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Category Focus: Shop Equipment
Recent announcements in the shop equipment space from automotive aftermarket tool makers, parts manufacturers, and distributors.
Recently released products in the Shop Equipment space include a new jack from StrongArm, a wheel aligner from John Bean; a vehicle fumigation system from Mahle; software news from Hunter Engineering; ADAS-focused repair information from Sun; and a new lift from Launch.
Welcome to Auto Service World’s Category Focus, looking at recent announcements from automotive aftermarket tool makers, parts manufacturers, and distributors.
Vehicle hoists
Launch takes pride in being among the world’s largest manufacturers for the high quality versatile automotive lifts. It produces a variation of 50,000 vehicle lifts sold worldwide making it a global leader in quality lift designs, production and sales.
Up until six years ago, Launch Tech USA was selling, installing and maintaining Launch hoists in the Canadian market. However, this has stopped due to the challenging nature of the local after-sales support market. Hoists are considered heavy equipment that require specialized expertise to run pre-emptive maintenance, trouble shooting and on-ground support at the time of need.
As a result of the ever evolving, 20 year old, business relationship between the leadership team at Launch and the leadership team at Canada Auto Solutions (CAS), Launch Tech USA has recently reintroduced its hoists to the Canadian market through CAS. Culminating a solid journey of success over the past three years between the two companies, CAS has recently been chosen as the partner of choice for selling LAUNCH products in the Canadian market including sales, installation and maintenance of LAUNCH quality hoists. This authorization by Launch Tech USA is testimony to CAS’s competency in designing, operating and expanding its sustainable, technically viable and locally available technical support system.
Chady Abdo, managing director at CAS said, “It gives us great pleasure to be chosen as the trusted partner to reintroduce Launch hoists into the Canadian market. I take this opportunity to thank Launch Tech USA for their confidence and for the extended technical training sessions.”
Interactive Wiring Diagrams
SUN announces the latest release of the SUN Collision Repair Information software introduces wiring diagrams with exclusive features including interactivity that connects the diagrams directly to component information. This helps increase efficiency as technicians can access component repair information from inside the diagram without having to initiate a secondary search.
While viewing a wiring diagram, technicians can click on any component within the diagram to see a pop-up menu with selections to learn more about specifications, component location, connector views, guided component tests and more. There is no need to exit the wiring diagram to find related information they need to diagnose the issue.
“The new interactive wiring diagrams give collision repair technicians the ability to access complete component information from inside the diagram, helping them work more efficiently,” said Nicholas Blais, market manager for SUN Collision. “It’s another way we are helping technicians meet the challenge of diagnosing and repairing today’s complex vehicles.”
Interactivity is just the latest enhancement to the wiring diagrams that take electrical diagnostics to a new level of sophistication while keeping the interface user-friendly. Additional features include:
- Component names in the diagrams are active links that connect directly to complete component information.
- The ability to toggle highlighting of associated wires for each component without having to click each wire separately.
- A simplified view of complex diagrams with highlighting that extends across all the pages until the wire reaches its termination point.
- Zoom and orientation are maintained across multiple pages, streamlining navigation.
- When performing a deep dive into a wiring diagram, hidden wires appear faded but do not disappear entirely, providing detail while preserving the big picture view.
SUN Collision Repair Information offers collision repair facilities a comprehensive source of repair information that covers all types of repairs, both collision and mechanical, and includes OEM and real-world industry information.
Upgraded specifications
John Bean comprehensive wheel alignment specifications have been updated and released, providing the best coverage offered at an even better value. The upgraded specs include the most extensive coverage for vehicles worldwide and feature up to 35 years of vehicle history.
“In order to provide our customers with the most up-to-date and thorough information, all alignment specs are sourced from the original manufacturer for superior accuracy,” said Jordan Krebs, product manager for John Bean. “We continue to make extensive improvements to our VIN match product, while keeping with the consistent updates and improvements of previous releases. As with every release, our goal is to provide a wide range of updates, while increasing our content inclusion and reviewing data to ensure the specifications are up-to-date with all service bulletins and manufacturer updates.”
