Engineering Solutions, Not Just Products

By Mark Mikulka, Solution Engineer at GE Current, a Daintree company

This article was published in the September 2020 issue of Signs of the Times magazine.

What do you look for in a new product? What drives your decision to buy? Do you base it solely on specifications, or are you more of a price shopper? Personally, I’m somewhere in the middle, always looking for the best specs at the best price—my idea of value. As technology advances, the way products work with each other becomes more important. My favorite purchases are ones that not only fill a need, but also seamlessly fit into my existing system.

Here at GE Current, a Daintree company, we design all our Tetra® signage products with this system in mind. Every product fits into the bigger picture. For example, when we introduced the first 24V solutions to signage, we brought:

• Industry-leading efficiency
• The highest loading per power supply
• Improved wide beam optics
• The ability to have a common power supply for both cabinet and channel letter products

The Tetra family was developed to win not only on the spec sheet, but also in applications. Customers can use less product and fewer power supplies in their signs, saving money both in material and labor—not to mention the energy savings. We were very proud to introduce a solution that is easy to use, efficient and simple for our customers.

Current is still committed to that way of thinking. Our newest offering, the Tetra Snap, was developed with solution engineering in mind. The Snap is not just another cabinet sign module; it is a unique system that gives sign manufacturers flexibility.

We had common cabinet sign pain points in mind when developing the Snap. It features a new double-sided module, a custom c-channel rail and four mounting accessories. These components are parts of a complete solution that will simplify our customers’ lives. Need more convincing?

• Snap is an endlessly customizable, one-size-fits-all product for every cabinet sign.
• Its unique design simplifies installation. The module snaps into the rail. No other fasteners are needed.
• The same module and rail can achieve three different light levels—up to 1,000 lumens per foot! That reduces the number of SKUs needed to achieve different light levels and form factors.
• Rails can also be connected in different ways, allowing you to extend the rail length or create custom frames.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Tetra solution without superior reliability. We have the largest installed base in the industry (over 100 million feet globally and counting!). To ensure every Tetra installation will operate brilliantly for years, we perform the most extensive, stringent testing in the industry—bar none.

We test LED chips, water and dust ingress protection, the sub-system and the complete system at our in-house and independent laboratories around the world. Validation of our designs, components, products and processes include high temperature, high humidity and accelerated life testing.

Our unmatched experience and extensive testing are the glue that holds our solutions together, and why more and more people choose Tetra every day—great brands deserve a great brand.

The next time you need a new solution (signage or otherwise), keep these questions in mind:

• Does it satisfy your need?
• Does it work with items you already use?
• Does it simplify the way you complete a task?
• Does it come from a company with a commitment to quality and reliability?

If you answer yes to the questions above, then you will find yourself purchasing a complete solution, not just a product.

To hear more from our signage team, contact us today.