Automotive Refinisher July-August 2015

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T H E V O I C E O F T H E I N D U S T R Y July-August 2015

Edition 180

IBIS ATHENS

ISLE OF MAN TT

IMPERIAL TRAINING CENTRE

QUANTUM S HIFT FOR SES’FIK ILE

IN THIS ISSUE >> >> >> >>

TAKATA AIRBAG STORY NEW PRODUCTS CURING TIME CHIP FOOSE INTERVIEW

Enjoy the recognition you deserve.

We thank you for providing us with the opportunity to introduce our dynamic service offerings and present to you a vision for simplicity, success and sustainability.

The CRA has evolved as an organisation with passion, understanding and the will to provide results to our esteemed members from the basis of being a voice to the auto body collision industry. We employ consultants and are associated with people suitably qualified in all aspects of collision repair and related business management skills with high integrity and willing to offer their support to ensuring the success of your facilities.

Our objectives are issues the proactive body shop owner does not really have the time to concentrate on to ensure the optimisation of their business. The constant changes in the law, support in compliance with statutory requirements, relationship mentoring with government and insurers on selection criteria with regards to financial allowances on mark-up and labour rates as well as aiding consumer choice on service expectation. Further hereto our aim is to provide technical support and training on advancements in collision repair techniques and new equipment investment advice.

To date the CRA has achieved significant change with benefits and are on the road to create market awareness which in the short term will emulate consumer appreciation not previously evident in our local market.

Our mission will ensure via procedural compliance that our forum will enforce a code of conduct that covers consumer protection, work force motivation and job security and ultimately peace of mind to business owners on secure, and beneficial return on investment. We have also concluded annual inflationary labour rate increases with a major insurer

including labour rate allowances above the rate which individual repairers would normally be able to achieve independently and thus extended as a financial benefit to approved members. This will be protracted via further meetings to almost all the other major insurers in the short term.

As with any Association annual membership fees are payable to cover administration costs and our membership is based on grading status. Further hereto our membership is extended to equipment and service related suppliers whom have a similar vision of business ethic.

These include at present paint suppliers, a BEEE accreditation agency, an authorised health and safety compliance consultant, quoting and business management software suppliers and high end workshop equipment suppliers. This will also result in better service, support and preferential rates on association.

We provide an on-line E Procure business data profile of members to support recognition for independent role players in every area of activity in the collision repair industry. The platform will provide assistance to work providers and consumers with accident damaged vehicles to make educated decisions in allowing the most professional repairer the opportunity of refurbishment within acceptable time frames and in line with warranty reinstatement protocols.

In conclusion we trust you can see the benefit of belonging to our Association and look forward to the synergy we can create by our providing valued service and more importantly ensuring your enthusiasm and input is shared with other members at organised events of our approved panel.

JOIN THE CRA AND GET THE RECOGNITION YOU DESERVE!

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Call us on 0861 726 272 or Visit www.crasa.org.za

Contents

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30 YEARS ON With One Aim

THE NECESSITY FOR MIOSA What’s Hot?

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IBIS CONFERENCE REVIEW Athens

QUANTUM SHIFT New Taxi Line

CHIP FOOSE Interview

IMPERIAL TRAINING Academy

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ISLE OF MAN TT Races

DID YOU HEAR? Roger McCleery

TAKATA AIRBAGS

A Corporate Disgrace

SPECIALISED HEATING Build Big

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NEW PRODUCTS

New Products Review

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Front Cover:Lexus LF-SA Concept Contents: Acropolis of Athens, Greece

AUTOMOTIVE REFINISHER

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PUBLISHING NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS

30 YEARS ON, THE BUSINESS IS STILL STANDING hree decades of keeping collision repairers happy is a big mission for this aging hack. It seems like just a few years ago that I got a bee in my bonnet about trying to create some sort of communication to introducing a few of the latest methods of car repair to the South African market.

In our shared pastime of collision repair before the advent of the marvellous internet, the quest and merry hunt for the fastest, newest and most efficient methods for car repair has taken me around the world a few times.

The part of self appointed industry guru blew away some of my best years on this constant ceaseless crusade. In that time I have met some equally excellent executives from the body repair refinish supply and independent trade leaders who always supplied knowledge that was pertinent, useful and humbling.

In those three decades this magazine has proved to be part of a small number of world class publications. We have tried to bring the best content practices, as well as the most obscure trade news and updates that we feel you always need.

It’s amazing just how good the local body shop business has become since our start up edition of July-August 1985. The days of one pack paint finishes, panels with the metal wall thickness of tanks are long gone and forgotten. Don’t use your acetylene torch in car repair today, it will result in

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disaster and an irate car owner as things no longer fall apart on the world car you are repairing. Everyone’s a specialist in manufacturer approval, small area repair and salvage sales.

In this brief moment of navel gazing as we stare back to some of the first basically made Automotive Refinishers, it’s clear to see that we have both come a long way.

For you it has been a life of endless rebuilds, for us, a quest to keep the comic up to speed at all times. In the twinkling of an unseen eye the time has come for me to turn over the reins of success to my talented family and staff. We still produce this document at home and have never been late in all our efforts to keep abreast of the trade news. We get armfuls of compliments on the way the magazine looks today, as well as how important it is to our readers, which makes us proud.

For this latest edition, I have been to Greece to attend the world body shop conference, IBIS, and taken a couple of weeks out at the Isle of Man - to act my shoe size and not my age - and flexed the camera lens a great deal to try and trap the perfect piece of frozen time in pictures of the amazing TT motorcycle races.

My life continues to run the same way its going for chicken man, that of doing an awful lot of running around squawking and flapping but never quite getting airborne.

I’m sure you recognise this life scenario and what else are we meant to do? I’m

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probably going to scribble on secretly for quite awhile. I’m not done yet. The irrational passion for leading a way forward for African body repair is quite a daft and motivating interest for all at the magazine.

So thanks for the memories and yes, we did make a diference over all that time.

There’s something to be said that we still have people with us that placed advertising in the first edition. We have also supported our printing team for 30 years too somewhat unheard of today. It seems that there is still a place in today’s commercial craziness where honour, integrity and good old fashion honesty still have a place.

Where Were We 30 years Ago? Thirty years ago the number one hit in August was “Shout”, by Tears for Fears and the top movie for 1985 was “Out of Africa.”

Ian was in the trench warfare of refinish paint sales and starting a magazine despite having a postage stamp size education.

Val was running Colour Creations, raising a family and completing the juggling act of keeping the accounts intact.

Claire was 11 years old and at primary school and dreaming of becoming a prima ballerina.

Jay was 6 years old and at primary school and trying to hide from all the girls who wanted to kiss him.

Nataschja was 21 and at University and wondering what the world had in store for her.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH:

F a cs imi le : +2 7 (0 ) 11 2 5 2 68 4 4 E ma il : a u tor e f@i a fri ca . c om W e b si te : www. a uto re f. c o. z a P u b lis he r: Ia n Gr oa t

UNITED KINGDOM

E d ito r: C la ir e M a c fie A c cou nts : V a l G roa t D e sig n: Ja y G roa t C T C or r es p ond e nt : Da v e Fa ll T e chn ic a l Ed it or: An d re w M ar sh 4

A U S T R A L I A

The views expressed in articles in Automotive Refinisher are those of the authors and shall not be construed to represent those of the Editor or the Publisher.

Accordingly, Automotive Refinisher accepts no responsibility for claims and statements made by advertisers and independent columnists. Further, the appearance of advertisements herein does not necessarily indicate the approval by Automotive Refinisher for the product and/or service advertised. Material may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the Publisher. Automotive Refinisher is dedicated to servicing the business interests of the collision repair industry.

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Gun Design by Master Car Designer Pininfarina.

Arnest Iwata’s State-of-the-Art Supernova WS-400 Evo.

B l o ck B , G r o u n d F l o o r, St . A n d r ew s O f f i c e C o m p l ex M e a d ow b r o o k L a n e , E p s o m D ow n s C o n t a ct : +27 (0) 11 463 2169

FRONTLINE EDITORIAL - by Ian Groat WHAT’S HOT?

THE GIANT GREEK FINANICIAL PONZI SCHEME UNRAVELS e had the pleasure of enjoying some early Spring weather this month in Athens at the IBIS conference. We had been told only to arrive with cash because of the impending economic woes.

The visit was once again proof positive that we don’t live in a CNN or BBC television world of constant doom and gloom and after five days of visiting, the Hilton Hotel proved to be faultless, sight-seeing was perfect and eating out and general shopping was a great success.

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Greece Did Not Fail On Its Own – It Was Made To Fail The Banksters and financial markets have wreaked havoc on Greece’s economy and currency as they were deliberately and maliciously pushed into unrecoverable debt structures while their national assets that generated revenue were sold off systematically to oligarchs and international corporations. If you like a good conspiracy story.

Starting off badly for Greece first came the collapse and financial crisis of 2008. Probably a brainchild of already ruined Wall Street bankers who were in a start up phase of selling worthless sub-prime mortgages to anyone breathing. They packaged up there ticking time bombs of supposedly financial help and sold them as mortage backed securities across the world.

Helped on by yet another arm in this financial criminal scam are other banking operations. Of these are the group of rating agencies like S and P, Fitch and Moodys who gave stellar ratings to the destined to fail financial products to gullible pension funds and municipalities and desperate countries across Europe. So with the first piece of the financial scam in place they sat comfortably as the worlds’ financial system went into free fall. In a matter of weeks on capital markets, Goldman Sachs profited enormously along with Lehman Brothers (who later were to collapse) and Mutual Paulson.

The Banker Bail-Out Scam Loaning hundreds of millions of American tax payers dollar money from the very people they had ruined in life was the next banksters’ ploy along with trillions from the Federal Reserve Bank.

They were flush enough to donate a new 30 billion dollar loan to once again bail out the Greek people. Then in another related move the Greek banks forced the government to accept the massive debt payments package while they systematically downgraded their government bonds in 2009. This resulted in increased borrowing costs and they toppled in terms of repayment interest costs to bring Greece to its knees, gaining them a profit of 110 Billion Euro’s in another big rip-off, By 2011 the banks owned the political high ground and when government refused to accept more austerity measures on another bail out deal, the finance minister got his marching orders only to be replaced by a tame vice president of the ECB Central Bank.

The new financial move in November 2011 saw the financial puppet masters turning up the yields to 50% levels to give the government no alternative but to agree to a second massive bailout, larger than the first one with strings attached, like privatisation of Greece’s assets so that the rape and humiliation of the nation could gather momentum. So away went water, electricity, post offices, airport services, telecommunications, and other business ventures to big corporations and key overseas business interests.

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The Next Move: Government Revenues Fall With these key assets no longer delivering revenue with pension tax contributions cut by half, the end game result has been that in a nation where only a very small percentage of people pay any form of income tax (much the same as South Africa) the result right now is seeing a financial calamity worse than the great depression in the US in the 1930’s. All this while TV shows and presenters spew out the banksters’ propaganda, much like George Orwell’s famous novel, Animal Farm, on a slavery under austerity theme.

Courage comes to the front, however, as Greece has just stopped any further intrusion into their national independence from big business and corrupt politicians with a ‘No’ vote for no more austerity measures and it’s assumed that they will be a prime mover to become a member nation of the all new Brics banking system being launched in Russia later this month (July, 2015).

Armed now with the might of Latin America, Russia, China, Africa and other nations that have been systematically disenfranchised by the American dollar and Euro financial markets,. Maybe the drive to replace the resultant heavily manipulated dollar world, these new currencies could assist developing economies with a term of stability on our exchange rate controls. A twenty-to-one Rand against the Pound Sterling surely the game is up for us and Greece and our ailing economy going fowards.

It must be time for a change to rid our financial market exploitation using the same old tools of debt – austerity – and privatisation gibberish that’s collectively ruined once-robust economies like Spain, Italy, Portugal and Ireland, amongst others.

The final accommodation granted to Greece in the latest 86 Billion Euro bailout deal is just another way of kicking the can down the road for another three years and a bout of crucification for the Greek Prime Minister Tsipras. One day in the real world the Brics Bank may rise up and shake off those Dollar and Euro based financial dogma’s of the greedy and crooked banksters tyranny to roll out a new international currency to end the financial markets grip that is the current scenario on the manipulation of our own Rand value. Bring it on, the sooner the better.

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INDUSTRY NEWS WHAT’S HOT?

THE NECESSITY FOR THE MIOSA OFFICE rom a humble start 15 years ago, with two people in the office, the Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa (MIOSA), a non-profit organisation, now boasts a staff compliment of 45 and handles up to and over 4000 calls a month.

Approximately 8% of these complaints cover body queries. The office has a great track record for sorting out consumer problems amicably and has been a great help to thousands of suppliers, dealers, consumers and manufacturers alike.

With the South African Department of Justice being overloaded and the courts stretched to their limits, Government as early as 1998 realised that alternative dispute resolution would have to be established in order to assist the courts in dispensing justice as required by South Africa’s world renowned Constitution.

The model favoured by Government was that of Industry Ombudsmen. The reason for this was that when the Consumer Protection Act No. 68 of 2008 (Act) was promulgated it was soon realised that, even though well written and progressive, it covered too wide a scope to allow for the knowledgeable industry specific justice to be dispensed. With this in mind, industry specific Ombudsmen were established with the help and financial support of the different industries that make up the South African economy.

To ensure that the model chosen as a suitable alternative dispute resolution platform, Ombudsmen offices were voluntary organisations and did not have statutory powers to enforce rulings.

However, where industries have placed themselves voluntarily under the jurisdiction

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of their Industry Ombudsman this very rarely posed a problem and disputes were resolved normally amicably amongst the parties.

However, to ensure that the Act provide adequate protection for both consumers and service providers it was soon clear that regulations will have to be drawn up to support the Act. The best solution was to allow the different industries that make up the South African economy to draw up industry codes that would complement and explain the Act to the consumer and service provider alike.

The South African Motor Industry was chosen to draw up the very first industry specific Code of Conduct. The process started in 2009, and after six years of debate and great expense, the South African Automotive Industry Code of Conduct was finally written into Law as gazetted by the Honourable Minister of Trade and Industries on the 17th October 2014.

Under the definition of the motor industry all service providers are now under the jurisdiction of the Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa (MIOSA) and

this will ensure that both industry service providers and consumers will receive justice in the form of dispute resolution that is industry knowledgeable, fair to all parties, cost effective and above all impartial.

In order to assure the effectiveness of the MIOSA, it presented industry with a budget that was duly audited, presented and accepted by the Industry and Government.

Even though the levy to the office of the MIOSA has now become a legal requirement, it was also realised that to keep the financial burden on Industry as low as possible, it is crucial for the Industry to register as a matter of urgency to ensure that the levy remain as low as possible with even the possibility of further reductions as the support base grows. The surplus from this fund will be used to make future payments less for each registered user.

As an industry, let’s work together to ensure that industry and consumers receive the justice and treatment that we all as citizens of South Africa deserve.

Visit www.miosa.co.za for more details or to register.

J.D POWER 2015

BMW ROSSLYN AWARDED PLATINUM QUALITY AWARD he BMW Group’s Rosslyn Plant in Midrand, Johannesburg, was awarded the Platinum Plant Quality Award in the J.D. Power 2015 Initial Quality Study (IQS) for producing BMW 3 Series models with the fewest defects or malfunctions.

Plant Rosslyn last received this award in 2002 with an IQS score of 85 pp100 (problems per 100 vehicles surveyed).

The BMW brand also ranked 6th overall among the nameplates with 99 PP100, a 9 point improvement from 2014. PP100 is the J.D. Power standard measurement of problems per 100 vehicles. The 2015 industry average is 112 PP100.

In addition to Plant Rosslyn’s award, three BMW models – the BMW 2 Series, BMW 4 Series and BMW 5 Series – were also the top ranked vehicles in their categories in the J.D. Power 2015 IQS. The BMW 2 Series was the Highest Ranked Small Premium Car; the BMW 4 Series was the Highest Ranked Compact Premium Car; and the BMW 5 Series was the Highest Ranked Midsize Premium Car. Additionally, the BMW 7 Series was ranked 2nd in the Large Premium Car segment.

The 2015 J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study is based on responses from more than 84,000 purchasers and lessees of new

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2015 model-year vehicles surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study was fielded between February and May 2015.

“We are delighted about Plant Rosslyn being awarded this prestigious international award. It is a true testament to the quality, craftsmanship and excellence we strive for in the production of each of our BMW 3 Series Sedan vehicles,” says Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW Group South Africa.

Plant Rosslyn, situated north of Pretoria, was the BMW Group’s first foreign plant in 1973 and represents a cornerstone of the BMW Group’s global production network with presently 30 sites in 14 countries. The plant currently produces the BMW 3 Series Sedan for local and export markets around the world. In 2014, BMW 3 Series Sedan exports from Plant Rosslyn increased by over 17% to 68,771 – which clearly solidified BMW South Africa’s position as the country’s leading exporter of premium vehicles. Furthermore, in February this year, Plant Rosslyn reached a remarkable milestone when the one-millionth vehicle rolled off the assembly line.

More information about the J.D. Power 2015 Initial Quality Study (IQS) can be found at www.jdpower.com/quality 7

IBIS 2015 ATHENS GREECE

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THOUGHTS ON EVOLUTION THROUGH COLLABORATION Story and pics by Ian Groat

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his years’ international gathering for IBIS on collision repair took place over three days in Athens. It attracted a record delegate list from across the globe. As the African publishing partner since the inception over a decade ago Automotive Refinisher Magazine went along to examine their ‘Thoughts on evolution through collaboration’, the theme of this year’s event.

The conference this year was held in Athens, which showed up none of the expected basket case CNN characteristics by proving to be absolutely faultless as a sponsoring hotel venue. The Hilton pulled out all the stops on the first evening with a cocktail conference. Attendees were greeted with warm late evening sunshine 13 floors above the picturesque setting and able to gaze at the Parthenon quite freely all night long. The session is given over to the networking for both speaking sponsors and key delegates to catch up on industry developments.

Jake O’Neal welcomed everybody and

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opened the IBIS conference. Some small changes to the running order were announced before David Lingham, conference director explained the thinking behind the ‘Evolution’ theme for the twoday actual conference and thanked the suppor ting sponsorships from 3M, AlzoNobel, Audatex, EMM, Altaxa and Fix Auto.

Sean Carey dealt with fundamental changes in the market that are appearing on the horizon from SCG Management. As the keynote speaker he looked at the rapid development of the connected car, trends of insurance and vehicle makers moving closer together for new drives on sales activity.

Whole new methodologies on the claims processes and what if the vehicle made the damage claim, growing changes in market strategies as Google now sells insurance in the US market and Toyota buying through a third party insurance box were also discussed. While in the UK market the world’s largest diversified stock market company Berkshire Hathaway,

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1. The IBIS sponsoring team put on a great event in terms of content and delegate sponsorship.

2. David Lingham after 10 successful years stood down as the IBIS moderator but remains a conference director.

3. Major consolidation in US markets could rapidly spread to international business says Rex Green.

4. Sean Carey showed the rapid expanse of the connected car concepts with close to 3000 new applications per month being requested on the internet.

5. The South African contingent saw Aleeshen Kisten (left), Anesh Govender from M&F Insurance and Lasen Moodley from Audatex in attendance.

6. The IBIS conference is very much about networking for the global movers and shakers.

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buying Auto Van Tyl Axalta and Greco are all key players in the US repair market.

