Note 6 - Warranty and Service Contracts

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Notes to Financial Statements

Product Warranty Disclosure [Text Block]

Note

6.

Warranty and Extended Service Contracts

The Company has a direct field service organization in North America (including Canada). Internationally, the Company provides direct service support in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, and Switzerland, as well as through

third

-party service providers in Spain and the United Kingdom. In several other countries, where the Company does

not

have a direct presence, the Company provides service through a network of distributors and

third

-party service providers.

After the original warranty period, maintenance and support are offered on a extended service contract basis or on a time and materials basis. The Company provides for the estimated cost to repair or replace products under warranty at the time of sale. The following table provides the changes in the product warranty accrual for the

three

and

nine

months ended

September 30, 2018

and

2017

(in thousands):

	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2018		2017		2018		2017
Beginning Balance	$	3,561	$	2,877	$	3,508	$	2,461
Add: Accruals for warranties issued during the period		1,589		959		6,164		5,038
Less: Warranty related expenses during the period		(1,510)		(896)		(6,032)		(4,559)
Ending Balance	$	3,640	$	2,940	$	3,640	$	2,940