Factory Supplier Background Check

Apr 17, 2021 | quality assurance | 0 comments

Are you sure your potential supplier is who they say they are? Visionpi does the due diligence to uncover the truth with a comprehensive background check. We‘ve all heard horror stories about ‘scammers’ posing as factories who take your money and disappear! This very real risk is heavy on a buyer’s mind when they‘re considering a potential supplier, especially for led display industry, hundreds of small factories bankrupted every year which is why Visionpi offers a supplier background check to vet potential suppliers for you. Our focus is on assuring that your supplier is legitimate (no scams), has their story straight, is offering competitive pricing, and is, more generally, a good match for your business. If you are afraid of being scammed or working with a middleman posing as a manufacturer, Visionpi’s supplier background check will flag suspicious signs and advise on how to dig deeper.

What is a supplier background check or ‘due diligence?‘

Visionpi’s supply chain specialist performs a thorough investigation to uncover the truth about a potential supplier, covertly interviewing them, fact-checking, and confirming that they’re a legitimate manufacturer who is capable of producing your order. It takes 5 working days to compile the report.

Why choose to perform background checks? Any importers who are afraid that their potential suppliers may misrepresent information about their company (including scammers, but also simply ‘creative sales people’) need to conduct supplier due diligence before agreeing to work with a new supplier.

What type of factory should this type of due diligence be performed on?

All potential suppliers’ factories of any size, prior to deciding to spend much time on boarding them and on developing products with them. When to perform these background checks? Usually, the best time to carry out any due diligence is after sending out Request for Quotation (RFQ) information, but before any samples are requested and orders are placed.

Why choose supplier management?

Apr 16, 2021 | quality assurance | 0 comments

The main benefits we offer are strong planning (based on our experience), a state-of-the-art process for organizing your led display supply chain, good communication, close follow-up, and quick reporting. All this helps you, as the buyer, get what you need: Faster project completion at the expected quality and cost.

Who needs this solution?

If you don’t have a local office in China, and you need to fly back to Asia very often (or follow unhealthy sleep patterns), these are the signs that you need a team on the ground you can rely on. Many of our clients already work with an ‘agent’, a partner, or freelancer(s) on the ground. They work with Visionpi because they value some of our in-house competencies and processes.

What is performed in SM?

The very first step is setting up a plan that addresses your objectives and considers the realities of your supply chain in China. Your suppliers get into “just do it” mode at the snap of a finger. However, has someone paused and considered what is in your long-term interest?We listen to you, see what has worked and not worked with led display factories, and suggest an action plan as well as realistic objectives.Then, based on your needs, we propose the profile (bios) of a project manager that would best fit them. This project manager, together with his/her team, starts implementing the plan.

We have 4 teams composed of 1 project manager and several assistant managers.Our project managers are in close contact with your suppliers, using their language as well as their preferred communication tools (Wechat, QQ, etc.), in order to keep your projects moving.We also have a support team with individuals who specialize in laboratory testing, in sourcing, in procurement, and in export & logistics.We go to the factory when needed. Our project management team is located in 4 different areas(Beijing,Hu nan,guangdong,zhejiang) and our inspection & audit team is nearly all along the coasts of China (where 80% led display manufactures are in Guangdong province )

How is SM reported?

One of our project managers is in frequent contact with you and updates you all along (as your single point of contact). We typically use collaborative software such as Trello or Asana, to make communication as fluid as possible.You also get a weekly summary of the work done. What does it cost? We bill 30 USD an hour* for project management and supply chain-related work. As a guide, it is not uncommon for us to quote 10 hours for the first block of work.Expenses, if any, are charged separately.

LED Display Wavelength Selection

Apr 16, 2021 | knowledgebase | 0 comments

LED Binning of LED Display

LED binning is a complex process that ensures consistent performance and quality across LED Displays. It is employed to address the variations that occur during the industrial production of LEDs, even within the same product batch.

 Why LED Binning/ Batch match is important .

Improper binning can have several consequences when it comes to LED displays..If a display manufacturer were to indiscriminately purchase a run of packaged diodes from a diode manufacturer without any thought to the variation of optical and electrical specifications between the diodes, the display product they eventually manufactured would exhibit inconsistent performance.

