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January 2013

I N F O R M E D

I N N O V A T I V E

Controversy over ceased ISF production

PAGE 23

NEWS AFRICA

NEWS AFRICA

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTRALIAN BODYSHOP NEWS

South Africa’s own Toyota Motorsport Dakar Evolution IN N OVAT I ON S

A N D

Best Invention of the Year

Inside NACE 2012 Idle be damned!

Colour-Coded Fleet Control PAGE 1

January 2013

CONTENTS 12

Cover Stories Controversy over ceased ISF production

24

8

South Africa’s own Toyota Motorsport Dakar evolution

20

NACE 2012

24

Best Invention of the Year

42

Idle be damned!

46

Colour-coded fleet control

50

Trade Talk Highlights of global and local industry news

04

Thank you to SA Toyota Motorsport for our cover photo.

News Forum

42

SA's ISF steel production ceases

08

Growing SA's automotive sector

10

MISA recognises the role of women at glittering awards evening

12

SA motor industry to launch its own telco

15

Sit down. Move.

16

Introducing tougher legislation on younger drivers

18

Proudly South African & poised for victory

20

BodyShop News NACE 2012

24

BASF now a PSA core supplier

26

Canadian report tackles collision repair fraud

26

Editorial Welcome to 2013. With a new year comes the opportunity to reconsider how your business operates and take a moment to strategise about how best to reach your company’s goals over the next 12 months. Its easy to simply carry on as you always have, putting out fires as you go, but now is the time to set new standards and processes, finding better ways to get to where you want to be. In this first issue of the year we have all the tools you need to do just that - whether its colour-coding your operations, focusing your staff or starting a content bogging strategy. Its a fresh start, so take it and run with it.

Happy New Year.

EDITOR: CLARE RUTKIEWICZ

52

CONTRIBUTORS: AUSTRALIAN BODYSHOP NEWS ROY COKAYNE Graham Bush

DAVE SCOTT Colin Windell ROBERT KAISER

ADVERTISING: GRANT WEST

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EMAIL: INFO@AUTOFORUM.CO.ZA PUBLISHER: SWIFT PUBLICATIONS & OLYMPIC PARK TRADING POSTNET SUITE 174 PRIVATE BAG X11 HALFWAY HOUSE 1684

AutoForum has an ABC circulation of 12684 ABC (Jan - June 2012)

www.AutoForum.co.za I N F O R M E D

I N N O V A T I V E

Advertisers Guide

Business Forum That was 2012 and now for 2013

28

It’s not about ‘The Fish’; it’s about ‘The Outing’

32

Leadership change at MISA

36

Taking social media into 2013

38

Innovations New aerodynamic truck trailer

42

Goodyear’s AMT - Best Invention of the Year

44

Commercial Vehicles Idle be damned!

46

Fleet control with colour!

50

Improving the road freight industry

52

SA truck market fierce

54

Show Time Tenneco Tours successfully!

56

Tyrexpo Asia 2013 expected to be the biggest one yet

59

TEPG acquires Gauteng Motorshow

60

Aftermarketplace Latest offerings of local products

A N D

61

Aerocure Alfa AMR China Audi Parts Auto Cosmos - Electrolog Auto Logistics Africa Autozone Direct Data Equipment Africa Federal Mogul First National Battery Highveld Garage Equipment Hoffman Megaplan Integrated Marketing Intrade - Victor Reinz Ital Machinery Keizin Automotive Leaderquip Macs Auto Midas MISA Nissan Parts & Accessories Advertorial Partquip PSH Service Holland Robert Bosch Snapon Tenneco - Monroe Trysome Auto Electric Turbo Exchange VW Parts Wheelquip

OBC 9 37 19 60 30 17, 45 22 59 39 53 25 29 52 35 15, 21 27 23 14 13, 31 44 43 47 38 7, IBC 11, 18 55 49 60-61 5 33

While reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the advice and information given to readers, neither the editor, nor the publishers, can accept any responsibility for any damages, injury or loss which arise there from. The opinions expressed by contributors to this magazine are not necessarily shared by the editor or the publishers.

Trade Talk

AutoForum AutoForum-- January January2013 2013

www.AutoForum.co.za

AutoZone drives HIV/AIDS initiative in 2013 AutoZone aims to use 2013 as a year to focus on increasing the drive of its HIV/AIDS initiative within the company.

With the South African HIV infection rate at 17.8% for adults between the ages of 15 and 49, it is estimated that by 2015, SA will have lost more than 21 million workers to AIDS, according to the Solidarity Center in Washington. This makes prevention and care an urgent issue for workers and their unions. The Solidarity Center is a partner of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA). With 290 000 members, NUMSA is the third largest labour union in the country, representing approximately 50% of all South African auto workers.

AutoZone Gender Coordinator and NUMSA Shop Steward, Roseline Mosibudi Nkgapele, heard about the Solidarity Center’s capacity-building project on workplace HIV/AIDS programming and was particularly impressed by the project’s worker-focused approach.

Nkgapele, a 10-year employee at AutoZone, wanted her workplace to be included in the project, “Be Faithful, Be Treated, Be Union”, funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She approached Jean Lindsay, AutoZone Human Resources Manager, and together they requested the Solidarity Center’s assistance in developing a prevention and management strategy.

In 2011, the Solidarity Center trained 17 AutoZone workers and managers as HIV/AIDS peer educators, during an onsite five-day workshop. AutoZone offered paid time off for the training and donated meals to workshop participants.

The programme has been successful within the company and it hopes to achieve a lot more in this regard in 2013.

PAGE 4

BMW Plant Rosslyn has a bright and sustainable future A R2.2 billion investment made in production technology for the new BMW 3 Series has primed the Rosslyn plant for a brighter and more sustainable future.

Last year BMW South Africa became the first car manufacturer in the country, since the implementation of the Motor Industry Development Programme, to receive a clearance permit to export vehicles to China from the Chinese authorities.

Now, with the introduction of the third shift, BMW Plant Rosslyn will be responsible for making 25% of the global BMW 3 Series vehicles.

To meet this demand, the Rosslyn production facility is now officially a 24-hour a day operation. In the middle of November last year, a third production shift was implemented, resulting in increased production capacity and the creation of more than 600 additional jobs.

The 3-shift model significantly increases the installed production volumes by almost 70%, to a capacity above 80 000 units, from 2013.

Print Correction AutoForum would like to make a correction on the “FNB provides some independence” article that featured in its November 2012 edition. In the article it refers to John Stroebel as the previous FNB Managing Director, AutoForum would like to correct this to the previous FNB Marketing Director.

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Trade Talk

AutoForum - January 2013

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Gauteng Auto Training Academy In November last year, the Gauteng provincial government and Nissan South Africa took the first big step in the construction of the new Gauteng Automotive Training Academy in Pretoria when they broke ground for the first time during an official event.

Meccatronica Award for R.E.M.O. As media owners, we are bombarded with press releases and PR and have to sift through the piles of PR to bring our readers information that is useful and unbiased. It is refreshing to see that in the modern age of corporate communication, personalities still manage to break through the clutter – a perfect example being a recent release from Corghi Garage Equipment.

Corghi’s R.E.M.O. system has continued to receive accolades, the latest being the “Premio Italiano Meccatronica” award, bestowed on Corghi SpA for innovative technological solutions specifically for the wheel aligner. In an open letter from Corghi President, Guilo Corghi, he touchingly thanked all the company’s loyal customers worldwide, in what he described as a tribute he felt was “owed” to them. The support had enabled the realisation of their groundbreaking product, by allowing Corghi to invest in the R&D that he believes drives the entire sector.

He went on to explain the history of tradition and innovation that allowed a global recognition of “competitive Italian excellence”, and how customers’ needs, support and recognition were the key drivers in Corghi’s continued success. The fact that many of the innovations come from privately owned companies (whose directors surnames happen to be the same as the company), shows how personal and passionate their view on the business and products they develop really is. Wheelquip’s Nic Kruger went to great lengths to point this out when I met him on the Corghi stand in Frankfurt last September, and it is great to see that not all PR is just that, but rather a sincere communication with a successful company’s global audience.

PAGE 6

The Academy is a result of a concept initiated by the Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC), which will manage it, supported by Nissan SA who donated both the land and buildings. The Gauteng provincial government is refurbishing the site for the Academy, at an estimated total costs of R50 million. The Academy aims to address the dire skills shortage in the following four sectors of the automotive industry: vehicle assemblers, automotive component manufacturers, the dealer and after-sales support network as well as informal and mechanical repairers.

The project is expected to be completed by May this year, but will see some classrooms already available for tuition by the end of this month. The institution is expected to train approximately 1 000 learners per year, and is explained as also housing a world-class automotive manufacturing training simulator. The latter is aimed at raising the assembly process capabilities of Nissan SA employees, in preparation for the production of a new pickup truck due for launch in mid 2014.

Gauteng MEC for the Department of Economic Development (GDED), Nkosiphendule Kolisile, believes the project demonstrates the provincial government’s commitment to growth in the automotive industry. The facility will include a body welding area to replicate Nissan’s bodyshop area, as well as a vehicle spray painting area.

ASA ruling on filter adverts In late November of 2012, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) handed down a ruling in favour of G.U.D. Holdings that the company believes has important ramifications for the automotive parts industry.

In a release to the media, the company explained that it had lodged a case against Federal-Mogul for “unsubstantiated claims made in their Champion Filter advertising”. The ASA ruled in favour of G.U.D. Holdings and Federal-Mogul was ordered to withdraw all adverts containing such claims with immediate effect.

AutoForum - January 2013

The latest global news

SA's ISF Steel Production ceases - Roy Cokayne

The automotive industry is seeking alternative sources for a specific type of steel used by the industry, following a decision by ArcelorMittal South Africa to discontinue local production of the product.

I

mproved surface finish (ISF) steel is used by some OEMs for the outside panels of vehicles and ArcelorMittal’s decision has drawn criticism from the automotive industry.

out to December. He said ArcelorMittal had proposed alternative sourcing from Europe, but each OEM was now conducting studies to find the best solution for their own operations.

Stefan Haasbroek, Chairman of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) Purchasing Council, a sub committee of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), said the council would be writing to the Dti to express its opposition to ArcelorMittal’s decision, which would definitely have a negative impact on the automotive industry’s competitiveness.

According to Haasbroek, the pricing of steel was based on global prices and the cost to OEMs in SA would increase because of the additional logistics costs in getting the product to the country. The decision would also have a negative impact on the automotive industry’s trade balance, he said.

Haasbroek said ArcelorMittal had notified all motor manufacturers in November last year of its intention to stop producing ISF steel from June, but had subsequently pushed this date

PAGE 8

Despite the strong export performance of the automotive industry last year, its negative trade balance widened to a record R38.6bn from R30.7bn in 2010.

Roy Cokayne is a senior financial reporter for Business Report.

However, Haasbroek said ArcelorMittal’s decision would not have a significant impact on local content in domestically produced vehicles.

He continued that the automotive industry used a total of about 9 000 tons of steel a year and ISF accounted for only about 850 tons a year of this total.

However, Haasbroek said only a few OEMs used ISF because of quality and cost considerations.

Themba Hlengani, an ArcelorMittal SA spokesman, said it announced towards the end of last year it would be discontinuing ISF material for exposed applications and changed the end date to accommodate the automotive industry.

Hlengani said ISF currently comprised less than 5% of the total supply portfolio to the automotive industry and, given the low volume of demand in SA, it was not economically viable to consider further investment in or upgrading of these lines. If required, this material could be supplied from its mills in Europe for use by local manufacturers.

