The generalizations and disparaging comments made by Andy Wilson in “My View” (May 2007, p. 76) regarding US automobile manufacturers, citing Ford vs. Toyota generalizations of quality while at the same time comparing American-made LED lighting products to imports, were at best silly and at worst inappropriate. Had you noticed that Ford captured the most JD Powers awards, including winning five top segment awards for quality, before this article was released? Did you realize that you risked offending an entire machine-vision industry segment such as Detroit autoworkers with deeply rooted Japan vs. America sensitivities with such an editorial?
What ever happened to evaluating LED manufacturers’ products on all of their electrical cable, power controllers, and lighting merits or illumination qualities? Is twirling a light around by its cable a true representation of anything other than an unscientific test of its strain relief? I had to ask myself if perhaps you’d considered asking end users to let go and have the vision components slam into the wall, as well?
On the trip that you wrote about to the unnamed “system developer” I have to ask myself if my lighting products were represented among their mix of broken lights. Probably not, but again, your vague generalities once more would implicate us to any future buyer simply because we are American made or have historically had below-market prices!
For more than 14 years Metaphase Technologies has produced well engineered LED lighting for machine vision utilizing quality components and uncompromised construction with proven manufactured designs. In fact, since the beginning Metaphase ringlights have been aimed and thermally potted for encapsulation while others are not. You talk about shock resistance-did you know that our latest washdown lights are rated to 10 Gs? Did you know that Metaphase lights have served in some of the harshest vision environments there are, yet still we have the reputation of being a value priced leader?
Still, having competed with lesser quality light twice our price I understand what you mean about rugged design of interconnections being an afterthought in this industry. That’s why our line of robotic work lights were designed with WL Gore PTFE reinforced cabling and polyurethane jacketing that can withstand 10 million cycles of flex and roll. I’m sure that even you would approve of this latest enhancement to our cabling.
I hope that in the future you will refrain from singling out manufacturers based solely on the country of origin and instead look at fundamental design criteria, workmanship quality, and construction as the benchmark of a quality product. The gist of this article should have been that the automobile industry has quality watchdogs where the vision industry doesn’t and that a good marketing campaign can cover for inadequate design and cheaply made products. Then again you could always talk to some of our customers, as many of them have learned the hard way that all lights are not created equal.
Steven Evers
Vice President, Sales
Metaphase Technologies
Bensalem, PA, USA
www.metaphase-tech.com