Stream Pump Status

[rvitko]

I have received several Stream pumps this week. Unfortunately very few 6000 pumps. The bulk of the shipment is 6100, 6060, and 6080 and quite a few multicontrollers. Hopefully many of you with backorders will recieve pumps in the next couple weeks. We are still behind but this will be a good shipment- one of the biggest I have recieved since Christmas. I apologize for the delays and hope you will continue to be understanding that we have limited output and a great demand globally for this product.

[tangelica]

Good news! Thanks for the update!

[andrewshafran]

Well there weren't enough in the last shipment forme :frown:
When is the next delivery scheduled for?

[rvitko]

I called Tunze today and they expected they would ship me 20 more 6000 pumps next week. So maybe in 2-3 weeks the dealers will get more.

[andrewshafran]

While I realize there is nothing you can do about these delivery problems I just want to point out something that may or may not be evident to the makers of Tunze products. While they manufacture an excellent line of products, the pesistent delivery delays and shortages will push people into other products. It may even force someone technically inclined to knock off their products. While I can appreciate that a certain amount of pent up demand is a good thing, too much can destroy a manufaturers reputation. The owners at Tunze may feel that they are selling more product than they can currently produce so why change things. To them I would offer the following axiom:

Never send your wife to your neighbor for sex if you're not in the mood. she may like him better.

Just needed to vent a little. No offense intended.

Andrew

[rvitko]

We apologize for these delays but we are doing everything we can to increase production. We are not advertising for a reason- we can't keep up with present demand as it is. The Electronic pump platform has numerous parts, this adds to production complexity, in general 6060 and 6080 pumps are available for immediate delivery. Earlier in the year the problem was the suppliers of the cables and transformers could not meet the demand. Now this problem is solved and we have maxed out our own capacity to injection mold the pump housings and set and wire the motor coils. In August we will bring a new injection molder online and a new resin machine. In general I have always notified customers that a wait of 4-6 weeks should be expected. It takes 3-4 months for a change in production to flow through to an actual increase in product availability so as we increase production demand is increasing and we are at a bit of a standstill as a result. Tunze has grown at a 15% rate for the past 3 years. Their are no big corporate owners- their is Axel Tunze and 30 employees- about two/thirds produce the products- the other third are clerical and shipping and recieving. Germany is similar to the US in once you pass a certain threshold of employees you have more regulations that make it more difficult for the company to function- one new employee was added last week but these laws limit the growth in employees. German law also provides for a 36hr work week- after 36 hrs you must pay double time not time in a half after 40. Germany also provides 6weeks vacation per year. The product is assembled by hand and pretested twice before it leaves. For consumers all over the world though the stamp "Made in Germany" is one of the most meaningful and the exact antithesis of "Made in Taiwan" despite the problems German production is in part a portion of the success. We produce hundreds of products and the Electronic Stream is only one of them, these all take the time of the production staff as well. To add to this problem the 6000 and 6100 are identical with the exception of the transformer- that means I get one or the other depending on production run- 2 weeks ago I got 6100 pumps and next week I will get 6000 pumps. While I sympathize and can honestly say we are not blind to this problem and are trying our best to correct it. Being realistic this is a small market and likely not one which will ever be tackled by big companies because it is difficult to produce and in a relative sense demand is very low- it is a niche product. I think in all fairness you will likely have a pump in your hands within the 4-6 weeks I quote people and perhaps someday they will be available for immediate purchase. In my three years of working with Tunze these problems are par for the course- in fact they happen to much bigger companies. Overtime the problems are resolved. I can now deliver almost every other product without delay and eventually the Electronic Streams will be the same.