“Our intent therefore is to effect a product realignment, which will create additional capacity to supply non-ISF material, which is a significantly larger portfolio where we see an opportunity to increase our volumes in the coming years to match increasing demand.”

“The loss of ISF will be more than offset by the increase in non-ISF and other products in the short term. There are no other products that we have discontinued and we remain committed to support the auto industry in South Africa.”

The motor industry and ArcelorMittal SA were in the past at loggerheads over the steel producer’s decision to introduce import-parity pricing. This led to the Dti in 2005 coming up with a set of proposals to deal with the problem, but nothing significant came of them.

Haasbroek said there should be a better pricing structure than import parity pricing or some other pricing structure used by ArcelorMittal. “We should enjoy a competitive advantage over other countries that are not as mineral rich as SA but it’s a fact that we do not.”

The government in December announced it was about to embark on a consultation process that it hoped would lead to the regulation of the iron ore and steel sectors to stop import parity pricing to reduce the cost of steel products and boost the local beneficiation industry.

Garth Strachan, Acting Deputy Director General at the Dti, said the aim was also to set up a new steel plant sponsored by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to promote competition in a market dominated by a near monopoly. There have also been suggestions the government is considering the introduction of export taxes on iron and steel, but this was denied by Strachan.

AutoForum - January 2013

NEWS FORUM

Growing SA's automotive sector

T

he R40 million joint-venture between German-based TrelleborgVibracoustic and 50% black-owned South African company Ikhwezi Investment Holdings, forming TrelleborgVibracoustic-Ikhwezi, at the end of last year is evidence of the growth of the SA automotive sector as well as the role that the country is playing in the global automotive arena. That’s according to the JV’s Executive Director, Pieter Bosch.

PAGE 10

He adds that, increasingly, foreign and multinational companies are demonstrating confidence in the country’s manufacturing abilities by forming local partnerships in South Africa.

Bosch points to last year’s Naamsa figures, which revealed that export sales in SA rose 2.5% year-on-year in September, 2012.

The JV is also good news for skills development as a portion of the investment goes towards a partnership with the Master Artisan

AF201209.FH9 Wed Aug 22 12:47:30 2012 C

Academy of South Africa (MAASA), a specialised technical training institute based in East London that focuses on the up-skilling of artisans.

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“Sustainable job creation in South Africa can only occur if we develop our manufacturing sector, yet, there is a critical shortage of high level technical skills in the country. We aim to (fill) that gap by transferring knowledge and skills to previously unemployable people, in order to boost the country’s human capital.�

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TrelleborgVibracoustic-Ikhwezi recruited 15 individuals with initial technical training taking place at MAASA, followed by an intensive seven week theoretical and practical training programme at TrelleborgVibracoustic’s factory in Poland. The recruits will then start permanent employment at TrelleborgVibracoustic-Ikhwezi’s new 4 000 m2 green field facility.

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“This is a practical example whereby the returning core group will be able to train fellow colleagues and continue the skills transfer,� says MAASA Director: Operations, Willie Gresse. “The second biggest industry in South Africa after mining is the automotive manufacturing sector and its supplier network. The impact therefore of this investment, including its large skills development focus, positively affects the automotive value chain, from the second tier supplier, right through to the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM),� says Bosch.

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Ikhwezi Investment Holdings Chairman, Kallie Mabentsela explains that the South African ‘brain drain’ has affected the level of quality skills in the country, and that the new company’s large focus on skills development combines international expertise and local know-how to invest in the local economy and its people. “This is a model more companies should follow to contribute to sustainable job creation. We are proud to be associated with the potential that the recruits have to forge career paths in the automotive sector,� says Mabentsela.

The new company, based in East London, will supply specialised aluminium automotive parts for the Mercedes C and E Class vehicles and support South Africa’s leading supplier of automotive suspension systems, Foxtec-Ikhwezi.

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Ikhwezi will provide support services such as human capital, financial and information technology management to the newly formed company, while TrelleborgVibracoustic will have full product design, manufacturing and quality responsibility as part of its agreement. The new company will initially hire all 15 MAASA-trained recruits, but will ultimately employ 40 individuals when the company begins manufacture later this year.

PAGE 11

NEWS FORUM

AutoForum - January 2013

MISA recognises the role of women at glittering awards evening - Robert Kaiser

T

he Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) has a vibrant Women’s Forum that is doing fantastic charity and social upliftment work among the less privileged throughout SA. The “MISA Cares” logo, which envelops the mission and activities of the Union’s social involvement activities, really says it all: Equality, Cancer, HIV/AIDS, No Violence Against Women and Children and Animal Protection. It’s what the organisation is about and, over the years, wonderful work has been done by it especially the MISA Women’s Forum in terms of the charitable actions and

upliftment programmes they drive as a group.

In its quest to give recognition to the work of its members, the Women’s Forum annually honours members who have distinguished themselves in this field with the MISA Woman of the Year Awards, a glittering ceremony held recently in Johannesburg. The finalists for the Award were: - Leonora Ferreira, AutoZone, Bloemfontein

- Shirley Kuschke, Barloworld Toyota, Kuils River - Mateboho Mtsweni, Sandown Motor Holdings, Johannesburg - Heidi Reid, Maritime Motors, Port Elizabeth The award went to Heidi Reid who received the accolade with humility and modesty and deserves our congratulations, as do the other finalists who have invested so much of their own time and effort to make life better for those less privileged.

Entertainment for the evening, Nataniël

Heidi Reid, MISA Woman of the Year 2012

MISA Woman of the Year Finalists Left to right; Mateboho Mtsweni, Shirley Kuschke, Leonora Ferreira, Heidi Reid

PAGE 12

Robert Kaiser has been intimately involved in the motor industry for the past 25 years. He established Retail Motor Consultants in 2002, a consultancy providing relationship management, marketing and staff recruitment services as well as apprenticeship management programmes and through an associated company, unique Black Economic Empowerment transformation programmes for both large and SME businesses.

AutoForum - January 2013

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AutoForum - January 2013

SA motor industry to launch its own telco

T

he South African Retail Motor Industry (RMI) body has joined forces with JSE-listed TeleMasters to lead up to what will be South Africa’s first industry-specific telecommunications company.

Riaan Pie

tersen

The organisation has signed an agreement with TeleMasters to work towards the formation of a fully-fledged and licensed telecommunications company solely for the RMI’s members.

TeleMasters’ Head of Enterprise Division Riaan Pietersen, says the joint venture will see the launch of a telco, TeleMoto, which will be 51% owned by the RMI and 49% by TeleMasters.

The telco will offer discounted rates and free on-net VoIP calls to subscribers, as well as enhanced data and future-proof Virtual PBX systems.

Pietersen says in line with the agreement, TeleMasters has started signing up the RMI’s member base as TeleMasters customers.

As a full-service license Telecommunications Company, TeleMasters is in a position to quickly roll out a new telco built on the necessary infrastructure, says Pietersen. He believes the new model will prove one that works for several large industry sectors. “TeleMasters has been working on the idea for some time now, and RMI was the first to take up the opportunity,” he says.

Pietersen says the benefits to RMI members will include a dramatic saving on their voice and data costs, as well as access to advanced communications technologies such as the Virtual PBX. This alone, he says, will deliver tremendous capital and monthly savings plus allow for simpler, more cost-effective maintenance and upgrades.

The RMI represents around 7 500 motor industry members, including car rental firms, vehicle dealerships, spares and repair companies and service stations. Many of the RMI’s members are SMEs, Pietersen notes, and they are therefore price sensitive. “With their own telco, which has their interests at heart and which can pass on benefits of scale, members can expect to see savings of 25%-35% on their communications costs. They will be able to talk to other members on the network for free, and will also enjoy improved data services.”

Pietersen points out that while the immediate call savings may be a draw-card, in the long-term, call costs will drop across the board and the real benefit to members will be the improved quality on voice and speed of data services.

PAGE 15

NEWS FORUM

AutoForum - January 2013

Sit down. Move.

Chemical company BASF has launched its first international competition for the development of car seat design concepts using BASF materials. The competition is open to anyone interested in automotive design and seating comfort.

T

he six-member jury is made up of three renowned industrial and automotive designers, namely, Konstantin Grcic, Ken Kiyoyuki Okuyama and Dave Lyon, as well as BASF representatives from different regions who are involved in the business of engineering plastics.

The competition, which is called “sit down. move.”, is the brainchild of BASF’s global seat competence team together with the designfabrik, which houses the lion’s share of the BASF material competence resources that are of interest for designers. These materials include not only engineering thermoplastics such as Ultramid (PA), thermoplastic polyurethanes such as Elastollan, foams based on expanded polypropylene (Neopolen) and aromatic

PAGE 16

polyurethane (Elastoflex W) but also the transfer coating technology Steron, binders for natural fibers (Acrodur) and Catamold, BASF’s powder injection technology.

In a joint effort with car manufacturers and customers, BASF has already played a role in the development of several serially produced seats and studies on seat designs, a process in which its materials were instrumental in meeting a wide array of requirements. Nowadays, a car seat is a complex material system that has to combine the aspects of design and safety, cost considerations and functionality, weight reduction and resource savings, comfort and ergonomics. For this reason, the entrants are being asked to present their concept

focusing on a central core message that takes into account one or more of these aspects.

The deadline for submission of the competition documentation is January 30, 2013. The three winners and their design concepts will be presented at the Design Night of the Geneva International Motor Show in March of 2013.

The global winner will receive a cash prize in the amount of £6 000, while the two regional winners will be awarded £3 000 each.

Additional information about the competition is available at: www.designfabrik.basf.com/sitdownmove

AutoForum - January 2013

NEWS FORUM

Introducing tougher legislation on younger drivers Tougher legislation that has been proposed in the UK by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to tighten the rules governing younger drivers may present some beneficial ideas for the South African regulators and the insurance industry.

T

his is according to Lisa Teixeira at CIB Insurance Administrators (CIB), who says new proposals in the UK include, among others, a minimum 12-month learning period before a test can be taken, as well as a ban on nonfamily passengers being carried by novice drivers and a restriction on night driving for the first six months. “These proposals are based on the fact that younger drivers tend to have more accidents on the roads, so by implementing a ban on night time driving and the carrying of certain passengers, these people can gain more experience before they start driving friends around late in the evening.�

She also notes that the proposed lower blood/alcohol limit for novice drivers for two years after passing a test, which effectively means they are not allowed a single alcoholic drink before driving, could also work well in South Africa. “There is often a misperception among drivers about how many drinks they are allowed before getting behind the wheel. This may especially be true among young drivers who often begin drinking alcohol around the same time as they start learning to drive.�

Statistics published by Arrive Alive for the 2009 year found that 49% of fatalities in road traffic accidents involved people between the ages of 20 and 39.

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“By removing their ability to have any alcohol at all, younger drivers will firstly have a very clear definition of their alcohol allowance - which is none - while driving. Secondly, they will also be given an opportunity to get used to driving and socialising without the need for alcohol. It is this kind of initiative that may finally start changing people’s perceptions and habits in South Africa. “If we can really transform the way people think about drinking and driving in South Africa then we may also begin to see a major improvement in the number of accidents on our roads, which could eventually translate into cheaper car insurance premiums,� concludes Teixeira.

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NEWS FORUM

AutoForum - January 2013

Proudly South African & poised for victory - Warwick Robinson

A

fter watching Dakar entrant Duncan Vos roar around last year’s PartInform year end party, I was intrigued to find out a bit more about Hallspeed, the local manufacturers of the Imperial Dakar cars being raced by Vos and previous Dakar winner Giniel de Villiers.

