Customer guide

 

WHY TO BECOME INFRAMET CUSTOMER

  • Inframet is a company trusted by customers all over the world. We have sold out test equipment to  over 50 countries of the world. Well known scientific institutes, universities, manufacturers of electro-optical systems, test laboratories, repairing depots are among our customers (see References page)
  • Inframet can offer full spectrum of equipment for testing and simulation of electro-optical imaging & laser systems. INFRAMET is a manufacturer of hi-tech equipment for testing all types of electro-optical surveillance systems (thermal imagers, night vision devices, VIS-NIR cameras, SWIR imagers, laser range finders, laser designators, multi-sensors systems, fused systems, UV cameras, optical sights) and main blocks of such systems (image intensifier tubes, IR FPA/CCD/CMOS imaging sensors, optical objectives).
    It is more convenient technically to buy from us equipment for testing all these E-O systems and components than buying from several different manufacturers. 
  • Inframet is a manufacturer of complete test systems who deliver not only equipment for testing but also software and knowledge about interpretation of test result. Inframet can offer custom designed test system from area outside typical offer.
  • Inframet offers reasonable conditions for recalibration of its test equipment. In longer term costs of frequent recalibration of test equipment can be equal of higher than costs of purchase of the test equipment. Therefore some manufacturers of test equipment recommends frequent expensive recalibration carried out exclusively by their own authorized agents. Inframet prefers to earn its profits from  selling of its test equipment not from calibration services. Therefore the company recommends reasonable recalibration periods  and offers recalibration equipment that makes possible local recalibration by the customers.
  • Inframet treats its customer like partners trying to share its know how, to support them in application of our test equipment and to start long term cooperation.
  • Inframet equipment and knowledge can help to improve electro-optical technology in any country.

HOW TO PROPERLY CHOOSE?

  • Inframet rules to prepare optimal offer are based on personal experience of its general manager who as a young scientist working in an university made several errors by buying non optimal expensive equipment  and have learnt that detail analysis of real needs and analysis of technical specs of system of interest is needed to buy equipment that is really useful.
  • Remember about how  wide is Inframet offer.
    Inframet offers over 50 test systems. Most of these test systems are offered in form of a series of versions. That gives about about a thousand of potential versions of test systems that can be delivered. This high number of types/versions  of test systems are due to huge size of E-O technology. There are simply ten of thousands of different types of EO systems that differs slightly. It is technically very difficult and economically not sound to develop fully universal  test system for testing even a single group of EO systems like thermal imagers. More optimal solutions are test systems that are optimized for a specific group of EO systems. 
  • Define precisely application of the test system.
    It is a quite common situation when customers purchase not optimal test systems. Sometimes a test system built using some expensive blocks is purchased in situation when these blocks are actually not needed. Therefore it is critical importance to inform Inframet  about potential application of required test system.  Inframet is interested to sell and get profit but even more to have customer truly satisfied.
  • Read data sheets and  educational materials presented at our website.
    You will spend well your time by reading the educational section. You can find there free of charge high value technical papers for both beginners and for professional in electro-optical technology. It will be easier for us to communicate because you will then know exactly what you need.
  • Make decision if you want a test system or only some modules  for a test system.
    Inframet specializes in complete test systems for testing E-O systems; especially test system for high requirements. Total value of such a test system for testing thermal imagers  is much more than simply sum of costs of modules like collimator, blackbody, targers and rotary wheel. If for some reasons you decide that you want only some modules (like blackbodies) Inframet can sell them but we always recommend complete test systems. 
  • Determine type of E-O equipment you want to test.
    It is recommended to determine clearly type of E-O systems is to be tested and give us much details as possible. Technical  data like cooling type, detector resolution, field of view, max optics diameter is  important for us because we  know then  true requirements on our test systems and can offer optimal configuration of test system.
  • Let Inframet to help you to find optimal test system.
    We offer a long series of different test system. Each test system can be delivered in several versions. It is important to chose an optimal test system. Please trust us and let us know as much as possible about your situation. Contact us via email at any time. We will answer quickly your questions and will try to find an optimal test systems for your needs.
  • Carry out free evaluation of our test equipment

    Inframet can accept optional free evaluation of its test systems. The companies/scientific centers/university groups qualified to our demonstration plan can evaluate some of our test systems for a period up to half an year at their own facilities. Inframet can accept commercial orders with special condition that guarantees customer right to return equipment if not satisfied with system performance.

    COMMON CUSTOMER MISTAKES

  1. Customer chooses most advanced version of Inframet test system that offer most expanded test capabilities but later compare price of such test system with much simpler system offered by a competitor and complain about Inframet price.

  2. Customer has presented requirements that are a copy of specifications of a system purchased  several decaded ago. Some of requirements are totally outdated. For example, Inframet still gets requirements to deliver systems that use GPIB interface for communication between modules of the system in situation when modern interfaces like USB or Ethernet are available.

  3. Customer buy  a system based on a huge collimator for testing short range imager of small optics only becase another team has such impressive test system. It means that such customer has paid more and additionally will have problems to do tests becasue images projected by collimator will look small for tested imager.

    PRICE

  • Let us carry out honest price negotiations
    Equipment for testing electro-optical systems is expensive. Your funds should be well spent on equipment truly useful in your work. We always try to present our customers an offer for different versions of the same test system of different measuring capabilities and different price level. In this way our customer can choose optimal price version for him. Next, we are always ready for honest price negotiation. If needed we can deliver copies of old orders to prove that we do not exaggerate with the proposed price level. We are also  quite flexible with price level if we see a chance for a long term cooperation or due to different reasons.

TRAINING

 
  • Inframet delivers well prepared documentation of its products. Therefore, after careful reading of the documentation typical technical staff can use our products.
  • Inframet can carry out installation and training at customer site if required. The training can be carried out using two methods:
    1. Classical installation and training by Inframet trainer at customer facilities.
    2. Online installation and training using voice and video communication with the customer team using modern internet technology ( Skype, MSN Messenger etc.)
    The second method of training is almost as effective as the first one but is significantly cheaper and can speed up training process.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

  • Inframet shall exchange free of charge any defective module during warranty period.
  • Typical warranty period is 12 months since the delivery date.
  • Paid services are offered after warranty expires.
  • All customers are eligible to full technical support from our support team. We provide not only support how to run our equipment but also information from much wider area ( how to interpret test result, write technical specifications, about international standards or other specialized literature etc).
FAIR BUSINESS
  • We believe that our customers by act of buying show trust to us and it is not only commercial duty but also a moral duty to pay back by valuable support outside typical warranty scheme. Therefore we try to support our customers with our know-how in all fields related to our test equipment.
  • We believe that a customer has a right to get detail technical information to be able to determine test potential of our test equipment. Therefore we deliver detail information in forms of short data sheets, technical specifications, scientific papers and books that can help to educate the reader to an expert level.
  • We believe in a fair commercial competition and want to compete with other companies present in this highly specialized market of equipment for testing electro-optical systems in a fair way. We compete with a small group of elite high tech companies from most technologically advanced countries. The competitors deserve respect and we try to show this respect even in front of our customers.