Other trends like Apple are now in the process of building a car. Nissan and Renault par tnering with Floow and General Insurance with US repairer Progressive now being seen to tie up with General Motors.

All this will put the OEM’s in the driving seat with a lead on embedded data while Insurers are now recognising that they will be better off partnering, and finally consumers in the end, will hopefully receive better products with better service and better pricing.

There’s a trend in a seamless damage claim that will undoubtedly develop a market of insurance dominance and can influence to show consumers and shops what they want to achieve as more and more consolidation moves to the collision repair industry.

Next up came Clive Humby who has a big history in the supermarket industry and as another key note speaker in his role as Chief Data Scientist at Starcount, his subject

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‘All this data will develop new commercial models.

Many alternative solutions to the same problem is greater reference and trust by a client. The key question will however remain, is it cool or creepy?’

was on the connected car. One year on new data trends were simply exploding about the way people are being moved and business changed with social media browsing. You are today what you are passionate about, not what you buy. New Internet examples of Wejo Fleet driven measurement on harnessing driver data were discussed.

All this data will develop new commercial models. Many alternative solutions to the same problem means greater reference and trust by a client. The key question will however remain, is it cool or creepy?

Will more Internet control reduce maintenance and services with closer working by Insurers who will develop credit scoring for drivers?

Syndicated data information will power the connected car for years to come. Data enables insurers to build lowest cost analysis for parts and labour repairs with a chosen list of call out repairers automatically.

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Tel: 011 872 1217 RSB AutoGroup, Joshua Doore Building, 4 Andries Street South, Wynberg, JHB

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

COATINGS

VALSPAR ACQUIRE PERFORMANCE COATINGS BUSINESS FROM QUEST SPECIALITY CHEMICALS alspar has reached a definite agreement to acquire the performance coatings businesses of Quest Specialty Chemicals which include automotive refinish and industrial coatings. The acquisition strengthens Valspar's value proposition in automotive.

The transaction, which is expected to close in the company's third fiscal quarter, is subject to customary closing conditions.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

With 2014 sales of approximately $190 million, the businesses to be acquired from Quest include an automotive refinish business along with a smaller industrial products business. Quest Automotive Products formulates, manufactures, and distributes a complete line of advanced technology paints, coatings systems, and accessories to professional refinishers under the well-respected brands of Matrix®, Prospray®, and USC®, primarily in North America and Europe.

Quest Industrial Products serves both the professional and consumer markets with aerosol spray products and highly-specified coatings for industrial applications under the Patriot®, Raabe® and Precision Color® brands, primarily in North America.

"The acquisition strengthens Valspar's value proposition in automotive refinish," said Gary Hendrickson, Valspar Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Our customers will benefit from expanded distribution of a portfolio of preferred brands they know and

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trust, a broader range of high-performance products and a stronger service network.

We are pleased to welcome the Quest team to the Valspar family to help deliver these benefits to our customers."

Valspar is a global automotive coatings manufacturer and takes pride in delivering the very best in color-matching technology, support and service. Valspar's global color

labs and tools allow us to match any OEM and/or custom color.

Multiple OEM approvals include: Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Mazda and Toyota. Valspar's global portfolio of preferred brands include: DeBeer Refinsh®, Octoral™, Valspar® Refinish and House of Kolor®.

Visit www.valsparauto.com.

Valspar: If it matters, we're on it.®

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Tel: (011) 952 1552 email: sales@cowleysa.co.za

COWLEY AUTOMOTIVE & INDUSTRIAL COATINGS (PTY) LTD

PRODUCT UPDATE WHAT’S HOT?

TEROSON 5055 STRUCTURAL BONDING LOCTITE

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his latest formula high performance structural bonding two pack epoxy resin adhesive for panelbonding has been designed to deliver excellent results on mild steel, high strength steel and SMC substrates. It’s remarkable strength cure capabilities can be carried out without the use of a primer for it bonds and seals without it.

It is ideal for use in any body shop and is ideal in heavy duty truck body repair and fleet maintenance situations for additional reinforcing sealing or stiffening on car bodies or their components.

Henkel make their new range of adhesive and sealant products to the highest levels of performance in manufacture with ISO 9001

quality management systems in place. They also offer a comprehensive range of tailormade solutions to the Automotive vehicle repair trade.

The product is available in 250ml cartridges for use with the standard single component handgun which is ideal in areas of replacing body quarter panels, rear body panels, roof domes, door skin replacements along with crossbeam and sills repairing needs in structural bonding damaged vehicles in your body shop.

The 5055 can also be express cured with the use of infra-red lamp banks technology.

Call +27 (0)11 617 2400 for information on their full range of sealing and bonding products.

RACING NEWS

JIMMIE GUTHRIE AT SACHSENRING

by Jimmie Guthrie

his was the second running of this event at Sachsenring the first being in 2013. Ferry Brouwer, who I was introduced to at Zwartkops in January this year is heavily involved with the organising AD-AC (Classic Autosport) and invited me to this event. I was introduced to the organising committee that included Michael Sachse (one of the big chiefs).

In July, 1967, 30 years after father was killed, my mother and I were invited by the FIM to the old circuit in what was then East Germany which included their Grand Prix in July.

With the memories of my father’s history they thought it a great honour to have me with them. In the afternoon the mayor of Hoenstein, Ferry Brouwer, David Hailwood and I were driven to my father’s "stein" which is at the side of the road of the old 9km road circuit where he came to grief in 1937. Here we performed a small flower laying ceremony.

At the circuit I met so many past champions, Hugh Anderson, Kel Carruthers, Luigi Taveri as well as Gerhard Sauer from Holland.

Many of us stayed in The Amber hotel in Chemnitz so we continued to talk bikes and happenings of the last 40/50 years way into the wee hours of the night.

The event is predominantly for bikes (unlike Zwartkops). Glossy programmes were available weeks before the event with directions of where to collect tickets, parking details, paddock passes with meal vouchers etc. In the eating areas there were rows of TVs hanging from above – I counted 80 – just to make sure no one missed anything. This is a fully established Grand Prix racing circuit with all the amenities.

Each allocated pit had a chart with rider, machine and times of races listed. There had been no practice (too wet) so our first race outing was to find my way.

The Norton fluffed a plug in the paddock but once changed all went swimmingly. Lined up were 125, 250, 350 and 500’s from the 50’s and 60’s which included works MZ, Benelli, NSU, Moto-Guzzi, MV- Agusta’s – several were from the factories, not replicas – and of course AJS and Nortons. Our groupings, about 100 machines were sent off by cc capacity. I had brand new tyres and brakes to bed in but all went well with Gerhard some way behind. It was an

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interesting, tight, relatively short circuit and easy to get wrong.

Sunday, our race was in the morning with mixed conditions of rain and wind. I set off passing others in their classes with Hugh Anderson the only one to get past me on the last lap. There was oil on the circuit from cars, some came off. I managed to keep the bike upright even after quite a bit of slipping and sliding.

This was a very memorable and personal experience. I was treated like a current champion with the organisers so polite and helpful.

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Henkel SA (Pty) Ltd Private Bag X083, Wadeville, 1422

For more information, please contact Craig Bowles on 079 504 4563 or Tel: +27 (0)11 617 2689 www.loctite.co.za, www.henkel-mea.com

LOCAL UPDATE

The spirit of success at the Quantum line is clearly visible as the team celebrate their super quick quality driven production facility ramp up success in Prospecton, Durban.

MANUFACTURING

QUANTUM SHIFT FOR SES’FIKILE FOR TOYOTA SOUTH AFRICA MOTORS oyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) officially launched the South African produced Ses’fikile at a prestigious event held at the newly built Quantum Manufacturing Facility in Prospecton; attended by Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies as well as the Minister of Economic Development, Ebrahim Patel.

Back in 2012, the local Quantum/Ses’fikile assembly plant was opened at TSAM’s production facility – prior to that this model was imported in fully built-up form. But the real story has been the switch to local production which saw a wholly operational plant with weld, assembly and paint facilities as well as a full logistics operation taking shape from April 2015, to facilitate the production of the Ses’fikile.

“South Africa is a very important market to Toyota globally in terms of supply to the rest of the world and it serves as a gateway to the African continent. With over R550million invested in the Quantum plant to date, it certainly underlines Toyota’s confidence in this country. This sizeable investment shows that Toyota is committed to development in the taxi industry and to continue its contribution to the country as a whole,” said Dr Johan van Zyl, CEO of Toyota Europe and Africa Region.

The taxi industry in South Africa transports over 15-million people daily, which constitutes 60-70% of the commuting public, and furthermore creates thousands of

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jobs through entrepreneurship and small business development. This illustrates the importance of this industry in the transport and small enterprise sectors and the need for continuous improvement and development of the vehicles. As importers and manufacturers of taxis in South Africa since 1967.

Toyota is synonymous with the taxi industry and is fully committed to the development of both this sector from an entrepreneurial growth perspective and its associated products such as the ubiquitous Ses’fikile which has benefited from continuous improvement aimed at meeting the needs of South African commuters and taxi operators alike.

The new Quantum plant has also contributed to the economy with the creation of over 260 new jobs, raising the full Quantum staff compliment to over 300 of which 45% of the new employees are young professionals between 18-35 years old. The added benefit to the country’s economy with a new plant of this nature is additional job opportunities in supporting sectors – in this case, 165 jobs were created at supplier level; taking the total amount of jobs created by the Quantum plant to well over 400.

Linked to job creation, people development is an integral part of Toyota’s business and as such, it was a major building block for this project and R11-million was invested in upskilling staff at TSAM in preparation for the opening of the Quantum

Plant. “Toyota is fully committed to the development of our employees and the new plant has allowed many employees, particularly the youth and women, to gain new skills and further develop existing skills.

We have also made a commitment to assist in the upliftment of women in manufacturing and engineering through various programmes including a graduate trainee programme,” added Dr van Zyl. With an 80% share of the taxi market in South Africa, it is clear that the local product is the preferred vehicle for transporting customers to various destinations in SA. “We are constantly looking for local suppliers to produce the parts and accessories we use for our vehicles.

This is imperative to us as it further stimulates the economy and allows Toyota to collaborate with suppliers to get the right product at the right price without compromising our promise of quality, durability and reliability,” continued Dr van Zyl. Furthermore, TSAM made a considerable investment with suppliers to ensure readiness for Ses’fikile – R24-million was invested with suppliers for development of parts and tooling with a further R71million invested by suppliers to upgrade their facilities.

“Toyota remains focused on delivering ‘Better Cars’ and ‘Creating Customer Smiles’ globally. I believe with Ses’fikile, we are making great strides towards these goals,” concluded Dr van Zyl.

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Toyota have graduate engineers from local universities. Seventy five percent of the engineers powering the production line are under 25 years of age.

Economic development minister Ebrahim Patel was inspired by Toyota’s training as most of their key staff had received production techniques in Japan.

Around 40 Ses’fikile units are already rolling off the Prospecton line per day.

It starts here in the bodyshop line.

Special sound deadening sealers stop vehicle and noise harshness as well as reduce dust and water ingress.

Manual spray painting of the Quantum is checked and polished for any minor imperfections.

The Quantum production line is already double shifting to keep pace with the order books.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

PRODUCT UPDATE

COLOUR TOOLS NOW EVEN EASIER TO USE o better address the needs of its customers, Glasurit has, on an ongoing basis, been developing a new and more ergonomic version of Profit Manager, which will soon be expanded with a new Glasurit RATIO Scan II module.

Spray painters are very familiar with the Profit Manager software, a true partner to leading body shops that simplifies the management of paints and materials as well as cost calculation.The software also includes a stock management system that allows the customer to know when to order new products and consumables, as well as a vast selection of reporting options, amongst other functions.

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Personalised Profit Manager “We use feedback from our customers regularly to make Profit Manager even more user-friendly,” explained Roland Ricard, project manager of the marketing services team.

“In previous versions, functions were displayed to the customers that they didn’t always use. Now, customers can customise the software by deactivating those functions that they do not need at their body shops enabling them to access the more frequently used functions a lot quicker.

“Creating system back-ups automatically, including custom formulas, can be configured individually. In the same way the information that can be displayed in the reports is fully customisable. All of these customisable options are saved and, if needed, can be transferred to another computer at the body 22

shop. This provides a more ergonomic and efficient tool, which in turn results in significant time savings,” added Ricard.

Paul Rathbone, Glasurit value added services consultant South Africa remarks how well the system has been functioning in South Africa, “The upside of the Profit Manager software is that over and above the new customised module; under the advisement of a consultant, customers also have a choice of selecting a version that is most suitable to fit their body shop.”

“This allows us to take the product into the market and apply it to small, medium or large body shops and in turn improve the efficiency and profitability of their businesses,” concluded Rathbone.

Glasurit Automotive Refinish: An important part of BASF Coatings Within the brand Glasurit, BASF sells a comprehensive portfolio of paint systems for vehicles and car refinish with the main focus on eco-efficient waterborne and high solid paints.

Within this refinish system, all global legal provisions with regards to solvents reduction can be achieved without compromising on the quality of conventional paint systems such as appearance and durability. With Glasurit’s broad portfolio of products and services, the brand is able to service all its customers in the field. Glasurit Automotive Refinish products are approved from most leading automotive OEM manufactures for refinish work due to the high colour competencies of the most renowned car brands.

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INTERVIEW - CHIP FOOSE AT THE EXPO IN MELBOURNE

Chip Foose signing autographs on the Glasurit stand at the SEMA show last year.

hip Foose, the 3M Global Brand Ambassador, legendary owner and chief designer at Foose Design and star of the television series Overhaulin’ was a guest at the recent Collision Repair Expo in Melbourne. David Newton-Ross spoke to him at the Automotive Centre of Excellence where he was making a presentation to students.

You received the prestigious Ridler award once again in the US this year with a Chevy Impala that is called the Impostor.

Why that name?

The reason we called it the Impostor is that the car is actually a 2009 Corvette. I bought a brand new car, brought it into the shop, peeled the body off of it, stretched the chassis 7⅝ inches and shortened the Impala body by 14 inches – and pulled the bumpers in as well. So it is really a 2009 Corvette with an Impala body over it. Because it is a Corvette in Impala clothing it is an Impostor!

How many hours went into that build?

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I would think somewhere near 30 000 hours in that car. It is ridiculous amount of hours. The main reason for that is that it is a production car underneath and we had to turn it into an artwork. Every single piece from that Corvette has been massaged, so tooling marks have been removed and everything painted and finished. New ends put on tubing and stainless steel polished. It is endless when you start looking at it. I could walk you through every single part on the bottom of that car – a factory original piece that has been massaged to be beautiful. There is more time on the bottom of the car than the rest of it.

So we will not see that on the production line?

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No. They could not charge enough for it!

You were seven years old when you started working with your dad in the business. Your son Brock is now working with you in your business. How does that make you and your family feel?

Well, everybody likes the fact that he says that he really wants to continue this and build hot rods for a living. But I know that he does not have the same passion that I had – I could not get enough of it. My son Brock is more interested in playing video games than coming in and getting dirty in the shop. But it is up to him, it is whatever he wants to do, I don’t force it on him. My father said he was not going to force me.

He said: ‘You are never going to stay in this business. You are going to design cars for a living.’ But then as soon as Saturday came 24

along, he was waking me up before the sun came up so that I could go to the shop to help him. I loved it. I know as a kid if I knew my dad was going to the shop I was in the truck before him. I did not want him to leave me home! I absolutely could not get enough of it. As a kid, if I did not have a paper and pencil in my hand so that I could draw, I literally felt sick to my stomach. I needed to draw. It is completely different for my son and me.

You mentioned passion a minute ago and that is part of my next question. Is it the passion that drives the successful people such as you to succeed?

It is the passion; I think it is pride and the fear of failure. I don’t want to fail: I don’t want people to see me fail. I will do whatever it takes to succeed.

Talking about success, you have worked with the best in the industry over the years, such as Boyd Coddington, Charlie Hutton, Troy Trepannier and many others. Is there anyone that you would like to work with out there right now?

I have been lucky and blessed to work with a lot of builders.

Another I would love to work with is Ralph Lauren. He has quite a car collection and I would love to design and build a car with him – I think that would be a phenomenal piece!

If we look at the industry and the pace of technology at the moment, what technology or innovations have you seen for your particular niche in the market that has really helped you do what you do over the last say 10 years?

Well, the computer has allowed us to accelerate the builds and to design the pieces that we want. You are able to look at it on the computer before you even build it, then just push a button and the machine starts cutting. It is pretty amazing what it has done for wheel design as well as everything else. You can now build headlights, taillights, grilles … it is endless what you can do with the computer.

Do you spend a lot of time with one?

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No. I don’t do any work on the computer. I still do all my hand drawings; even the wheels. I will draw everything by hand and I will then hand it over to a computer programmer. He will get it to the point where I can look at it and then start manipulating it with him. I’ll say let’s pull this surface out, let’s tighten up this radius, whatever the changes are that I see that we need to make. I can then look at it in the computer and sometimes I get new ideas just watching it happen in the computer. Or maybe you are looking at it and it looks like it is going one way when it is actually coming

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Story by David Newton-Ross

another way – then you say hold on and let’s flip that over. It is really a tool for designers – possibly the number one tool in the world.

Going back to your 2015 Ridler award, how many have you won?

That is the sixth car that I have been involved with, but four of those have been built at my shop.

Of all the awards you have received over the years, which one are you most proud of?

I think that the award that I am most proud of is when the Good Guys started their Trendsetter of the Year Award, even when I tell you that I turn 180 degrees from any trends because I don’t ever want to be trendy. But when they started the award, I was the inaugural winner and I was really honoured to receive it.

What about being the youngest in the Hall of Fame?

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Well that is interesting whenever anyone mentions that. That was in 1997 when Hot Rod magazine, for their 50th anniversary issue, picked 100 Hot Rodders who they were putting into the Hot Rod Hall of Fame. I was the youngest member that was inducted in 1997 and they have never added anyone to it. I was truly honoured to be there with the greats of this industry.

We discussed the original Cars movie last time we met. Is there any news on any further Cars movies?

I know that they are working on Cars 3 but I have not been involved as yet. Usually they finish the story and they get much further along. I come in as they are putting the icing on the cake and I get to design the graphics for the characters. I am not positive if I will be involved this time around but I hope so. I will actually be at Pixar soon for their Autorama. They put this on every year at their HQ in Emeryville and I will be taking the Imposter up there.

3M are big in the car wrapping business. Have you used any of it at all on your cars?

I have actually used their wrapping material and done partial pieces but I have never wrapped a complete car myself. I thought about doing it on my P32 and designing it to look like a graphic on one of the Warbirds and wrapping the whole thing. I thought that would be fun without painting it.

This is your second trip to Australia? What do you think of the Expo?

Unfortunately I have not had a chance as yet to walk around the show – I think we are doing that this afternoon. Yesterday I got to the show and gave a speech to some people upstairs and then went down to the show floor to sign some autographs and then out back and did a demonstration in the spray booth.

Yes, I heard that you were out in the spray booth. What were you doing?

They actually wanted me to sign an autograph using the new 3M Accuspray gun but I ended up doing a drawing on the panel.

What do you think of the gun?

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When 3M first showed me the gun I told them that they were never going to get a painter who has spent $5-700 for a spray

gun to mentally accept that this plastic spray gun is going to perform better than his expensive gun that he makes his living with.

It is very hard to tell anyone that all you have to do is pop off the nozzle, throw it in the bin and put on a new nozzle and away you go. But it is a phenomenal gun.