At the event a lucky group of winners were treated to a no holds barred demonstration of vehicle’s abilities at an off road venue in Hartebeespoort. Judging from the looks (and wide eyes) on most of the winner’s faces, he did not hold back.

They were allowed a glimpse into the experience that drivers need to apply in off road racing, and the immense physical and mental stress that they are put under for days on end – and in the case of the Dakar – for weeks. Vos put

PAGE 20

the experience into perspective “Think of your average stage of the Dakar as a race from Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg, raced on dirt roads that you have never driven before, and are navigating right at around 7000RPM in a V8. Then consider that the top competitors may have less than 30 seconds between their times over that distance.” The reality is that the physical endurance is only a part of the recipe, the mental endurance to hold that level of concentration for hours on end is an even bigger challenge and, of course, the best and most prepared driver in the world still needs a vehicle to match. These cars need to perform virtually at the limits of their capability for two solid weeks in the toughest race conditions on earth. The car being demonstrated was the actual car de Villiers raced to a podium finish

in the 2012 Dakar. Designed, engineered and fully assembled for action right here in Johannesburg.

The first thing that really strikes you as you approach the Team Hq in Kyalami is the presence of the building itself, branded up for Hallspeed and Toyota. It instantly speaks to the professionalism and dedication of this incredible team, and immediately makes you realise that they are operating at a world-class level.

They are taking South African skill, talent and determination to a world stage in one of the harshest competitive environments imaginable.

I managed to squeeze half an hour into Glynn Hall’s diary as they frantically finished up preparations for the 2013 Dakar in South America. Hall has strong

racing pedigree, spending close on two decades at Nissan producing cars for both the Japanese and European markets, and then developing, manufacturing and racing the Toyota’s. This year’s Dakar will have eight Hallspeed cars including the two local entries, and everyone is looking to de Villiers and Vos with their respective navigators, to push the team to a win. He was also instrumental in motivating and specifying the switch to new standards for the FIA and the resultant stand alone off road association under it’s umbrella. 2012’s results were achieved using the 2013 race specification, which none of the main competitors adhered to. The production 4.6L V8 has been replaced with an all aluminium 5.0L V8 - with electronically controlled inlet cams, and an air restrictor that is actually 1mm larger than last year’s car. “The regulations are really in our favour this year” explains Hall, “ we have slightly more power, improved traction out of the corners, and a better overall ride.

The fact is that the competition is still very strong. An area of improvement will be the dunes this year”. According to Vos, the car can start the dune at 7000Rpm in 6th gear and end up at the same revs in 1st, consuming 100l/100km!

Hallspeed is involved in the local championships and is in a 3-year development program on the Dakar vehicles for Toyota, in which time their principle aim is achieving a win.

Hall remains confident that his team had pulled out all the stops from the development and logistics through to the race preparation. The 38 strong dedicated staff are involved from as early a level as design and engineering, and many of the components are locally specified, sourced and even manufactured on site. He showed me around the facility which is pretty much a self contained vehicle manufacturer, with design, manufacturing and testing all under one roof.

Apart from the tyres, state of the art engine and six speed sequential gearbox, almost all the other components are locally made.

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These include the chrome-moly rollcage which adds torsional stiffness to the vehicle, the 450m of wire in the wiring harnesses which have to endure 170 Degree temperatures under the bonnet, and the handmade exhaust system. The 320x32mm ventilated brake discs and 6 piston callipers were supplied by Powerbrake, and First National battery has supplied the batteries.“We actually don’t want this program to globalise - Our strategy is to develop a South African product, using SA money, skills and effort,” explains Hall. “The idea has its roots using locally sourced steel, engines and components but extends far further considering the intellectual property that we develop as one of the key South African components.”

By the time this article lands in your hands we will know the outcome of the 2013 race and hopefully be celebrating their victory, but regardless of the race outcome, Glynn Hall and his entire team are a perfect example of what makes Hallspeed and its incredible race machines a perfect example of truly proudly South African product.

PAGE 21

AutoForum - January 2013

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Body repair insight NEWS AFRICA

Contents 24

NACE 2012

26

BASF now a PSA core supplier

Canadian report 26 tackles collision repair fraud In association with BodyShop News Asia and Australian BodyShop News

AutoForum - January 2013

BODYSHOP NEWS

NACE 2012

- Michel Malik

The weather was great, the atmosphere welcoming and ASRW was in full swing for the 30th anniversary of the International Autobody Convention and Exposition (NACE).

W

hen organisers of NACE surveyed attendees and exhibitors about possible locations for the next few events after the show moved from Las Vegas to Orlando, one city was top of mind for many of them: New Orleans.

In addition to a relatively central location and an abundance of food and fun for attendees to take in after hours, there was another appeal - many visitors had not been to the city since Hurricane Katrina devastated the region back in 2005.

According to Ron Pyle, Automotive Service Association President, when the original decision was made to separate NACE from other industry events, and then change the location, there

were questions about the impact on attendance and exhibitions. “Rotating NACE’s location has, so far, been a success,” said Pyle.

had good local traffic. As soon as we started mentioning New Orleans, folks expressed interest, and many of them had not been there in quite a while.”

“We had rotated the show in the past, and when we were thinking through the new strategy, we recognised that we needed a regional audience again,” Pyle said. “There was a travelling audience that would always show up, but we did not get a great deal of local market support. In Orlando, we had a drive-in audience.” Pyle says the show’s performance in Orlando last year was gratifying. “Going to Orlando was a bit of a no-brainer, because we always had good results in the past there. More importantly, we had folks attend who had not been to NACE in a while, and we

NACE started, as usual, on the Wednesday, with educational sessions throughout the day. Business adviser and best-selling author Dick Cross delivered a dynamic opening general session presentation on Thursday morning.

Cross, who runs The Cross Partnership Ltd and has a background as CARSTAR CEO, opened the ASRW 2012 General Session by challenging the audience to ask themselves the unasked question: “How do you run a business?”

He summed up a trifocal approach to leadership and management that

Ron Olsen - ProSpot Business adviser and best-selling author Dick Cross

PAGE 24

includes creating a vision, developing a strategy, and then properly executing the developed vision and strategy.

Cross also summarised the characters of a good CEO: Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Courtesy, Humility, Unselfishness, Good Humour, Guilelessness and Sincerity.

“This will get people to want to do what you know you have to do for your business, because you’ve thought about it through the frameworks,” Cross concluded.

Cross, author of the best-selling book, ‘Just Run It!: Running an Exceptional Business is Easier Than You Think’, is the founder and Managing Principal of The Cross Partnership III, a Boston-based “hands-on” consulting and turn-around firm focused on improving the operating and financial performance of businesses owned by financial sponsors.

A new, open forum for collision repairers – The Assembly – was also launched at

NACE 2012. The Assembly took place late afternoon on the Wednesday at the Morial Convention Centre in New Orleans. The event was a new outlet for repairers to interactively discuss their operational issues and challenges, share opinions and collaboratively seek solutions. The ‘repairer only’ characteristic was a central theme and driving force for this occasion and will be the vision for future events.

The Automotive Service and Repair Week (ASRW) Welcome Party, held at the iconic Mardi Gras World, turned out to be a sensational evening of revelry after an exhilarating opening day. Setting the spirited mood of the event, attendees were greeted by statues of jesters, kings and queens upon arrival, as they walked through the ‘working warehouse’ of Mardi Gras parade floats and sculptures. Once attendees finished walking the impressive warehouse, they made their way to the Grand Oaks Mansion next door - an indoor antebellum mansion replica, where they were able to sample some of New Orleans’ most

notable dishes like crawfish étouffée, red beans and rice, and jambalaya.

Several groups honoured industry professionals on the Friday evening, during the ASRW Industry Awards held at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. The annual awards event provided a platform in which a variety of mechanical and collision repair groups acknowledge the achievements of some of their outstanding members, customers and industry partners. The MC for the evening was Ron Pyle.

NACE and CARS will be held during Automotive Service and Repair Week (ASRW) next year when the events rotate back to Las Vegas, 17-19 October 2013. Plan now to attend the events designed exclusively for automotive service and repair professionals.

Visit www.ASRWevents.com for the latest announcements.

PAGE 25

AutoForum - January 2013

BODYSHOP NEWS

BASF now a PSA core supplier

Jean-Baptiste Formery, Purchasing Executive Director Vehicle Components at PSA Peugeot Citroën presented the honor to Oliver Homolle, President of BASF France.

B

ASF Coatings was recently awarded the title of “core supplier” by the PSA Peugeot Citroën Group. The automaker recognises “core suppliers” as businesses with international operations that set the standard in their respective fields, and with which it aims to develop a relationship into a lasting competitive edge. It identified BASF Coatings as just such a partner for its “high quality, delivery reliability and its high technical competency with a high degree of versatility”, as well as its in-depth know-how on all coating layers and technologies, along with shortened application processes.

BASF Coatings, a part of the BASF Group, develops, produces and markets both automotive refinish coatings and automotive OEM coatings at its Clermont, France site.

Canadian report tackles collision repair fraud

T

he Canadian government recently received some recommendations from its Steering Committee of the Anti-Fraud Task Force, that are aimed at lowering the incidence of vehicle

insurance fraud in that country. The committee identified three separate types of fraud committed in the region, which it categorised as ‘organised’; ‘premeditated’ and ‘opportunistic’.

In order to combat these fraudulent activities, the report suggests that insurers are more open with their clients about their repairer assessment methods. In addition, the committee has recommended that they join governmental bodies to form an Anti-Fraud Awareness Implementation Group, and should become more interactive with consumers, especially at important stages of their driving careers.

But it’s not just insurers and repairers that the report touches on. It also calls for more regulation in the towing sector, recommending a body to oversee regulated rates and licensing, as well as training and consumer protection.

“Development of a new regulatory model based on our recommendations will require time, resources, extensive consultation, collaboration and appropriate legislation. The government should take an immediate leadership role in this process by establishing an inter-ministerial forum.”

PAGE 26

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Business Forum

AutoForum - January 2013

Business insight

That was 2012 and now for 2013

W

ith only a few summer sunshine days since the beginning of September, the (seemingly) endless globalwarming inspired cloud and rain over the Southern and Eastern coastlines appear as a visible manifestation of the woes that beset the country and its economy.

What will actually transpire in Mangaung is impossible to say, but all indications are Zuma will blitzkrieg his way to the top once more and South Africans will have more corruption, disruption and frustration to look forward to during 2013.

Yet, despite Marikana, despite the eTolls, despite the farmworkers, the motor industry has toiled mightily during the year to effect some growth, and the fact this is driven mainly by corporate

PAGE 28

purchasing flies in the face of dwindling business confidence.

BMW South Africa’s Rosslyn production facility is now officially a 24-hour a day operation. Since the middle of November, a third production shift has been operational in all areas of production, resulting in increased production capacity and the creation of more than 600 additional jobs.

This move will more than double the number of BMW 3 Series Sedans exported to markets such as USA, Canada, Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong and Australasia.

“The introduction of a third production shift will result in many strategic advantages for our plant, our suppliers and the industry as a whole,” says Bodo

- Colin Windell

Donauer, BMW SA’s Managing Director.

“The fact this increase in volume also comes with a 30% increase in employment at BMW, along with the more than 1 000 new jobs at our suppliers, is the most obvious benefit of this decision.”

Considering the general state of the world economy – this is good news indeed.

With December sales something of a lottery as many registrations are held back for January, it is more pertinent to look at the state of the market as at the end of November when total domestic sales for the 11 months remained 9.8% ahead of the corresponding 11 months in 2011. November 2012 export sales at 28 541 vehicles registered a substantial increase of 8 088 units or 39.5%.

Colin Windell is the Editor of Fleet Magazine.