Every display will exhibit small inconsistencies over time, but negligent binning will exacerbate the issues stemming from these inconsistencies, necessitating repeated calibration.

The process involves grouping LEDs with similar performance together in “bins” based on factors such as lumens, color temperature, voltage, and color.

 

Why the LEDs are different?

The diode manufacturing process is similar to the display manufacturing process in that each diode made in a production run will exhibit tiny differences from the others on its silicon wafer, even though they were all created with the same materials, ostensibly under the same conditions. Variations between diodes on separate wafers will be even more prevalent. The diode manufacturer will then pick and place the diode from these wafers into their packaging, complete the wire bonding (or wireless bonding), seal the package, and then sell these completed LEDs to display manufacturers. This can lead to inconsistent performance of the display product if the display manufacturer were to indiscriminately purchase a run of packaged diodes from a diode manufacturer without any thought to the variation of optical and electrical specifications between the diodes .

LED display Calibration

. Calibration is a smoothing process performed by display manufacturers before completing a display product. It involves gathering data on every pixel within a display using sophisticated optical equipment and running that data through analyzing software to generate a set of coefficients. These coefficients are then applied to each diode in the display to attune their performance down to the levels of the worst-performing diode

While calibration improves the consistency of the display, it reduces brightness. When not done correctly, it can result in a proportional decline in grayscale quality. As grayscale quality erodes, the slight differences between shades of the same color begin to fade. For example, on a calibrated display, Coca-Cola red may no longer be distinct from other reds. This can be problematic for brands that have paid good money to showcase their specific color

Ultimately, calibration is beneficial as it smooths overall consistency. However, a display should not require frequent calibration as it diminishes brightness and grayscale quality over time, lessening the impact of the displa

It is more complex and to understand the process it is necessary to introduce chromaticity diagrams.

The technique manufacturers use to make sure that the LEDs are similar is called LED binning.

It depends on that the LEDs are placed into similar categories – bins. With the bin defined is the similarity in:

  • lumens (Kelvin)
  • voltage (forward voltage)
  • color (wavelength)

Lumens and color are the most important parameters in LED variability.  Forward voltage is largely ignored in the binning process since it can be controlled and adjusted on its own by a display’s driver chip. Binning according to lumens is relatively simple to define – different than Binning LEDs according to color.  Each of these measurements comes with an acceptable tolerance ratio.

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LED Displays are Not the Same

Apr 10, 2021 | knowledgebase | 1 comment

LED displays are comprised of many components. Various commercial manufacturers around the world may or may not state these components in their quotations. You may see items such as framing, power supplies, controller cards, video processors, cabling, mounting/hanging points, or display interface units either included in the bottom line or broken out as separate line items in a quotation. One word of caution before we focus on the piece of the display with the most points of differentiation. If you are comparing pricing, make sure you are aware of all the components required to make the display operational in the environment for your solution, and make sure you’re comparing apples to apples when reviewing quotations. One bottom line price may include everything you need to be operational whereas a second may be the price just for the LED panels, you don’t want to find out the fact after the order sealed, at the end you are paying more.

LED Diode 

The core of led display LEDs are diodes – meaning they are semiconductors. They are the most important unit for a led display and takes on 50-60% of the total cost. The two main types of LEDs presently used for lighting and display systems are aluminum gallium indium phosphide (AlGaInP, sometimes rearranged as AlInGaP) alloys for red, orange, and yellow LEDs; and indium gallium nitride (InGaN) alloys for green, blue and white LEDs. Slight changes in the composition of these alloys change the color of the emitted light. The actual chips/dice/wafers of the (LED) manufacturing process are basically the same the world over. What makes one manufacturer’s diode better than another is basically the consistency of the manufacturing process, the predictable, repeatable processes rendering consistent yields. This is accomplished by rigid manufacturing standards, “Six Sigma” processes, purity of chemical elements, etc. Diode manufacturers in the industry gain a reputation for delivering consistent and reliable quality. If you’ve been in this industry for a minute or two, you know the names that always come up when discussing quality. One starts with an “N” and one starts with a “C”. That being said, there are other contract manufacturing companies whose process is being guided and refined by the display manufacturers, which are turning out diodes of comparable quality.