I have actually used it to paint completes even though they told me it was a primer gun. I wanted to try it and it works well. Again, it is hard to have a painter accept that this plastic gun is better or as good as his expensive one, but they need to try it.

You have spent the morning here at the Automotive Centre of Excellence with the young people. How was that?

This facility is amazing and the young people were tremendous. They were all great and sat there and listened to my story. I am honoured that they would want to hear my story.

Just across from here is the Lyndsay Fox Car Museum. You should take a look in there.

I was there yesterday! I would like to take the blue Porsche home with me. It is chassis number 56, which is the one made after James Dean’s Porsche, which was number 55. Apparently the blue is the original colour.

The Velocity Live event at SEMA last year was really special.

Have you any idea what is planned for this year?

I don’t know what they are planning at SEMA this year. We finished our Overhaulin’ series three weeks ago but I have not been approached regarding SEMA. Any plans to expand an Overhaulin’ series overseas?

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Would love to do Overhaulin’ on a global scale. That was my original plan to go all over America and then to foreign countries. Discovery would not give us the budget to travel so it did not happen.

Are you building any cars that will be featured at SEMA this year?

We are building cars, but I am not sure which cars will be at SEMA. The Impostor may be there.

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HIGH DEFINITION

WAX JHB: 011 908 5446 CT Tonie: 083 458 0699 KZN Andre: 082 850 5056 ezecare@mweb.co.za

The trusted name in body shop products just got better AUTOMOTIVE R

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LATEST NEWS

Jeff Osborne, Head of Gumtree Automotive

WHAT’S HOT?

GUMTREE LAUNCHES CALL TRACKING FOR AUTOMOTIVE LEADS umtree now has the ability to track telephonic leads to their existing automotive dashboard. This will allow dealerships to better evaluate the effectiveness of their advertisements,” says Jeff Osborne, Head of Gumtree Automotive. “We know anecdotally that the vast majority of leads that dealerships receive are telephonic – particularly serious buyers – but dealerships have no idea where these leads are coming from. Professional sellers that are making use of our platform weren’t always sure whether or not the lead was coming from their Gumtree ads or not, which makes it hard to measure the true return on investment not to mention the effectiveness of the advertisements themselves,” says Osborne.

“We are pleased to say that the new Call Tracking feature will resolve that issue so that dealerships will know exactly how effective their ads are and be able to employ best practices and

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key learnings. ”The feature will be available automatically to all existing Gumtree Automotive Inventory Tool (GAIT) customers.

“This will be added automatically, and there is no need to take action. After the feature is enabled, the seller will receive a message whenever he or she answers the phone to identify the call as a Gumtree-based lead. Reports will also be made available in the same format as email lead reports and will detail the source phone number, date, time, call status (answered or missed), duration and a recording of every call.

These calls can also be downloaded if required.” Osborne says this is one of many innovations that have seen the light over the last few months. “We are constantly fine-tuning the offering based on dealer feedback and there are several big innovations on the cards still to come.” Dealerships can find more information or sign up online.

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RUPES HE-901 Dust Extraction System

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TRAINING IMPERIAL TECHNICAL TRAINING ACADEMY

IMPERIAL TECHNICAL TRAINING ACADEMY

he Imperial Group has increased their focus on trade training into the area of collision repair. Their new facility houses a fully set up and comissioned spray booth and preparation area, along with the latest welding technologies and body repair equipment. Automotive Refinisher magazine took time out to see how the group intends to maximise their apprenticeship training going forward.

The Wadeville Academy of the Imperial Technical Training Academy (ITTA), is the only one of their three academies that offers autobody repair and spray painting training. It has been in existence since 2012, but Imperial Technical Training Academy as a brand started back in 2009. The ITTA is home to seven trades namely motor and diesel mechanic, motorcycle and scooter, forklift, auto electrical, and their newest addition being that of autobody repair and spray painting.

They currently have 29 spray painters and 30 autobody repair apprentices in training. This number is likely to grow, as their panel and paint side of the academy has only been open since April 2015.

The training facility is 4 000m2 in size and boasts the most up to date equipment supplied by Aer-o-cure and Hurricane Equipment.

On the paint side of things, Glasurit is their main supplier, but they are also in discussions with other paint companies so as to expose their learners to a variety of products.

“We had a whole panel shop with all its contents donated to us from Imperial Auto body. BASF sponsored the mixing rooms and the rest has been investment from Imperial,” said Wesley Huntly, regional training manager.

“So how does the training work? First the dealer would need to enter into a contract with the learner to start his/her apprenticeship.

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Once this is established our admin department at our training academy will then liaise with Merseta to follow up on contract registration and provide the workshop with the learners training schedule.”

The learner would come to the training academy for one week’s training that would comprise both theory and practical elements.

They would then return back to their workplace for four weeks.

This is where they complete tasks that are then recorded into the learner’s logbook as evidence of on-the-job training and then they would return back to the academy for another week of training. This continues until the learner has completed all the required modules for their level.

Once all the modules are complete they come back for a revision week in which we prepare them for their level test.

“The potential apprentices would have to meet certain entrance criteria namely that of Maths, Science and English at 50% at Gr 12 level. Even though the requirement is only Gr 9, we are seeing how technical and sophisticated the vehicles are becoming and we feel that candidates will need a better foundation to cope in the long run.

“Once the learner meets the relevant entrance criteria we put them through a series of tests, which shows their aptitude for their trade as well as a basic numeracy and literacy tests. The results from these indicators, along with an interview, would tell us if the learner would be suited for an apprenticeship,” Huntly continued.

“Normally the learners that enter an apprenticeship are already in employment, but once their apprenticeship is completed and they wish to move on they would be able to distribute their CV’s to their clients and maybe assist in future employment if needs be.

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Courses for spray painting currently are as follows, with more in development: Polishing Stone chip and colour matching Preparation for painting.

Courses for autobody repair are as follows, with more in development: Paintless dent removal Strip and Assemble.

Please note that these courses are still awaiting accreditation from merSeta.

There are seven trainers and two test officers at their Wadeville branch while Germiston has nine trainers. The Cape Town office has five trainers and a test officer. “Once these courses and our intake has taken off, we would like to open up a part-time apprenticeship course whereby the learner attends class after hours and on weekends in order to obtain their qualification. We plan to roll this out across all seven trades that we offer training for. We are also in the throws of accrediting shorter courses for small area repair and hail damage, so watch this space.� concluded Huntly.

The Imperial Technical Training Academy takes care of all the administration matters relating to apprenticeship from end to end, they have world-class facilities with highly skilled trainers and above all they are committed to helping industry bridge the skills gap with in the various trades.

So what are you waiting for? Call them on +27 (0)11 255 4240 or email: wesleyh@itta.co.za

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INDUSTRY NEWS

WHAT’S HOT?

Andre Kinnear, Karin Mould, Kayla Kinnear, Chantelle Cowie, Matthew Kinnear, Gavin Kinnear of City Paint and Abrasives, the new appointed PPG Coatings South Africa distributor in the Western Cape.

NEW WESTERN CAPE DISTRIBUTOR FOR PPG ape Town headquartered City Paint & Abrasives (CPA) are kicking it up at having recently become the new distributors for leading paint manufacturer PPG Industries in the Western Cape.

With two established branches in Brackenfell and Maitland the company have been in the automotive paint industry for years and have built up a solid reputation.

According to owner Gavin Kinnear the move to becoming a PPG distributor was the next step towards implementing the company’s growth strategy and will see them extending their footprint in the Western Cape significantly.

“We have predominantly been operating in the economy brand sector, but have always wanted to be a distributor for a premium brand. Signing with PPG gives us the opportunity to step into that league,” he said. “It also allows us to grow our business in the Western Cape as it extends our offering to clients significantly.

Our aim is to become one of the biggest automotive paint distributors in the province. Not only do we have the ability and the knowledge, but now also the product to allow us to reach that goal.”

With new branding and signage already adorning the company’s premises it is all systems go.

“Our staff has undergone extensive training and our sales team has already started working in the market,” he said.

The CPA team has steadily been growing their business footprint and comes with a solid reputation and good customer relations. Their personality, as well as their general approach to business, are making them real competitors in the burgeoning paint supply market.

CPA will stock the full range of PPG products including Envirobase® HP, MaxMeyer®, Selemix® and Ducol.

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door as market interest has been piqued.

“The PPG products speak for themselves as they are of an exceptionally high quality. It has the most stable waterborne product available in the market at present, while they are also user-friendly and durable.”

He said aligning CPA to a well-recognised global leader in the automotive paint industry would ultimately benefit the business in the long run.

“We have big expectations of where this will take us in the future,” he said.

Market interest has already piqued and big expectations for where this will go.

“As a family business close-knit relationships are important for us. It is a relationship that we are developing with PPG but also with our existing and new customers.”

Gavin Kinnear of City Paint & Abrasives in Cape Town has been appointed as the new distirbutor for PPG Coatings South Africa in the Western Cape.

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For more information call +27 (0)11 953 2576 or visit www.ppgrefinish.com

TT 2015 ISLE OF MAN RACES

ONE OF THE BEST

EVER! Story and Pics by Ian Groat

he two-week road racing bonanza held in June each year, was the 108th running of an event first held in 1907. Once again it proved the premium place to be for over 20 000 bikes with over 40 000 island visitors attending this year’s motorcycle road races.

Practice week The week’s evening practice sessions that run in the late evening on the island were washed out and blown away by huge winds and only really got underway halfway through the week.

Michael Rutter and local rider Dan Kneen were the first to leave the line, followed in quick succession by Guy Martin, James Hillier, Bruce Anstey, Gary Johnson, Ian Hutchinson, Ivan Lintin, Ryan Farquhar, Keith Amor and Cameron Donald, with Lintin the exception to the norm on his Supersport mount.

Martin was first to complete a lap at 122.77 mph, with Hutchinson marginally quicker at 127.967 mph and Johnson the only other rider to lap at more than 127 mph from a standing start.

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Michael and William Dunlop both pitted, with Michael’s Milwaukee Yamaha smoking and it was the outright lap record holder Bruce Anstey who posted the best lap of the night at 128.641 mph (17 min 35,865 sec) on the Valvoline Racing Padgett Honda as he overhauled Hutchinson on the road, the latter lapping at 128.30 mph on the PBM Kawasaki.

Honda No 1 rider McGuinness got closest to Anstey’s lap though, with a speed of 128.596 mph, a mere four tenths of a second slower, with Rutter (Bathams BMW) and Connor Cummins (Honda) in the 127 mph bracket.

Anstey also went to the top of the Supersport leaderboard with a lap of 125.218 mph ahead of Martin (123.081 mph) on the Smiths Triumph and Johnson (Mar-Train Yamaha) 121.678 mph.

On the big race day of the TT the weather once again played a trump card with 120 km gusting winds and sporadic rain. The day’s events were cancelled and finally the premier event ran over six laps in blissful conditions on the Sunday.

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‘Michael Rutter storming through the Bungalow with last years four time winner William Dunlop in hot pursuit’.

In a thrilling race it was Bruce Anstey who finally captured the Superbike win he has desired for so long in a dramatic RST sponsored race on the Sunday afternoon.

The Windsor-based New Zealander, who recently celebrated his 46th birthday, delighted his legions of fans across the globe with a flawless ride on the Valvoline Racing by Padgett’s Motorcycles Honda Fireblade.

It was an extremely close race at the front between him and Yorkshireman Ian Hutchinson, who led for more than two thirds of the 226.38 mile distance on Paul Bird’s Kawasaki ZX. Michael Dunlop looked to be in line for a podium place in the closing stages until he had a coming together with Scott Wilson of

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Burton, Cumbria at the Nook, less than one mile from the chequered flag.

The narrowest section of the entire course was briefly blocked and only three riders had actually crossed the finish line before the race was red-flagged. Three more were between the Nook and the end, but did make the finish.

Half of the six finishers were in the winners’ enclosure.

“I can’t believe it,” said a clearly delighted Anstey. “I sat at the bottom of the return road to wait while Hutchie crossed the line to make certain I had it won. I didn’t have many pit boards around the place, so I wasn’t absolutely sure.”

Anstey won in a race record time of 1 hr 45 min 29 902 sec (an 35

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average speed of 128.739 mph) beating Michael Dunlop’s previous record from 2003 by 0 078 of a second.

His final lap was 17m to 10 587s (131.789 mph) to secure victory by 10 977 seconds from Hutchinson.

James Hillier, who led for the opening lap on the Quattro Plant Much-Off Kawasaki, regained third place at the finish following Michael Dunlop’s crash.

With Michael heavily banged up from his fall and his brother William Dunlop who finished in fifth spot behind John McGuinness, William was later in the week to feature in a huge high speed crash putting the mockers on their plans for this year’s events for the Dunlop brothers ambitions. Coupled to this, organisers were busy rearranging for races to be run four days in a row because of the lack of practice and qualifying times from some parts of the paddock.

A thrilling Monster Energy Supersport race was totally dominated

by Ian Hutchinson who put his injury nightmare behind him as he returned to the top of the rostrum for the first time in five years at the TT. The “Bingley Bullet” clinched a dream win in the opening Monster Energy Supersport race of prodigy star Keith Flint’s Team Traction Control Yamaha to seal his ninth victory on the 37.73 mile Mountain course.

Hutchinson’s journey back to the TT summit has been an emotional roller coaster for the 35-year-old, who famously won five races in a week in 2010 to make history before suffering a career threatening crash in a British Supersport race later that year.

However, he was back where he belonged after controlling the four-lap race to defeat Sunday’s Superbike winner, Bruce Anstey by 7.7 seconds.

Hutchinson who was in tears at the post race press conference said, “I was always going to become a TT race winner again some day.

The race went really well and the Team Traction Control Yamaha is just a dream to ride for I felt like I was out delivering pizzas or something, I felt that comfortable during the race.”

“Starting as number nine it wasn’t ideal, I think some people didn’t think I would be capable of running at the front again, so I got dropped down the numbers this year but I caught Guy Martin and then I got out behind him in the pit stop, but apart from that it was pretty good.

“It was so special to hear all the fans around the circuit, people have taken note of me and I am so grateful for everyone’s support.”

Broughton’s Gary Johnson finished third for Northern Ireland team Mar-Train Racing while Lee Johnston from Fermanagh produced an excellent ride on the ECC/Burdens triumph to take fourth. In the second leg run on Wednesday he once again scooped the win by some 13 seconds on the Traction Control Yamaha.

Harassed this time all race long by kiwi veteran racer Bruce Anstey on the Padgett Honda, while popular Guy Martin also got his only podium of the week on a Smith’s racing Triumph machine.

Go lden boy I an Hutchinso n won four TT r aces in the week.

These 600cc machines are far easier to ride and are only fractionally slower than the superbike lap times. The race once again ran on superb weather bringing a sigh of relief from the organisers.

Side Cars These wheeled racers now feature real state-of-the-art technology and with the top 10 outfits in superfast formation, spectators were to see some close racing coupled to the normal break neck overtaking

Tim Reeves and Patrick Farance show the dangerous side of sidecar racing on their LCR outfit at the Bungalow.

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TT 2015 ISLE OF MAN RACES manoeuvres. The first leg went to the Birchell brothers on their LCR Manx Gas machine with an eight second advantage over Dave Molyneux on the Suzuki DMR. Dave coaxed the sidecar home with a destroyed wheel bearing as John Holden and Dan Sayle took the final podium spot on yet another LCR machine. Race two, however, saw Molyneux and Benjamin Binns take the lap record to an all time high of 117 mph as he blitzed the opposition in the second leg.

TT Zero These unique electric motorcycle racers are just able to get one lap in of the mountain circuit but progress has been rapid in technology development and this year managed a 120 mph lap time.

The TT was dominated by the Mugen team with John McGuinness scooping the top spot on the podium ahead of kiwi Bruce Anstey’s sister machine. Irish lightweight Ace Lee Johnson on the Victory racing machine was a distant third in a race that is fairly hopeless from a spectator point of view because their bikes virtually make no noise and often kill plump seagulls who fail to see them coming.

Bennetts Lighweight TT This event is designed for beginner riders on 650cc machines in twin cylinder form. For most it is dominated by superfast Kawasaki machinery, and the race only does three full laps of the circuit.

Specialist for this division was Ivan Linton who dominated the race on his CF Kawasaki moto machine winning the event in just 57 minutes, but his race long tussle with James Hillier on another Kawasaki was lost by just eight seconds to the winner. A surprise was Michael Rutter finishing third on a Patten team LR Kawasaki. Rutter a veteran of the TT pulled out all the stops to lap at close to 118 mph to clinch third spot on the podium.

Pokerstars Senior TT The final six-lap race, the Senior race of the week closed the curtain on probably the most successful TT race week ever. The island had attracted a record crowd as well as bikers from across the globe to take on the TT spectacle.

John McGuinness made no mistakes to win the big one on a bike that Honda had made very few changes to for the last six years.

Winning his 24th TT, the 46-year-old McGuinness endured pressure from the weeks multiple four time TT winner, Ian Hutchinson on a Paul Bird motorsport Kawasaki. Amazingly, this team was only formed a few weeks before the TT started and boy were they happy at this result. McGuinness who had barged in a 130 mph lap just days before to win from James Hillier on a Kawasaki Quatro Plant Machine.

McGuinness managed his lead gap very well and after Hutchie over shot the braking at Sign Post Corner, the race was his for the taking.

Guy Martin took fourth place on the Tyco BMW just seconds ahead of a hard charging Michael Dunlop on his new mount, a BMW 1000cc which had been imported just before the races started when he decided to ditch an uncompetitive Milwaukee Yamaha and go his own way for this year’s event.

Ian Hutchinson on the Kawasaki superbike was just too good on the race week results.

The Dunlop dynasty had a luckless week with Rober t suffering a big fall and br eaking ribs.

The Purple helmets grunge culture demonstration evening was a big hit in Douglas with Charlie Borman, (right) and Derick the organiser taking part.

So uth African Hud son Kennaugh g rinds it out o n the Buell in the 1000cc Superbike class managing a week of go od r es ults.

Results Pokerstars Race John McGuinness Honda Racing 01,09.22 - 130,481 James Hillier Kawasaki Quatro Plant 01,09,38 - 130, 08 Ian Hutchinson Kawasaki 01,09,44 - 129 Guy Martin BMW 01,09,52 Michael Dunlop BMW 01,10, 03 - 129 Lightweight Ivan Lintin Kawasaki 57,06. - 118. 95 James Hillier Kawasaki 57,09,945 - 118-80 Michael Rutter Patton 57,08 - 117-65

AJ Venter from Benoni finished all of his four races well up and clocked a 122 mph lap in the week.

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A ustr alian Camer on Do nald took the Nor to n to a top speed of 287 km/ h thro ugh the Selby Speed Tr ap.

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INTERNATIONAL TRENDS

by Jon Parker

UK TRENDS

TRENDS IN SHOPINSURER RELATIONS uring a recent visit to Barcelona, where we were introducing a concept to a group of Spanish collision repair professionals, an interesting comment was made.

The head of marketing said that Spain was moving very rapidly to the UK model of business, and suggested that if you’d asked him whether this was going to happen – even a year ago – he would not have seen it coming.

Is this a warning to other markets, and could it happen in the US too? Lets put a bit of perspective on this, because until you understand what’s gone on in the UK market, it will be difficult to visualise what could happen in the US, Canada or South Africa.

In the UK, one thing is for sure, it’s a really small minority of customers that will take their damaged cars to their preferred repair shop. Insurance carriers direct most of the work. They are very good at this redirection.

