Support and warranty
Every HeatSign machine is covered for one year and backed by a diagnostic-first process: we find the faulty part, then ship that part to you. Your machine stays on your floor.
Why we ship parts, not engineers
Most marking machine suppliers with a local branch will send a technician to your plant. That sounds faster. In practice you wait for a scheduling slot, pay a call-out fee, and the machine sits idle either way.
HeatSign works differently. Our engineers diagnose the fault remotely, identify the exact component, and ship that component to you. A driver board or a marking head fits in a courier envelope. A machine does not.
This is why our first question is about the symptom, not the shipping address.
A failed controller board on a dot peen marker is usually diagnosed the same day and shipped the next. You swap it with a screwdriver, guided over video. No freight on a full machine, no customs paperwork, no waiting for an engineer's calendar.
Response times
We reply to every support request within 24 hours.
Channel | First reply | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
Emailinfo@heatsign.com | Within 24 hours | Warranty claims, part numbers, documentation |
WhatsApp | Within 24 hours | Photos and video of a fault, quick questions |
Video call | By appointment | Guided repair, software setup, operator training |
Our hours, in your time zone
Our engineering team works 9:00 to 18:00 Beijing time, Monday to Friday. For North America that runs overnight. In practice it means a message you send during your working day is answered by the time you are back at your desk the next morning.
Video calls are booked by appointment. Early morning US Eastern and late afternoon US Pacific line up best with our team's day.
You always get a reply within 24 hours. For a straightforward fault, that reply is usually the fix or the part number.
For a complex fault, that reply is the next step rather than the answer. Our senior engineer needs to study your video and data before committing to a diagnosis, and will often ask you to run a specific test on the machine so we can rule things in or out. That exchange can take a few rounds.
We would rather tell you that up front than promise a same-day fix on a problem that genuinely needs investigation. Diagnosing a machine 7,000 miles away is a conversation, not a single message.
How a warranty claim works
- Send us the symptomEmail or WhatsApp your machine model, serial number, and a short video of the fault. Ten seconds of video tells us more than a paragraph does.
- We diagnose remotelyAn engineer reviews the footage and, if needed, connects to your PC or joins a live call. Straightforward faults are identified in one session. Complex ones take a few rounds of testing on your side and analysis on ours.
- We ship the partReplacement components are dispatched from Wuxi by DHL, UPS or FedEx. Stocked parts leave within one to two working days. Anything not on the shelf is normally ready within about a week.
- We guide the swapYou fit the part with our engineer on a video call. No certified technician required for standard replacements.
Coverage by machine type
Select your machine to see the terms that apply.
Component | Period | How it is handled |
|---|---|---|
General components | 1 year | Free replacement with a new part |
Laser source | 1–2 years | Period depends on model. Repaired as standard. Replaced with a new unit only if it fails within the first 7 working days |
Component | Period | How it is handled |
|---|---|---|
Machine30W to 100W | 1 year | Free replacement of faulty parts |
Laser tube | 1 year | Consumable. New replacement if it fails within the first 7 working days, repair thereafter |
Component | Period | How it is handled |
|---|---|---|
Machine | 1 year | Free replacement of faulty parts |
Laser source | 1 year | Consumable. Repaired as standard. New replacement only within the first 7 working days |
Component | Period | How it is handled |
|---|---|---|
MachineHandheld and portable | 1 year | Return-to-base repair. Customer covers shipping to our service centre |
Handheld and portable units are the one case where the machine travels instead of the part. They are compact enough to ship economically, and the fault is usually inside a sealed assembly.
Component | Period | How it is handled |
|---|---|---|
MachineElectric and pneumatic | 1 year | Faulty non-consumable parts replaced with new ones |
Marking pins, tubes, O-rings | Not covered | Wear parts. Life depends on duty cycle and material hardness |
Component | Period | How it is handled |
|---|---|---|
Mainboard, driver board | 1 year | Targeted replacement |
LCD screens | 1 year | Targeted replacement |
Ink cartridges | On arrival | Covered if defective on receipt. No warranty once used |
What is and is not covered
We would rather you know this before you buy than after something breaks.
Covered
- Manufacturing defects in materials or assembly
- Component failure under normal operating conditions
- Faults present on arrival
- Replacement parts, free within the warranty term
- Remote diagnosis and guided repair, for the life of the machine
Not covered
- Wear parts: marking pins, tubes, O-rings, filters, ink
- Incorrect voltage or unstable power supply
- Excessive dust, moisture, or physical impact
- Missed maintenance, such as an uncleaned lens
- Unauthorised modification or third-party repair
- Freight on large or high-value components
Spare parts and shipping
Most major components are held in stock at our Wuxi facility, including driver and control boards, LCD panels, marking heads, marking pins, lenses and power supplies. Stocked parts are dispatched within one to two working days.