led display price and cost

Just as with any consumer or commercial goods we buy, the reason some products cost more than others owes to labor and shipping costs, and the quality of the materials used. There are cheap TVs at Walmart, and premium TVs at Best Buy. They do the same thing, but what’s inside the housing can be different. On a direct-light LED circuit board, is a grid of attached pixels – or the smallest addressable components on the display from the perspective of content delivery. These “pixels” typically are what is referred to in the industry as a “package” and as you might expect, given the name, these are comprised of several individual elements – all of which can be differentiators in the performance and efficiency of the display. The quality and type of wiring used, the circuit board backplates, the epoxies, and numerous other things affect the final price of display electronics, as well as performance and reliability.

The actual chips/dice/wafers of the (LED) manufacturing process is basically the same the world over. What makes one manufacturer’s diode better than another is basically the consistency of the manufacturing process, the predictable, repeatable processes rendering consistent yields. This is accomplished by rigid manufacturing standards, “Six Sigma” processes, purity of chemical elements, etc. Diode manufacturers in the industry gain a reputation for delivering consistent and reliable quality. If you’ve been in this industry for a minute or two, you know the names that always come up when discussing quality. like Nichia and Cree. There are other contract manufacturing companies whose process is being guided and refined by the display manufacturers, which are turning out diodes of comparable quality. Pay attention to the spec of the LEDs, even for those LEDs comes from the same vendor, they have different level quality, it mainly depends on the material and technology that made of LED: Wire bonding, Reflector, Glue.

Package Design

LED PACKAGE SMD

Package Quality

The actual chips/dice/wafers of the (LED) manufacturing process is basically the same the world over. What makes one manufacturer’s diode better than another is basically the consistency of the manufacturing process, the predictable, repeatable processes rendering consistent yields. This is accomplished by rigid manufacturing standards, “Six Sigma” processes, purity of chemical elements, etc. Diode manufacturers in the industry gain a reputation for delivering consistent and reliable quality. If you’ve been in this industry for a minute or two, you know the names that always come up when discussing quality. like Nichia and Cree. There are other contract manufacturing companies whose process is being guided and refined by the display manufacturers, which are turning out diodes of comparable quality. Pay attention to the spec of the LEDs, even for those LEDs comes from the same vendor, they have different level quality, it mainly depends on the material and technology that made of LED: Wire bonding, Reflector, Glue.

Bond Wire

Gold, copper, Iron The conductor and wire bonding in the package is the apparatus which, as you might suspect, transfers electric current from the circuit board to the diodes. Conductors are located on the underneath or backside of the package carrier and consist of an anode and cathode division (positively and negatively charged). These pieces are manufactured from one of three different metals – gold, zinc, or silver. The lining within the diode’s package cavity on the front of the package is referred to as the reflector. This comes in variations of two colors – either black or white. As you might suspect, white or whiter colors of reflectors better reflect, and more efficiently channel, the light from the diode outward away from the package. Black or darker reflectors tend to absorb more of the light from the diodes. The actual shape of the reflector cavity has much to do with the quality of the image and brightness. learn more about wiring bonding material.

Reflector

This will be discussed further when we discuss fill ratios. While we’re discussing the coloration of the reflector, it is also a good time to talk about the face of the package itself. These also come in various gradients of white and black and serve a similar function as the reflector. As a general rule of thumb, both of these elements either serve to enhance brightness (whiter elements) or to enhance contrast (blacker elements). Black face LED packages typically are better when the preferred result is for greater image detail. White and lighter face LED packages are preferred when brightness is a key requirement for content delivery – such as combating hostile ambient light conditions. Package faces also come in different finishes, matte finishes, glossy, and variations in between. We’ve talked about all of the components of major differentiation within the LED package sans one.

Len

The lens. The lens of the package is comprised of an optically translucent sealer material – most commonly silicon – which fills the cavity housing the diodes. The lens composition, as you might guess, affects to a greater or lesser extent, the optical performance of the package. Counterintuitively, a certain amount of opacity within the lens material actually enhances overall image quality for the average human viewer with 20/20 vision.