The new 4.3.1 software included in the update is capable of upgrading the specs of any connected John Bean aligner and features all the improvements from the 4.3.0 software including:
- Notification to the technician of ADAS calibration requirements and on many makes, target placement and OEM repair procedures are also included
- Updates on more than 50 worldwide manufacturers with over 950 vehicles added
- Many new Volkswagen Group and Mercedes-Benz® vehicles are included for the 2020 year
- Further improvements to the compensation process
The updates are available for the following John Bean wheel aligners: V1200, V2000, V2100, V2280, V2380 and V3300. With the purchase of a one-year subscription and install/optimization, customers will receive one year of wheel alignment specification updates, plus software that offers a comprehensive 20-point alignment system check, system accuracy validation and lift geometry and turn/slip plate inspection.
Software release
Hunter is pleased to release WinAlign 16.2, which brings new features and compatibility to customers with Hunter alignment and inspection equipment.
Shops with WinAlign 16.2 and Hunter’s unmanned inspection system, Quick Check Drive and Quick Tread Edge, can now generate automatic tire recommendations for motorists when integrated with Dealer Tire.
A vehicle simply passes through Hunter’s unmanned inspection system in about 5 seconds. The system will then provide the tire inspection results and a tire recommendation from Dealer Tire (if tires are needed), making the process seamless and convenient for service advisors and customers.
Quick Check Drive will now measure rim diameter and, of course, alignment angles to resolve even more alignment specs with no user input.
Additionally, WinAlign 16.2 brings a new multi-tiered vin recall feature, that walks the technician through spec choices conveniently, making the vin recall process faster.
Heavy-duty customers will also benefit from the latest WinAlign software through a new alignment printout. A new, easy-to-understand HD graphical printout graphically shows misalignment and helps sell alignment. The printout includes the major tire wear angles of front axle total toe and camber measurements, along with rear axle thrust and scrub.
Sanitizing unit
Mahle Aftermarket has added a product for the hygienic sanitization of passenger cars, buses, and commercial vehicles to its service unit range. The new OzonePRO unit is likely to be of particular interest to car rental companies and logistics service providers, who can use it to ensure that vehicle cabins are free of germs as well as odours when handed over to customers. OzonePRO also offers increased protection for ambulance services and public authority vehicles used by different crews. In addition to vehicles, the unit is suitable for use in hotel rooms and business premises. The Mahle OzonePRO is also being offered as the O3-NEX under the BRAIN BEE sales brand and is now available to independent workshops from specialist retailers.
“Especially at a time like this, people want reliable protection against infection in cars and buses, as well as other indoor spaces. With the new OzonePRO unit, Mahle is offering a dependable solution for this,” says Olaf Henning, Corporate Executive Vice President and General Manager Mahle Aftermarket. “We have not designed OzonePRO exclusively for use in vehicles. Hotels and companies with offices and business premises can also benefit from it.”
The new unit from Mahle uses ozone to purify the air inside cabins and other interiors. To do this, all doors into the vehicle or room must be closed. While the sanitizing process is underway, the OzonePRO sensors continuously measure the concentration of ozone produced in the environment and adjust this until the ideal value is reached. This value is maintained for some time to ensure a hygienic clean. At the same time, OzonePRO avoids excessive ozone values in order to prevent oxidation damage to the interior, for example. The unit is fully automated and notifies the user when the disinfection is finished. Vehicles and rooms can then be safely entered again. The entire process can be controlled and monitored externally with the associated O3-Easy app. Once the sanitization process has been completed, a disinfection report can be printed for the customer if necessary.
The new OzonePRO unit communicates with all other Mahle service equipment via Bluetooth. It can be simply connected to a cigarette lighter or is available upon request with an additional power supply unit for use in indoor spaces. With an ozone output of 5,000 mg/h, one unit can disinfect interiors with a surface area of up to 40 square meters or of around 100 cubic meters in volume, roughly equivalent to the volume of a coach. Weighing only three kilograms, the unit is also easy to handle.
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