Ace 83 the first o many successful show
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Bryan Jarvis reports on the most important items that caught his eye at the Accessories and Components Exhibition last week
THE FIRST ACCESSORIES and Components Exhibition to be held exclusively for the motor trade was officially opened by the guest of honour, Mr Michael Reece, President of the Motor Factors Association.
In his opening address he welcomed the opportunity to bring together so many exhibitors — companies large and small — and to meet existing and potential customers.
Mr Reece said: "There are signs that business is consolidating and we must take an optimistic yet cautious view of the future." He also warned that competition was still fierce and that only healthy companies should consider expansion.
Mr Reece would have been delighted to learn that his cautious optimism was fully borne out by the many order books that were waved during the three-day show. One company particularly must have been congratulating itself on booking exhibition space. Loadmax UK of Weymouth received 23 serious inquiries about its overload protection system, which amounts to potential orders of over Elm.
This example bodes well for the new exhibition, which is sponsored by CM and looks like becoming a valuable forum at which manufacturers and distributors can market new ideas.
A considerable number of trade visitors were able to see, for the first time without any major show distractions, a whole range of road transport accessories and component parts.
CM ran a competition at the exhibition, with an Atari 800 desk-top computer as first prize, to be won by the person who answered 10 CPC-style questions and the results will be pub lished in CM next week.
With the new gross weight limit of 38 tonnes now with us, Jost's new sliding fifth-wheel assembly, the SV36DR, will be useful for the unpredictable kingpin positions of the maximum weight semi-trailers and virtually essential for the new breed of 6x2 tractive units.
Although the SV36DR is designed for weights as high as 42 tonne gcw, it weighs only 244kg (4.8cwt) excluding the vehicle's subframe.
The 15 alternative positions are on a 39mm pitch and its length of travel is 585mm (23in). Lockable plungers are adjustable for wear. Its mounting height, excluding sub-frame, is 203mm (Bin).
The Jost GB/E2 0 O's are landing legs suitable for lifting 24 tonne, and can be supplied with a variety of back plates to suit all types of semi-trailers, including heavy duty versions for export and special folding legs that are designed to minimise damage to roll on/roll off operations.
TI Tube Products, being a member of the TI Group, is the UK's largest producer of electric resistance welded-steel tube. It has extensive experience in tube manipulation and fabrication.
A large proportion of the com pany's turnover is in motor transport and its products are used extensively to manufacture exhaust systems, steering gear, propellor shafts, axles and vehicle seat frames.
Its Rearguard under-run protection system has been developed to meet the new requirements for trailers over 1.02 tonne unladen weight registered after May 1983, and for rigids over 3.5 tonne gvw registered after April 1984. It will reduce not only the risk of injury but also consequential damage to brakes, axles and suspen: too.
Rearguard incorporates a of collapsible metal cartric which progressively absc energy through inversion on pact.
The cartridges have to completely replaced follov impact damage but are virtL maintenance free during vehicle's normal service life.
TI claims that Rearguard ci half the price of other energy sorbing under-arm protector collision should only lead to replacement of the collaps cartridges; a rigid device o needs to be replaced ci pletely.
BP Oil's stand concentratec its two new oils, Vanellus FE
tigear FE, the latter conng the LHC base oil. This lent, says BP, maintains the osity throughout the service of the oils and allows addito work more effectively. It Is° said to give good antir, anti-oxidisation and antiosion results.
3nellus FE is an SAE15W-30 tigrade engine oil while the tigear FE is SAE80W-90 and /-140 transmission oil.
lmost five years of research over 1,000 wind tunnel tests e helped Scania produce its n air-deflector package, ch is designed for its own S.
imed at improving fuel econy, Scania's deflector packconsists of a roof deflector o suitable for other vehicles) visor, side deflectors and an ier-bumper spoiler.
Imong the accessories shown re single and double unit food iters, which connect to the arette lighter socket. The food I warm up while you're cover
a few miles. Cost of the single heater is £59 and the double unit £81; the containers are £4 each.
Another useful extra was the small refrigerator measuring approximately 445x 360x 280mm (18x14x11in) — which also runs from the vehicle's power supply at a maximum 1.3 amp. At £361 it makes a most useful contribution to driver comforts.
DAF's driver-simulator aroused considerable interest with its ability to demonstrate the benefits of using the Visar system.
OAF also exhibited its anti-lock braking system (ABS) which by using sensors at each wheel sta tion, with an electronic control unit, prevents the wheels locking during braking and supplements the service brakes.
Autoclean is a recently formed company which specialises in car, truck and bus washing equipment.
Its central exhibit, the Autoclean Monobrush Mk 1, costing £2,950, is a single-brush machine which is easy to operate.
A translucent shield gives a measure of protection to the operator from spray. The machine is fully mobile and can be plumbed in to a cold or hot water supply.
Autoclean also showed its Washmobile drive-through, some fully-automatic commercial washers and water-recycling plants for more economic operations are also on display.
Its associate company, C. S. Electrical Equipment, can provide a back-up of service engineers to cover maintenance and repairs of the full vehicle washing equipment range.
Operators of vehicles with twin-tyred axles will know all about the detrimental effects on tyres of running laden with imbalanced tyre pressures. Reduced tyre life, increased rolling resistance and impaired braking performances are three of the worst results.