They are so efficient, in fact, that should the driver wish to use a shop of their own choice, there’s a clause in the policy that says the customer has to pay an extra R4 000 deductible for the privilege.

That pretty much puts an end to customer choice. If you want to work under an insurance contract as a collision shop, you’ll need to agree to a few rules. Little things like offering free towing on your own truck(s), or free storage or vehicles and, of course, a free courtesy car, all supplied at your cost. You might need 50- or 60 courtesy cars to do this.

Under your service agreement, you’ll probably need to make contact with the customer within the hour, collect the vehicle and deliver a courtesy car within four hours and start repairs the next day. Then you’ll need to buy paint from the paint company that the insurer requires, and from selected jobbers at the specific discount the insurer negotiates with you. You’ll have to use a mandated supply chain for certain parts, and of course fit recycled parts as well. You’ll be expected to focus on repairing everything

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Tel: 011 425 4062 Franz: 082 463 6284 Email: info@specialheat.com 1 Madeley Street, Rynfield, Benoni 40

before thinking about replacing a part, and this includes plastics, glass, trim and panels.

You will have to construct a bigger mixing room and hold four times the usual stock of paint because every insurer you work for mandates a different paint brand, and you need space for multiple mixing machines.You will have to learn how to use four different paint systems as well.

Obviously you won’t be able to charge what the repair actually costs, because you’ll probably be on a total fixed price scheme of about R14 000 per vehicle, irrespective of damage size, but if you crunch the numbers correctly, get as much through your shop as you can, and duck and dive a bit, you might make a small amount of money.

There are no guarantees of volumes, but you are measured regularly on cycle time, key-to-key statistics and customer complaints, and put into a league table to see how you fare against your fellow repairers.

This is exactly where most of the UK repair markets are at the moment, and this is exactly where Spain, and dare I say it, you, may end up in the very near future. Now this might look as though I’m taking a “pop” at the insurers, but I’m not. They are commercial organisations as well, and have a duty to their shareholders – most of them are, in fact, banks. What is amazing is the fact that many repairers have not prepared themselves for the change, or looked at insurers as customers. Neither do many insurers really understand body shops.

Pressure on the insurance market has never been greater, and one thing you have to really watch out for is what we call aggregator websites. These are sites that are like search engines that will go and find you the cheapest motor insurance policy once you have entered your details. Within a few seconds, it orders about 100 competing policies starting from the lowest cost. This basically changes drivers from dog behaviour (loyal) to cat behaviour (predatory). Insurers can’t assume you’ll now return to them for policy renewals, so they are under increasing pressure to cut costs at the back end of their

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business (that’s you).

Another painful twist is the magical “deductible slider.” Say, for example, your deductible for a particular policy is R4 000, yet with the comparison aggregator website you can now increase your deducible by up to R15 000 which of course brings your policy cost down, often by as much as R2 000. It is very tempting because no one ever believes they are going to have a collision.

The consequences? Write-offs go up, meaning that fewer cars are repaired. Fewer customers can afford their new “voluntary” deductible, so they drive around with damaged vehicles. Who suffers? The shops do.

So, is this going to happen in other markets, perhaps the US, South Africa? Well, maybe not in the same way or to the same level. But Spain didn’t think so either, and it’s happening. It seems logical that the rate of change will be much slower, just because of the sheer land mass and inertia in the market.

Other than some legislative differences, which will stop cer tain things from happening, I can’t see the US market coming through this evolution unscathed.

Ultimately, smart repair shops and smart insurers should work in true partnership to satisfy each other’s requirements. Collision centres should actually ask insurers what they want and be able to deliver it, while insurers should understand that collision shops do have a finite capacity. Insurers need to use smart methods to stop overloading their preferred suppliers, and stop this ridiculous horsetrading some people call estimating.

One thing’s for sure, times are really changing. It’s how you prepare yourself for this change that will make all the difference, understanding that the light at the end of the tunnel is not the end, but rather an enormous train steaming toward you. Shops need to act now to get on board.

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DID YOU HEAR? by Roger McCleery The 1000 Bike Show proved to be bigger and better than ever. Held in Germiston this spectacular Honda 929 custom walked off with the Best Custom Bike on Show. With its complicated pipe hardware it took Peter Pelsor from Welkom in the Free State a great deal of time and effort to build up.

Here he gets his trophy from Classic Bike Club’s Hamish Irland for all that hard work.

he Jaguar Simola Hillclimb run over 19km in Knysna from the 15th to 17th May was a great success and must rank as one of the events on the South African motorsport calendar. It attracted 130 entries, of which 52 were classic cars from the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.

Charles Arton took his ”new” 1979 March Atlantic, which he has only driven once in a racing car demonstration at Killarney, went up the ‘hill’ in a record time of 46 seconds to claim the title of “Classic Conqueror of the Hill”.

Meanwhile, The King of the Hill was Des Gutzeit, who arrived in the company of his two sons, Jade and Shane. Des took his 1450hp Nissan up the hill one second faster than the previous record held

by Franco Scribante at 41.1 seconds. He left it at 40.1 secs. Top speed reached was a heady 253km/h. Intending to be back next year to defend his title, he reckons he can get into the 39’s!

Jaguar took the Hillclimb to heart. Not only was the Jaguar branding prominent throughout Knysna and all over the Simola Hill, they even shipped down 32 cars, including two D-Types, from the 50’s, to the event.

Also revealed to the public was the new XE due to go on sale later in the year after its official launch.

Their director of marketing, Lisa Mellet, says going into their third year of sponsorship they will put on an even bigger show of cars and events for the public to enjoy in 2016.

Billstein Shock Absorbers have brought out a new Billstein Mobil Shock Tester. 12 metres long it is able to test the shock absorbers of both passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.

It only takes two minutes to provide info of precise data. It is totally mobile and useful for motor shows, for service stations along our holiday routes and for any other specialised motoring event.

The cost of the testing, which is in your interests, is free of charge.

Worn shocks increase your stopping distance by 20%, allow cars

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to aquaplane, give poor traction to tyres and reduce effectiveness of the electronic driver aids fitted to cars these days. Get hold of ted@ imcolex.co.za if you want to use this tester.

LiquiMoly makes over 4 000 products in Germany and is sold in 150 countries has now completed their range of products (which I doubt). They have now brought out LiquiMoly for aircraft engines, bicycles, cars and motorcycles.

All products are tested in Germany by their own labs and are the leading seller of oil products and additives in Europe.

Subaru WRX STi is back in international motorsport. In May they won their class at a gruelling Nurburgring 24-hour race by 12 laps ahead of some other highly pedigreed sports coupes. They finished 18th overall out of 102 finishers. The Subaru competed in a class for turbo-charged 2.0 litre cars. They led from flag to flag.

Range Rover with their new SVR now available in South Africa, brought one to the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb. It is one of the fastest and most powerful models of Range Rover ever made. It produces 405kW while offering 680Nm of torque from its V8 engine. It has an eight-speed automatic transmission and 4-wheel drive. The sound it makes is unbelievable.

Peter Lindenberg took this five litre, supercharged-engined machine up the Simola hill and finished in amongst the highly rated sports cars.

Imperial has announced a few changes to its CEO line-up.

Nicholas da Canha will take over as CEO of Renault on November 1st. He will replace Niall Lynch who will be taking over the senior CEO position at Hyundai. Alan Ross, who has steered Hyundai to great success in this country since 1998, will be retiring.

Cayenne, the largest motorcycle dealer in the country, had their Cayenne Shopping Festival of the Century from 20th May to 20th June. They gave away R2m, with some motorcycles discounted up to R100 000. They had motorcycles – and they have many brands

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Listen to Roger McCleery every Tuesday on Radio Today (1485 AM) at17h30 for everything about SA motoring.

from all over the world – ATV’s Jet Skis and cars were on offer.

Cayenne is a company that never stops producing innovative ways of getting people onto wheels.

The Right to Repair Campaign is gaining impetus in South Africa. Speakers from Europe were over at the RMI Conference at Automechanika to update everybody on the challenges in servicing or repairing vehicles these days.

The Right to Repair Campaign launched in 2010 says that all qualified motor repair workshops – and this happens in Europe, the US, Australia and Brazil – provided they have the right equipment, can repair all makes of vehicles without the owner losing any part of his warranty. Consumers should have the right to choose where they want their cars repaired. The Chairman of this initiative is Les McMaster.

The Hyundai Sonata has just celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Launched in 1988, it is a mid-sized sedan with recorded sales of over 300 000 units in the Middle East and Africa alone. Over 7.3 million have been sold globally making it one of Hyundai’s best selling passenger cars.

It has been four years since KIA’s second generation Picanto made its debut at Geneva. This award winning design has become a best seller in its segment wherever it appears. It now comes with revised styling inside and out and has a more premium look and feel. Prices of the two models are the 1.0 LX for R137 000 and the range topping 1.2 EX for R150 000.

Automatic transmission is available on both models and will cost you an extra R12 000. They both come standard with a five-year, 150 000km warranty.

8 700 Audi A1’s have been sold since their launch in 2011.

They now come fitted with either the impressive 1.0 turbocharged engine with 70kW, a 1.4 turbo with 92kW, a 1.8 which replaces the 1.4 with 141kW and a 2.0 turbo SI with 170kW. All available with seven-speed automatic boxes, which are among the finest anywhere.

The current Kyalami Grand Prix racing circuit was officially closed on Tuesday, 12th May for major revisions to upgrade this iconic, jewel-in-the-crown Grand Prix Circuit.

Bossman Toby Venter says that April saw revenue at the circuit from motor and motorsport related events the highest in history of the circuit. It is due to re-open after a very tight schedule for the contractors, in September 2015.

Rob Green Motors known for the tuning of most vehicles are renowned for putting serious horsepower under the bonnets of many cars. The latest is the Jeep Cherokee SRT8 that does 0-100 in 4.7 seconds from its 6.4 litre V8. Nissan 350Z’s and Toyota 86 supercharged cars also get the Rob Green treatment. At the Simola Hillclimb on view was an RG Golf 7 putting out 400 HP. It went like a jet plane.

Another winner has just arrived in the country from Renault to add to the three main pillars in the sales field. The Clio, the Sandero and the Duster are well established. Now a new Renault, the Captur, features in the line-up as well. Two models are on offer with a 66kW turbo and also a 1.2 turbo pushing out 85kW. The automatic box has a dual clutch and six speed transmissions. Prices start at R219 000. The top of the range auto is R280 000.

Unbelievably Volkswagen South Africa in Uitenhage has managed to decrease its weekend electrical base load target for the entire plant by 27% – that is from 3.91 to 2.84 megawatts.

Incredible.

Since 2010 VWSA has reduced its electricity usage by 24%, waste disposal by 53%, water usage by 42% and CO2 emissions by 21%.

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The compact Korek HD floor frame features a double layer ground frame for robust performance and easy set-up. The flexible tower assemblies are highly mobile. It offers extended cab tower pulls with traction pulls of 20 tons per basic tower.

The towers are simple to fix as they operate on rollers and are fixed to the HD Korek frame by four wedges with three main stands on offer. This is coupled to 30 ton composition hydraulic sets. The options for a perfect chassis cab and frame straightening job are endless as well as painless.

As far as speed of output and profitability are concerned, the HD Korek offers major profitability at a reasonable entry level cost. It is ideal for both CV repairers and large fleet operators as an investment in Truck repair.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

by Andrew Johnson

USA NEWS

ORIGINAL OR AFTERMARKET PARTS FEUD CONTINUES E versus aftermarket parts – comments made by auto manufacturers have heightened the debate. Last year Ford Motor Company took the floor at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Chicago with a presentation that slammed the quality of aftermarket parts. Since then, other auto manufacturers such as American Honda, Hyundai Motor America and Nissan followed suit with similar public statements.

“We do not support the use of any parts that are not OE,” says Bob Shih, Hyundai parts pricing, planning and administration national manager. “We only stand behind parts that we manufacture and test.”

That viewpoint has brought the aftermarket parts debate to a frenzied pitch, says Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), adding that the industry wants this issue resolved.

What effect will the highly publicised comments of auto manufacturers have on the aftermarket industry? The simple answer – more parts testing. And the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has gotten in on the action.

Why Now? The debate on whether aftermarket parts should be used for collision repairs has been going on for decades. So why are auto manufacturers suddenly coming out with these comments?

Aftermarket industry professionals say it’s simply economics.

“There certainly haven’t been big profits in vehicles sales recently,” points out Aaron Lowe, vice president of government affairs for the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA). “Profits today are more in repairs and parts for vehicles because people are keeping their cars longer.”

Ford cites safety as the main reason for the timing of its comments, not money. “Ford’s testing addressed a recent trend of aftermarket companies copying structural parts that are key components of our integrated safety systems that meet rigid standards,” says Paul Massie, manager of powertrain and collision parts for Ford’s customer service division. “We are addressing safety issues that in many cases are regulated by law for new vehicles, but do not apply to copy parts.”

But Jack Gillis, executive director of the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) says Ford’s sudden focus on safety is

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Some OEM companies don’t want any competition in the aftermarkets because it is a major profit maker for them.

surprising. For years, Ford has been a leader in fighting against safety innovations in Washington,” he says. “Ford doesn’t want any competition in the parts marketplace. Their brand of aftermarket parts is one of their greatest profit centres and they want to put a halt to as much competition as possible.”

The Answer is in the Evidence. The biggest question remains: is resolution between OEMs and the aftermarket possible?

Schulenburg says it is. “But it will take a continued push from people who believe there needs to be improved standards and certification for parts that enter the marketplace,” he continues.

“We’re not against competition in the marketplace,” Lowe says.

“Car companies can push their products and services based on convenience or quality, but they can’t question the quality of aftermarket parts without proper justification.”

Clarification is something the IIHS is working towards. The IIHS is hoping to bring more concrete evidence to the debate, says Russ Radar, spokesman for IIHS. “We decided to help CAPA with parts testing to look at whether aftermarket structural parts can be reverse-engineered to match the performance of original OEM parts,” Radar says.

“Being able to identify truly comparable parts to the expensive car company parts will not only provide repairers with more choices but [will also] keep vehicles from being totalled out and never making it to the repair shop,” CAPA’s Gillis says.

INDUSTRY NEWS UK NEWS

NEW LONDON METROCAB - ELECTRIC razer-Nash Research Ltd and Ecotive Ltd, the makers of the all-new Metrocab are proud to confirm that the Metrocab is now operating, in association with ComCab, with a small fleet on a trial basis in London.

To mark the partnership, Metrocab has commissioned a short film to record passengers’ reactions to the new zero-emissions capable taxi. The short promotional feature will be filmed in central London with passengers that are willing to take part being given their journey free of charge.

Karl Maresch from ComCab said, “We’re very proud to be partnering with Metrocab on this pilot fleet of these superb Range-Extended Electric taxis. It could revolutionise our business, with the cost savings being very significant. I’m really looking forward to seeing the short film, and finding out what our passengers think of the all-new Metrocab. Zeroemissions and zero-fares. What an offer!”

Gordon Dixon, regional operations director for Metrocab said, “We have been developing the new Metrocab for 10 years now, with over a million miles of powertrain testing completed. I’m so proud that it has been licensed by Transport for London to operate on a trial basis as a London Hackney Carriage. With its cost savings for the drivers, smooth air-suspended ride and unrivalled panoramic glass roof view of the city for passengers and its zero-emissions capability benefiting environment, truly everybody wins.”

The Metrocab has been shortlisted for the London Transport Awards in 2015 in the Taxi & Private Hire Innovator of the Year category, with the winners being announced later this year.

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SLASH COSTS WITH THE SA STAR SPRAYBOOTH

ZENITH EQUIPMENT INTRODUCES THE SA STAR SPRAYBOOTH With improved 50mm steel wall thickness and stateof-the-art colour matching fluorescent lighting and new safety features in the stainless steel burner and heat exchangers. The SA Star Spraybooth also incorporates both front and side doors for easy entry at a very competitive price. The spraybooth meets and exceeds health and safety standards.

CALL HENRY BASSON ON 082 857 5772 Burner with automatic flap control

Improved Lighting

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LOCAL UPDATE PRODUCT UPDATE

KAROCLE PRODUCTS AT A GLANCE

arocle, is an automotive refinish paint from Korea. They recently launched in South Africa and boast a full product line-up, from undercoat to top coat, along with high quality and competitive pricing.

Starfill is Karocle’s undercoating putty and it provides excellent drying time and good sanding for improved turnaround time in the workshop.

Starpra is Karocle’s primer-surfacer.

There are two types, according to mixing ratio 1K or 2K. They are fast drying and efficient in the sanding department once again. Both the 1K and 2K have excellent adhesion.

Starbase and Starcoat is their colour range, according to resin type. Starbase is a polyester range Basecoat and Startcoat is 2K solid colour based on urethane.

The Starcolour mixing system provides customers with approximately 40 000 colour formulations from Korean vehicles such as Hyundai, Kia, etc., as well as international vehicles such as European and Japanese cars.

Starclear is Karcole’s clearcoat brand and has various types of products from

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universal clear, high solid clear and high quality clear – even matt clear to meet all of their customer’s needs.

They also offer various types of

miscellaneous products. For example, there is Fade-Out Solvent as well as a Plastic Primer to complete the comprehensive range.

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Telephone: +27(0)79 206-7881 / Fax: +27(0)11 452-8372 Tyrone: +27(0)82 856-1200 Aki: +27(0)84 889-7014 / Email: info@phoenixchange.co.za Website: www.phoenixchange.co.za

INDUSTRY UPDATE WHAT’S HOT?

PEUGEOT CITROËN SA MOVE HEAD OFFICE

eugeot Citroën South Africa have moved and will take up position in Rivonia, in the heart of Johannesburg’s Northern suburbs. Following the announcement of a new streamlined organisation late last year, the move to new premises is an addition to the new PCSA in South Africa, with many opportunities for both brands, which will allow the company to continue its growth path in the country.

The good news for customers, associates and business partners alike is that, aparat from a shift of approximately six kilometres in a more-or-less westernly direction, everything else remains unchanged.

The new official address is Homestead Place, Corner 12th Avenue & Homestead Lane, Rivonia, Sandton 2128.

However, Peugeot Citroën South Africa can still be reached on the same numbers, so there’s no need to change anything under contacts on one’s phone or in the personal information manager of one’s computer.

Switchboard +27 (0) 11879 7400 Fax +27 (0) 11879 7494 Peugeot Call Centre 0860 738 472 Citroën Call Centre 0860 211 112 Box Number - P.O. Box 380 Kelvin 2054

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WE ARE NOW DIGITAL Great news! All issues of Automotive Refinisher magazine are available for easy download on all iPads and Android tablets.

Check out past editions on our website www.autoref.co.za or go to www.autoref.co.za/past-editions Get all your latest news on new products and equipment for your repair shop, as well as training info.

EURO NEWS

VW HALTS PRODUCTION IN BRAZIL olkswagen has halted production at its second-largest factory in Brazil for three weeks, a local union said as a steep decline in demand forces carmakers to manage excess capacity.

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VW has furloughed 4 200 workers at it plant in Taubate, about 150 km northeast of Sao Paulo, a representative of the metalworkers union said. The factory builds the top selling Go! hatchback, the Voyage sedan and the Up city car.

Volkswagens weak start to the year has seen it slip into third place in Brazil by sales, behind Fiat and General Motors. The UP was the ninth most sold car in Brazil in January and February, selling at about half the pace of the market-leading Fiat Palio.

