. She looked at me with a confused expression before she disappeared behind a screen. She returned with a triumphant smile and said, “Six.” I was going to inquire about the manufacturer of the SMD component, but I just took a catalog and left.
Later, I learned that a friend, who works for Nichia, borrowed someone else’s badge (in the interest of anonymity), visited each Chinese booth and asked which company produced the LEDs exhibited. To my surprise, but not to his, most manufacturers claimed to use Nichia. Yet, none of the Nichia claimants were actually Nichia customers. To my friend, it was a compliment. To a seriously interested display purchaser, it would have been a deception.
Thanks for you insights, Bob. Here comes a Chinese. :) As a Chinese professional in LED sign industry, I would like to share my opinions with you.
1. Regarding the young woman replied with a wrong pitch, I think you agree that it is a purely matter of technical know-how rather than deception. In China, esp. in Shenzhen, the LED display suppliers don’t speak English usually. They would like to hire a temp from foreign language university for the exhibition, and it is not weird that the temp doesn’t even know what LED is. If they sell you a 6 mm product in 10 mm price, you would get a good deal!!
2.Regarding the findings of your friends (Nichia friends and George). Actually, Nichia and Cree do sell a lot LED to the Chinese LED sign makers, and the products with these 2 brands are often regarded as high end products in Chinese market. I often visit LED sign exhibitions, usually I was told clearly the difference in price between high end and low end ones, and never encounter any deceptions your friends met. However I heard a rumor that some LED suppliers (not necessarily in China though) do use 9X9 mil dice instead of 14X14, this makes the current density higher than expected and results in shorter life cycle. It doesn't matter how high the driving current is, it matters how high the current density is for LED.
3.You have listed 9 questions that customer needs to know, and they are relevant, but I would like to add more in the following:
What is the operating temperature of the LED sign? Do you need A/C for this?
Are there any certifications like UL, FCC?
What is the power consumption/m2? And input voltage meets US 2 or 3 phase electricity system?
What is the weatherability of the display? IP65? how does it perform in salty environment?
4. The life time of LED sign is a frequently asked question. However it is very vague question since it really depends on the running conditions. Maybe an MTBF under certain temperature and humidity conditions is a better term than the life time.
