Navigating Manufacturer Warranties: Part II

By Shawn Warden

This is meant to be a followup to my article last month on material failures. If you haven’t read it, go check it out on page 12.

Recently, I attended the 2024 ISA trade show in Orlando, where I supported vendors, manufacturers, and start-ups in the industry. While answering questions in a material manufacturing booth, a previous employer from years prior approached me at random and asked me questions regarding the products that I was helping out with at that booth. It felt like validation for a few moments, but based on his questions, I knew that something had to have happened with an equipment purchase.

Everyone always asks which product line is the best! You can stand at a booth at one of the largest gatherings with the product engineers at your fingertips and never find that answer. When you stand at a vendor's booth, you mainly hear about the flaws in their competitor's product and how much they've invested in researching to make theirs better. The answer I found most intriguing is that there is no right answer because of the formula; It’s not just the material and never has been. It’s the combination of a few things that create the finished product and gratification for everyone involved.

Types of materials, once the surface has been chosen, may seem straightforward but are often overlooked more than you might think. Shops looking at the bottom line will cut corners all the time and just grab what's on the shelf to find more profit in their minds because they already purchased it and it’s sitting there not doing anything. The second is choosing materials based on the longevity of the project and the client's needs, meaning how long do you need this to last?

The most confusing part of the formula is the type of printer, but mostly the type of ink! Now, this is going to start a massive conversation that needs to have the manufacturers involved 100%, but I am transparent with my discussions and feel that this isn’t anything anyone hasn’t said out loud hundreds of times. When you purchase your equipment, your salesperson needs to match up your volume type with the type of printer you need to purchase or add to your goals. Example: My most recent conversation was regarding a UV type with “gel” - you can do your own research because I’m not ready to call anyone out just yet! This was sold to a client of whom I have direct knowledge of the volume and type of vehicles that this large shop is producing. This is always a discussion at a trade show, but if you ask an installer, we recommend a relief cut to avoid any failures in recessed areas!

I’ve tested this question many times with installers, and always the same answer 8/10 times. Of course, this is based on the experience of the installer, but mostly because the owner of the shop over-sold saying it’s possible and/ or the installer's pride. My point is that the type of material and level of the installer is the smallest part of the equation. The main parts that everyone is not talking about or whispering about are the ink types and profiles. A salesperson should be identifying the shop and clients' needs based on types of surfaces and/or vehicles. Yes, certain materials have certain attributes, but is printing and production of that material going to determine whether that install is going to last like it should and hopefully like you promised the client?

A quick question, would you purchase a printer for $150k that only had one material profile in its setup? Would you purchase a printer that could NOT be stretched around a bumper or even a rivet? The printers we have available these days do things that none of us could imagine 10 years ago. I used to sell UV flatbed printers when they first came out and most of the old-school shops kept telling me it was a trend and they’d be gone in a few years! These were the same shops that told me wrapping an entire vehicle with printed materials was a waste of time!

The level of equipment and materials we have at our disposal is mind-blowing. The technical advancements we have made should make our lives so much easier and especially profitable. We’ve had Latex for a while now, which is amazing but limited, but has its advantages. Then we have old faithful solvent printers, my god so many different variations these days and price points. I wouldn't know where to start. I would love to have a live discussion about each one of these or even have a side-by-side comparison to show the difference. Most of us go by what the salesperson says or the cut sheet telling you all the answers you want to hear. Buying equipment should be the easiest thing based on “your” needs of the shop currently or the direction you want to grow. That’s it! Maybe it’s time to start pushing back to the manufacturers requesting profiles that work on the materials that we want to use! As soon as a product fails, it starts from the bottom and as I mentioned in my previous article, it’s going to start with the installer first. If you don’t have your ducks in a row with the material information or how you produced it, you will be attacked next! Just to be clear, the salesperson who sold you your printer is not going to be listed on the warranty information from the manufacturer as a responsible party.

Shawn Warden Owner/ Installer, City Sign Co, LLC

Contract Installer, New England, USA gowrapdaddy@gmail.com