As exports to Argentina have plunged and demand in Brazil hits its worst downturn in over a decade, VW is cutting a shift at the Taubate plant and sending workers home for three weeks as part of the transition, according to the union official. Just over a year ago, VW announced an investment of 1.2 billion Reais ($370 million) at the plant to being producing the Up. “If the UP were selling well, Volkswagen would be suffering a little less. It would dampen the critical situation for the industry this year,” said automotive market analyst Raphael Galante of Oikonomia Consultants.

VW representatives declined to comment on the situation at the factory, but issued a brief statement saying, “Volkswagen has made use of flexible methods to adjust production volume to the demands of the market,”

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FUTURE TECH - by Andrew Marsh

TAKATA AIRBAGS AND CORPORATE DISGRACE uch has been written all over the world about Takata, a company with diverse interests in supplying the automotive industry. Like Toyota the Takata Corp were initially focused on the production of textiles, and made two critical decisions on the back of huge external pressure to feed a rapidly expanding market – production of airbags and the change of gas generator technology.

For many years unlike companies such as Robert Bosch, Takata were only really known to the vehicle manufacturers – until a major global investigation into price fixing came to a head in Europe, Japan and the US during 2013. For the first time agencies from all three countries simultaneously investigated allegations of price fixing in a variety of commodities, including seat belts as well as airbags. Many companies were fined and executives jailed across the three prosecuting regions, including the major SRS suppliers – AutoLiv, Takata, TRW, Tokai Rika Co. The result for Takata was a fine of $71.3 million and three executives were jailed in the US. However, bigger trouble was brewing for Takata – a situation which was recognised internally by late 2001 but it took until early 2015 for the company to admit in public.

Airbags And What They Do The first commercial application for airbags came in the US during the 1970s, as a vital additional safety device. When used in conjunction with a seat belt the airbag can ensure the occupant cannot hit the steering wheel, dashboard or be hit by an obstacle from the side during an impact. The airbag is a deceleration device, so it has to: 1. Detect the severity of the impact – should any devices be deployed 2. Deploy the available devices for the best outcome 3. Each of the deployed airbags then has to inflate 4. The occupant then makes contact with the airbag as it deflates.

The whole process takes less than 0.2 of a second.

The integrity of the body shell and the major components fitted to it all influence the transfer of impact energy into the vehicle. The result is a series of deceleration curves for the vehicle taking into account the production tolerances for the body joints and equipment variations (ie, mass changes across a model range). Those curves, or ‘crash pulses’ are what the deceleration sensors detect, and the SRS control module then deploys the appropriate combination of airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners to ensure the best outcome for the occupants.

The crash pulse and supplementary restraint system (SRS) deployment is developed by the vehicle manufacturer – if the actual crash pulse is wrong then the airbags will deploy too early (the occupant will hit hard structures inside the vehicle anyway) or too late (the occupant will be severely injured or even killed because an inflating airbag has a skin speed between 140 and 320 km/h). The timing is critical – the occupant has to be moving in the direction of the airbag and contact it after it has started to deflate. Indeed the technology is finely balanced, and requires very accurate collision repair of the whole vehicle – not just the body panels – to restore the SRS performance.

By the 1980s seat belt technology had near universal fitment, but critically the US member states resisted the call for universal use by occupants. The result was to have two types of airbag structure – larger airbags for un-restrained occupants in the US, and smaller airbags for restrained occupants in the rest of the world. This meant developing two distinct SRS packages, and initially the SRS suppliers might have found they were building only one type of component for a given model range.

Now we can see that if the airbag is going to be inflated it has to occur quickly and precisely – and this goes to the heart of SRS technology.

Gassing Away The airbag is folded carefully inside the cassette, with a talc or cornflower agent to ensure it will unfold very quickly even if it has not been used for 10 years. The bag is designed with carefully

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Typ ical early SRS air bag co nstruction. The SRS control module activation signal g oes to a resistance wire which heats a small pyrotechnic charg e, which then initiates burning the gas gener ator p ellets – which in this case are mad e fro m s odium azide and an ox idising ag ent, p ress ed into p ellets .© Alistair Cr ooks controlled fabric structure that allows the gas inside it to escape at the desired rate – so the airbag is a very carefully engineered component, dedicated to the vehicle application. The airbag is inflated by burning a chemical in a controlled fashion to generate the required volume of gas – again this is a very carefully engineered component dedicated to the vehicle application. Most of the airbag systems use nitrogen as the working gas.

The rate of burn, and thus gas generation, is controlled by the number of wafers or pellets inside the inflator cartridge. The particles of debris are captured by filters around the inflator cartridge case, and there are some traces of sodium azide (which is poisonous) also pass through into the car interior. The residue left in the inflator would contain sodium, so to negate this, additional chemicals were added to stabilise the remaining ‘ash’, including silica and potassium nitrate.

Production of the airbag inflator material (a mix of sodium azide and oxidising agent) was done in small batches in order to mitigate the risk of destroying the whole production plant should an accident occur, just as is the case for munitions. The inflator powder once prepared is pressed into either pellets or wafers, and then built into the inflator cassette. The advantage of this first generation ‘standard’ SRS inflator was the production process, adapted from a long established and mostly safe system (munitions), the chemicals were relatively stable and the end user benefits far outweighed the risks.

Enter Takata In 1985 Takata took a momentous step, under pressure from Honda, to use the engineering fabric technology they had for the production of airbags. They quickly became an accepted global supplier for this technology, using the same inflator technology as the rest of the suppliers. The SRS suppliers were under pressure to eliminate sodium azide from airbags because the un-deployed materials is very, very toxic to humans. The search was on for a replacement technology.

Takata blew the opposition away by announcing in 1999 that they had a sodium azide free solid propellant inflator – tetrazole. The automotive world swamped Takata with orders, and the company underwent rapid expansion whilst building new production plants in Mexico, as well as in the US. Concerns soon surfaced as the supply of tetrazole was uncertain, and could not keep up with demand…. so by 2001 the company switched to ammonium nitrate instead.

Commonly used in industrial explosives, this material was extremely sensitive to moisture content and prone to aging too. Critically, all

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www.autoindustryinsider.com

SRS suppliers eventually found alternatives to sodium azide and had the other SRS suppliers rejected this material due to instability, but none of the issues Takata faced.

Takata claimed they had a process that could stabilise the material.

What Happens Next?

What Went Wrong?

The recall programme across the world will roll out slowly. Each The first case of identifiable airbag failure occurred in 2009 when vehicle manufacturer will decide which vehicles (by VIN) and what a seven-year old Honda had a low speed car park nudge which parts should be replaced, and when – so the aftermarket is going to deployed the airbag. The driver’s jugular vein was severed – the be 100% guided by the vehicle manufacturers/importers. accident investigation began. Three months later, the same thing For the SRS suppliers the pressure is on. Already duplicate tool happened, also on an older Honda. The investigation showed the sets and in the case of older vehicles, re-commissioned tooling is debris, which had caused the fatal injuries, was parts of the driver’s underway. Inflator modules have been bought from competitor airbag gas generator steel case – the gas generator had exploded, not companies by Takata to help start working away at the enormous producing gas as it was designed to do. Takata said nothing. recall programme. Overall for the SRS sector, this whole affair has The number of incidents began to rise, and the US National been very damaging in the eyes of the general public.

Highway Traffic Safety Authority (NHTSA) started an investigation And For Repairers? but closed it down by 2010 due to lack of evidence. The number of Unlike the normal service outlets collision repairers remove and incidents continued to rise, and the vehicle manufacturers panicked. refit SRS modules routinely. The rules around that are as strict as There was no sensible support from Takata, there was no logical ever: reason for these problems – and yet the problem was occurring with Ensure the capacitor is fully discharged (wait around 10 minutes greater frequency. The vehicle manufacturers had to act because after disconnecting the battery). their reputation was on the line.

Remove the un-deployed SRS module without ever being NHTSA re-engaged with the investigation, and the Senate directly in front of it. demanded a hearing. Recalls were sporadic, dealing with only the Keep the doors of the vehicle open. driver’s side airbag and only for the hot/humid states of the US – yet Place the un-deployed SRS module in a designated safety still the problems surfaced right across the US and beyond. Takata container, away from the main work area, sources of heat and lots of said nothing. people.

The Senate hearing committee demanded a public hearing.

There is an opportunity – to help customers, insurers and vehicle Takata appeared, said there was no fault and refused to allow manufacturers understand – by asking the vehicle manufacturer or investigators access to internal documents. The Senate hearing importer if the vehicle under repair is affected by a Takata-related committee were angered by the delaying tactics and demanded corecall. operation, fining Takata $14 000 for each day they failed to give An estimated 36 000 people are alive in the US alone, thanks to access. One former employee told the committee the issues were airbags deployed over the past decade and a half. But dozens of found back in 2001, and how the company knew of the instability people have lost their lives because an issue raised within Takata issues certainly before 2004 – the point where Honda were during 2001 was not dealt with – an issue which was finally confirmed informed. in 2015. For collision repairers there is no real operational issue as Safety at all of the Takata plants was paramount and there were long as accepted work practice is followed without fail. no significant breaches of the comprehensive safety rules – but the production process was not perfect. Company inspectors found as A uto Industry C onsulting is an independent provider of technical early as 2002 that ammonium nitrate production was left open to information to the global collision repair industry. Products include the atmosphere during extended shut down periods (weekends, EziMethods, our online collision repair methods system and A uto holidays) instead of being put into dry storage. There were concerns Industry Insider, our collision repair industry technical information about the life span of the gas generator, and demand was so high w ebsite. Fo r mo re info rmatio n please visit the w ebsites: some of the gas generator modules were built with too few www.ezimethods.com and www.autoindustryinsider.com or contact pellets/wafers. Finally the gas generator case design left some open ben.cardy@autoindustryconsulting.com design/function issues. All of these issues were flagged internally but not shared with all of Takata’s clients, or external agencies.

Takata admitted there was a problem for the first time on 19th May 2015.

What Was The Result?

As the panic raged the vehicle manufacturers – who had made it very clear that Takata gave them no answers – decided to replace the oldest modules with brand new ones. From the position in mid-2014 to March 2015, the replacement programme moved from driver’s side airbags in the hot/humid states to all airbags in most US states – and beyond.

On the 15th May 2015 the bombshell was dropped. Already younger vehicles were appearing with the same symptoms, and Takata finally admitted that there was an issue and theoretically even brand new units coming off the assembly line right now would end up with the same issue.

A typical frontal impact energy transfer system, as shown on the Fiat 500. The main load path remains via the Of the 500 000 vehicles repaired in the front chassis longitudinals, but as the impact progresses it will engage the front subframe and finally the upper US alone, all would have to be re-worked front longitudinal. The migration from one to three load paths has occurred since around 2002. The front firewall with an alternative technology. Takata alone is supported by load transfer via the doors and the A pillar / sill / cant rail to ensure passenger safety cell stability. had used ammonium nitrate – the other © FCA Europe

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D RIVEN PEUGEOT 308 1.2 PURETECH GT LINE esigned around Peugeot’s newgeneration Efficient Modular Platform 2 (EMP2), the new 308 combines compact, wieldy dimensions and a substantially reduced kerb mass with an advanced, high-efficiency drivetrain to deliver exceptional dynamics and frugal fuel consumption.

The interior execution reflects the advanced nature of the 308, as well as close attention to design detail, high comfort levels and tactile quality. The cockpit design combines deeply recessed, highly visible instrument dials with a large, full-colour touchscreen display, while a multifunction steering wheel further benefits intuitive access to key functions and features.

Mirroring a design trend first introduced by the 208 and 2008, the 308’s ergonomic layout combines a small-diameter steering wheel with an elevated instrument binnacle, allowing an unencumbered view of the road and the key instrumentation.

Despite the fact that the new 308 is more compact than its predecessor, efficient packaging and intelligent design conspire to create a roomy cabin with spacious accommodation for front and rear occupants.

Smart finishes, including textured surfaces, metallic accents and high-gloss inserts,

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establish an upmarket ambience, adding to the new Peugeot 308’s feel-good character.

Practicality remains a further 308 attraction, with a generous luggage compartment, and a 60/40-split rear bench seat that can be partly or completely folded flat to boost cargo space. A five-star EuroNCAP rating underscores the new Peugeot hatchback’s exceptional safety standards, with a comprehensive array of active and passive safety features.

The new Peugeot 308 is initially offered in two variants, both employing Peugeot’s latest, high-efficiency PureTech engine technology.

The cutting-edge, three-cylinder powerplant incorporates high-pressure direct injection, four valves per cylinder and high-pressure turbocharging.

The result is a small-capacity engine with compact dimensions and low mass that emulates the power and torque of a much larger, more conventional and less efficient power plant, while achieving clear benefits as far as reduced exhaust emissions and lower fuel consumption are concerned.

Starting off the range is the Peugeot 308 Active, which is fitted with the 1.2 PureTech e-THP 110 engine. It produces maximum power output of 81kW at 5 500 r/min, combined with a generous 205 Nm of torque,

available from just 1 500 r/min. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard.

By comparison, the 1.2 PureTech e-THP 130 engine fitted to the 308 GT Line elevates those output levels even further. Maximum power increases to an impressive 96kW at 5 500 r/min, while torque now peaks at 240Nm, already on song from only 1 750 r/min. The GT Line model gets a six-speed manual gearbox with optimised ratios.

The differences between the Active and GT Line models extend to exterior styling details and interior trim and equipment levels.

For instance, the GT Line gains full LED headlights, a different grille, and twin, narrowaperture tailpipes, as well as larger alloy wheels and more brightwork.

While both models offer a comprehensive array of standard equipment, the GT Line gains an extended features list, together with enhanced trim levels. However, the 9,7-inch touchscreen display is standard on both variants.

The new Peugeot 308 is supported by a comprehensive service and warranty offering that includes a three-year/100 000 km manufacturer warranty, a five-year 60 000 km premium maintenance plan, and a threeyear/100 000 km roadside assistance package.

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PRODUCT NEWS WHAT’S HOT?

HI-TECH TRIO FROM MEGUIAR’S eguiar’s is well known for its superior attention to detail when it comes to detailing and vehicle appearance. This is why it is the brand of choice for car enthusiasts and professional detailers around the world. It is thus logical that the brand also offers discerning auto body shops a comprehensive range of products for refinish.

Amongst the newest products to be launched by Meguiar’s to meet the demands of the refinish industry are M105 Ultra Cut Compound, M205 Ultra Finishing Polish and M305 Ultra Finishing Durable Glaze. While this trio can be used independently of one another, truly amazing results are achieved when they are used together. This trio is entirely paint shop safe, containing no waxes or silicones. They also contain no fillers, meaning that what you see is what you get – no annoying and time consuming returns from the wash bay. Further, they take ease of use to another level; VOC compliant formulas with no dust and no need to add water during the polishing process – making for a clean car and a clean work environment.

1. Ultra Cut Compound uses a modern SMAT or Super-Micro Abrasive Technology which, unlike traditional abrasives, does not diminish or wear down as you work. It continues to work as long as you do. It very quickly and safely removes 1200 grit sanding marks whether wet or dry and by hand or orbital sander. The finish it leaves is remarkable and even on darker colours, is often said to be good enough to require no second step, such is the quality and refinement in the abrasives that this compound contains. Ultra Cut Compound can be used with either a wool pad or a foam cutting pad on a rotary polisher, while tight areas can be accessed by hand application.

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2. To refine the finish further, leaving an incredible gloss and depth in the paint finish is M205 Ultra Finishing Polish. Containing the same SMAT abrasive technology, paint finishes are left crystal clear.

3. For an unmatchable gloss and concours winning shine, M305 Ultra Finishing Durable Glaze is intended specifically for body shops that wish to offer their customer paint shop safe, totally silicone and wax free protection. Unlike normal paint protection products, this will not seal up the paint surface thus trapping solvents and delaying curing. As such, it also represents a nice sell-on opportunity for body shops as customers are typically advised to leave their fresh and vulnerable paint finishes unprotected for a few weeks after the re-spray. Good for the composites industry too: Beyond this, M105 and M205 are highly effective on gel coated finishes common on fibreglass and other composite parts, removing fine swirls and oxidation from finished parts and even effortless removal of sanding marks from tooling gel coats and moulds. This makes these products ideal for those manufacturing or refurbishing composite parts in almost any industry, from automotive to aircraft and from caravans to boats.

For more information or a free demonstration on how Meguiar’s can help you get world class finishes, call Keizin Automotive, the importer of this globally recognised and respected brand on 0861-CARGUY [227489] See more at www.keizin.co.za.

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IRT4-1 PcAuto

IRT Pr ep Cure 1,2&3

I RT PowerCure Arch IRT 4-2 PcAuto

IRT rail system

WHAT’S HOT?

SPEED UP WINTER PRODUCTION WITH IRT SYSTEMS nergy efficient IRT systems are global market leaders in the refinish curing industry. The Swedish technology can be seen in both new production installations and panel and paint shops around the world.

Characterised by having the shortest drying times in the entire industry, IRT systems are a well thought out and tested design and are based on user-friendliness, performance and efficiency. IRT Hyperion PrepCure units have the most efficient FreeForm reflectors with a 24 carat gold coating behind their short wave lamps. This provides a more even heat distribution resulting in larger curing areas and shorter curing times than any other conventional reflectors. This efficient use of energy is why the IRT Infrared range increases productivity and enhances the quality of the drying result as your paint is better depth hardened than usual drying methods.

IRT systems have the unit to suit the application. Small to medium repairs units like the single casette IRT 3-1PcD, speeds up drying of fillers, primers, base and clear coats and comes with built-in electronic distance sensors allowing the user more advanced control of the drying process.

Larger units like IRT 4-2 PcAuto with two powerful cassettes, cures all paint materials and comes with 12 pre-set and 3 custom programmes and advanced temperature measurement via laser circle and digital distance sensor. This can also be retrofitted into an

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IRT Hyperion Rail System which is very popular in panel and paint shops due to the speed in drying cycle and unsurpassed reach.

With powerful built-in ventilation cooling the Infrared casettes, they are said to last for 20 000 operating hours, this coupled together with gold coated reflectors extend the life of the lamps significantly.

IRT Hyperion control functions are easy to understand and use – even on the most advanced models. There is a programme for each heating requirement and it starts with the simple push of a button.

The laser shows where the temperature is continuously measured on the curing surface, while the microprocessor regulates the effective output up or down in a split second for optimal curing results. As an operator you can continuously monitor the curing process and receive information on object temperature and elapsed/remaining programme time.

Start the control unit, select a programme and then dry. It’s as simple as that. Customised electrical systems are designed and manufactured to suit specific requirements if need be.

So escape the slower throughput numbers in your shop and check out Celette SA’s website www.celette.co.za for the complete IRT Hyperion range from hand held dryers to rail or arch systems.You can also call their offices on +27 (0)11 314 1875/6 .

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INDUSTRY NEWS

by Dave Fall If you have a smart p hone it’s easy to set it up as a d ash cam – your life might even depend on it.

WHAT’S HOT?

STAY COOL, CALM AND COLLECTED or about three months now I’ve been thinking about fitting a dash cam to the windscreen of my car to record – if only for posterity – the antics of fellow motorists who break every rule of the South African highway code – assuming there was ever one in the first place.

After nearly losing the front of my car – and quite possibly a close shave with death – to a driver in the fast lane of the N5 in Cape Town who decided to swerve across two lanes after missing his exit – so as you might imagine, I was absolutely livid.