Anything not on the shelf is normally sourced and ready to ship within about a week. If a part will take longer, we tell you the date when you file the claim, not afterwards.
We ship by DHL, UPS or FedEx, and you get a tracking number as soon as the parcel leaves.
Who pays for what
Situation | Part | Freight |
|---|---|---|
Small components and accessoriesIn warranty | HeatSign | HeatSign |
Large or high-value componentsIn warranty | HeatSign | Customer |
Wear parts and consumables | Customer | Customer |
Anything outside warranty | Customer | Customer |
We exclude international freight on heavy items from the base warranty because freight rates swing hard and without warning. Building that risk into every machine price would mean every customer pays for it, whether or not they ever file a claim. We would rather keep the price down and be straight with you about the exception.
Remote technical support
Remote support does not expire with the warranty. If you own a HeatSign machine, our engineers will help you troubleshoot it — in year one or year seven.
We connect to your PC using AnyDesk or Zoho Assist for software, parameter and driver issues. For anything mechanical we work over video call, so we can see the machine and the part.
How complex faults are handled
Day-to-day questions on operation, software and setup are answered directly in English, usually in the first reply.
Deeper engineering faults go to our senior engineer. He works in Chinese, so our English-speaking team stays on the thread and carries the diagnosis both ways. That works well, but it changes the shape of the exchange, and it is worth knowing what to expect:
You will not get an instant answer, and you should be suspicious of anyone who offers one. Our senior engineer needs to review your video and machine data before forming a view.
He will usually come back with a specific test for you to run — a parameter to change, a reading to take, a part to swap temporarily — so we can eliminate causes rather than guess at them. Expect a few rounds over two or three working days on a genuinely difficult fault.
Your side of that is worth doing properly. Clear video, exact readings, and a note of what changed just before the fault appeared will cut the whole process down sharply.
This is also why we ask for video rather than a written description. A ten-second clip removes the ambiguity that a symptom described in words can pick up on the way between two languages.
Before you contact us
These four checks resolve a large share of the requests we receive. Running them first often saves you a day.
Symptom | First thing to check |
|---|---|
Mark is faint or inconsistent | Clean the lens or F-theta lens. Contamination is the most common cause by a wide margin. |
Laser fires but leaves no mark | Confirm focal distance. Check the Z height against the value in your machine manual. |
Dot peen marks shallow or uneven | Check air pressure at the machine, then inspect the pin tip for wear. Pins are consumable. |
Software will not connect | Check the USB or Ethernet cable, then confirm the correct driver and dongle are installed. |
Manuals and software
Manuals, marking software and drivers are available for every machine we sell. Email your model and serial number and we will send the current version, normally within 24 hours. Software updates are free for the life of the machine.
Machine ranges and specifications are on our products page.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the warranty on a HeatSign machine?
One year on the complete machine, from the date you receive it. Fiber laser sources carry one to two years depending on the model. Wear parts such as marking pins, tubes, O-rings and ink are not covered.
Do I have to ship the machine back to China?
Almost never. Our engineers diagnose the fault remotely and ship the specific faulty component to you, which you fit with guidance over video. Return-to-base repair applies only to handheld and portable laser units, and to laser sources that need bench repair.
How fast do you reply, and how fast is a fault actually fixed?
Every request gets a reply within 24 hours. On a straightforward fault, that first reply is usually the fix or the part number. On a complex fault it is the next diagnostic step, since our senior engineer needs to study your video and data first and will normally ask you to run a specific test. Expect a few rounds over two or three working days on a difficult problem.
Is a laser source a consumable?
Yes. Laser sources have a finite working life, and the industry standard is to repair a faulty source rather than replace it. HeatSign follows that practice. A new replacement is provided only if the source fails within the first 7 working days of receipt.
Is support available in English?
Yes. Questions on operation, software and setup are handled directly in English. Deeper engineering faults are escalated to our senior engineer, who works in Chinese, with our English-speaking team relaying the diagnosis and the test steps in both directions.
Why do I pay freight on some warranty parts?
We cover both the part and the freight on small components. On large or high-value components we cover the part and you cover the freight. International freight rates are volatile, and pricing that risk into every machine would raise the price for every customer, including those who never file a claim.
Do you support the machine after the warranty ends?
Yes. Remote diagnosis, software support and operator guidance continue for the life of the machine at no charge. After the warranty term you pay for parts and freight.
What counts as user-caused damage?
Running the machine on incorrect or unstable voltage, operating it in excessive dust or moisture, physical impact, skipping basic maintenance such as lens cleaning, and any unauthorised modification or third-party repair.
Can I buy spare parts before I need them?
Yes, and for a production line running a single machine we recommend it. Email us your model and we will quote a recommended spares kit for your configuration.
Something not working?
An engineer will reply within 24 hours. Send these three things and we can usually start diagnosing straight away.
01 Machine model
02 Serial number
03 Ten seconds of video showing the fault