With a 15-year track record as a leader in laser wheel alignment for commercial vehicles, Haweka UK is frequently asked to supply wheel alignment systems for passenger cars. In January this year the company, which is also well known for its Haweka range of centring accessories for wheel balancing, began test marketing a 4-wheel 8CCD camera alignment system for cars and vans.
Over the past twenty five years, Southampton based Supertracker has built up a reputation as one of the UK's leading wheel alignment specialists, and although the company has never expanded into Continental Europe it does have a rather unusual and successful association with Africa.
Toyo Tire & Rubber has entered the franchise retail service centre business in Malaysia through its local subsidiary, Toyo Tyre Malaysia Sdn Bhd. The first Toyo Premium Auto Centre in the country recently opened in Malacca; Toyo says its Malaysian subsidiary is “pursuing an aggressive retail marketing strategy to expand its distribution network nationwide to meet the increasing demand for high performance and ultra high performance tyres.”
Garage equipment manufacturer Hofmann has introduced the next generation of its Geoliner wheel aligner series. Two new models have been introduced, the Geoliner 670 Gen 4 and Geoliner 680 Gen4; both aligners feature Hofmann’s icon-based Pro 42 software, a ‘one-touch’ programme that is designed to make the most effective use of the information required by the technician carrying out the alignment procedure.
Pirelli has announced that BMTR has won its annual Pirelli Performance Centre (PPC) of the Year award, attaining a near-perfect score on the final audit of 2012. Founded in 1919, BMTR remains a family-owned independent tyre retailer as part of Group Tyre. Its flagship outlet in Perry Barr is Birmingham's largest tyre and wheel outlet, offering top wheel alignment and MOT technology. Pirelli Performance Centres are audited high performance tyre dealerships; the Italian manufacturer directs high performance car drivers to these centres preferentially. The annual award was inaugurated in 2007.
UK chancellor George Osborne has scrapped – or at least, postponed – the planned 3p rise in fuel duty in his Autumn Statement. With reports suggesting that UK mileage is holding reasonably steady, this represents a crumb of short-term comfort for businesses and motorists, though the Office for Budget Responsibility prediction of stagnant growth will keep the pressure on the UK economy. Though fuel price campaigner Quentin Willson welcomed the news, arguing “money that's spent on fuel duty is not spent on the wider economy”, it seems likely that campaigns to reduce fuel duty will also continue, since the chancellor will continue to be pressed to take gambles to help kick-start the UK economy. Tyre service specialist ATS Euromaster is amongst those calling for reductions in fuel duty, while PwC’s automotive expert also pointed out that the fuel duty rise is still due to happen on 1 September 2013.
Corghi’s Artiglio Master Code, released half a century after the company first introduced the automatic changer, remains the Italian manufacturer’s flagship light tyre changer. The Master Code utilises ‘leva la leva’, or leverless technology – which Corghi also pioneered a dozen years ago – and features automatic wheel dimension acquisition, enabling automatic tool positioning, and the Smart Corghi System demounting procedure; with these functions, opines the Nexion s.p.a company, the Master Code “rewrites the rule book for tyre changers.”
A key piece of equipment demonstrated at Pro-Align’s recent ‘Service Vision’ events held across the country was the newly-introduced Hunter Road Force ‘Touch’ balancer. This new unit includes unique features that allow it to measure road force variation and load force measurement, and Pro-Align believes it is set to transform wheel balancing. This potential was well demonstrated in September; despite being launched only a matter of weeks ago, the new system has already claimed its first international accolade – it was awarded the prestigious Innovation award at the Automechanika show in Germany.
Tyre equipment specialist Hofmann Megaplan recently introduced a new ‘lever-less’ tyre changer, which the company claims is the best priced, premium quality leverless tyre changer ever produced. The megamount 700 ‘evo’ utilises the hugely popular ‘evolution’ leverless device that is employed as an optional upgrade on other megamount models from Hofmann Megaplan. In addition, Hofmann Megaplan says a 24-inch turntable, the inclusion of ‘megafit 2’ assist arm and hands-free ‘Power Out’ bead breaker ensure the new model is equipped to cope in any environment. Utilising the chassis from the ubiquitous megamount 702XL, the 700 achieves an attractive price tag by removing some of the luxury features associated with its bigger brother.
The sixth Reifen China show took place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre on 14-16 November, with two neighbouring halls housing RubberTech China 2012 simultaneously on an exhibition area of 11,500 square metres in total. Representing an increased number of nations, exhibitor stands included large displays near the entrance for leading Chinese manufacturers such as Double Coin, Shandong Linglong, Techking, Hangzhou Zhongce and Cooper Chengshan, while less familiar and almost brand new names mingled with visiting stands from India (Apollo) and Europe (Deldo, Interstate and Profil) in the rest of the hall. Joint organisers Messe Essen – responsible for Germany's market-leading Reifen show – and the China United Rubber Corporation welcomed visitors on the first day; the latter's general manager Ma Junhua said that Reifen China's "six years of previous success" was "inseparable" from the support of visitors and exhibitors. Overall, 112 exhibitors from 15 nations – newly including Poland and Russia – were present at Reifen China showing tyres, wheels and garage equipment.
The sixth annual Club Meccatronica Award has been awarded to Italian company Corghi SpA for its R.E.M.O. (Robotic Equipment for Measuring by Optics) clampless wheel aligner, the first ever wheel alignment system to utilise artificial vision and 3D wheel scanning technology to measure toe-in. The prize-giving ceremony was held on 8 November at Valli Theatre in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The prize was accepted on behalf of Corghi by company president Giulio Corghi.
Southampton based alignment equipment supplier, Supertracker is 25 years old this year and Tyres & Accessories visited managing director Trevor Lovesy and alignment specialist, Jerry Barker to celebrate the milestone. Having been established by Lovesy’s parents in 1987 the company has moved from a cottage industry needing to sell 26 units in its first year to a major supplier of alignment equipment to Kwik Fit. It is indicative of the company’s quick progress that 1987 actually saw 87 sales, with the first units manufactured in August.
Writing in The Times on November 1st, Simon de Bruxelles says: "Nearly half of all new cars now come without a spare tyre, putting unprecedented pressure on breakdown companies called out to deal with punctures, according to a survey.
"MINI, Volvo and SKODA have abandoned the spare altogether, and other manufacturers, such as Audi, fit them only to certain models. Where a spare is fitted, it is likely to be a thin ‘space saver' that can get the vehicle to the nearest garage but is not suitable for normal driving."
Tyre labelling regulations that come into force the week after next offer switched-on workshops an even greater opportunity to sell profit-boosting wheel alignment checks, opines wheel alignment specialist Pro-Align. The label is expected to help retailers move from a primarily price-based, commodity style transaction to a more consultative approach, based on differentiated customer needs or preferences – “a perfect scenario for educating drivers about wheel alignment,” the company says.
Corghi aimed to fuse form and substance when it launched the REMO clampless wheel aligner at the recent Automechanika exhibition in Germany. According to the company, the flagship product “sets a new technological benchmark for the entire segment.”
The automated capabilities of the Artiglio MasterCode also reportedly received acclaim, acknowledged as a decisive step towards automating the entire tyre mounting and demounting process.
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