Despite signs of weakness in the economy, the performance of the South African automotive sector continued to be positive. Factors that continued supporting domestic sales included the historically low interest rate environment, strong replacement demand, the highly competitive trading environment, attractive incentives and new model introductions.

The modest new vehicle price increases experienced for the past two years might not be sustainable going forward. The outlook for 2013, at this stage, is one of modest growth in vehicle volume terms – probably in the range of 6% to 8%.

“New vehicle trading conditions were softer than those experienced for the greater part of the year with sales up by 7.3% on November last year compared to the double digit gains experienced for the greater part of the year to date,” says Malcolm Gauld, GMSA’s Vice President, Sales and Marketing. “As has been the trend through the year, strength in the passenger vehicle sector underpinned a soft light commercial vehicle sector.”

“Our 2012 forecast of 620 000 new vehicle sales for the year looks like being exceeded to achieve year-onyear growth of 10%. Looking ahead into 2013 we would anticipate a lower level of growth with some reservation associated with pressure on imported costs and disposable income.”

Of course, there is always the battle for bragging rights as the top performer for the year – with both Toyota and Volkswagen claiming this honour. Volkswagen has the edge in passenger car sales and Toyota in terms of overall vehicle sales that include commercials. Toyota, incidentally, achieving this for the 33rd consecutive year.

“The key market influencers remain evident in November,” says Dr Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota SA Motors. “Inflation has started trending upwards, but interest rates remain at historically low levels.”

“This is further supported by high levels of competition between dealers and vehicle brands and by the fact many buyers are returning to the market to replace vehicles bought during the very strong sales years between 2005 and 2008.”

These views are emphasised by figures from Toyota Financial Services (TFS). Toyota vehicles financed by TFS improved by 13.34% over November 2011 and an impressive 21.88% over the same month in 2010, which clearly indicated a return of past customers to the new vehicle market.

“The market remains on track to reach a full year sales figure of 622 000 to 628 000 vehicles,” says Dr van Zyl. “This is in line with the general market expectation and sets a Continued on page 30

PAGE 29

AutoForum - January 2013 high target for 2013. We believe that the market will remain at similar levels in the New Year as growth slows.”

“Recently released data for growth in gross domestic product reflects third quarter growth of only 1.2% having been significantly affected by the widespread and ongoing strike action that characterised the period,” says Mike Glendinning, Director: Sales and Marketing at Volkswagen Group South Africa.

“The data also reflected weak manufacturing performance for the third quarter and the latest PMI data for South Africa, with the index stuck below 50, suggests manufacturing will continue to make a low contribution to gross domestic product in the final quarter of the year.

Because of the recent strike action, the South African freight industry is expected to show reduced risk in defaults in the airfreight and rail sub-sectors due to companies switching to safer transport modes.

PAGE 30

Businesses in the road transport and waste disposal sectors are expected to continue finding difficulty into the first quarter of 2013. Coface believes the true impact of the mass action will only be apparent in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Trade between South Africa and Zimbabwe hinges mainly on moving goods by road and accounts for 70% of Zimbabwe’s imports. Industrialists in Zimbabwe estimate the country lost as much as US$100-million a day because of SA’s truck drivers’ strike.

The political undertones of the recent strike action has not yet dissipated, increasing the risk of a secondary sympathy strikes as the relevant parties fail to come to any long term agreements needed to quell the unrest.

This affected the flow of goods through the Beit Bridge border post — Southern Africa’s busiest inland port.

International investor sentiment is regressing with many investors viewing the current dissatisfaction as early warning signs of South Africa’s own ‘Arab Spring’.

According to the Road Freight Employers Association, “...estimates indicate employees in this industry are losing in the region of R270-million in wages a week, with around R1.2-billion in turnover being lost by the industry a week.”

The industry should be able to recover in the short term, but while the risk of future strike action remains, the threat of business failure continues to increase.

Resilient as the motor industry may be, 2013 will see it heavily dependent on the outcomes of Mangaung and the resolution of issues across a wide spectrum of industry.

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AutoForum - January 2013

It’s not about ‘The Fish’; it’s about ‘The Outing’ - Graham Bush

Over the years there have been endless discussions and points of view regarding ‘Price vs. Brand’ and ‘The Shopping Experience”. I have just returned from a fly fishing trip in the Lesotho mountains with a bunch of likeminded chaps from different walks of life, all with one thing in common – the love of the hunt for wild Rainbow Trout. Rather similar to consumers, all looking for the same bargain – or are they?

O

f the eight of us, two were absolutely committed to catch ‘big’ fish, while the majority was content to just ‘catch’ - but all of us were in agreement about the venue, which was stunning. Why drive six hundred kilometers to catch trout when there are plenty of trout an hour away? I believe, like shopping, it’s not only about the fish, but it’s about the outing - the experience.

As retailers compete in a highly competitive environment and basically sell what their opponents are selling, at a similar price I must add, what else can you do to ‘woo’ me into your store?

Surely you have to provide me with ‘The Experience’!

Research conducted in Canada and US found that 35% of shoppers have had an extraordinary, or ‘wow’, retail experience in the past six months.

But in order to hit that mark, retailers must deliver on as many as 10 different elements of the shopping experience

PAGE 32

simultaneously. Retailers are rewarded when shoppers tell others about their experience. But customer expectations are pretty high. It’s easy to fall short of those expectations, and hard to eclipse bad experiences. Unfortunately, people in general prefer to moan than to praise.

Next, you must provide a brand experience. This includes exciting store design and atmosphere, consistently great product quality, making customers feel they’re special and that they always get a deal – not necessarily the cheaper price.

So, as a retailer, what must you do in order to create an exceptional shopping experience for your customers?

Consumers today are very busy and retailers must take note of this. Being sensitive to customers’ time on long check-out lines, being proactive in helping speed the shopping process is a critical component of creating ‘The Experience’.

Firstly, I believe, you need to get back to good old-fashioned ‘manners’. That is, being polite, genuinely caring and interested in helping, acknowledging and listening to your customer. After all, they know what they want.

Then, you have to provide service excellence, including patiently explaining and advising, checking stock, helping your customers to find products, having product knowledge and providing unexpected product quality.

Another important element to the ‘Experience Factor’ is problem recovery. You need to help resolve and compensate for problems; make refunds and returns extremely easy and painless. I shudder with consumer emotion when a manager argues over a R30 refund when his average sale is R400! What are your customers worth to you?

Graham Bush is one of SA’s leading retail experts, inspiring thousands of business people over the past 30 years. His relaxed style and humour delivers powerful messages through motivational talks and presentations, and he contributes to several trade magazines.

After 20 years in the corporate world, Graham started ‘The Bush Kitchen...food for thought’, and often uses recipes and cooking as analogies for practical life and business skills. www.thebushkitchen.co.za

In the current recessionary climate, price is important to consumers, but only one factor in the overall ‘wow’ shopping experience. The researchers found that of those experiencing a ‘wow’ shopping trip, 43% said having consistently excellent products was a factor in their recent great retail experiences. That was the top response in regard to brand experience, followed by “getting a deal”, which was cited by 31% of respondents.

Today’s economic situation is leading consumers to focus more on value than price. People are being more scrupulous about where they buy and what they buy. More educated consumers are looking for a better value in everything. Even in a challenging economic environment, retailers are able to deliver a ‘wow’ experience if they plan to provide the basic elements of a great shopping experience.

We can also learn from the world’s best retailers. Over the last 10-years, Apple has risen to retail dominance and, in the process, became the most valuable company on the Forbes 2 000 with a market value exceeding $500 billion. Instrumental to this financial rise has been Apple’s cultivation of one of the most successful retail environments in history. As a recent in-depth New York Times series puts it: “The Apple Store is the undisputed king, a retail phenomenon renowned for impeccable design, deft service and spectacular revenues.”

Apple has built this truly unique retail empire through the vertical integration of the product, retail, and customer experiences within the Apple Store. It is one the best retailers in the world at creating an engaging customer experience whose retail environment provides an excellent framework for growing retailers to emulate. By analysing and applying the critical success factors of the Apple retail model in combination with new, innovative tools, growing retailers can readily create an ‘Apple-like’ retail experience in their stores. I believe that Apple’s biggest ‘retail win’ is their sales team.

But what has their strategy got to do with your business?

One common thread shared by the leadership of companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, and Disney, is an appreciation for the customer experience. Great brands are built and sustained on great customer service. Especially in a time when consumers have more buying choices than ever, great customer service adds value and differentiates brands from their competition; and service is delivered by people.

So, to be the best you need to employ and keep the best.

You must be constantly training and communicating with your team members. Information sharing is also paramount to your success. Team members need to know ‘the numbers’ and your company’s strategy, after all, they are going to take you there. Finally, you and your team have to have fun; what is the point if you do not enjoy what you are doing? Do I enjoy fly fishing? Sure I do, especially when I catch fish!

Additional resource: www.forbes.com

PAGE 33

AutoForum - January 2013

S P I T N O C R I A O MACSAUT systems – Part 1 Sealants in air-conditioning the sealant When in doubt, blame

The nature of A/C sealants

rigerant circuit t are added to the ref tha ids flu are nts ala Se gh They come in two around for long enou nditioning systems. en -co be s air ha ve g oti nin tom itio au nd of veVehicle air co uvenate the elastoaged air-conditioned t type soften and rej lefirs dd the mi , of es typ nty ad ple bro the system and for there to be seals and O-rings in on the road. for lue va ed us low are t ely tiv tha ara rs me nt restores their hicles of comp d with age. The seala ne rde ha me co be t tha ge through especially where ility, preventing leaka nditioning systems, xibility and sealing ab fle Work on elderly air-co me so , can ts have to be replaced the seals. defective componen t the hard fact Bu . rth wo is le hic ve the n tha re e as ter, solidify to times cost mo can take as much tim en they encounter wa m wh ste e, sy typ old nd an co se on e Th is that working onents. The prines more. metal pipes or comp in tim ks me lea so e, all on sm w ck ne blo of refrigerant working on a re is a leak, the rush the ere wh t, tha is le cip st ting water from on for the potential co the refrigerant, libera ols mm co co le gly ho sin the rea gh inc ou is thr As a result, it old a/c syslacing components in it as condensate. . int of curing leaks by rep po nd car owner’s sta the m fro ic om on ec lidifies the tems to be un away unrepaired, ed around the leak so the car will be driven e water thus deposit Th cking off the blo The risk then is that nt, era nt. ters in the refrig g the environme un gin co en ma it da t d tha an nt nt ala era se tion stops, and leaking refrig sealed, the condensa is k lea the ce On k. lea now d. Some manufacces of this problem, nt becomes solidifie tan ala ins se me the so of st re lea mo at no s.

A solution to the US for designed to do both job rope as it has been in ers offer products de tur r, ve we widely available in Eu Ho . alants nditioning system se y are the cades, is to use air-co ls, who underna sio fes e the most controvers pro s trained e sealants that caus Th metal pipes nt, in there is a snag. Unles ks me lea uip ned to seal small d have the right eq sig an de ing e, do typ are nd y co the se is a Cryosilene stand what ms. e active component use even more proble Th ca ts. n en ca y on the mp to co nts d ala an use these se , introduced as a liquid such as Organosilane , nd ou the mp in co to solidify installation and erant and designed ms caused by faulty culate with the refrig cir re As in any field, proble the so duct, get blamed on the pro presence of water. slovenly use tend to nts with ala se c a/ ch tou to t l you no are those who will tel only moisture mpound encounters le. po rge ba al Provided that the co k, there is no the proverbi lea a of site condensation at the by ed us ca distinguish e of sealants sealant is unable to rstanding of the natur problem. However, the system as , ed the However, a clear unde us in dy be ea ld te and water alr when they shou sa d en an w nd co Ho . n ed ee ed tw ne be is all that is ly be avoided. l problems can reliab a contaminant. and of how potentia ge e environmental dama uc red nts ala se y, ctl Used corre d can, the air-conditioning nditioning systems an y requirement is that ke -co air the e ed for air ere rep Th un caused by alant is added. le-aged able drivers of midd it is refilled and the se en e s, for ce be tan dry ms is it cu un cir in the right ning for years effective air-conditio cars to benefit from xt issue for part 2. cost.

