Tooling up for action
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While conference delegates talked about ways of improving workshop performance, many other ideas could be found in the products and services on show in the exhibition. Peter Watt describes some of them • Nuts and bolts and 38-tonne tractors. Visitors to the Workshop Exhibition found a whole range of products on offer, from the smallest fast-moving workshop consumables, through large and expensive items of workshop hardware, and even some new vehicles.
Spread over a large area in the Telford Exhibition Hall, exhibitors displayed their wares on stands of all shapes and sizes. Many of the products reflected the issues under heated discussion in the conference room, giving the delegates the opportunity to put their money where their mouths were.
Proving that the simplest of ideas are sometimes the best, one of the smallest displays provoked plenty of interest during the show. Wheel-a-Bench is both the name of the product and the name of the company, and since being launched about a year ago, the little portable work-bench has found a place in many workshops around the country.
With its sturdy construction and modest price (buy five and get one free!), the Wheel-a-Bench has obviously found a niche. Inventor and managing director Joe Dooley reported good orders from the show, including several for Royal Mail Parcels. One visitor was so taken with the bench that she relieved the company of its exhibition display model.
Another exhibitor reporting good business was Business Dress Design. A specialist in work clothing for transport and allied industries, the company had a large stand showing its range of garments, and received interest from several large operators. Not only does the firm provide outfits for drivers and maintenance personnel, but it can also supply co-ordinated ware for sales and reception staff.
With its striking exhibit in the static site area, Hereford Profiles showed its new ProLift mobile-column lift off to good effect. With capacities ranging from 16 to 26 tonnes (per set of four lifts), the lifts are suitable for a wide range of commercial vehicles. Mobile lifts can make a good contribution to workshop efficiency, and used in conjunction with the axle stands provided, the lifts can be moved from vehicle to vehicle as required.
Up in the conference room, delegates were treated to an animated discussion on the importance of regular changing of engine oil to prolong engine life, given by Don Carver of Cummins. Down on the exhibition floor, the oil companies themselves were well represented, and one company was offering visitors the chance to take away their own oil testing kit.
Despite expectations to the contrary, oils have a finite useful life, and the oil tester being given away on the Gulf stand was a simple indicator of whether an oil had been used for too long. Gulf also had details of its uprated '88 range, including the new API CE rated Superfleet Special and Superfleet oils.
The tyre manufacturers were also out in force, with a particularly interesting display on the Michelin stand. With the emphasis on tyre maintenance and repairability, two groups of used tyres were on show. Visitors were asked to state how several prematurely worn tyres had been incorrectly used, and also which of some severely damaged tyres could be repaired (with some surprising answers).
Returning to new tyres, Michelin showed its new van tyre, the XC4S, which supersedes the XC. Dunlop, in its centenary year, showed a new 295/ 80R22.5 size in both the SP331 and SP431 ranges, while Bridgestone presented new sizes for its R294 and M711 tyres. Regrooving was also much in evidence, and Michelin led the way with its demonstration for the conference delegates. ATS also had regrooving equipment on its stand, and can offer this service on all major makes through its nationwide network of dealers.
Two new products were on offer on the
Ocean Cory TyreiBandag Tyre stand. Ocean Cory was launching its new wheel and rim maintenance and restoration service, called Wheelrite. The service takes old and rusty wheels and transforms them into shiny ones, with a choice of finish colour. Safety inspections are carried out during the renovation, and it is claimed the service prolongs the life of both wheel and tyre, while enhancing appearance at the same time.
The Bandag Tyre Company chose the exhibition to show some additions to its range of retread tyres. The new WSW wing tread has been specially developed for tri-axle trailer tyres, and is claimed to eliminate the excessive wear and shoulder damage sometimes experienced with super single tyres. The new Leader series was also shown, and has a fight-weight tread designed for low-profile and standard sizes of tyres used on steer, drive or trailer axles. Benefits claimed include the potential to extend casing life to a third or fourth life.
Remanufacturing was the feature of the Diesel Recon stand. As the only approved source of Cummins remanufactured products in the UK, Diesel Recon can offer a whole range of Cummins parts, from smaller components and assemblies to complete engines. Giving cost savings of the order of 50% compared to the new Cummins equivalent, the parts still retain the same warranty cover.
Reflecting the conference's look at the potential of using a computer to help organise workshop scheduling, Kalamazoo displayed its Timinder system. Supplied as a complete package of hardware and software, Timinder is designed to help the workshop run at optimum efficiency, as well as provide information to assist management decisions.
Other products which illustrated some of the topics under discussion came in the fields of vehicle washing and parts stocking. Wilcomatic displayed details of its large range of vehicle cleaning systems, including the intriguing Jetclean interior wash which washes the insides of box and container vehicles totally automatically. Motslink will be only too pleased to bring smaller parts such as fasteners and connectors to your workshop, and its Motatruck division is now stocking a comprehensive range of those vulnerable mirror heads and glasses.
While plenty of serious business went on in the exhibition, light relief was to be found in the Workshop Spot the Fault competition. An ageing Leyland Buffalo 2 provided the challenge, and a succession of workshop bosses were to be seen on their hands and knees probing the vehicle's darkest corners. It is to be hoped that all fitters would have found and rectified the grand total of 58 faults if the Buffalo ever darkened their doorway.