Sometimes there will be variances between one batch of pads and the next. We have used 3 different vendors for pads. And we have found that ALL of the the pad manufacturers have similar variances in pad density between batches.
The first pad manufacturer that we went with had terrible inconsistency problems. The second manufacturer had slightly better consistency than the first manufacturer, but then their factory burned to the ground. The third manufacturer that we now use appears to be producing the best quality pads we've found yet (we've been purchasing pads from them for about 4 years now).
I've toured the plant where our pads are made and here's what I've learned... How pads are made: The strands of raw fiber come out of a giant hopper. The fiber material is spread as evenly as possible across a flat surface where binder materials and colorant are then sprayed onto the pad material. The pad material is then baked. When the flat pad material rolls out of the oven, the pads are then cut into the appropriate diameter for the desired pad size.
There are two things I like about the manufacturer we are now using for our pads. First of all, their pads contain more raw fiber than the competitors we have purchased from in the past. In fact some of our competitors now sell pads for the Cimex (wherever did they get the idea to use pads on a Cimex machine? - LOL) and we frequently hear that their pads are not lasting nearly as long as our FiberPlus pads. The reason our pads generally last longer is because our pad formulation is fairly dense to begin with, and the manufacturer does a good job of holding to these standards when they build our pads.
The second thing that I like about our current pad manufacturer is that they are very good about standing behind the finished product. As an example, there was recently an entire batch of 8" beige pads that turned out bad. There was some kind of problem that occurred during the manufacturing process and a run of bad pads got through. We pulled all of the bad pads from that lot that we had in our inventory, and then the manufacturer drop shipped replacement pads to all of our customers who had already received bad pads out in the field. They picked up the tab and were QUICK to respond to make it right. Excellent care for a good customer is what I saw in this case!
Now getting back to what I was talking about with regards to variances in the pad density. There will always be some measure of variation in pad density, as long as pads are made on the earth. The density of how the fibrous material gets formed as it's dispensed from the hopper is subject to gravity. So there is margin for some variances from one batch to the next. However, as a rule the pads we are getting are generally pretty consistent.
So you can expect that our FiberPlus and FiberPlus Max pads will normally perform very well, within a fairly small window of tolerance. However if you are clearly seeing a shortcoming in your pad performance, please contact us and I'll see to it that the matter is taken care of. In fact, if you ever have a problem with anything you get from us (stuff happens), just give me a call 1-800-330-1888, or send me an e-mail rick@excellent-supply.com, and I'll see to it that you get taken care of right away! At Excellent Supply we try hard to give our customers "Excellent" service and we'll always do whatever it takes to make you happy.
Rick Gelinas
rick@excellent-supply.com
