Amsterdam's biggest-yet equipment show
Page 51
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
by Ron Cater
• More than 140 exhibitors are taking part in the third and largest yet "Autovak" Exhibition of garage equipment and tools, garage office systems and forecourt furnishings at the RAI Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam. It has been on for five days and closes at 6 p.m. tomorrow. From the type of equipment shown it is clear that Dutch and other European automobile repair industries are alive to the need for automating as many of their activities as possible, in order to carry them out in the most efficient manner.
Quantities of electronic diagnostic equipment are on show—a good proportion of it emanating from the UK. Much of this gear is directed at the petrol-engined repair trade; the bulk of equipment designed for heavy diesel-engined vehicle fault-finding and repair seems to originate mainly from Italy and Germany, although Hartridge and Merlin machines are on show on some of the stands.
Large numbers of air-powered tools are displayed--some of the most impressive from Katsuyama, a Japanese company manufacturing American designs under licence. A new sander shown by this company embodies double-reciprocating, weighted pistons to provide the sanding motion. In action this tool is far more powerful than similar-sized orbital types and produces higher quality finishes. Considerably more unit reconditioning is undertaken in Europe than is currently the case in the U.K. This is evident by the high degree of interest shown by visitors to "Autovak" in the heavy machinery, such as brake drum lathes, surface and crankshaft grinders and devices for building up bearing journals.
Some of the most impressive brake drum lathes and grinders come from France: An American company shows for the first time, the latest machine for building up bearing journals. It utilizes the submerged arc principle and produces a first-class and highly accurate build-up of new metal even when operated by relatively unskilled labour.
Well-tried German designed and made fuel injection test benches by Bosch, which employ hydraulic drives to the pump spindles, are on demonstration and although these machines have been in production for some 25 years with little design change, they still offer some of the most controllable equipment of this type available.
Among other equipment seen here for the first time are some makes of roller dynamometers and brake testers, a few automatic washing machines and many different kinds of hydraulic crash-repair aids. British companies well represented in this latter field are Blackhawk and Epco. Hydraulics are playing an increasing role in automotive repair equipment and a great many vehicle lifts are on show; almost without exception they are hydraulically powered.
An impressive first-timer at the exhibition is a unitized commercial-vehicle lift made by Hywema-Werk. Each unit in this group has a total capacity of 5 short tons and so a pair will accommodate one 10-ton axle. By the multiplication of units used many different vehicle weights can be accommodated. For instance, a 20-ton-gross two-axle machine can be lifted by four units or a 30-ton threeaxle by six units or a 40-ton four-axle by eight units. The groups are controlled through an electronic console so as to lift or lower in unison or individually.
Shown for the first time by Bee-Line, an American company, is a commercial-vehicle frame straightening and aligning rig upon which the heaviest commercial vehicle frames and axles can be straightened and aligned without the use of heat and without the need for dismantling to any large degree.
During a demonstration upon a four-wheel lorry which had been involved in an accident, the whole process of straightening and aligning was completed in three hours.
A full report on the RAI "Autovak" Exhibition will be published in CM next week.