A device which is claimed to eliminate these problems was displayed by F. and S. Equipment. Called the Ettco Tyre Deflation Monitor, it mounts on a bracket, which is bolted to the a le's end flange, and has short lengths of air hose attached to each tyre valve.
By controlling the pressures of both tyres through a common valve, stresses on the inner tyres are eliminated.
Ettco claims an increased tyre life of 25 per cent, reduced heat build up, improved braking and road safety thanks to this device.
The cost of fitting is in the region of £120 per axle without trade discount.
F&S also displayed its wheel nut and case protector which is designed to eliminate damage to nuts or studs and shows at a glance whether the nut has moved since fitting.
Tyre durability is an area of prime concern to all transport users which is why Vacu-Lug believes many of the major fleet operators are specifying Duramould remoulded tyres.
An addition to Vacu-Lug's range is the Duramold RH pattern truck remould, which has been designed to overcome scrubbing problems on the rear axle of tandem trailers and eight wheelers.
Available in both standard and wide profile construction, the specially formulated tread compound ensures that maximum adhesion is retained under all road conditions.
Vacu-Lug believes that this product can achieve much better results than those returned by new tyres and competitive retreads.
The Brigade Tyre Shield puncture protection system was also shown.
This consists of a thick band of expanded natural rubber, which when inserted inside the tyre, absorbs penetrating objects, thus preventing many punctures and keeping casing damage to a minimum.
The recently increased maximum fines for vehicle over loading has renewed interest in onvehicle weighing systems. These not only help to avoid prosecution but also ensure that optimum payloads are carried.
Welmech (Staffs) Engineering Co Ltd's latest version of its Axeload PAC 1000 electronic system is also designed to overcome underloading.
It comprises a cab-mounted computer consol which indicates the total load, individual axle load, gross and individual overload, in a digital display. A Bargraph is available for light vehicles, which monitors the axle weights on a bar graph at the main consol.
Axoload utilises the spring deflection to determine the load applied to the axles and this is sensed by its transducers which look like small telescopic dampers fixed between chassis frame and axle.
Signals are transmitted to the cab consol, which gives a digital read-out in kgs for individual axles and total loads.
When any of the programmed weights are exceeded the selected display is over-ridden and changes to a flashing display, and an audio alarm will also sound, loud enough to be heard outside the vehicle.
Calibration is recommended at six-monthly intervals although the system has a self-test facility.
Prices are £627 for a fourwheeled vehicle and up to £960 for an eight-wheeler. Fitting and initial calibration will take between six to nine hours at the Welmech factory or at the operator's works and costs between £62 and £96. The total cost is therefore less than the maximum penalty for overloading.
Many people in the transport industry will be familiar with brake retarders of different designs but where electro-magnetic retarding devices are concerned Telma is generally regarded as the leading manufacturer.
Its product range is designed to handle braking loads up to 50 ton, but the lower end of the scale is its CE30 model which is a fairly recent development.
This is a compact, lightweight retarder designed for vehicles in the three to five-ton gvw bracket and has an aluminium stator casing made in two halves to enclose completely the six coils and wiring. It also protects against corrosion.
The CE30 unit which Telma displayed on its stand was one of the early designs; more recent models have improved power connections and mountings.
Weighing only 60kg (132 lb} it fits in the transmission drive line between the gearbox and axle, secured to the chassis on resilient mountings. It is powered from the vehicle's power supply and can run on 12 or 24 volts at a maximum permissible speed. of 4,00Orpm.
The West Yorkshire Ambulance service is currently evaluating a CE30 on one of its walk-in type ambulances on a Ford Transit chassis.
Telma has a service network of twelve appointed agents in the UK and over 400 throughout Europe.
The summer might be almost upon us but research into ways of preventing fuel freeze-up continues. Raychem demonstrated how far it has progressed by showing a number of items designed specifically to overcome sub-zero conditions. One outstanding item was its Thermoline diesel fuel-line heater which will operate from a 12 or 24 volt supply and is self-regulating so as to prevent over-heating.
The heating element is contained inside a new fuel line to melt wax or prevent its build up in the primary fuel filter, so fitting the system means replacing the existing line between the tank and primary fuel filter.
A typical pre-start heal time of five minutes will use I than five per cent of bah capacity.
Raychem also displayed self-regulating battery he known as Thermobase, aic with a sump heater and a mil heater.
As these heaters have moving parts, maintenance not required and according Raychem the self-regulating ture means that no thermosta needed. It can be retro fittec vehicles already in service.
Forty years of experience the design and production suspension and static seats the basis for UOP Limited, B trom, Europe's claim to hE contributed considerably to I improvement of driver hea and comfort.
Its products have found th way into vehicles, agricultu and industrial tractors, constn tion plant, fork lifts and cro country vehicles.
Production processes, at two-year-old factory include bot welding, electro-phore anodic plainting, PVC mouldi as well as moulded and self-sl polyeurethane foam processin Its 700-Series fully adjustat seat was shown with automa levelling in a travel movement 100mm.
A cut-away T-Series seat the type which finds its way in Bedford CF vans as standal was displayed. This showed t variable lumbar support p. which enables the driver to all the shape of the back cushion.