Be sure to see our ne longer, without major

tomotive. e Pieters of MACS Au auto.co.za. acs courtesy of Charmain Information supplied it www.macsauto.co.za or marketing@m vis For more information

PAGE 34

REINZOSIL Description

Solvent-free, permanently elastic, quick-hardening silicone sealing compound for sealing large-surface connections with a sealing gap (even without disassembling the component).

REINZOSIL Properties

¬ Withstands high temperatures from –50°C to +300°C (short-term peak temperature) ¬ Very good resistance to liquids and elements such as gasoline and diesel fuels, biodiesel, oil, grease, lubricants, water, saltwater, sunlight and ozone ¬ Excellent properties for positioning and shaping ¬ Highly stable ¬ Prevents corrosion of the sealing surface ¬ Acid-free hardening and therefore no damage to plastic parts, electric components and the like ¬ Faster hardening than with other silicon sealing compounds ¬ Not subject to labeling requirements ¬ Odor-free ¬ Can be used in vertical and upside-down position

REINZOSIL Range of Application

Particularly suited to sealing all sealing surfaces in engines, transmissions, axles, cylinder sleeves and plastic housings. Highly suited to rough sealing surfaces.

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www.reinz.com PAGE 35

AutoForum - January 2013

Leadership change at MISA

I

t was with surprise and a measure of shock that industry received the announcement by Dana de Villiers, CEO of the Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA), that he would leave the service of MISA at the end of 2012 to pursue new challenges Down Under in New Zealand.

Dana de Villiers, a well-known industry personality. has been involved in the industry since 1992 when he joined the then MIF/SAMIEA (the Motor Industries’ Federation and SA Motor Industry Employers’ Association, the predecessor bodies to the Retail Motor Industry Organisation) in various capacities, before moving to MISA as Deputy CEO in 1997. He was appointed CEO of the Association in 2005.

During his watch, a number of innovative new strategies were implemented

by MISA, including a rebranding and repositioning of the Association, the introduction of new benefits for members, innovative new activities such as the MISA Women’s Forum, organising annual Career Days countrywide for senior learners to promote career opportunities in the motor industry, the practical application of MISA’s philosophy of honouring the principles of social welfare in less privileged communities and a fresh marketing orientated approach to the management of the Association and communication with members which not only resulted in a healthy growth in membership, but also earned MISA the respect of the employer community within its sphere of operations.

In the trade union movement, MISA grew its profile considerably during the past seven years to the extent that the Association plays a leading role in the influential trade union federation FEDUSA, where Dana has served as Deputy President of the Federation and also as Treasurer of the Southern Africa Trade Union Coordinating Council (SATUCC) during the past number of years. “I cannot claim sole credit for the positive strides MISA has taken over the past years”, Dana proclaimed in his modest-as-ever fashion, “the credit has

PAGE 36

to go to all MISA staff and our Governing Board for their enthusiasm, dedication, insight and energy in working as a team to fulfill the mission of MISA and embrace change and different ways of working to develop MISA’s position as a leading role player in the motor industry, the trade union movement and society in general.”

Dana de

Asked about his impending move to New Zealand and his plans for the future, Dana said that he and his wife Rina saw the move as a new and exciting phase in their lives which they are convinced will provide them both with new opportunities and challenges for personal growth and development. Dana has already enrolled for a post graduate course in international business management at the University of Auckland and commences with his studies after a holiday which he and Rina are looking forward to. Although he is moving abroad, Dana made it clear that they are not cutting ties with South Africa at all, as they are leaving their two sons behind, both of whom are Johannesburg-based and pursuing promising careers. Reciprocal visits are therefore guaranteed.

Succeeding Dana de Villiers as CEO of MISA with effect from 1 January is Philip Botha, who has been in the service of MISA since 1991 and has held the position of Deputy CEO since 2005.

Philip, who is a University of Pretoria graduate and holds post graduate qualifications in Labour Law from the University of Cape Town, is a seasoned trade union professional who has spent his entire career in the trade union movement, having been involved in a trade union for employees in the banking sector prior to joining MISA. Asked about his vision for MISA going forward, Philip referred to the leading role that MISA plays as one of the two trade union parties to the Motor Industry Bargaining Council and the various fields in which MISA is active and representing the interests of its members.

- Robert Kaiser

Villiers an d

Philip Bo th

a

He was unequivocal in stating that MISA would continue on the path it has been following over the past years. “We have gained momentum with the new directions and innovations pioneered by MISA over the past years and we are adding real value to our membership, which is recognised and appreciated, as evidenced by our strong growth in membership and influence. We are operating in an environment where change is a constant factor. The needs of our membership changes on an ongoing basis. We need to continue being sensitive to members’ needs and the demands placed on MISA; it is the only way to stay relevant and ensure that we render meaningful service and deliver on what our members and the industry in general expect of us. It follows that we shall continue to place huge emphasis on ongoing communication with our membership. Our Governing Board continues to lead the way and makes it possible for us to stay on course, which means that we will continue to evolve and take the initiative where necessary to ensure top class professional service delivery.”

Dana de Villiers will be sorely missed by his peers and the team at MISA; however, the sound direction in which MISA is moving is sure to continue under the able leadership of Philip Botha. When a transition in leadership can take place in such a smooth and orderly fashion in an organisation, it speaks volumes about its culture and the thoroughness of its strategic planning.

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AutoForum - January 2013

Athar Naser heads up Juice Content, a division of Primedia Online, which creates bespoke content solutions for business to ensure your online platforms “speak” to your customers, and each other.

Taking social media into 2013

T

he subject of content marketing has become a hot topic in recent months, particularly with the rise of the use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Content marketing means creating useful content – blog posts, for example – that will drive your target market to your website.

Consumers will share information they find useful over social media, which has a knock-on effect, in turn attracting more people to your blog or website. Your target market is then exposed to your brand repeatedly, resulting in brand loyalty and ultimately increasing your bottom line. For this to happen, you need to know how to make social media and content work hand in hand.

Be the expert Your audience is your audience because they stand to gain from what you have to offer them. If they’re interested in buying your product or service, they’re probably interested in reading about

PAGE 38

the industry you’re in. People will want to know – and share – blogs or articles about subjects you’re an expert on and, once you have established yourself as a thought leader in your industry, they will be interested in learning about and sharing your opinions over social media, too.

Mix it up People scan when they read online, looking for the most interesting, or the most important, information. Nobody reads large blocks of text on the web, so don’t limit your content to articles and blog posts alone. Include videos, images and infographics to bring across your point. Infographics and charts are great ways to express statistics and figures clearly in an industry where information can get very technical.

Graphics will catch your readers’ attention and keep them on your web page longer, exposing them to your brand

- Athar Naser

and giving them more to share across social channels.

Collect content If your consumer knows they can go to your blog or website to find what it is they want to know on a given subject quickly, they will. Not all the content you provide your audience needs to be original, but it must all be relevant, reliable and useful to your consumer otherwise they’ll have no use for it and no reason to visit your website. Regularly “curating” or collecting industry-related content they will find useful is a sure way to keep your audience returning to your website and checking your social media feeds for updates.

It’s no longer enough to have a blog and a company Facebook or Twitter page to be successful in the digital space – these tools must be integrated and used strategically if you want to be competitive.

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AutoForum - January 2013

Engineering the way forward

T

he South African motoring public is swamped with choices. Our car parque is deemed to be an average of 13 years old and consists of in excess of 6.5 million vehicles in both passenger and commercial models. Between the local manufacturers and the range of imported vehicles, all offering a huge variety of brands and models along with the plethora of derivatives that come with each of those models, the decision as to which vehicle to own is massive.

Once the choice of vehicle is made, there is a multitude of service and repair offerings which more often than not, camouflage a third tier of repairers the consumer is blind to!

In the majority of cases, the owner is only made aware of this level of repairer when his workshop advises him of his choice of replacement or repair, and then the choice is often made for reasons of economy.

One of these third tier suppliers is J R Cylinder Head Services, established in

PAGE 40

February 1995 in Kew, at the same time as the original Dallas TV show – but actually named after the father and son owners Jason and Rodney. In 1999 they sold the business to the three Lovett brothers, Dion, Wayne and Don. Don having been employed at J R’s since 1996, after starting his engineering career at BMW. Wayne and Don have developed this successful business through a strict adherence to supplying only top quality finished product and reliable service delivery, helping the business grow from its small Kew shop through expansion and finally, in 2005, moving to their current premises of 1 200m2 in the Freeway Centre on Louis Botha Avenue in Wynberg, Jhb. State-of-the-art equipment, top staff as well as the knowledge and experience attained through the development of competition motors and cylinder heads are integral to the workmanship exhibited in the finished products. The brothers were very involved in the precision engineering, gas flowing and fine tuning

development of their own race engines in the early days of the business, which they say was both an expensive and demanding tutor and entrenched the “do it correctly with precision the first time” ethos that the company is renowned for.

The Lovett brothers agree that the street exposure of the current premises is advantageous, but insist that their relationship and reputation with both the dealers and workshops servicing the aftermarket is where the real value and success in their business lies. With engine repair falling absolutely right into the sphere of grudge purchase, Wayne is proud of J R Cylinder Head Services’ wide range of dealers, independent workshops and DIY consumers whose loyalty is a great motivator in a industry that is directly impacted by the economic climate of the day.

J R specialises in “blown motors and cylinder head gaskets of both diesel and petrol engines,” with the majority of their work being on the petrol side.

But, in order to accommodate increasing demand, the company now accepts

Advertorial

the complete vehicle for specialist repair of engine and cylinder heads.

Their membership of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) and its constituent associations like ERA (Engine Remanufacturers Association) - both of which have national membership and ensure the members are kept abreast of the innovations, developments and regulations applicable to the industry - ensures that J R remains a leader in cylinder head and engine repair.

workmanship and the final checks done by either Wayne or Don only is why J R are known as the “hands on specialists.” Services offered at J R include:

The shop’s layout can accommodate both the complete vehicle delivered for repair of damaged Heads and Blocks or the individual components requiring attention. In line with their commitment to quality and service reliability, Wayne and Don only use quality branded components combined with precision workmanship and an unrivalled turnaround time, to ensure their customers have minimum downtime.

The condition and tolerances of valves are inspected and recorded to ascertain the extent of the wear so an informed decision can be made regarding refurbishment. Salvageable valves are refaced to extend the component service.

All engine assembly and sub-assembly is undertaken by Don personally, this combined with the precision

Cylinder Heads Pressure Testing, Valve Refacing, Valve Seat Refacing and Cylinder Head Surfacing. All cylinder heads are pressure tested and crack tested.

Valve Refacing

Pressure Testing All cylinder heads are pressure tested using heated immersion technology to detect coolant passage leaks. The cylinder heads are also crack tested using a penetrating dye specifically designed

for testing to detect any cracks on the combustion surface face.

Valve Seat Refacing A similar procedure is followed with valve seats, where these are inspected against OEM specifications and where recommended the valve seat is refaced.

This process extends the life of the component further.

