Reliable LEDs: Quality Strategies Maximize Performance

The performance and quality of LEDs used in a digital billboard or LED sign is an important factor when choosing a manufacturer. At Watchfire we evaluate LED vendors from across the global marketplace in order to use the best quality LEDs in our products. Low quality LEDs simply won’t last as long or look as good, and they may even cost you more time and money in the long run. Our goal is to maximize your uptime and manufacture LED displays that make you the envy of your competition.

Before we select a component, such as an LED, we test sample batches in our reliability lab. These tests are designed to exploit potential weaknesses and confirm that each component meets our stringent quality standards before incorporating that component in our design. Most manufacturers would stop there, but most manufacturers aren’t Watchfire.

We take component quality a step further by monitoring LEDs operating in the field and tracking the performance of each individual LED over time. We involve several departments in this process: materials, research and development, and customer service work as a team to evaluate all aspects of LED performance.

Because most modern Watchfire LED signs are internet connected, we are able to use our advanced diagnostics to compile data and track performance by LED supplier, batch code and manufacture date. The sample size we track is quite large – over 1 billion individual LEDs are being observed through this quality program. Monitoring such a large sample size comprised of LED signs installed over a range of years and in a vast variety of locations and climates allows us to efficiently assess the long-term performance and expected baseline for longevity across LED types and brands. Watchfire uses a standard Parts Per Million (PPM) measuring system to define component quality and has determined that the overall PPM defect rates for LED components that we source is incredibly low.

So, why take the extra step to monitor LEDs in the field? We do this for two main reasons. The first is to confirm that our suppliers are maintaining quality in their manufacturing processes, and the second is continuously improve our metrics for component testing. If we begin to see changing performance trends, we can quarantine parts until an investigation can be conducted and a resolution is reached, thus keeping suspect components from ever being installed.

We work tirelessly to provide the highest quality displays in the industry, and we do that by applying the most advanced monitoring processes to ensure each sign looks great and performs well throughout its lifetime.