AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

WORKSHOPS ON PARADE

15th September 1988
Page 26
Page 27
Page 26, 15th September 1988 — WORKSHOPS ON PARADE
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Expert advice on workshop efficiency; practical demonstrations of new equipment; displays by leading specialists in the field — Commercial Motor's second Workshop Conference and Exhibition is a must for everyone with an interest in CV maintenance.

• Conferences, exhibitions, seminars, road shows. . . the transport calendar is just about full to overflowing — but how many are aimed at service engineers and workshop managers? Commercial Motor's 1988 Workshop Conference and Exhibition Centre on 21/22 September is the one.

The conference programme has been drawn up specifically for the workshop fraternity, with papers ranging from the futuristic to down-to-earth.

Peter Cutmore from Leyland Daf will be looking at the impact of electronic diagnostics. They have certainly been making inroads into the light commercial vehicle servicing scene, but can they really help in heavy truck maintenance? Cutmore has no doubts they they can, and his paper will look at diagnostic applications with examples from his company's own systems which are under development.

On the same theme, Ron Hancock from Eaton will be examining servicing aspects of the latest "thinking gearboxes" and the likely servicing requirements of the micro-processor-controlled transmissions of the future.

So much for the future, what of the present? Workshops, if unsupervised, can be dangerous places and a fertile breeding

ground for accidents. Linda Williams of the Health and Safety Executive will be reminding delegates of their responsibilities in her no-nonsense paper on dangers in the workshop, and the best way to safeguard employees.

On the subject of legal responsibility, Jonathan Jones, legal advisor to the Motor Agents Association, will be deciphering the legalese within the latest Consumer Protection Act, with a hard look at product liability and its impact on third-party workshops.

No dscussion on product liability and the Consumer Protection Act would be complete without a look at spurious parts, and Graham Ranger, from Rubery Owen-Rockwell will put the case against buying spurious parts, and will reveal the steps manufacturers are taking to stamp out their suppliers.

During recent months there have been a number of stories in the popular press of wheels falling off heavy trucks. These sensational accounts rarely contain the

hard facts a concerned operator needs to prevent it from happening on his own vehicles. The Institute of Road Transport Engineers has just completed an exhaustive three-year research programme into the lost wheels mystery" and John Dick. son Simpson, chairman of the IRTE's wheel-security group, will be reporting on what that latest research has revealed, as well as advising delegates on keeping theii wheels on their trucks.

TYRE MAINTENANCE

Tyres, like wheels are often among the most neglected items on HGVs and proper maintenance can help operators to get the best from their rubber. John Ballinger from Michelin Tyres will brief delegates on the best approach to tyre maintainance, and will describe what new products are on the horizon.

With the boom in road transport showing no signs of abating, few CV workshops are short of work, but is a busy workshop necessarily a profitable one? Computers are regularly lauded as being the best way to organise a workshop, but are they always right? David Lumsden of Kalamazoo has no doubts as to their benefits, particularly in vehicle scheduling.

Having an efficient workshop is all well and good, but if you haven't got the right part for the job all the electronic gadgetry in the world will be of no use thatsoever, Ian Ogley from British as has plenty of practical experience in arts stocking and the best way to orgaise a parts store, having been one of he first operators to institute a baroding scheme for commercial vehicle larts stock. Has it worked? Come to ielford to find out.

When an engine manufacturer launhes a new power unit, the sales pitch is avariably bolstered by claims of even urther extended oil change intervals. So what exactly is the best time to change il on a truck engine? Who better to :timer the question than an engine nanufacturer? Don Carver will be cornng all the way from Cummins Engine's :olumbus, Indiana plant in the USA to ive our delegates the answer. His papPr will include details of Currgnin's latest .esearch into oil-change intervals, along vith an analysis of the advantages, or Aherwise, of synthetic engine oils.

Keeping a truck going is one thing: ;topping it is another. With the advent A disc brakes on commercial vehicles, )articularly at 7.5 tonnes, Stan Hulme rom Lucas Girling will be offering some ips on the best way to tackle truck disc rake servicing.

VEHICLE WASHING

Lastly, Pat Healy of Tankclean, the ENIFC's third-party vehicle washing company, will be talking about the advantages of using a an outside vehiclecleaning contractor, and how a smart vehicle can promote a haulier's image on the road.

The two-day conference will be chaired by Roger Denniss, distribution director of Bass UK. Denniss is no stranger to our Workshop conference, having carried out the same task at last year's innaugural event.

He will be running things in this own inimitable style and making sure that our speakers complete their tasks without repetition, deviation or hesitation.

To back up the papers there will be a number of practical demonstrations with comprehensive video links between the demonstration areas and the delegates. The conference is also backed by an exhibition which has already attracted more than 50 companies from the vehicle servicing and components industry. Among the big names at Telford will be Gulf Oil, Lipe, Lucas, Exide, Edmunds Walker, Leyland Daf, Bandag, Wilcomatic, Tecalemit. . . the list is a virtual who's who of the workshop industry.

Details on the programme can be found in this week's issue along with a booking form. Alternatively, prospective delegates can get further information, or book directly by calling the conference organisers, First Event, on 01-223 2642 (fax 01-222 2642).


comments powered by Disqus