In response to Patrick Devon's post......
1) too bad your customer service people don't seem to be aware of this.  we
were plainly told that these parts were not available in the US and it would
take 4-6 weeks to ship them from germany unless we wanted to pay the expense
to have them expressed (which still took several days to get here).  no one
suggested we contact the local service rep. to see if he had them.
2) the copy of the service manual i saw said that the pump is to be serviced
every 1000hrs of use.....which if you calculate based on a 12hrs. processing
cycle 5day/wk.....comes to 3-4mo.
3)what's misleading.....that was a accurate statement....for whatever
reason.....the machine is currently backordered for 1-2mo.  for some people,
that is not an acceptable situation.....if they need a new processor
now.....they need it now.  not in a month.

please note that none of may statements specifically about the machine were
my opinion.....i don't have one since i've never used it or even demo'd it.
i wouldn't presume to give an opinion on a piece of equipment i've never
used.  however, i've had a long history (10+ yrs) of difficulty in getting
parts for other pieces of Lieca equipment.  don't get me wrong.....there are
several pieces of Leica equipment that i have used for years and absolutely
love.  it's not the equipment i have a problem with.....
enough said,
carrie



From: 
To: "HistoNet Server" 
Sent: Friday, March 15, 2002 7:39 AM
Subject: Response


> In response to the recent posting by Carrie Kyle-Byrne, I would like to
> offer a few clarifications of 3 statements made in reference to the Leica
> ASP 300 Tissue Processor.
>
> 1)"ALL replacement parts (like o-ring and cap seals) and servicing parts
> must be shipped from Germany (they will not stock ANY parts in the US)."
>
> *This statement is not accurate. Leica Microsystems does stock the most
> frequently demanded replacement parts in the U.S. for all Leica
> manufactured instruments, including the ASP 300 Tissue Processor. Leica
> factory-trained service engineers are strategically located throughout the
> U.S., and are required to carry common replacement parts that are
> immediately available to customers. In the event that a replacement part
is
> not in stock in the U.S.,  it can be shipped overnight from our
> manufacturing facility in Germany.
>
> 2)"according to their service manual, the pump in it must be serviced
> every 3-6mo (depending on usage).....this seems absolutely ridiculous to
> me!"
>
> *This statement is not accurate. Leica Microsystems Service Manual for the
> Leica ASP 300 Tissue Processor recommends that the pump be serviced every
> 48 months. Leica Microsystems recommends a Preventive Maintenance
> Inspection (free of charge) be performed on the Leica ASP 300 following
the
> first 6 months after installation , whereupon the pump is routinely
checked
> for proper function.
>
> 3)"lastly, the darn things are way backordered.....another dept. in our
> company
> has ordered one and they can't get it until the end of April at the
> earliest!"
>
> *This statement is misleading. The market reception of the Leica ASP 300
> Tissue Processor  has been exceptional due to its innovative features and
> Leica's commitment to providing a quality product. The initial customer
> demand for the ASP 300 Tissue Processor created longer than normal lead
> times for new orders, which has responsively been addressed with increased
> production efforts. Leica Microsystems coordinates the shipping of the ASP
> 300 with a customer training class provided in the U.S. headquarters in
> Chicago. Leica Microsystems recommends that customers attend the 2 day
> training class prior to installation of the ASP 300 in their laboratory.
> We regret any inconvenience to our customers that the instrument delivery
> and scheduling of customer training may incur.
>
> Lastly, we would like to thank our customers for their continued support
of
> Leica Specimen Preparation Instrumentation and regret any misunderstanding
> that may have been communicated to Carrie Kyle-Byrne in respect to the
> Leica ASP 300.
>
> Regards,
>
> Patrick J. Devor
> Product Manager
> Leica Microsystems, Inc.
>
>