LED Display White Paper

Apr 10, 2021 | knowledgebase, quality assurance | 1 comment

Video walls can create stunning centerpieces for a variety of spaces. LED video displays can transform any environment, but you may become overwhelmed when you look at all the options on the market. There are many elements to consider when selecting video screens, including indoor vs outdoor, pixel pitch, front vs rear serviceability, and shape. how to select led displays that fit your project and getting a good supplier to manufacture your led screen is a pain in the ass for importers.
Table of Contents
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led display screen white paper

Why this guide?

The prospect of purchasing commercial digital display solutions is daunting, in no small part due to the complexity of ever-changing industry jargon. The fluidity of many of the industry’s most common –yet most confusing- specifications can make the precise definitions of these terms quite difficult to pin down. Due to the complexity of the LED screen, ever-updating technologies, increasingly intense competition, and flooded suppliers’ information, it is getting more difficult to find or choose the right products and suppliers.

Understand the industry

Most LED display manufacturers worth their salt can talk a good game. As someone who has spent almost 15 years in the digital display industry in the marketing/communications space, we know this well. Sales and marketing teams throughout our industry – hell, all industries – tout their products and services using brand names slogans, and feel-good video productions. Some companies actually back up their talk with quality products and services. Others back it up with… well, not-so-quality products. Still, others back up their talk with others’ products and services, but that’s a grievance for another day. 
But we have to admit if you’re new to the digital display industry or unfamiliar with some of its finer, technical aspects, the company that talks a good game is probably indistinguishable from the company that has a good game. That’s a problem for you. (And for good companies.)
Many consumer advocates agree that if it’s tough to distinguish between companies based on what you see and hear from them. and they are most likely to find out that a majority of the product is basically the same(design), while the price varies.

Understand the specification and get what you want 

There are not many LED display manufacturers in the industry who can make innovations and develop new technology, the only way for them to attract customers is to tag a really “sweet” price. they look the same (appearance), and the spec is just close or even the same as others who offered a higher price. in that case, most of the customers would pretend to have a “sweet” price. but the truth is they are not the same, they even look like twins. Whether it is good or bad quality, the majority of the products can work properly for a few months, after the honeymoon, troubles come up from time to time. you are not getting what you really look for, a decent quality. You are not getting what you paid for sometimes, you actually paid a reasonable price and you don’t get what you paid for. even an experienced importer would just pay attention to the LED  and IC, that is right, they take up more than 60% of the cost of the screen. while there are many other ignored component or design contributes a lot to the quality of the display. Manufacturers can exploit an advantage of those “vague and unclear” to make more profit. what’s worse, they may replace LED A with LED B. the fiercer competition makes those factories rack their brains to cut down the cost of raw materials.
led display white paper

Accurate information matters

Are all factories are all different, Are all the led displays basically the same? if so why the price could be so different from one supplier to another .you may probably say that the suppliers will sacrifice a part of the profit to sell more, and keep the quality, It is true, by a very small chance if they make a promotion of the year. What customers need to realize first is that there is no real governing body judging how specifications are created, claimed, and tested, so manufacturers can pretty much say anything. With no authority monitoring what display providers can and cannot claim, customers have to shoulder this fact-checking responsibility themselves. There are a few steps in this process. First, the absence of regulated standardization within the industry does not preclude the existence of informal but commonly-met benchmarks. For each display metric, customers should learn these benchmarks and use them to set their initial expectations.
Next, customers should research the intricacies of each specification so they can smoothly counter sales speak with actual knowledge. The final step is to request that manufacturers test and prove their claims. Accurate information (to make an apple to apple comparison) is the key to evaluating the quality and performance of any manufacturer’s LED DISPLAY. Be sure to ask your vendors for all the components (which we will discuss later), and get as many details as possible. Understanding the fundamentals is probably the best way to make sure you’re on track to get the value you desire. The more you act like a veteran, the less chance you get fooled (not kidding ). The best way to reduce the risk is to set up an “office” in China or hire an experienced QC, to help you with the sourcing and inspection. or find a third party to make the inspection for sure, it won’t cost much but do save you a lot of time & money.
In this led display white paper, we discussed the basic components: less, driving ic, cables, cabinet design, to see what makes a good quality led screen, and how it contributes to the led display. 

Contact us for a 33 pages free copy white paper 

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