Cylinder Head Surfacing As a result of fretting, overheating and corrosion, the cylinder head surface often requires refurbishment. In this case, the cylinder head is machined to ensure the integrity of the sealing face.

Wayne says that re-engineering of these cylinder heads will remain a viable and essential alternative to replacement, when the head gasket is blown and re-affirms the company’s commitment to provide the best quality workmanship at a reasonable price to the aftermarket trade who are his customers.

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Call us today - 011 885 3506

AutoForum - January 2013

INNOVATIONS

AutoForum - January 2013

The latest automotive technology

New aerodynamic truck trailer

S

erco, together with retailer Spar, recently launched their prototype of a new concept trailer designed to help reduce fuel costs and carbon dioxide emissions. Its makers say it’s also highly practical to load.

Clinton Holcroft, MD of Serco, explains: “The key issue was to optimise the aerodynamic efficiency of the trailer, which was achieved by focusing on the three major sources of aerodynamic drag in the typical tractor-trailer application - the tractor-trailer gap, trailer side and trailer wake. A number of variants were evaluated to determine the most practical and suitable for the project.”

The tractor boasts aerodynamic Aerotruck truck fairings, which improve air flow and minimise the tractor-trailer gap. It also has under body side skirts manufactured from a flexible, durable polyprop plastic, which Holcroft says improves the trailer’s aerodynamics, particularly in the presence of crosswinds, to reduce wind drag.

Other features include a tapered rear section of the trailer’s roof – helping to keep

PAGE 42

airflow attached to the trailer body and effectively reducing the trailer’s “wake”. This together contributes to reduced drag and improved economy.

By including EBS brakes with ecas, the ride height of the trailer has been reduced to that of the truck. This means an overall height reduction and thus a reduction in frontal area.

Air suspension allows the trailer to adjust to a normal dock height for loading and unloading.

The trailer also makes use of disc braked axles for improved vehicle safety and single tyres with aluminium rims, to reduce weight and rolling resistance.

Charles Davidson, National Transport Manager for Spar said: “The project was born out of Spar’s company-wide initiative to reduce its Carbon footprint. We approached Serco to come up with a green concept trailer, but one which would be practical and not have an adverse impact on the normal loading operations at Spar. We are excited about the innovation.” The retailer has a fleet of more than 400 vehicles.

Advertorial

Nissan NP 200 aims to continue a record-breaking year into 2013 Nissan South Africa hopes that its NP200 range of bakkies will perform as well, if not better, than in 2012. Nissan South Africa kicked off 2012 with quite a bang – the company’s smallest bakkie, the Nissan NP200, posted record sales volumes and substantial market share. The expanded NP200 range found favour with a record number of South African buyers in January last year, with the competitively priced entry level 1.6 Base being the most appealing for new owners.

The high January volumes translated into a mammoth 45.1 % market share for Nissan in the sub-1 ton LCV segment, cementing the NP200 as the new class leader.

Meanwhile, the company further entrenched its commercial credentials, by increasing the Nissan NP200’s warranty from a 3yr/100 000 km warranty to a 6yr/150 000 km warranty. In addition to the extended warranty, the NP200 line-up offered more specification enhancements, without sacrificing any of the core qualities – legendary reliability, utmost working capability, and the ability to also excel during leisure time. The revised line-up continues to offer these enduring qualities, but adds classleading levels of safety across the range.

Later in the year, following the record-breaking sales volume of 1 506 units sold in January 2012, the Nissan

NP200 again delivered market-leading volumes, breaking its previous record by over three hundred units.

This record represents the highest volume ever achieved

by Nissan in the half-ton segment since the 1990s, resulting in 51% market share, which is the highest it’s been since September 1994.

Sales on the Nissan NP200 are up about 182% yearon-year, and with last year’s successes it seems there’s no stopping the onslaught on what is a very competitive market segment. The Nissan NP200 found itself as a segment leader for the first quarter of 2012, claiming 46% of the half-ton market, with a total of 4 785 units sold.

Nissan SA aims to achieve similar feats into 2013.

The Nissan NP200 is available in seven different model guises, with a choice of petrol or diesel power. With a payload of 800 kg and a deep load box (535 mm), the Nissan NP200 is exceptionally practical and builds on the solid reputation left by the Nissan 1400 Bakkie. Built locally at the company’s Rosslyn plant in Pretoria, it’s no surprise that the NP200 has found such a soft spot in the hearts and minds of South African buyers. The range starts off with the 1.6 Base (R119 450) and ends with the 1.5 dCi High at R192 150, and all models benefit from a classleading 6-year/150 000 km warranty.

PAGE 43

AutoForum - January 2013

INNOVATIONS

Goodyear’s AMT - Best Invention of the Year

G

oodyear’s Air Maintenance Technology (AMT) was named one of Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of the year recently, and as Goodyear Chief Technical Officer Jean-Claude Kihn explains: “AMT will enhance driving performance while having a positive impact on the environment through improved

fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and extended tyre life.”

He adds that this award highlights the innovative work of the company’s engineers, as well as its efforts to bring the relevant products to the market. AMT adds this award to a collection that began with the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award, which Goodyear won earlier this year.

The company’s Air Maintenance Technology consists of a tube running around the circumference of the tyre, sandwiched in between the layers of rubber below the tread. This tube has an inflow valve on one end, open to the outside air, and an outflow valve on the other end, which opens inside the tyre.

When a pressure sensor determines that the tyre’s pressure is low, the inflow valve is opened, allowing air to come into the tube.

As the wheel turns, the weight of the vehicle compresses the tube, forcing the air through the tube and into the tyre.

This process is then repeated for every revolution of the tyre until the pressure is back to normal, at which point the input valve is closed.

THE INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE

Air Maintenance Technology joins a prestigious list of inventions including Google-enabled glasses and indoor clouds. Past recipients of this honour also include the iPad and the Mars Rover.

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PAGE 44

PAGE 45

AutoForum - January 2013

Idle be damned!

- Dave Scott

Chief execs ‘blow a fuse’ when seeing staff idle in groups around a parts counter, a photocopier or coffee machine. In total contradiction, a truck fleet standing in the yard with engines idling gets overlooked against the backdrop of a cumulative and massive cost penalty that can be easily calculated. In fact, it’s not just idling truck engines that chow the bottom line but the whole fleet – bakkies, cars, tractors and reefer truck engines.

L

et’s apply the stop/start principal to the thoughts that follow. Start by getting everyone with a vehicle under their control to understand that excessive engine idle time is wasteful. What’s the benchmark – how is the waste calculated in litres and then Rands/ cents? A conservative guideline is 10% of engine displacement per hour equals litres burnt in an idling diesel engine. In a practical example, a Cummins ISX ECM download showed a total of 1 428 796 kms representing a total time of 27 284 hours of operation. Of these hours, the engine idle time was 3 721 hours and the idle fuel use was 6 036 litres, so this engine used 1.62 litres per hour idle, close to 10% of engine displacement.

• A typical modern 4 X 2 distribution heavy truck with gross vehicle mass (GVM) ranging from 12 000 kg to 16 000 kg and equipped with a 7.8 litre turbo-intercooled Euro II engine can easily idle for one hour in a day.

This would mean 0.78 litres/day and on a 275 working year will total 215 litres @

R11 for a cash loss of R2 360 – this has a multiplying effect with fleet size. A 100-vehicle fleet means an annual profit drawdown of R236 500.

• Engine size impacts idling thirst. A 15 litre engine drinks 1.5 litre per hour at idle so one hour/day/275 day-year/R11 per litre totals a loss of R4 538 per annum – on a 100-vehicle fleet this is a R453 800 loss.

• This is all dependent on a diesel engine idle speed of 650 rpm. Many diesel engines have idle speed adjusters and speeding up idling rpm increases consumption beyond the 10% benchmark.

• The Cummins ‘Rock Solid Rule’ is that every hour spent on idle time in a long-haul operation can decrease fuel efficiency by 1%.

Badly maintained trailers idle away fuel Stop examining the truck tractor alone for fuel consumption improvements. Start investigating trailer efficiencies. Air leaks on trailer reservoirs and brake lines are very prevalent,

Continued on page 52

PAGE 46

Dave Scott is a member of the S.A. Guild of Motoring Journalists, and is a monthly contributor to the press on transport and trucking related subjects. In 2002 and 2003 Dave Scott was the S.A. Guild of Motoring Journalists winner of the category ‘Business Motoring’. As a member of the S.A. Institute of Tribology he takes a keen interest in the application of lubricants to road transport maintenance and the cost of ownership.

His key writing focus is on fleet management including the technology of trucks and road transport.

PAGE 47

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AutoForum - January 2013

resulting in the tractor unit wasting fuel in firstly charging the air-brake system and then left idling all day to ensure the system remains charged.

Look at coupling procedures. Coupling truck tractors to trailers should not be a lengthy process – what’s getting in the way of ‘couple-and-go’? Is it the terrain, in-adjustable trailer supports or any other reason for excessive idling during coupling manoeuvres?

Driver ‘comfort’ increases idle consumption Stop drivers from idling engines to maintain in-cab temperatures. When it’s sub-zero and a dark, cold winter’s morning one can hardly blame truck drivers from starting and idling engines to keep the cab warm. And then idlefor-comfort again when waiting in a distribution point drop-off queue – but can a business afford this behaviour?

This not only applies to cab heating, but air-conditioning as well. Most modern trucks include air-con as standard equipment – the Hino 300-Series for example – and the temptation to wait in a mid-summer queue with air-con operating is just too much to avoid.

Note that it’s illegal to allow an engine to run when a vehicle is left unattended or while the fuel tank is being filled – Regulations 308 (1) (l) and 308 (1) (n).

‘Vrot’ batteries raise engine idling A rash of flat battery jump-starting will be accompanied by excessive engine idling. The fear of not being able to restart on the road leads to keeping the engine running.

Fleet audits reveal many cases of abnormally corroded battery terminals.

The knock-on effect is jump-starting leading to idling engines and increased operating costs.

Separate PTO idling from on-road fuel usage Including power-take-off (PTO) hydraulic power requirements – especially for static operations such as a truck mounted crane – will give a

PAGE 48

false on-road fuel consumption figure.

Some hydraulic equipment also needs specific PTO outputs and automatically ramps up engine idle rpm to provide the required pressure for hydraulic speed and productivity. This is not wasted energy, as it is being converted into a work-value and should not be included in general idling.

Heavy traffic distorts idle-fuel consumption figures Modern diesel engines – Cummins ISX is a good example – use high torque at idle for an idle-off under full load. Marius de Lange, Service Manager at Wadeville International says: “American engines have idle increment and decrement switches in the cab, and you can alter idle speed by 25 rpm at a time from 600 rpm to 750 rpm and that is to help ‘idleaway’ driving.”

“This characteristic does change timing and fuelling during idle, while electronics also recognise load and accept the load under idle with the foot still off the accelerator pedal. A good, patient driver will ‘crawl’ his truck on idle in traffic. This is an easy function with two-pedal trucks but will give distorted idle-fuel figures should the vehicle drive in heavy traffic.”

Stop/Start technology is already gaining ground in Europe in light motor vehicles.

It must be on the design-board for trucks but there are serious technical challenges in stopping and restarting/ swinging a 15 litre diesel engine repeatedly in gridlocked traffic.

Scheduling a truck into peak, idling traffic is so very unproductive. Rather leave prior to and return before traffic peak and use fuel for payload at a higher average speed.

