We speak to Robert Byrne, Group Engineering Manager at EBS, about the company’s introduction of a new two-year warranty on its products.
Q. Why has EBS decided on this new two-year warranty?
Robert Byrne (RB): We have committed to a two-year warranty to reinforce our belief that EBS products meet the technical specifications of our OE competitors. For us, it’s easy to extend the warranty period, as we feel our products have exceptional durability and performance characteristics far beyond the initial two-year period. We have invested significantly in both highly skilled people and top-of-the-line test equipment to ensure that our products are reliable and the perfect fit for our customers when seeking a cost effective alternative to the OE. By offering these cost effective solutions, combined with our two-year warranty, the end user can be confident that they have made the right choice for their vehicle maintenance or repair component selection.
Q. What ranges does the new warranty cover?
RB: The new warranty period covers all EBS branded products, including our EBS remanufactured range, with the only exceptions being wear components or general service items. The EBS brand covers every component in the air brake system. We also offer additional components such as power steering pumps, NOx sensors and various other air brake accessories. All new product releases are rigorously tested by our in-house quality and engineering teams to ensure product conformance and reliability.
Q. What should a workshop do if it needs to report a defect? How does a customer make use of the new warranty?
RB: In the unlikely event of a customer coming across a defect, they simply have to contact their local distributor in order to make a claim. Our distributor acts as our agent in the field, and the customer can direct any queries to them as the first point of contact for a speedy resolution. We then liaise with our distributor to assess the claim in a timely manner. There is also the option for any customers requiring technical assistance to contact our engineering team with their query directly, and we will do our best to assist and advise a customer where a fault may potentially lie, or advise how to prevent future issues or in-service failures.
Q. What quality assurance does EBS carry out on its products to enable such a warranty?
RB: EBS has a team of engineers and quality assurance controllers operating out of our central distribution centre in Trafford Park, Manchester. Combined with these technical experts, we operate internal quality assurance procedures for incoming stock, including large scale batch testing of products prior to release. We also have strict procedures in place at our supplier facilities, which we regularly perform audits on. We are constantly working with our component suppliers to improve product designs and manufacturing processes. With regard to remanufactured stock, all of these products undergo strict inspection and end-of-line testing, ensuring product reliability and conformance to industry standards. For example, in relation to our brake caliper range, the term ‘remanufactured’ is almost obsolete, as we are replacing at least 70% of the caliper components with new materials every time.