In the event of a crash it would simply have been his word against mine – assuming we had both survived the day. But there’s a positive step you can take – and its called the dash cam – a neat visual recorder device that’s seemingly obligatory on Russian roads due to their notoriously bad driving habits – but proving extremely popular in Europe and especially the UK, where the device has been used successfully in evidence on a great many occasions to settle insurance claims.

I’ll wager these devices will catch on big time here in SA because, let’s face it, there’s a lot drivers whether in cars, bakkies, taxis or trucks who by the way they drive can’t possibly have ever taken a government driving test – and officially passed.

Perusing a commercial website renowned for selling anything from A-Z, I came across a dash cam being offered for R600 in the photographic section. I duly bought same but the video quality was really poor and within a few days had packed up, an expensive lesson – so back it was to the drawing board, so to speak.

A good quality dedicated dash cam will set you back R3000, certainly more than I wanted to pay. But I do have an elderly smart phone, and sure enough there’s a whole bunch of ‘Apps’ that cover dash cam technology.

I tried three or four of them before deciding on the one that worked for me before deciding to spend the princely sum of R39 to buy the HD version of the App. Without getting too technical the App – once data was loaded on the phone to get the best out of it – records continuously and should the need arise to record, say, the last 60 seconds of viewing (perhaps a similar incident that could have had tragic consequences

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like the one mentioned above), the programme would do this as well by the simple expedient of pressing a button on the LCD screen.

Still-type photos can also be taken if perhaps you are being threatened or feel abused by another motorist. Conversely, this device works extremely well if you simply want to record that trip across Chapman’s Pass in Cape Town, or that trip you’ve been promising yourself through Kruger National Park.

Should there be an instance where the App detects serious deceleration (trying to avoid an obstacle or perhaps a pedestrian) smart phones will automatically take care of this as well, thanks to the built-in and thus activated accelerometer – along with ‘locking in’ that section of footage so it can’t be overridden.

Suffice to say all that was left to do was devise a way to mount the phone onto the windscreen. That cheap and nasty dash cam I had already bought thankfully came with a ‘stick-on’ sucker mount and put to good use. The only other part you need is a smart phone holder. This came courtesy of one of these ‘Selfie’ tripod arms available from most camera shops, priced at around R180.

Now, every time I get into the car and buckle up it’s easy enough to hook up the ‘Fall’ dash cam/smart phone, aim it forward and let it be your very own ‘aircraft-style black box’ to record any regrettable incidents that might come your way any time or any place.

To sum up, the above system works well but I’ve discovered two issues that need to be addressed. The first is to be sure to ‘powerup’ the phone all the time (easily achieved with a charge cable plugged into the cigarette lighter or USB plug) as the phone battery alone does take a big hit while recording.

Secondly, as you might imagine the phone tends to get rather warm pressed up against the windscreen glass. My particular phone came with a plastic case, I simply removed it and inserted a sheet of silver paper (a basic heat sink) between it and the casing, being sure to cut out a ‘window’ for the camera lens to peek through.

Lastly, and certainly more importantly you can now drive in a more relaxed fashion safe in the knowledge that everything ahead of you is being recorded – but be sure not to wind down the car window and call someone an ‘idiot’ as the conversation will be recorded audibly as well as visually by your dash cam!

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INDUSTRY NEWS

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

TECHNOLOGY AS A PROFIT CENTRE he automotive industry will see more than 370 million software systems used to integrate smartphone applications in vehicles in-use by 2020, according to a recent report from IHS Automotive.

And what’s more, those features are becoming increasingly important to consumers. According to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Automotive Emerging Technologies Study, the majority of vehicle owners are willing to pay for smartphone functionality.

Among vehicle owners who say they “definitely would” or “probably would” purchase specific technologies on their next vehicle, the highest percentage selected fuel economy, device/application linking for smartphones, wireless connectivity, natural language voice activation and infotainment features. In older vehicles, retrofitting is becoming a popular option, as well.

Bottom line: In-vehicle technology is evolving rapidly, and this could spell serious opportunity for auto repair shops.

“The fact of the matter is, the days of letting the quality of the vehicle and the weather do our marketing are quickly coming to an end,” says Rick White,

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president of One Eighty Business Solutions and an industry consultant. “Because we don’t have those repairs, there are a lot of shops scrambling for car count. One of the ways they can supplement that car count is to add technology add-ons.”

Using technology as an additional profit center can be a way to differentiate your shop from the competition and get ahead of the curve. Working with various “addons” to vehicles can give business a boost, too. Installing and fixing GPS and entertainment systems and other electronic services can turn into a successful profit center for business.

Before doing so, however, there are a few considerations to keep in mind, including how to stay up on the technology, what technology to look into and how to properly equip and train your staff to handle all of the technology that a vehicle has today.

“When you talk about programming and software and that avenue, there’s huge potential there.” —Josh Mellor, owner, Mellor’s Automotive.

The Benefits. Technology add-ons may not be the top moneymaker in your shop yet, but they will lead to new customer generation, says Josh Mellor, owner of

Mellor’s Automotive in West Melbourne, Fla. Mellor was one of the first in his area to work on these jobs and has created an additional profit center by working on these types of services and repairs.

There are a number of benefits to adding new technology services to your shop: 1. Planning for the future. IHS Automotive reported that smartphone app systems are currently at 6.9 million units in 2014, with expected growth to 370 million units by 2020. The number of OEM-installed connected car infotainment systems will reach 34.2 million units shipped worldwide by the end of 2018, according to ABI Research forecasts.

Apple CEO Tim Cook also recently said that every major car brand has now committed to using CarPlay. The bottom line is that these technologies are significant.

“Mobile apps for autos are growing rapidly and will have a profound impact on auto infotainment and connectivity in the next decade,” says Egil Juliussen, research director at IHS Automotive. “Auto apps will influence the competitive landscape among auto manufacturers and will even change the brand market share between

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by Anna Zack

them. OEMs will have to keep up to remain competitive.”

2. Customer demographics. Millennials topped Generation X in new-car buying for the first time last year. And it’s no secret that the millennial generation will soon become your shop’s dominant demographic. One way to appeal to millennials is through new technology, White says. According to a study conducted by Yahoo, the majority of millennials want cars with new technology like Bluetooth and infotainment systems.

3. It’s new business. Mellor says that if you’re not working on these types of services, you’re giving away work and turning away potential new clients. He says his shop has gained new customers due to being one of the only independent shops able to perform these services.

“When you talk about programming and software and that avenue, there’s huge potential there,” he says. “As far as being a profit center, it saves you from having to tow a car across town to be programmed after you installed a computer or module.

“We’ve gotten new customers from the parts houses. Say a Carquest [store] sells someone an engine-control module and they send them to us. That customer probably already has a shop, but their shop wasn’t equipped to do it.

“We’ve won some of those customers because we were technical and qualified enough to do what needs to be done.”

What You Need While there is some investment, training and time needed to be able to perform these services, White and Mellor agree that it is fairly minimal. Grasp on customer base. There are a number of different add-ons that could be tapped into, so White says the first step needs to be identifying the needs of your target

customer.

“I like focus and clarity. It’s the difference between being a light bulb and a laser,” he says. “I want to offer services that my customer will eat up.”

For example, he says that if the majority of your vehicles are older, consider getting into retrofitting. If many of your customers are parents, installing rearview cameras could be a helpful add-on. Consider how you could help make a customer’s vehicle more convenient.

Mellor says that he looks at what’s interesting to him, his tech’s capabilities and his customer’s needs.

“There’s not a lot of shops going after this kind of market right now,” says White.

“It’s really wide open. There’s a bunch of convenience and safety items that you can use or offer your customer.”

Training. This is where the biggest investment needs to be made. “There’s a disparity between qualified technicians and what the independent shops need,” Mellor says. “A lot of times, the dealership-level techs have the training. I know some other shop owners and I come from the technician side, there’s weakness when it comes to the technology side of things.”

Mellor says that there is ample training available for technicians to learn programming, how to read wiring diagrams and perform these installations.

And, he says, the learning curve isn’t terribly steep.

“Given the skillset most techs have when it comes to technology, it’s not anything spectacular that you have to do to install a navigation unit,” he says. “It’s a little above installing a regular car stereo.”

Tools. The nice thing is, Mellor says, a fully operational shop already has most of the equipment it needs to work on these add-ons. The only item essential to this kind of work is a J2534 tool.

Mellor says that the generic J2534 has improved dramatically recently and is easier to use. On the software side, he says it’s not necessary to buy an annual subscription for the manufacturer information.

“We don’t do enough of any one make to buy the subscription for the whole year,” he says. “We simply buy it as needed and it’s billed accordingly. Every manufacturer is different. For a GM, it’s a $55 subscription for three days. For Volkswagen, it’s $30.”

Mellor recommends using the programming matrix from NASTF to check manufacturer availability, pricing structure and software requirements.

White says this is where the training is especially important and why it’s important not to use menu pricing and instead price on value. “It has to be specific to the vehicle,” he says. “The reality is, we compete on value, not on price. do you want someone who’s not trained? Or would you rather have someone who’s a certified master tech putting this stuff into your car? That’s the big part. If you’re going to worry about price, it’s a race to the bottom.”

Marketing. It makes no sense to perform these services and not let your customers know it is an option for their vehicles, White says. He suggests shifting a portion of your current marketing budget toward this aspect of your business to get the word out and position yourself as an expert, which will help attract customers.

“The trend is that more and more people will have these,” he says. “It’s just a matter of a few years before that stuff is going to come to you anyway and you start seeing it. It’s going to be out there and how long can you tell someone that you can’t work on that? It kills me. I can’t stand to tell anyone that.”

WHAT’S HOT?

WHAT ADD-ONS CAN REPAIRERS SELL TO CUSTOMERERS? hat types of things can collision repairers upsell to customers when their vehicle is already at the shop? Steve Trapp, collision services development manager, DuPont Performance Coatings.

Upselling additional services can benefit collision repair shops.

DuPont Performance Coatings conducted an informal survey of collision shop customers, which revealed that 65% of customers are willing to consider purchasing an additional service.

As always, start by analyzing the damage on customer vehicles, and give them solid advice on the issue they initially came in for.

After that, you have earned the right to

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ask customers if they would like you to assess their vehicle for any additional damage or to discuss other services. If the customer agrees, then proceed with putting together a package of potential upsells that would benefit them.

Every customer will be in a different situation regarding extra services they might need. It’s important for shop employees to listen to the customer’s needs, look over their vehicle closely and put together a package that fits those needs.

There are many things that collision repair shops can upsell. The following are just a few ideas, which are ranked by their frequency of success: 1. Paintless dent removal 2. Detail

3. Glass repair or replacement 4. Cosmetic ding and dent removal 5. Headlight restoration 6. Tires and wheel alignment There are training options available for shops that want to improve their upselling skills. Most paint companies offer training.

DuPont, for example, offers two classes called Customer Care & Advisory Selling I and II. In general, the key to getting customers to accept the upsell is to offer it in the form of advice.

Use an advisory tone of voice, and explain to the customer how the additional repair or service will add value to their vehicle, or allow them to feel safer while driving.

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INDUSTRY UPDATE PRODUCT PROFILE

BULLDOG ABRASIVES LAUNCH SCANGRIP TOOLS FOR COLOUR MATCHING CANGRIP is a new LED ultra high CRI colour recognition system that is portable for workshop use in both body shop preparation polishing and colour room areas. The units make it easy to discover colour differences and expose swirl marks to avoid costly rework situations.

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SCANGRIP MULTIMATCH SCANGRIP products are from Denmark and come in a special presentation case.

These tools are working solutions for any colour matching needs that occur in the paint shop. The MULTIMATCH LED work light uses ultra high CRI colour rendering index LED light which is extremely sturdy.

The unit is rechargeable and has a working capability of up to six hours of battery time. It is also easy to use and shows colour differences immediately. In use it delivers 600/2000 lumens of high power and is extremely sturdily designed for everyday use.

SCANGRIP SUNMATCH The SUNMATCH SCANGRIP is an easily held hand tool for inspection use and has a rechargeable LED lamp for super colour recognition ability. SUNMATCH uses a two-step light output 400 or 180 lumens for on-the-go three-hour use on each charge.

It also features an intelligent power off function that will turn off the unit after three minutes of full power to prevent LED overheating. It’s also dust proof and waterproof and has a battery indicator at its base.

SCANGRIP MATCHPEN The SCANGRIP MATCHPEN which is also powered with ultra high colour rendering index technology. It fits easily into any pocket and is easy to carry anywhere. It is powered by an IP54 battery which is included in the kit.

The MATCHPEN has a built-in focus of 10-70 degrees with a glass lens that is replaceable and easily cleaned. The power generated is 100 lumens.

SCANGRIP colour matching tools have multiple uses in any workshop where good colour matching available light may be poor.

It’s an ideal working tool to avoid costly reject colour matching problems.

Available from Bulldog Abrasives contact them on +27 (0)11 786 5991 or sales@bulldogabrasives.co.za.

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SCANGRIP Co lour Matching Tools come in a s mart hard case to keep the too ls in p er fect working condition and for handy sto rag e.

1. SCANGRIP MATCHPEN.

2. SCANGRIP SUNMATCH.

3. SCANGRIP MULTIMATCH.

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NEWS FROM THE ZOO - by Roger Houghton

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

JP Landman, the well known South African political and economic analyst revealed some frightening statistics with regard to the electricity supply position in SA when he addressed the MISA breakfast at Automechanika Johannesburg. he large number of workshops, conferences and presentations at the recent Automechanika Johannesburg provided plenty of food for thought. Much of the information was of a specific, targeted technical nature, but there were also several presentations by gurus who are economic commentators.

Here is what some of them had to say: The well-attended Focus conference had an interesting array of speakers who covered a variety of topics that were of real value to those involved in the transport industry.

One of the speakers who provided plenty of valuable information and some worrying statistics was Loane Sharp, an economist at the Free Market Foundation, who spoke on the future of labour in SA. He said that besides the increase in unemployment, labour productivity was the lowest since 1970 when records of this measurement were kept for the first time. Interestingly the employment peak in SA had been reached in 1988 and since then unemployment had grown. The biggest declines have been in the mining and agricultural sectors which have been the backbone of the SA economy for many years.

Sharp questioned the massive rise in employment in the public sector, which had grown from 1.3-million people in 1995 to the current level of three million, and placed a big burden on the economy Another interesting point made by Sharp was the fact that union membership is declining and there are now more union members in the civil service than in the private sector. Overall one in four workers in SA is a union member, but in the private sector the ratio is one union member for every eight workers.

Renowned political and trend analyst, JP Landman, sees the shortage and intermittent supply of electricity as the major constraint on the South African economy at present. Speaking at a breakfast of the Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA), he said it was vital that power generation projects to ease the situation be fast-tracked.

Landman provided detailed facts and statistics to support his contention that a satisfactory and stable supply of electricity is vital not only for the effective functioning of industry and business – especially manufacturing – but it also had a very negative effect on business confidence and the sentiment of the general public.

He highlighted the massive effect the lack of regular maintenance over the years has had on the state of the generating equipment, saying the maximum capacity of Eskom and non-Eskom power generation was 44 149mW but only 29 000mW is being generated in recent times which equates to a 34% shortfall due to planned and

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unplanned maintenance and repairs. Landman said that demand was running at 31 000mW and this situation where demand far exceeded supply had to be rectified urgently.

However, on the positive side Landman added that there was ongoing substantial investment in infrastructure by the government.

This amounted to R1.02-trillion (6.7% of GDP) for the five years to 2013 and stands at R1.08-trillion (6.2% of GDP) for the four years to 2017.

This is the highest economic infrastructure spend in 25 years.

Major beneficiaries are transport and logistics (R339.2-billion), energy (R166.3-billion) and water and sanitation (R117.4-billion).

Landman went on to debunk the perception that the cost of an extensive and expanding social grant system was a drag on the economy. In fact he said that even the current support for 17-million people equated to only 3.1% of GDP which is similar to the situation 10 years ago and provides stimulus to the economy in terms of purchasing power while helping to alleviate poverty.

Another very interesting observation made by this popular analyst was the fact that one must not consider a GDP growth rate in isolation. He said it must always be read in conjunction with population growth. Here he gave the example of sub-Saharan Africa where there was a GDP growth rate of 5%, but this was negated by a 5.8% rise in population numbers. This meant that people in that region were, in fact, getting poorer on a per capita basis.

The opportunities and challenges for South African automotive companies wanting to export products into Africa came under the spotlight at a conference staged by the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM).

Well-known economist Mike Schussler gave an interesting overview of the automotive industry’s potential in Africa. He cautioned that although the continent has a huge population the majority of people are under 18 years of age and therefore most of them were not yet economically active, so the true market size was not as big as some people estimate. However, he added that education levels in Africa were rising rapidly which boded well for business growth in the future.

Schussler said that SA’s economy was now ranked only third in Africa behind Nigeria and Egypt and it could fall out of the global top 40 if there is no significant GDP growth in the near future.

He went on to say that it was vital that the SA automotive industry was productive and cost efficient to ensure its prices were competitive in Africa. He added that it was important there was a decrease in industrial action in SA as this impacted negatively on productivity and hence global competitiveness.

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COATINGS UPDATE BRAND PROFILE

WHAT’S ON OFFER FROM ROBERLO & QBRANDS SA? hank you for the enormous interest shown at Automechanika with the launch of our extended innovative range of ROBERLO Products.

As the sole importer of ROBERLO since 2014, Q-Brands has breathed new life into the brand with an exciting range of new improved putties, clears and primers to effectively combat all other products at cost effective prices and to boost the productivity in your body shop.

Our ever-increasing network of distributors is now in your area and this will make it easier for you to order your favorite ROBERLO products.

We are in the process of launching our Economy Star range. This range is ideal for over the counter sales and the DIY market as it is sold in a pre-packed kit comprising: 1kg Star Putty; 1 litre Express Primer; 500ml Star Clear and 500ml P5000 hardener, all at very competitive prices.

We also have a dedicated team of technicians at your disposal. Give us a call and they will demonstrate the high standard of quality and prove the cost effectiveness of the range that you know Roberlo to be.

Watch this space for more news on the ROBERLO DISOLAC Industrial Paint Mixing System creating more than 9,000 colours.

Silver Light Lightweight Body Filler This is a multipurpose filler for all jobs, big or small with excellent filling properties. It has great adhesion to all metals and is easy to sand even with finer grits. It is available in 3 litre tin sizes.

Plus 12 & Star 3000 Putty These putties are excellent for vertical applications and level out deep imperfections. It is ideal for deep filling and large repairs. It has a fast drying times that allows for a faster start than standard polyester fillers. It is available in 4kg and 900 grams and boasts excellent adhesion to steel and polyester.

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Multifiller Express Primer The Multifiller Express Primer is a 4:1 HS Primer that has an excellent balance between covering and fast drying. It has a dry film thickness of 80-100 microns and comes in a 1 and 4 litre tin size option. It can be used with P5000/P6000 Hardeners, which are available in 500ml and the 1 litre tin sizes.

Isolcar Isolcar is a 1K Light grey primer that is fast drying with high levelling qualities. It comes in 1 and 5 litre options.

Superior 150 HS Clear This is a high solid easy to apply clear coat for the car refinishing market. It is fast drying with a high gloss that is easy to polish thanks to its good balance between drying and curing times. You can get them in 500ml, 1 and 5 litre tin sizes. It can be used with P5000/P6000 Hardeners, which are available in 500ml and the 1 litre tin sizes.