Idling shortens engine oil drain intervals Failure analysis expert, Patrick Swan, comments that: “Engines work best at normal operating temperature. As the temperature drops combustion becomes less efficient, causing both a higher fuel consumption and fuel dilution of the engine lubricant. As the diesel fuel that ends up in the lubricant is

too thin to lubricate an engine correctly, so a cold running engine, either through excessive idling or because it is over cooled, wears faster than an engine operating at correct running temperature”.

Lubrication engineering guru and CEO of ONFO, John Fitton, adds: “The efficiency of a diesel engine is reduced under low speed idle conditions, due to the reduced swirl and combustion chamber conditions. As a result the soot levels (black smoke) increase, causing an environmental impact, while it also impacts on the lubricant’s ability to function properly. Hence excessive idling will cause reduced engine life, and increased fuel and maintenance costs, not to mention the impact on urban air quality!”

Engines providing hydraulic power via a PTO must be serviced on hour-meter intervals and not on distance, as kilometres are irrelevant in such operations.

Countermeasures The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that behavioural change is the simplest route. Transport managers must get out there early to observe engine start-up procedures and what is happening at consignees during unloading. Another powerful tool in changing driver behaviour is offering financial incentives to reduce idling.

Education and driver incentives provide a partial solution to deter idling and play an important role in behavioural change.

Many large US trucking companies already offer these incentives and they have reported success in reducing idling times below national averages.

Petrol and diesel fuel prices make engine idling a focus area in managing fuel consumption. Simply instituting a company policy to not idle has not proven effective in changing behaviour and company policy is not going to stop a driver or machine operator from idling in extreme weather conditions.

It’s time to monitor and reduce engine idling through MBWA, management by walking around. Changing idling behaviour is an obvious route but it won’t be achieved from behind a desk in an air-conditioned office.

PAGE 49

AutoForum - January 2013

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Fleet control with colour!

Yellow

Red

- Dave Scott

What? Introduce colour into transport management? We’ve barely got the time in running the fleet to check and tighten tyre valve caps, let alone play with colour! Yet colour is a useful tool for control and efficiency as some large fleets are proving through innovative ideas that reduce component losses.

T

he ‘beauty’ of using colour in trucking lies in simplicity, which is an essential ingredient for success on African roads. Take Suzie brake hoses for example – why allow black piping to enter into trailer connections when red and yellow Suzie are so clear and the couplings are also clearly marked in red and yellow to avoid any miscoupling?

That’s what colouring components does – it de-skills the task of matching and speeds up identification.

Colour efficiency into workshops Effective workshop management is the result of that obvious technique known as MBWA – management by wandering around. During the wandering, spotting out of place or mismatched colours makes MBWA work.

Another transport management technique is organising tasks and allocating them to teams. But teams only get recognition and become competitive if they wear clearly differing colours.

I have also seen this done very effectively in the hotel industry where in the restaurant apprentices wore white, while a senior server was distinguished by a blue jacket with a qualified wine waiter wearing a deep-red, blackcollared uniform. Colour-coding teams and tasks inside a team offer another opportunity, the chance of promotion to

PAGE 50

what is perceived as another level. And all of this includes that elusive element – motivation.

identify and match the right lubricant in the right fill point, ensuring lubricators are aware of what they are handling.

Look at colour-coding special tools. If workshop special tools are not stored separately, signed out and signed in, they quickly become part of the general workshop scene and absorbed into techies toolkits. What was intended to speed up work just gets lost and abused. By fixing a unique colour to special tools, team leaders and workshop managers easily spot them in the workshop. This speeds up an audit of what has been removed from the special tool store and why it’s lying around out of its secure area.

Jim Green of Alcoa comments on the Noria.com website: “We have four to five different lubricants that we use in small quantities each day. Several years ago we switched from the metal 1-gallon containers to clear plastic containers. Not only are they easier to pour from, but the user can also see the colour of the oil, as they are shaded differently. Of course, we have each container properly identified, but this additional safety net has made adding the wrong lube a thing of the past.”

Colour-code lubricants and lube applications

Colour security into vehicle components

The road transport industry is legion with stories of how engine oil was used as gear oil and other mis-filling. As artisans are more colour than text-driven, using colour in managing critical fluids is much easier to train and manage.

Colour-coded lube efficiency also fulfills the additional challenges of complying with the OHS Act and caring for the environment.

If all chassis brake-piping is high-quality black PA12 conduit, the quality may be right but the ‘sameness’ of the colour will multiply the chances of misconnecting the pipes – especially in poor light conditions and emergency roadside repairs at night. Could brake failure and an accident be ascribed to component colour blindness? The point is that far more skill and care is required when everything ‘looks’ the same.

Best practice solutions for workplace lubricant and fluid management are an industry and science on their own. And they make full use of colour-coding to

Colouring truck chassis negotiable and removable components makes casual swap-jacking that much more difficult to execute and very easy to spot during

MBWA (it’s worth repeating, Management By Wandering Around). This concept is readily applied to batteries and spare wheels.

Colour effective implementation into checklists and admin Marking documents with colour quickly groups the paper flood into prioritised categories.

For example, any document dealing with safety-critical parts could carry a red-striped edge. A document with a red edge then carries a sense of urgency where safety critical components mean failure will translate into threats to vehicles, loads and people. Any red-edged doc lying in a pile of paper is then out of place and deserves immediate rescue and attention.

Colours enhance driver productivity and safety Trying to get drivers to understand a torque curve is a very difficult task. This is made even more difficult in a mixed fleet, where the engines have different torque characteristics, while the easiest course of action is to direct them to the famous ‘green band’ on the rev-counter.

On the other hand, retardation requires getting the revs up and out of the green band and into the ‘blue band on a revcounter. And when a driver is using an engine or exhaust brake – such as the Jacobs (Jake) brake – the fuel is cut off,

so there is no fuel consumption and it’s good to be out of the green band and into the ‘blue zone’. Why then do truck OEMs not colour rev-counters with effective retardation zones?

Colours for discipline A business associate once described to me how he had successfully introduced concepts borrowed from sporting discipline, where communication was hampered by language barriers – it simply involved the yellow card and red card.

Even if you cannot speak a language, everyone understands from watching soccer that a yellow card is a severe warning and red gets you dismissed from the playing field.

Take this a step further and introduce a green card. Go on, make someone’s day! Catch someone doing something really right and publicly issue a green card!

Colour enhances 5S implementation What is 5S? 5S is the name of a workplace organisation method that uses a list of five Japanese words: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke. Translated into English they all start with the letter “S”. The list describes how to organise a work space for efficiency and effectiveness by identifying and storing the items used, maintaining the area and items, and sustaining the new order.

The decision-making process usually

comes from a dialogue about standardisation, which builds understanding among employees of how they should do the work.

Colour is the way to implement the five primary 5S phases: sorting, straightening, systematic cleaning, standardising, and sustaining – anything else would just be ‘business as usual’.

Colours for waste management See AutoForum August 2011 - Gear up for regulated waste management – it’s time to start streaming waste. A ‘Waste Generator’ in terms of the Waste Act, 59/2008 is anyone who generates more than 20 kg of waste per day. The only way to control this hazard is through coloured bins that are clearly identified with the type of waste for that colour and pictures of waste that can be placed in the bin.

In conclusion, there’s a great opportunity to improve fleet control in many areas, thinking ‘outside the box’. An innovative introduction of colour into fleets will enhance training, make supervisory checks and audits much easier, prevent contamination and bring motivation with colour into an otherwise dreary workplace. Take a stroll and start implementation. http://www.fluiddefense.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5S_(methodology) Lube-Tips Newsletter [newsletters@noria. com]

Sort (organisation) Clearly distinguish needed from unneeded items & eliminate unneeded items

Standardise (standardised clean-up) This is the condition we support when we maintain the first three pillars

Sustain (discipline) make a habit of maintaining established procedures

Shine (cleanliness) Keep the workshop clean and swept

Sort in order (orderless) Keep needed items in the correct place for easy and quick retrieval

PAGE 51

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

AutoForum - January 2013

Improving the road freight industry

A

training product released for truck drivers at the end of last year - the NSEWA learning initiative - is a programme aimed at closing the gap between health services and road safety within the freight industry.

This is by virtue of specially-designed driver safety training and health-related programmes. The learning network, initially launched in March last year, completed its pilot stage and went live commercially in November 2012 and is described as leading the way in promoting health and safety in the South African transport industry.

“The NSEWA learning network pilot has given us a great indication of how NSEWA will contribute towards a safer and healthier transport industry in South Africa,” says North Star Alliance Director for Southern Africa, Paul Matthew. “We

PAGE 52

are ready to bring an innovative training package that is new to the market.”

NSEWA was piloted in South Africa with local and regional transport companies last year. The pilot assessed the aim of the learning network: a modular training package aimed at refreshing and reinforcing skills for drivers who have already had some training but lack specific knowledge and skills needed to stay healthy and safe while on the road.

“The results of the pilot enabled us to assess the effects of the NSEWA learning network on a driver’s knowledge and behaviour. The transport companies that participated in the pilot were also able to track the benefits and results of the learning network,” says Fleet Forum Programme Manager Rose van Steijn.

“We are excited about the results, which we were able to obtain from the truck

drivers’ survey and the assessment at the end of each module of the learning programme,” she says.

The comprehensive training package is supported by the UPS Foundation and the Road Safety Fund in conjunction with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety.

PAGE 53

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

AutoForum - January 2013

SA truck market fierce

S

cott Byers Network’s comparative customer satisfaction survey of truck fleet owners in South Africa for the 2nd Quarter of 2012, reports that competition in the South African truck market is fierce.

The report comments on 15 OEs and says that there are more with customer portfolios that are currently too small to produce even indicative results.

Based on the logic of a desire to look after existing customers, the survey’s expected result should be that customer experience is improving as OEs and their dealer organisations strive to improve their relationships with their existing customers - in order to improve their share of existing business.

The reality, however, is not quite as expected. According to the survey, over the last 12 months the national average in the “Comparative Truck Study” has dropped by 2.25%. They point out that while this may not look dramatic, it is the picture that is of importance.

The national average in all three departments, sales, service and parts, has dropped.

The only two OEs measured that improved their overall scores were Freightliner and International. The report finds that there are some interesting challenges in the market that go beyond dealing with the impact of the global economy and its effect on the Southern African scenario, and its writers believe that the number of brands currently available in this market highlights some of these factors. The writers go on so say that those OEs whose performances are below the current “National Average” face a survival challenge, and pose the question as to how many brands can

PAGE 54

achieve a level of sustainability in the Southern Africa market.

The survey clarifies that it classifies sustainability as more than about the brand itself but also the profitability of its dealer organisations and the ongoing support that comes from satisfied customers. The transition from a satisfied customer to a loyal customer is driven by the on-going quality of the customer “Experience” and this is one of the survival keys. It is also one of the reasons why measuring customer experience is perhaps the most important business metric.

Meanwhile, Hino became the first truck manufacturer or distributor to make a clean sweep at the top of all four tables in the survey.

At the Scott Byers & Econometrix Truck Seminar in Johannesburg at the end of last year, founder of the research company Ian Byers said that when it first started its survey in 1986, customer satisfaction levels ranged from about 52%-58%. Now Hino has averaged more than 93% in all four tables: Sales, Service, Parts and Overall and the national average in the overall rankings exceeds 91%.

The annual awards are based on a full year’s results, from October 1 of one year to September 30 of the following year. Each of those companies whose results are included in the comparative evaluation must have had at least 100 interviews conducted per department – Sales, Service and Parts.

The final list is made up of those companies with scores greater than the national average.

During interviews, the fleet owners are asked to give their ratings of companies that are either their first or second choice supplier and with whom they have had dealings within the past three months, so as to ensure the survey is up to date and relevant.

