The sample was perfect. The bulk order wasn't quite. Getting OEM LED orders right

The sample was approved. It looked right in the showcase, on the stone and next to the product. Then the bulk order arrives, and the light is close but not quite the same. Same model number, not the light you approved.

For OEM customers and project buyers, this is one of the most expensive surprises in lighting, because it shows up after the order is made.

What changes between sample and production

A reference sample is one piece, made with full attention. Mass production is many pieces, made over days or weeks. Along the way, several things can change:

• New LED bins. LEDs are sorted by colour and output; a larger order may draw on more than one bin.
• Another PCB or extrusion lot. Copper, solder mask, diffuser material and extrusion can vary from batch to batch.
• Tolerances that add up. Each part is within its own tolerance, but small differences can stack into a visible one.

None of this is unusual. What matters is whether the target was written down, and whether each batch can be traced back and compared.

What helps

1. Agree the drawing, electrical specification and acceptance criteria in writing before the order. Not only the model number. Include the colour target and tolerance, output, dimensions, cut interval, connectors and packaging.
2. Keep a signed reference sample on both sides. The buyer and the factory each hold one. First-off production pieces are compared against it before the full run continues.
3. Ask how each batch traces back to its materials. If a deviation appears, traceability is what allows it to be found and contained, instead of affecting the whole order.
4. Approve the sample in its real setting. In the intended profile and diffuser, next to the actual materials. A sample judged in its real setting gives production something meaningful to match.

How we work

That is how we run OEM and project orders. The drawing, electrical specification, sample criteria and reference sample are agreed before production, and records link each product to its materials and production batch. You can read more about our testing equipment and process on the quality page.

Before you place the order

• Is there a signed reference sample, and who holds a copy?
• Are colour, output and dimensions written down with tolerances?
• How will first-off pieces be checked against the sample?
• Can each batch be traced to its LED bin and materials?

If you're planning an OEM range or a large project order, contact us and we'll start with the drawing and a reference sample.