VT 141 Express Clear This is a 4:1 medium solid clear coat. It’s ultra-fast drying time is due to the combination of rapid solvents used in its

formula, providing dust-free drying at 10 minutes.

Due to rapid drying times you will reduce your work time and it is fast curing, convenient and energy saving. It is available in 1 and 5 litre options. Use it with CT 6 hardeners and is available in 250ml and 0.945 litre tin sizes.

Contact Q-Brands for the complete innovative range of ROBERLO products as well as the details of your nearest ROBERLO distributor.

Bookings now open for October’s Comprehensive Roberlo Sales & Training Seminar.

Our contact details at Q-Brands are: Lennard: +27 (0)11 4402714, Val: 082 923 4373 and Geoff: 072 069 5423. Visit our website for more information on us at www.qbrandssa.com Most importantly: you know how well ROBERLO works and we’re totally committed to helping you in any way we can. ROBERLO, you know it works and we are here to stay.

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S O L E I M P O R TE R

A leading European Manufacturer of Automotive Repair products We are passionate about our work and look to the future together with ROBERLO with enthusiasm. Winning and maintaining your trust is our sole objective. We believe that the best way to do this is by providing you with outstanding products and an even better service.

Operating in over 100 countries, the spectacular growth the company has experienced is only possible due to the high quality and the trust customers have in its products.

Roberlo is also approved by various insurance companies in Europe.

You know the product works, and it’s here to stay.

Please call for your nearest distribution outlet.

Tel: +27 (0)11 440 2714 Mobile: +27 (0)82 923 4373

Email: Website:

valerie@qbrands.co.za www.QbrandsSA.com

INDUSTRY NEWS WHAT’S HOT?

MAZDA GO ALL OUT FOR EFFICIENCY

etrol engines fitted to Mazda’s in five years’ time will be significantly more petrol powered and more fuel efficient than today’s. Mazda is aiming to lift the efficiency of its petrol engines by 50% by 2020, according to European research and development chief Kenichiro Saruwatari.

The current efficiency of its petrol engines is a competitive 40%, but it hopes to reach 60% in the next five years.

It hopes to do this by developing its homogenous charge compression ignition technology (HCCI) in which the mixture is ignited by compression rather than a spark, like a diesel.

That will involve raising the compression ratio from about 14.0.1 today to 18.0.1 and activating very precise control of the combustion process to avoid knocking. The aim is to combine the cleaner emissions of a petrol engine with the efficiency of a diesel.

As part of its Skyactiv efficiency programme, Mazda is also investigating scope for reducing heat loss through the exhaust system, which typicallly loses about 30% of the fuel’s energy. “We’re

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looking at several solutions but can’t say which yet,” said Saruwatari.

The company has been pursuing its current efficiency path since the development of the 2002 Mazda 6, which was “Generation 1 of the roadmap,” Saruwatari said.

He said the next CX-5 crossover would be the first of the seventh generation. “The main direction of Skyactiv has not changed,” he added. “Although we sometimes find new technologies and materials that produce a step change,” Mazda recently announced a partnership with Toyota that could result in a plug-in hybrid model, but it has said its petrol cars could ultimately match EVs for wheel-to-wheel efficiency. This could mean averaging Co2 emissions of about 80g/km for an unspecified ‘average’ model equipped with a Skyactiv Generation 2 engine.

The third generation of Skyactiv engines could take this even further, Mazda has previously spoken of average wheel-to-wheel emissions as low as 50g/km, although it has not set a date for this.

Kapci Coatings; Tel: +27 (0)11 834 1252

BUSINESS UPDATE WHAT’S HOT?

HURRICANE EQUIPMENT NEW MIDRAND WAREHOUSE o answer areas that need ultrafast deliveries in Gauteng, Hurricane Equipment have opened up an all-new warehouse in Corporate Park South, in Midrand. Andrew and Duncan Mackie have a 10-year success story under their belts with year-on-year rapid growth with their product line-up.

Andrew is upbeat about the future saying, “We have implemented some great lines over the years for upgrading body shops who are looking for good quality and better ways to improve their collision repair production. To this end, as a company, we have set a corporate policy of taking a margin on our imported spray booths, prep zones and chassis benches which is market related and not over the top to push prices beyond reach of collision repairers who are improving their operations.

“The full line-up that Hurricane Equipment can now offer is huge, right from AutoRobot Electronic Measuring systems, Wiëlander and Schill inverters from Germany and Blackhawk HD Truck Repair – our agencies are among the world’s best.

“The operation in Midrand is already a big success for us as we have always operated previously from the Polokwane region.

However the sheer size of the business now demands that we have had to take on the warehouse in Midrand.

“Stuart Mackie and Hanru are now handling the deliveries and distribution needs of our clients in a better than ever before manner.

Initiatives from Hurricane Equipment on their new line-up of workshop tools has seen a complete container sell-out in just weeks,” says Andrew. “We feel the total range and pricing just can’t be beaten as they all come with a full two-year warranty on purchase and the quality of these spanners and workshop equipment is superb.”

You can call them at the new Midrand operation for speedy deliveries on +27 (0)11 314 0167.

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MERGERS

BLUESPEC HOLDINGS NEW VENTURE he big news that Bluespec have entered into a new joint venture with Auto Magic with a view to listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange broke last month. It follows on international trends of body shop repair consolidation being seen internationally. Bluespec are suppliers of comprehensive insurance procurement solutions. The company was formed in 2001 and has a long history and understanding of the accident repair business. Right from 24-hour emergency towing to powering up a large operation of some 3000 employees in the accident repair and management business.

They are based across Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal and the Renewit approved and specialise in major structural repairs to damaged vehicles as well as non-structural body cosmetic repair. The group has major business in both manufacture warranty and nonwarranty damaged vehicles.

The new joint venture with Auto Magic will give Bluespec a bigger slice of the small area repair business that Auto Magic specialise in.

In dealing with a total market of some 900 000 vehicles involved annually in repaired accidents, only 30% of these drivers bother to take out an insurance policy and the market is currently split into two types of damaged units – drivable and non-drivable accidents.

Auto Magic have a business model that employs around 700

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people and has production outputs of some 4 000 units repaired per month. The new partnership is hoped will deliver considerable synergies between the two groups both to procurement initiatives and technological advancements along with integrated insurance platforms as well as service platforms.

This will also answer new methods taken by some insurance companies in the motor risk business to outsource procurement platforms in the repair cycle. It serves to remove friction costs in the actual repair cycle, and most importantly improves levels of customer retention with satisfied clients with severely damaged vehicles now seeing a 50% level on repairable costs. The shift from hard hits is down from almost half to just 30% of the overall market in crash repair.

Auto Magic also operate owner managed franchise operations and this has assisted their 34 franchise outlets. This, plus another 30 approved associate repairers, has driven the group forward. Using state-of-the-art IT systems to monitor and check on clients vehicle progress in repair has also assisted in quality of the end-repaired car.

Auto Magic try to repair their driveable cars in repair returned to their owners in around 10 days. The new partnership will give both companies a larger footprint on a national basis to complete a vision of a stock market listing in the future.

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What would you say to a customer who gave you 25 minutes of their time?

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wwwr.tiaseuon our website toref.co .za Yes, Yes, a full 25 minutes to make a pitch for their business. Seem unlikely?

Well on average, a reader will spend 25 minutes with the Automotive Refinisher Magazine. Just as you are now.

As a result, brand loyalty increases by 32% and sales uplift by 8%.

All at a fraction of some other media costs and infinitely more effective than email sent straight to the junk folder.

In today’s climate, it’s important to hang on to customers.

Because when a competitor comes knocking, all that really matters is how much your customers like you.

We can make them know you really well.

The voice of the collision repair industry for over 30 years

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To advetise call us on +27 (0)11 949 4091 Alternatively send us an email to autoref@iafrica.com Or visit our website www.autoref.co.za

BUSINESS NEWS WHAT’S HOT?

GLASSGO PAINTWORX he Paintworx factory shop outlet in Boksburg has been assisting the local trade with top quality refinish paints for over 15 years.

The development of their own paint manufacturing business was a logical next step to keep pace with increasing volumes and is now nearly six years old. They manufacture their diversified paint lines under the Glassgo brand name.

It is based in Angelo Park, Boksburg, in a new facility that is able to keep pace with year-on-year compound growth of close to 25%.

Company CEO Ettienne Barnard says “We were just four people when we branched out into our own manufacturing operation. Right now we have over 50 people involved in the paint factory.

“Our single aim has always been to be able to offer a quality car refinish range at a value price and it’s really worked for us right across the automotive and industrial paints. We make 2K clears, hardeners and basic toners, primers and now our new 1K primer, which is a high build preparation

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The Glassgo refinish range of clear toners and basics come at a value price.

formulation.”

Ettienne went on to say that distributors as far as Botswana, Zimbabwe and Maputo have boosted sales, along with a big demand coming from local areas such as Gauteng and Mmpumalanga.

“In the current market some of the major suppliers, in my opinion, have very steep pricing for the average repairer.’ he said. “We are filling that gap with a top quality product at a much more affordable price range.

Glassgo paints have also invested its profits back into updated paint manufacturing equipment and this is streamlining our factory output across the board. Other lines on offer feature a big selection of epoxy coating and other key industrial paint lines.

You can contact Ettienne on 082 414 2924 or +27 (0)11 892 5384 to get more information on the Glassgo paints offer. Dealer enquiries are invited.

Frontline staff at Paintworx work hard on customer satisfaction levels.

Ettienne Barnard has been very active building the Glassgo brand at the new factory site in Boksburg.

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In the lab quality control is everything.

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ey ww vim w.k ba an .co ye .za vim ba .co .za

Why spend tens of thousands of Rands on expensive drying arches and suffer ever increasing fuel costs on your existing oven, when the most innovative product in the last 20 years is now available?

Cell: +27 82 552 8126; Tel: +27 (0)11 396 1161 SOLE DISTRIBUTOR

COATINGS NEWS

WHAT’S HOT?

GENROCK CLEAR LINE-UP EXPANDS

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o keep pace with international demand for the General brand, Genrock have formulated some new car refinish products for vehicle refinishers with their 5000M 2K Super Fast Clear Coat.

For body shops who specialise in small area repairs and fast vehicle turnaround, this high build, two-pack, clear coat can deliver excellence through drying times when either air dried, low baked or cured with shortwave infrared paint drying systems. It also delivers a full gloss wet look finish when used with a combination of available hardeners. For express production it works

exceptionally well with H200 hardener, along with the super fast hardener for the best results on time saving.

The 5000M 2K Clear Coat Satin Gloss is formulated to deliver a satin look. The satin gloss is able to provide a uniform silky feel that meets the stringent demands from the refinish industry once catalysed with any of the popular five hardeners. Its pot life extends for approximately three to five hours. Once dried the finish delivers around 60% gloss levels which match many common plastic hang on body plastic parts on numerous car models. It is air dry in just 45 minutes or can be easily fast cured by the

use of infrared heating or low baked to express the drying cycle.

The Genrock 6000M 2K Clear Coat Matt is another specialist formulation for painters who wish to match existing factory finishes on matt clear parts. The matt clear finish is for use over basecoat clearcoat systems. It can be cured by any of the automotive Genrock hardeners and is also either air dry in just 45 minutes or eight minutes with infrared curing.

For more information on these products visit kanyevimba.co.za or call them directly on +27 (0)11 396 1161.

SAFETY

TOYOTA’S CRASH TEST DUMMIES REPLICATE HUMAN REACTIONS

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ou are in a car and you know you are about to hit something. If you are the driver, you're likely to hit the brakes and turn the wheel; if you're a passenger, aware of what's about to happen, your instinct is to brace yourself for impact. These changes in posture – relaxed or braced – aren't something physical crash test dummies can copy, but Toyota has produced new software for its THUMS* virtual human modelling that replicates these kinds of pre-collision reactions.

The latest version of THUMS adds a muscle modelling feature that can simulate the body attitude of different vehicle occupants, from relaxed to braced, allowing for more detailed computer analysis of the injuries collisions can cause.

Until now, THUMS could only simulate changes in posture after a collision has happened, but the new Version 5 model allows changes prior to an impact to be scrutinised. This means the performance of seatbelts, airbags and other safety equipment can be studied more accurately, as well as more advanced precollision systems. The intelligence gained will help in the development of new safety technologies that can provide better occupant protection. THUMS Version 5 has already been adopted by dozens of businesses, including vehicle and parts' manufacturers, and is contributing to vehicle safety research worldwide.

About THUMS By simulating many characteristics of different parts of the human body, from its overall shape to bones and skin, THUMS enables detailed analysis of the kind of injuries that can occur in a vehicle collision, such as fractures and severed ligaments. Toyota began development of THUMS in 1997, working with Toyota Central R&D Labs. Version 1 was launched in 2002, followed by Version 2 in 2004, which added face and bones to the model; Version 4 in 2006, with a precise brain model; and Version 4 in 2010, which gained detailed modelling of internal organs.

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INDUSTRY NEWS WHAT’S HOT?

SPECIALISED HEATING SYSTEMS MAKE SYSTEM FOR MAN TRUCKS & BUS

pecialised Heating Applications (SHA) specialise in infrared curing systems that deliver great cost savings on industrial process curing when viewed against conventional heating packages, and that’s the upside.

Man Truck and Bus Group have set up a major manufacturing site in Telford Road, Pinetown, and their factory manager Heicko Keyser is on a mission – that of pushing the business to become more environmentally friendly.

To this end SHA were asked to help design a new infrared adjustable truck production drying arch unit for the company who were experiencing paint finishes that were not hard enough to work on once complete in production.

“The answer,” says Tony de Almeida, CEO of Specialised Heating Applications, “was to organise a huge infrared lamp bank that would completely cure fresh 2K paint systems on a bespoke suspended

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mobile arch. This system uses individual 1kW lamps to be able to achieve a metal temperature of around 60ºC. It only uses a fraction of the cost of a conventional connection heating system.”

The unit is on a rail and track chassis frame and totally cures in just over 30 minutes, which assists to reduce a production bottle neck at the operation.

“What makes a big difference,” says Tony, “is the design of the reflectors, and in this case the radiation energy of the lamps, is harnessed to deliver maximum drying power on every chassis.

“In production the design and industrial installation took around three months to complete. Each section of the chassis can enjoy switchable lamp back energy reduction to do away with unnecessary electrical costs and further reduce production costs.”

For more information on industrial infrared applications you can call Tony on +27 (0)11 425 4062 or call Franz on 082 463 6284.

US NEWS

VOLVO WILL OPEN U.S. ASSEMBLY PLANT IN 2018 olvo will spend about $500 million to build its first assembly plant in the United States as it pursues a global comeback under Chinese ownership. Volvo is in advanced talks with several US states and will announce a location for the factory later on, CEO Hakan Samuelsson said. The plant will start operation in 2018 and will produce vehicles built with the same underpinnings as the XC90 SUV, Volvo said.

“Volvo Cars cannot claim to be a true global carmaker without an industrial presence in the US,” Samuelsson said in a statement. “The US is an absolutely crucial part of our global transformation and this announcement makes it perfectly clear that Volvo is in the US to stay.”

Following its sale to Zhejiang Geely by Ford Motor in 2010, Volvo stepped up investment in new models and production, adding a pair of Chinese factories to its two older European plants in Sweden and Belgium. Volvo said the new factory will help meet and eventually exceed its volume targets in the US, where it has a medium-term goal to sell 100 000 light vehicles a year.

Volvo’s global deliveries rose 9% last year to almost 466 000, thanks to strong demand in China and Europe, while its US sales fell 8% to 56 366 and last topped the 100 000 mark in 2007, when deliveries hit 106 213.

“We are going after a market share of 1% with a clear identity that we know is very attractive to some customer groups,” Samuelsson said. “It is a tough market but I wouldn’t say it’s tougher than Europe or China.”

Volvo executives have been hinting about a US factory for the past two years. At the Detroit auto show in January, Samuelsson said in an interview with Automotive News that “long term, I would not rule that out.” At the Geneva auto show earlier, Samuelsson said he favoured a site in the US over Mexico. “If labour costs are low, other

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costs are high,” he said. “Long term it’s always good to produce where you sell.”

Premium rivals such as BMW and Audi are adding plants in Mexico, where labour costs are cheaper to help them service rising demand in North America. The choice of the United States over Mexico underlines Volvo’s determination to “rebuild the brand” among American consumers, Samuelsson said. “We want to give a clear signal that the US is a home market for us.” He declined to identify the shortlisted sites but said the decision would reflect the availability and cost of skilled workers and logistics including the export of finished cars.

Samuelsson said he was neutral on whether US staff are represented by the United Auto Workers union, a politically divisive issue that has dogged plant decisions by Volkswagen, among others.

“It’s up to the people who work for us to choose how they want to be organised,” he said. “We have no opinion on that.” Volvo said it will use the US factory to accelerate the introduction of build-to-order sales, as well as exports.

The new plant is part of an ambitious overhaul at Volvo that will see the automaker retool its entire product range over the next four years with the introduction of new modular vehicle technology.

The first vehicle developed under Volvo’s Chinese owner Geely, the new generation XC90 arrived at European dealerships in June and at US showrooms in July. Sales already have started in both markets. Volvo is touting the crossover as the rebirth of the brand.

In four years, the redesigned XC90 will be the oldest vehicle in a Volvo showroom. Volvo executives say seven new vehicles, replacements for the current range and some new variants, will be launched by 2019.There will also be a plug-in hybrid in all new vehicle lines.

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DRIVEN MERCEDES- BENZ V-CLASS he V-Class sets new benchmarks in its segment with its design and host of innovations. The new V-Class combines room for up to eight people and exemplary functionality with high-class appeal, comfort, efficient driving enjoyment and safety. This makes the Mercedes-Benz stand out among other MPVs; the perfect vehicle for everyone who appreciates boundless space but does not want to sacrifice style and comfort.

Whether travelling with the whole family, heading out for a mountain bike holiday with friends or driving prominent guests to a red carpet event – the new V-Class provides optimum flexibility when it comes to use of the luxurious interior.

With the three equipment lines: V-Class Standard, V-Class BlueTEC and V-Class BlueTEC AVANTGARDE, an Exterior Sports package and an Interior Design package available for each line, and a host of optional extras, the new MPV can be individualised to suit any taste or requirement. As a result it meets a wide variety of customer needs and is just as attractive for families as it is for people who need a variable and spacious interior for their leisure and sports activities. In addition, it is ideally suited to use as a luxurious VIP transfer or hotel shuttle.

“With the V-Class, under the Mercedes-Benz Vans stable, we offer a MPV with versatility, comfort and style, all in one eyecatching package. The variable interior and unmatched driving experience ensure that its advanced levels of safety and efficiency are enjoyed by our customers,” says Nicolette Lambrechts, vicepresident: Mercedes-Benz Vans.

Ground-breaking features in this category of vehicles also include

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the AGILITY CONTROL suspension with selective adjustment of the damping system to the road conditions and the latest generation of ADAPTIVE ESP®, featuring many assistance functions for optimum driving safety.

The V-Class comes to the starting line with a state-of-the-art 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine with two-stage turbocharging, which has already proven highly successful and which has now been further enhanced specifically for the MPV. It is available in three power output levels: The V 200 CDI develops 100 kW of power and a maximum torque of 330 Nm. The V 220 CDI generates 120 kW of power and 380 Nm. This is an increase of 20Nm in each case over the predecessor – but with fuel consumption down by around two litres. With fuel consumption of just 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres and CO2 emissions of 149 grams per kilometre, the V 220 CDI occupies a leading position in its segment.