According to the Scott Byers Network there had been slight downturns in the average scores in the Sales and Service categories over the past year, with poor product knowledge and poor diagnosis being the two major failings in these respective categories. The average score in the Parts section has improved slightly and here poor product knowledge – identifying the correct parts for a particular truck – is the main area of concern.

The average overall customer satisfaction score, which peaked at 92.5% in 2011, slipped slightly early in 2012, but has risen to more than 91% by the end of September.

“We are absolutely delighted to be the first company in history to have topped all four tables and I would like to congratulate our dealer network and our own after-sales support teams for these outstanding results on all fronts,” said Hino SA’s Vice President, Dr Casper Kruger.

“We are particularly proud that we were able to come out top in the Parts segment of the survey as the research was conducted while we were moving into our massive new parts warehouse in Benoni, which has meant transferring large amounts of stock from our previous warehouse in Sandton and a number of satellite hubs in Gauteng.

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PAGE 55

AutoForum - January 2013

SHOW TIME

Show Time

SHOW TIME

Tenneco Tours successfully!

PAGE 56

- Grant West

Tenneco, leading manufacturers of Monroe ride control and Walker emission control products and systems, recently invited a number of local distributors, fitment operators, trade customers and journalists from Africa, the Middle East and Turkey to visit the European Headquarters and global ride control centre in Sint-Truiden, Belgium to experience the highly successful “Tenneco on Tour” road show and witness first hand the Monroe Engineering and Technology Centre (METC). The latter houses the company’s global ride control research, development and manufacturing facility..

C

onsidered a global centre of excellence for Tenneco, the METC trains Tenneco engineers from India, China and Poland.

Drawing its talent from a number of top universities in Europe, Sandro Paparelli, Vice President and General Manager, Ride Control Europe, said: “We are in a unique position to offer career advancement in sophisticated engineering and advanced technology fields, with an additional possibility of being able to work in a number of countries around the world. Our people are among the best in the automotive industry and are critical to helping us meet today’s challenging industry environment.”

Tenneco’s award winning Kinetic H2-CES (Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension) semi-active suspension system for the McLaren MP4-12C supercar is assembled in

a state-of-the-art clean room in the centre of the plant. This product earned Tenneco the title “Supplier of the Year”in 2011 from Vehicle Dynamics International Magazine and an independent panel of judges. This plant has a high level of vertical integration and its sintered metal operation manufactures more than 3 million critical small components daily and supplies Tenneco plants worldwide.

The Sint-Truiden plant is the flagship amongst the company’s plants and produces 30 000 of the 120 000 units produced daily worldwide.

With an investment in excess of 20 million Euro’s in this plant - mainly on the manufacturing side - it currently has a capacity of 45 000 units per day.

Monroe supplies 25% of shock absorbers worldwide for both OE and the aftermarket,

making it the leading brand in the field of suspension systems and in 2011 in excess of 30 million Monroe shock absorbers were produced for customers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Tenneco is setting the benchmark for technical training to the independent aftermarket with the expansion of its“4T’ (Tenneco Train the Trainers) initiative covering ride control, steering & suspension and emissions control diagnosis and repair. The 4T programme includes a staff of 40 certified “Master Trainers” who take the latest diagnostic and repair information to thousands of workshop technicians, distributors and service network representatives across Europe, Africa, the Middle East as well as both South and Central America.

Oscar Oskarsson, Tenneco Training Manager, says the programme is largely due to the significant need for this type of training. “Our focus is exclusively on understanding and diagnosing vehicle systems. When you attend one of our full-day sessions, you will see that our first slide and our last slide is technical,

because that is the type of information being requested by the workshop professionals.”

“Tenneco is helping aftermarket professionals not only remain competitive, but position themselves to grow their share of the service market as a result of their diagnostic expertise,”said Oskarsson.

In addition to 4T training sessions, aftermarket technicians can meet Tenneco Master Trainers during any stop in the “Tenneco on Tour” road show, which highlights the latest technologies, diagnostic requirements as well as aftermarket products from the company’s Monroe and Walker brands.

TENNECO ON TOUR – “distributing know-how to the independent aftermarket.”

Housed in two highly sophisticated semi-trailers and multiple product demonstration areas, the “Tenneco on Tour” experience supports Monroe and Walker customers by reinforcing the importance of understanding today’s complex ride control, steering and suspension and emissions control systems and properly diagnosing wear.

Each tour event features a blend of hands-on product displays and multimedia modules designed for automotive professionals. Visitors also learn how

Tenneco’s training programmes, backed by aftermarket products that benefit from the company’s extensive original equipment (OE) expertise, can help workshops offer superior repair solutions for their customers.

The tour arrived in Belgium from Algeria, where it participated in the Equip Auto show in addition to making several stops at customer facilities. This unique road show started in April 2012 and visited a total of 24 selected locations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The interactive road show offers a mix of theory, practice and fun, with the focus primarily on the right diagnosis, as well as the technical information to help workshops in the replacement of emission and ride control systems.

Alex Gelbcke, Vice President and General Manager, Aftermarket Europe, explained: “As a leading specialist in emission and ride control, we provide our customers with an extremely wide and detailed product and service portfolio. Never before have we been able to show our capabilities so fully in one single place. The road show is a unique opportunity for our customers to experience first hand our expertise and product range right on their doorsteps. Our trucks are stopping directly on the forecourts of our aftermarket Continued on page 58

PAGE 57

SHOW TIME

AutoForum - January 2013

customers, at our facilities and at important industry events.”

Over roughly 150 event days, “Tenneco on Tour” presented a comprehensive portfolio of technical background information, useful practical tips and descriptive videos to around 250 000 sector representatives. Experienced master trainers presented Tenneco’s entire breadth of products and tools and provided useful tips on the suspension systems and exhaust system service to mechanics, sales personnel and business owners. Professional demonstrations include the 4G-AGAR exhaust diagnosis software and the Expert Suspension Tester.

On test drives, visitors can experience the effect of worn shock absorbers

PAGE 58

and judge for themselves the results of comparative tests showing exhaust emissions with and without DPF catalytic converters.

A vehicle model equipped with OE technologies that Tenneco has already introduced on the aftermarket is the centre-piece of the mobile showroom.

The Walker Original Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is an example of how Tenneco leverages its OE expertise in the aftermarket with a highly effective product. The DPF allows workshops to replace an OE DPF with a filter that is comparable in terms of quality and technical specification.

In November 2012, Tenneco had covered more than 40 000 km crossing more than 45 borders; staged over 35 major events including Automechanika,

Frankfurt and Auto Equip; provided over 50 000 product and technology demonstrations; been exposed to an estimated 250 000 trade customers and consumers during its tour, with its Monroe and Walker trucks.

The company announced that during its first year of operation, its innovative show for workshop professionals and distributors has exceeded every expectation in terms of customer contact, in-market training and sales support..

As a result of this success and based on demand from aftermarket customers, the company will continue the tour into 2013.

For details of the tour dates and destinations, visit www.tenneco.com

Tyrexpo Asia 2013 expected to be the biggest one yet

T

yrexpo Asia 2013 – the independent tyre and equipment show – will take place at the Singapore Expo Centre in March and the bi-ennial event is already 90% full.

“Due to the unprecedented level of interest, we can confidently predict that Tyrexpo Asia 2013 will be the biggest, most diverse and truly international tyre and equipment show staged in Singapore,” says show organiser ECI International Sales Director Rowena Suthers.

This year’s event will boast a large presence from Singaporean, Malaysian, Indonesian and Chinese exhibitors, as well as Indian, European, Middle East and US suppliers. Among the dozens of tyre manufacturers on show will be Omni and Stamford from Singapore, CEAT and BKT from India, Interstate from the Netherlands, who will exhibit their first-ever truck tyre range, Zeetex from Zafco, Aeolus, Techking, Shandong Linglong, Hangzhou Zhonce, Enjoy and Deestone from China.

Tyre retreading and repair will be a major focus at the 2013 staging with Singapore’s Newera demonstrating its commitment to achieving a major impact at its home show with five separate stands showing new equipment, accessories and repair products. Indian rubber and repair materials suppliers will also be prominent, including long-standing Tyrexpo Asia exhibitor Elgi Rubber, Malhotra, Midas Precured Treads, Bestpatch Rubber and Speedways Rubber.

Tyrexpo Asia 2013 will cover all aspects of the international tyre and workshop equipment sector, including new tyres for all applications; retreads; repair materials; garage machinery and workshop equipment; tools; accessories; consumables and associated services.

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Unit 9 Edison Park, 183 Edison Crescent, Hennops Park, Centurion, 0157

AutoForum - January 2013

SHOW TIME

TEPG acquires Gauteng Motorshow

T

hebe Exhibitions and Projects Group (TEPG) has acquired the Gauteng Motor Show and will be incorporating the Atomic Junkies Adrenalin Sports Fest with it this year.

Alan Cawood says that over the past nine years that he has been running the show, it has proved to be a great success. “I have every confidence in the ability of TEPG to run and manage this event with the utmost professionalism and passion, as this company has a proven record of excellence in their existing exhibitions and events such as Decorex, Sports & Events Tourism Exchange (SETE), Atomic Junkies Adrenalin Sports Fest, Business Opportunities and Franchise Expo (BOFE) and the Retirement Expo,” says Cawood.

TEPG Managing Director Carol Weaving says the purchase of the Gauteng Motor Show is a significant addition to the group’s portfolio of consumer and trade exhibitions. “We are very pleased to be the new owners and managers of the show. As experienced and credible exhibition and event organisers we plan to take it to new heights and incorporate our Atomic Junkies Adrenalin Sports Fest to make it a one-stop extreme mototainment show.”

The annual Gauteng Motor Show will be held at Zwartkops Raceway on 1 and 2 June 2013 and will showcase all aspects of the motoring industry and features over 200 exhibitors who will be highlight and sell their product and services from different brands of motor cars, sound systems, add-ons and customising to any other products that supports any aspect of the motor industry as a whole.

For more information visit www.gautengmotorshow.co.za.

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Joh Por

Aftermarketplace

AutoForum - January 2013

Karcher 1100 now at AutoZone AutoZone announced recently that it now has stock of the Karcher 1100 high-pressure cleaner. This product has numerous benefits including that it uses up to 80% less water than a standard garden hose, provides 100 bar of pressure, boasts a water flow rate of 300 litres per hour, and is rated at 1 200 watt. The unit also has a number of standard accessories, including a detergent suction hose, inlet water filter, trigger gun, a three meter long high-pressure

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Exchange PAGE 61

DIRECTORY LISTING

Aftermarketplace Directory

To advertise your listing in AutoForum After-Marketplace Directory contact us on 011 466 3733 or email: info@AutoForum.co.za

AUTO ELECTRICAL Auto Cosmos - Electrolog

Electronic Parts (Electrical) Catalogue

012 327 6210

Autozone

Aftermarket Electrical Parts & Accessories

0861 122 111

Bosch

Parts, Accessories & Batteries

011 651 9600

Diesel Electric

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

086 000 3227

First National Battery

Industrial & Automotive Batteries

011 741 3600

MED Motor Electro Diesel

AutoElectrical Components & Accessories

021 505 4000

Parts Incorporated Africa

Automotive Components & Accessories

011 879 6000

PSH Holland

Alternators & Starter Motors

011 704 5196

Trysome Auto Electrical

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011 823 5650

Connoisseur Automotive

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021 419 7188

Highveld Garage Equipment

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012 330 0540

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011 498 0700

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011 444 6454

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011 472 7279/5954

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011 613 6111

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086 176 2766

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011 334 1680

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RAM

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011 248 9400

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PAGE 62

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