Pixel Quality Control
Before we will sell any products with the Wally's Lights LLC name on it, we want to be sure our customers get the best quality product. We do virtual tours of each of the factories we work with while our product is being made. We would not sell something to our customers that we would not put on our own display or house.
Wally's will always strive to stay the leader in pixel quality. Here are a few facts about our pixels.
All of our pixels are made with authentic WS2811 and LED chipsets. We have always carried 34 count stranded wires on our pixels. In July 2022 we did an upgrade to our Pixel PCB's and made the boards black with a Wally's Logo on each side.
There are more enhancements we have done but those will remain our little secret.
We would like to be transparent with the process of our pixels so our customers understand our pixel manufacturing steps.
Here are the steps for how are pixels are made.
LED Test:
The first test on our pixels is on the actual LED node that lights up the pixel. These are tested for each color before they are soldered to the chipboard.
The Soldering Stage:
The LED is soldered to the board by a machine and then it is tested. Next the wires are soldered to the board by a machine. Once all the connections are soldered the pixel strands are tested by hand. If there are any failures or a solder point doesn’t look complete the pixel is removed and replaced with a new chip board before the epoxy is filled.
The first pixel string test:
The pixels are tested and each pixel is inspected for solder quality by hand. If there are any bad pixels or bad solder joints they are replaced at this stage before they are filled with epoxy.
Epoxy Time:
A sample is taken from each batch when the epoxy pots are filled. This sample is used to measure the weight of the epoxy to ensure that it is the correct amount for the pixel type being filled. It is then sent to cure to ensure the mixture was mixed at the correct ratio and that it fully cures and hardens.
The pixels are then put into a mold and the machine fills each pixel with an even and precise amount of epoxy.
Our epoxy is cured through a machine which ensures that it is fully hardened before it exits the machine.
These pixels are then checked by hand to ensure that the epoxy is fully cured and any extra epoxy on the shells is removed before moving onto the next step.
The Final QC check:
This stage is actually very fun to watch. The pixels are plugged in and then connected to another string to ensure input, output, and every pixel is working with each color and then white. They then take the pixels and slam them onto the table multiple times to check them. This is to ensure there are no loose solder points within the string and everything stays connected.
The Burn In:
Each of our pixels are burned in at the factory to check for long term failure. These are tested at 100% through Red, Green, Blue, & then White. This test goes on anywhere from 5-12 hours to ensure the lowest DOA pixel count.
The Wally's Batch Test:
Once we get a batch of pixels in, we take a few strings and we actually test them ourselves for days. We measure all output parameters and then we connect a voltmeter to the end to check any anomalies we may find.
The Water Soak Test:
We take a few strands and dunk them in a 5 gallon bucket and test for 24 hours to ensure no water intrusion occurs.
The QC Tag:
Each tag on the pixels are marked with a specific number for our tracking. Please do not cut these off. This voids our warranty and does not allow us to track and confirm your pixel strand. These tracking numbers are specific to each batch. If there are any major issues, we can go back to the factory with this number to check on any issues that were happening in the factory during this time. We can also notify customers to check this number and contact us if they are having issues where they need replacements.
We do understand that failures still happen. If you have any issues or concerns please fill out the product issue report we will do our best to resolve any issues you may have.