Jock Gibb on Formetco’s 10 Year Warranty

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Formetco announced a 10 year parts warranty on FTX digital billboards last week.  Insider talked with Jock Gibb, VP Sales about the announcement.

What factors have led Formetco to offer the warranty?

We have spent a lot of time getting feedback from the outdoor industry. What we have learned is that there is a lot of confusion with different makes and models of products from each manufacturer. Some manufacturers have four different models for each resolution with various warranty offerings. We decided that a straightforward approach would be the best solution. All Formetco FTX LED screens have the same warranty. When we say the pixel pitch is 16mm or 20mm; it is 16mm or 20mm. We do not call a LED Screen with a 16.9mm pixel pitch a True16mm LED pixel pitch; that is misleading the customer. We also do not think a client needs to figure out if they need a grade A, B, C, or D, LED screen. Formetco only offers a grade A quality LED product. We feel that everyone expects to receive the best product, at the best price, with the best warranty and that is what we supply.

Formetco FTX LED Digital Billboard
Formetco FTX LED Digital Billboard

What technical considerations went into Formetco analytics in determining the feasibility of offering a 10-year parts warranty?

We researched the historical service data of 1,000’s of Formetco’s LED screens and determined that the majority of issues before 2013 were power supplies, corrosion issues related to fans, and heat issues due to clogged filters or failed fans. Formetco worked with Delta, the world’s largest power supply manufacturer, in developing the first and only power supply used in a LED screen with an MTBF of 700,000 hours. Our power supply failure rate in the last three years is less than 1 in 5,000. Additionally, by removing the display’s fans and filters, we saw a 72% reduction in service calls. Formetco LED screens use less power to operate, so they generate less heat, thus running cooler than LED screens in traditional cabinets with high maintenance fans and filters.

formetco digital sign with antennasHow can Formetco afford to do this without any additional charges?

Formetco was the first major LED screen supplier to provide a 10-year brightness warranty. The trend we see in the industry is to use cheaper components to drive cost down, where Formetco has focused on continually increasing quality to minimize downtime. Using higher end components, combined with the new features of Formetco’s FTX LED Digital Billboard technology, has improved reliability so much that we can now offer a 10-year parts warranty.

What is covered under this warranty?

Formetco warrants all the components that we design and manufacture under its 10-year parts warranty. This covers everything on the digital screen from tiles, power supplies, cables, control cards, cabinetry and photo-cells. It does not include the computer, modem, webcam, and router; which are covered by the original equipment manufacturer’s warranty.

Since this is a new warranty, what feedback are you expecting?

All Formetco customers will benefit directly from this new warranty. Having the peace of mind that your display’s components are guaranteed for 10-years is a great advantage for Formetco’s clients. Indirectly we believe the entire industry will benefit, whether you are a Formetco client or buy from another vendor. Formetco has been leading the LED Digital Billboard industry with technology firsts. We were the first company to offer single bin LEDs, the first to provide a display that did not require factory calibration and the first to provide a 10-year brightness warranty. Each of the major manufacturers has followed Formetco’s lead and adopted each of these features. I would have to imagine that you will see other manufacturers following this lead too.


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