With a power output of 140 kW and powerful peak torque of 440 Nm, the top-of-the-line V 250 BlueTEC engine is as powerful and agile as the previous 3-litre V6 turbodiesel engine. In the acceleration phases, an additional 10 kW and 40 Nm are available ("over-torque"). As a result, the flagship model develops 150 kW and maximum torque of a full 480 Nm. The V 250 BlueTEC accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in an impressive 9.1 seconds. At the same time, the top model provides an extremely smooth ride and interior noise has been reduced significantly – among other things – by means of comprehensive insulation.

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CAR AFTERMARKET TOP REPAIR BRANDS

We are the sole importers for the Colad, Dinitrol and Indasa brands.

Enquire about distribution opportunities:

+27 (0)11 024 4978 Peter (082) 554 8210 Email: peter@pyrmosa.co.za

Pyrmo SA

INDUSTRY NEWS WHAT’S HOT?

PYRMO SA DISTRIBUTING GLOBAL BRANDS yrmo SA specialise in the importation and distribution of high quality products for the automotive and industrial markets for over 20 years. Automotive Refinisher Magazine took time out to talk to Peter Dove the local Pyrmo SA manager, who also has the task of brand ambassador for three key product branches. One of these is Dinitrol from Germany who have a diversified range. They have 65 years of experience and are major suppliers to OEM carmakers on a global basis.

Dinol have 65 years of experience in research and development. They established themselves as the world’s leading supplier of specialised systems for corrosion prevention. Similarly, Dinol have developed the areas of bonding and sealing and vehicle body product range since the early 90’s.

Dinol, GmBH is located at Lügde Germany, with the brand Dinitrol and is a worldwide distributor of coating, bonding and sealing chemicals for the bus, railway and industrial manufactures and for the car, bus and railway aftermarket.

Peter says that Pyrmo are in a way, reinventing themselves with a major focus on expanding their operations into the rest of Africa going forward.

The big player in refinish terms is the Portuguese brand Indasa of which Pyrmo are the sole importer of the top European abrasive maker.

Established in 1979, Indasa has now developed into one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of high performance coated abrasive technology. Located in Aveiro Portugal, Indasa’s programme of continuous improvement and investment has made the manufacturing plant one of the most modern production facilities in Europe. Special consideration has been afforded to the implementation of working practices and procedures that minimise the impact on the environment.

The Indasa Group comprises seven wholly owned subsidiary companies in Spain, UK, France, Germany, Poland, Brazil and the US. Export markets in over 90 countries are supplied through a network of approved distributors and supply partners.

Fundamental to the company’s core values is the ability to provide market specific solutions utilising their key areas of expertise in the manufacture of innovative abrasive system. R&D plays a crucial role in the ongoing development of technically advanced, high performance materials.

Only the highest quality raw materials and Fepa compliant mineral grain are used,

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P eter Dove, manager for Pyrmo SA, is increasing their pro duct accep tance thro ughout Africa with independent distributors playing a b ig p ar t of the co mp any focus this year.

thus providing consistency of performance across the grit range.

The challenge facing today’s professional refinishing industry is the implementation of innovative and highly efficient methods of vehicle repair and paint rectification.

Indasa abrasive systems are at the forefront of dry sanding technology, developed specifically to provide all of the essential elements for the optimum surface preparation and to deliver a range of high performance materials that offers consistency, efficiency and peak productivity to the refinisher.

Along with these brands is the full Dutch range of consumables from Colad who are internationally renowned as being a top player in collision repair for all nonpaint accessory products.

Dove went on to say that Pyrmo SA have enjoyed great success in Gauteng,

Cape Town and KwaZulu Natal repair markets but are now busy expanding their technical service for application techniques in South Africa.

Dingaan Mawaasa handles the Gauteng technical side. Pyrmo SA are recruiting other technical staff as well to boost their back-up service on the entire range of products. This also includes the popular Anest Iwata spray gun range which they also distribute on a national basis.

Their main objective in the new company initiative will be a larger push to independent paint distribution to get a larger footprint for sales in Africa says Peter.

You can call him on +27 (0)11 024 4978 or 082 554 8210 for further details of what the company has to offer in the collision repair specialist products division.

Dingaan Mawaas a, handles technical ser vice in Gauteng and showing one o f the many Dinitro l rust p reventio n p roducts.

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NEW PRODUCTS

KAPCI COATINGS 6050 ANTI-SCRATCH KAPCI 6050 ANTI-SCRATCH CLEARCOAT is an anti-scratch transparent clearcoat with high solids content. It is characterised by high hardness, good UV and weather resistance and high impact resistance.

Excellent gloss and very good clarity assures the high quality of the coating. It is compliant with all basecoats available on the market including water based basecoats.

For more information on this and the Kapci range +27 (0)11 834 1252

Q-BRANDS SA MASKING TAPE 4CR masking tape is for oven-baked painting operations of up to 80°C in car body repair applications.

It is available in 18mm – 24mm – 36mm – 48mm x 40m rolls.

For more information on Q-Brands call Val or Geoff +27 (0)11 440 2714 or visit www.qbrandssa.com

SNAP-ON 18V LITHIUM CORDLESS ANGLE GRINDER The 18V Lithium Cordless Angle Grinder has a flat head design for easy access and performs up to 8000rpm.

It has a 7-position safety guard and an electronic safety clutch. You can use it with four and a half and five inch wheels.

The motor screen helps keep debris out of the motor It has an anti-vibration handle and high stall torque. The battery rotates 270 degrees.

You can find out more about this product by contacting their Snap-on dealers or account manager, or by contacting customer service on 0861 762 766, emailing: enquiries@snapon.co.za or visit www.snapon.co.za 80

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KANYE VIMBA INTRODUCE NITROMASTER This is the Nitromaster, body shop edition and there are a few crucial points to why a panelbeater should get one of these: Minimum 20% saving of coating materials Huge reduction of overspray Application time reduction of minimum 30% Allows easy “wet on wet” application Haze, streaks, orange peel and sag reduction due to uniform thickness Huge reduction in VOC For more information on this and other products in Kanye Vimba’s extensive range call them on +27 (0)11 396 1161.

ANEST IWATA NEW CONCEPT AIR TECHNOLOGY The newly designed range of air caps from Air Gunsa are able to develop a long and tulip shaped spray pattern with an extra fine particles distribution and very little overspray.

This new technology allows even less experienced sprayers to obtain high quality and consistent finishing at budget cost.

Call them on +27 (0)11 463 2169 to find out more about their new range of air caps.

AER-O-CURE MULTI MATERIAL VACUUM SYSTEM Understanding the risk associated with fine particle of aluminum dust is key to ensuring a safe work place. Fine particles of aluminum dust are flammable and/or explosive. Extraction systems for aluminum dust must therefore be designed to prevent any external ignition sources from entering the filter or dust collector. The stationary extraction systems used up until 2009 (which are “pure” aluminum extractors, manufactured by various manufacturers), do not have this protection against external ignition sources and cannot be modified to include it. All these extraction systems and the systems available on the market for aluminum are of the type that require all ignition sources to be eliminated. For this reason, since the possibility of sparks originating from steel parts cannot be entirely ruled out.

This multi material mobile extraction system has threefold protection against sparks being drawn in if steel is being worked on in the vicinity. This protection consists of a 5-metre long anti-static intake hose, a spark trap and a 5-metre long settling section.

This ensures that, even if steel panels are inadvertently sanded or ground, the glowing sparks are cooled well below the temperature required to ignite aluminum dust. The system is TÜV-certified for steel sparks, which are much hotter and glow for longer than aluminum.

Aer-o-cure is the exclusively appointed importer and distributor for the only approved system on the market, offering a 2-year warranty and full after sales support.

For any enquiries, please contact us on +27 (0)11 444 6454 or info@aerocure.co.za

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NEW PRODUCTS SHERWIN-WILLIAMS® HP PROCESSTM CLEARCOAT HPC15 Sherwin-Williams® HP Process™ Clearcoat HPC15 with AIR-BAKE™ Technology is an extremely productive clearcoat designed for a range of speed applications from single to multi-panel repairs. As one of the premium clearcoat offerings from Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes. HP Process™ Clearcoat HPC15 offers outstanding application properties, gloss, appearance, and buffability. HP Process™ Clearcoat HPC15 offers an extremely fast cycle time for increased productivity and does not require the use of a high temperature bake cycle, which generates substantial energy savings.

For more information call Kanye Vimba on +27 (0)11 396 1161.

CHIEF’S NEW DUST EXTRACTOR MAKING REPAIR LESS EXPLOSIVE Chief’s New Dust Extractor is a vacuum assisted sanding kit system with an immersion separator designed specifically for the automotive repair industry. It features a fully integrated automatic on/off switch which allows the electrically operated vacuum cleaner to be controlled by a pneumatic hand tool. It is CSA certified and features a HEPA filter – included with an efficiency of 99.995% on 0.3 micron. It also has a detachable oil/water tank for easy emptying of recovered materials. Note: Please allow for 14 weeks delivery after order.

“Y.E.S. – Your Equipment Supplier” is the sole distributor for Chief Automotive Technologies in South Africa. For further information on their products contact either Tommy du Plessis on 073 163 0882, Darrel van der Kolff on 083 926 7101 or Alex van Haute on 079 536 4574 or alternatively email tracyv@yesrsa.co.za.

CELETTE SA T-HOTBOX The T-Hotbox is a handheld unit and due to its size it can be easily used. The unit has several settings that can be adjusted depending on its application. For one, the time of its use can be preset, meaning if you want to heat for example 1 sec then you can preset this time and it will stop working after the set time.

The range for the time setting is 0.5 sec., 1 sec., 1.5 sec., 2 sec., 3 sec., 4 sec.. This can be helpfull in the dent removal application to avoid burning the paint. Next to that the power level can be set at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%. The unit comes in a small case to make its storage simple. There is an extra long cable to make the unit easier for its hand application.

Call Celette SA on +27 (0)11 334 1875 for more information.

AUTOMOTIVE PAINTS 1K FINE FILLER 1K fine filler is ideal for finishing of small uneven surfaces. Apply two to three light coats allowing 30 minutes for thorough drying and subsequently sand with fine sandpaper P600-P1000. It can be overcoated with all type of primers or paints.

Call Suleman on +27 (0)31 902 7666 or visit www.automotivepaint.co.za for more information on this and other products on offer.

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NEW CHIEF FUME EXTRACTOR PROTECTS AGAINST WELDING FUMES Protecting your workers from occupational hazards is more than just good business practice or housekeeping. Welders, for example, who are in daily contact with workplace operational hazards, must be protected from exposure to contaminants, such as weld-fume particulate, that can lead to serious health concerns and illnesses.

Through efficient removal of weld fume particulate, you can protect your worker’s health, improve productivity and reduce lost time due to illness.

The most effective method of capturing weld fume particles from a welders breathing zone is to collect it directly at the source.

The all new Chief Fume Extractor is purposely built for the automotive repair industry. It’s compact design, vertical reach and ease of use makes it perfect for today’s body shops. “Y.E.S. – Your Equipment Supplier” is the sole distributor for Chief Automotive Technologies in South Africa. Note: Please allow for 14 weeks delivery after order.

For further information on their products contact either Tommy du Plessis on 073 163 0882, Darrel van der Kolff on 083 926 7101 or Alex van Haute on 079 536 4574 or alternatively email tracyv@yesrsa.co.za.

ROBERLO’S NEW INTRODUCTIONS Roberlo Silver Light: Lightweight body filler is intended for those repairs where the product's filling capacity is very important. It is the ideal product for those users who start the sanding process using P40 due to its excellent adherence and strength but, at the same time, sanding can be started with finer grains.

It is recommended for those users that require a product that they can work with at length and can be contoured, if necessary. This makes Silver Light a very versatile product.

Roberlo isolcar: A 1K primer for fast drying process. HPC15 - HP Process™ Clearcoat With AIR-BAKE™ Technology For more information on Q-Brands call Val or Geoff +27 (0)11 440 2714 or visit www.qbrandssa.com

VIRGIN PLASTICS SEAT COVERS New improved car seat kits - set cover floor matt and steering covers. For extra cover mirror wrap can be added for the handbrake and gear lever.

Snuggling seat cover 25 Micron strong to remain on seat throughout the duration of the job at hand and even go round for second and third use.

For more information call +27 (0)83 251 9442 or office +27 (0)11 616 2870 or email them at virgin@mweb.co.za for more information.

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LOCAL NEWS TRAINING

NF APPRENTICES UPDATE n the beginning of 2014 NF apprentices had a small group of eight apprentices on the programme and four partner shops. Fast forward to 2015, by the end of July this year NF Apprentices will have placed 50 apprentices at their 16 partner repair centres.

The programme’s founding mandate was to ensure apprentice success considering the low output rates of apprenticeships. This has taken NF Apprentices on a journey that has required the foundation to develop a unique model with the apprentice at the centre.

The programme has been able to achieve success through its holistic approach that focuses on three key areas, namely: recruitment, orientation and apprentice management.

Identifying well-motivated candidates with a fair level of knowledge will ensure that the right apprentices are placed from the onset. Making sure that all the involved parties are orientated on how to best manage the apprenticeship programme, starting with the apprentice, to the mentor and the workshop manager is also paramount.

Part of this orientation for shops will mean that they need to be a little patient with first time apprentices understanding that they still need to learn some of the workplace basics. Once an apprentice candidate has successfully completed their trial (probation) period, they need to understand how to actively participate in managing their training programme with assistance from NF Apprentices.

What also makes NF Apprentices unique is its inclusive approach that allows any qualifying business to participate and access its support structures. Through partnering with NF, businesses are already

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starting to see the benefits of having apprentices through the positive contribution apprentices make towards productivity and identifying a talent pool from which to source future employees.

The programme has also managed to establish an apprentice fraternity through their social and life skills programmes. As apprenticeships are usually done in small groups in an operational setting, rarely are apprentices given outlet to express their views and interact socially with each other.

Through NF’s social programmes, apprentices are able to engage with one another, offering each other peer support and guidance.

Apprenticeships offer a solution to the many socio- and economic issues facing South Africa such as youth unemployment and skills shortage discrepancies. Industry collaborations can go a long way in identifying workable solutions and for this reason NF Apprentices have established working partnerships with industry stakeholders such as CRA (Collision Repairers Association), BASF, Sci-Bono and Gondolier.

“Project Lungisa” – Fixing it The NF Apprentices’ beneficiaries are showing us that anyone can make a difference with their very own initiative.

“Project Lungisa” involves the refurbishing of a salvage car that was sponsored by Hollard Insurance. BASF has also come on board as a paint and paint material sponsor.

Led by third and fourth level apprentices, the project will give the young men and women an opportunity to promote and showcase the skills they have acquired. Funds raised will then be channelled back into NF Apprentices so that more young people can receive the same opportunity they have. In essence an opportunity for NF’s own young people in the industry to give back.

How you can you get involved? Parts sponsorships and funds for purchasing parts will be greatly appreciated as well as any time or expertise on offer.

For more info contact us on +27 (0)11 312 8479, email: info@nf.org.za or visit www.nf.org.za

GASKET CLEANER Cuts through grease and grime and eliminates the need for excessive sanding or scraping.

Special Lubricants and Allied Chemical Products

tel: +27 (0)860 772 652 email: sales@spanjaard.biz www.spanjaard.biz 84

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WHAT’S HOT? JOBS, EQUIPMENT, SERVICES AND MUCH MORE

TEKNIKLOTH® A Tekniklean Product

WIPES AWAY SURFACE CONTAMINATION Teknikloth®- high-tech lint free surface cleaners are an absolute must for all paint shops. They provide less wastage and linting than other systems of preparation. Suitable for use on both water based and solvent based systems.

Photo supplied by Primo Panel and Paint Pinetown

Unique properties include: Lint Free

No scratched or damaged paintwork

Does not break up in any known solvent

Strong wet strength Excellent absorption

We have been supplying the industry for the past 18 years.

NEW DISTRIBUTORS WELCOME. Call 031 579 3688

for your nearest distributor.

Email: sales@tekniklean.co.za or joanne@tekniklean.co.za

DENT PRO-PORTABLE DENT PULLER

Call us on

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AFRICAN PANORAMA STEALING SUCCESS

n a way “Fat” Mary Nkosi was good at her job. As a trade show security officer she made sure no one ever got into the expo one minute early. On the downside that made the oriental stand holder’s invasion of exhibitors a bit mad as they would arrive early by the bus load all dressed in black suits and juggling their very own packed lunches – probably supplied by their ambitious communist government to keep them alert to commercial gain opportunities at all times.

“Fat” Mary would have them all lined up and quietly whispering with dissent at not being able to get out of the crisp winter morning sun until she could look at her watch and declare the show open. She would also get her knickers in a twist if one of the stand holders wanted to take out any product without the right paper work from the organiser’s office at the exit door.

This all resulted in “Fat” Mary sliding down the popularity stakes with Wang, Wang and Poo – yes that was the company name – for their stand was right next to the door. Their product line-up of brake shoes, clutch plates and shining mag wheels fell into place with another 300 motor part making hopefuls from across the other side of the world in China.

Anyway, Frikkie, “Fat” Mary’s security controller had laid down the law concerning these demanding oriental visitors who often did not understand her way of speaking English with a Zulu accent, but finally understood her clenched fist and flared nostrils and the word ‘no’ when her anger was up.

Things were progressing very well on the final day with “Fat” Mary in position and enduring a phenomenal amount of nonsense from the Chinese contingent, who always wanted the hall rear door opened to nip out to phone and smoke like mad.

Wang, whose work experience had seen him spend a fair amount of time in jail back home, was dreaming up a scheme to advance their global operating success by knocking off a number of samples of

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by Ian Groat

product from a well known American competitor’s product range which was visible from their stand. His plan was a simple one. He would run up to their stand and remove the all new laptop and do a runner as the show closed and escape to a waiting bus.

However, another stand holder saw this adventurous little tyke and his shenanigans as Wang pocketed their laptop full of company secrets under his jacket. Fired up with a bucket load of testosterone he swiftly dashed off in chase of the light fingered lad.

With cries of “Stop thief!” coming from some distance far away, “Fat” Mary swung into action by throwing Wang to the ground and sitting on him as he shouted, grunting and groaning on the ground.

“Fat” Mary rode him like a practiced rodeo champ as the theft was unveiled. Frikkie, and his huge muscles, appeared next to them and snatched up Wang holding him up by the neck and giving him a firm tug downwards on the nuts. He quickly stopped the screaming and shouting which had been going on for sometime.

Everyone waited for the cops to arrive and the Chinese contingent, who were standing shoulder to shoulder, waiting to leave looked on quizzically at the unfolding events. Wang was a total disgrace to his nation especially after being caught in the act. He was last seen spotted entering the cop’s open doors of the prison van to enjoy an evening in Booysens holding cells where he truly belonged.

For “Fat” Mary there were no whoopee cheerios from the expo visitors as she congratulated herself on a job well done. The American company were thrilled to bits at being able to keep their laptop packed with company intel. To end it all after things went quiet, “Fat” Mary and Frikkie congratulated themselves and went off muttering about nabbing the thief as “Fat” Mary’s weight had come in handy in the ordeal.

As for Wang and his dash for success, he got a short custodial sentence in jail, which is about the same as being in hell for any foreigner.

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