Four Decades of Innovation

Fasep has been manufacturing tyre servicing equipment since 1969 when it introduced the Apsera, the company’s very first on the car wheel balancer. Since that time the Italian firm has been an innovator in the field, introducing the world’s first monitor equipped wheel balancer in 1983 – the Videotronic 2000 – and the first computer controlled balancer in 1989.

The company’s latest wheel balancers, including the Videotronic Omega 585, benefit from this pedigree. The V585 can balance wheels with rims between 8 and 26-inches in diameter (or 8 and 23-inches if using the Alu-S function on alloy wheels), measuring a wheel’s balance within 4 to 15 seconds. The balancer utilises the same 16-bit technology Fasep is introducing on all new wheel balancing equipment, the advantage being that more accurate readings can be obtained from balancing performed at speeds under 100rpm. In fact, Fasep claim that low speed balancing – the V585 operates at 98rpm – is 16 times more accurate than high speed balancing using the previous 10-bit microprocessors.

The ruggedness required from equipment used by tyre professionals is built into the V585, and a fundamental feature of the unit is its heavy duty shaft, designed to take wheels weighing up to 90kg (198 lbs). Fasep claim the design of the V585 shaft allows for greater access to the inside of a rim than any competitor’s machine. And the V585 is also technologically robust. According to Fasep, the unit’s flash memory technology makes updating its operating software as simple as downloading a file from a USB pen or disc. Ease of use is assured because a regular personal computer lurks at the heart of every V585 – a platform that easily allows for future adaptations.

Simplicity was a high priority when designing the balancer’s user interface. Fasep have designed the balancer’s user interface, and the manufacturer boasts that no confusing “frills” or unnecessary “gadgets” have been packed into the layout. Instead Fasep has turned to a well-tested interface design, similar to that employed on the V555; a design it believes to be “fast, clear and effective.”

Optional equipment for the V585 includes a laser pointing device for the application of adhesive weights. The installation of a laser system ensures a quick and accurate placement of weights as it can immediately identify suitable flat locations for placement and highlight these to the operator using a clearly marked laser dot. The optional PneuLock available for the V585 is another welcome feature, allowing for a much quicker total balancing cycle and more precise centring in comparison with those performed using the standard manual lock.

Fasep has also fielded a noteworthy array of tyre changers of the years, and the latest offering in the company’s range is the RASE.2024, an automatic tyre changer for passenger car and motorcycle wheels. With an ability to change tyres on rims up to 24-inches (with external clamping) and accessories permitting easy operation on low profile tyres, the RASE.2024 makes light work of even the most ‘pimped up’ aftermarket rims.

According to Fasep a number of features make the RASE.2024 stand out: The unit’s three-position pneumatically controlled mounting head has been especially designed for operation of low profile tyres and is fitted with Teflon inserts to protect alloy rims. The RASE.2024 features adjustable clamps and a pneumatic bead breaker with double effect cylinder and stroke adjuster which can accommodate tyre widths up to 14-inches, and the unit can also be specified with an integral roller pad to ease bead breaking. Pedal controlled inflation is also available as an option.

Two power source options are available for the RASE.2024; a single phase 220v 50-60Hz set up or a beefier three phase 220-380v 50-60Hz configuration. The three phase version is equipped with a two-speed motor that enables the operator to select between speeds of 6 and 12rpm. Single phase units operate at 6rpm.

Fasep point out that its ISO 9001:2000 certification ensures strict adherence to quality control standards, and every unit the company ships can be provided with a Certificate of Control. However the company claims that its number one priority has always been, and remains, its relationship with its customers – Fasep strives to be a partner, not only a supplier That the company now exports its equipment to over 50 countries indicates that its attention to quality and customer satisfaction has yielded rich reward.