Automotive Refinisher March-April 2015

T H E V O I C E O F T H E I N D U S T R Y

March - April 2015

UTOMOTIVEAUTOMOTIVEAEdition 178

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R E F I N I S H E R

CRA NEWS

DID YOU HEAR?

FUTURE TECH

NEW PRODUCTS

IN THIS ISSUE

KIA CAR SAVEPROGRAMME

KIA CAR SAVEPROGRAMME

AUTOMECHANIKA SOUTH AFRICA

PASSION FOR SPEEDGENEVA MOTORSHOWGENEVA MOTORSHOW PASSION FOR SPEED

AUTOMECHANIKA SOUTH AFRICA

FREE

TICKETINSIDE

AR COVER M-A FINAL_NOV/DEC COVER 05 2015/03/23 11:07 AM Page 1

In the last two decades the South African collision repair markethas really come of age as right across the country top independentrepair concerns have moved forward to embrace the changingtechnology of todays complex modern vehicles.

One of the foremost concerns in recent years has been theconstant bottom line profitability erosion partially due to the lackof standards which has lead to a over-traded repair environment.Top class independent shops have been left with only policies ofa reactive nature and much difficulty in finding a proper return ontheir investment through a lack of recognition of the standardsneeded to run a professional repair facility.

The Collision Repairers Association has adopted an entirely newapproach to the industry and some of its challenges by recruitingthe cream of the crop of the repair industry who have invested instandards and continue to put out quality repairs with the aim toplease customers. The vast knowledge of the officials and staffwill drive forward a strategic plan to improve repairer profits andgain recognition for the vast number of independent key roleplayers in every area of activity in collision repair in South Africa.

Enjoy the recognitionyou deserve.

T h e b e n c h m a r k o f q u a l i t yC a l l u s o n 0 8 6 1 7 2 6 2 7 2 o r V i s i t w w w . c r a s a . o r g . z a

The CRA over the past year have worked closely with somemajor insurers in putting together guidelines to progress theneeds of both the insurance and repair sectors. The time hascome for major structural repairers and the smaller non-structural repair shops to have a dedicated voice at thenegotiating table. Not only do we have to understand theinsurance industry and some of their unique challenges, but weneed to also offer long term sustainable solution to problemsthat have existed over the past 3 decades.

The CRA is also driving a recognizable legislated standardvia the DTI that will become compulsory for any repairer to tradein South Africa. This should see the repairers that have alreadyinvested in standards gain the recognition they so rightlydeserve.

The industry has certainly been begging for change andchange has arrived in the form of the CRA. So call us soon togain your place on the road forwards with the new tradeorganisation of the future in collision repairs.

JOIN THE CRA AND GET THE RECOGNITION YOU DESERVE!

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Front Cover: KIA Sportspace ConceptContents: Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept

EQUIPMENT DEMANDSDiminished Profits 4CRA NEWS Ombudsman Services 6KIA SOUTH AFRICASaving Cars 10SYKES-PICKAVANTTools 14PASSION FOR SPEEDSwartkops 18GENEVAMotor Show report 30DID YOU HEAR?Roger McCleery’s Column 40FUTURE TECHJLR Product Growth Strategy 46KAPCI COATINGSVariant Colour Box 54GOING DUST FREE?What You Need to Consider 64NEW PRODUCTSWhat’s Hot 80

FRONTLINE EDITORIALThe Prince of Darkness 4CRA NEWSOmbudsman Services 6KIA SOUTH AFRICASaving Cars 10SYKES-PICKAVANTTools 14PASSION FOR SPEEDZwartkops 18GENEVAMotor Show Report 30DID YOU HEAR?Roger McCleery’s Column 40FUTURE TECHJLR Product Growth Strategy 46KAPCI COATINGSVariant Colour Box 54GOING DUST FREE?What You Need to Consider 64NEW PRODUCTSWhat’s Hot 80

CONTENTS March-April 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/23 11:31 AM Page 1

Ihave travelled a great deal to put this issue together and havebeen sat in a number of darkened workshops where no onecould possibly get anything done because of the current loadsheading debacle due to the non-performance of the

government power utility, Eskom.The sheer scale of the current problem is both mind-boggling

and retains no excuses for the state we’re in right now in SouthAfrica.

If you analyse whom to pin the tail on the donkey for blame on,like normal it becomes a complex business. Perhaps the biggestculprit to be singled out is firstly the tri-partite alliance that runsthings in these state organisations. Their constant socialist policydrivel and communist inclined dreams of how things have to bechanged is a front-runner for non-delivery. The blackempowerment package saw most of the best people at Eskompensioned off over two decades ago and as normal replaced inmany cases by cadres who know little or nothing about electricitydelivery, and are assured large salaries and big perks.

Last year Eskom with all their in-fighting and jockeying forpositions of senior management managed to produce lesselectricity than was produced in 2006 and their non-maintainedinfrastructure put out just 81% of what it could on its dilapidatedgenerator capacity which was also down by another 5%.

In real terms from 2007 and under the watchful eye of theANC, Cosatu and the communist party, the surprise result of all ofthis sees that gross domestic product shrank to just 1% in lastyear’s tail end figures.

The finances of the Eskom board also make dismal reading.They have to service their debt repayment costs with 20% profits.Right now they can only muster 10% profit figures. Add to this thata further 20% of the electricity is stolen and not paid for byfreeloaders who hook up in the townships or where ever theirculture of non-payment occurs. Nothing seems to be done aboutthat as well as the constant problems of cable theft that occur.

This will only get worse and all this goes on with little ornothing said or done to relieve the situation. Only constantreminders for their paying users to turn off their pool pumps or

geysers in an effort to save the situation here in this microcosm ofdouble standards lies the truth.

For South Africa the constant modelling and remodelling of thebasic free enterprise system by a bunch of questionable politicalagenda’s now seen in many government departments basking inabsolute chaos. Reigning supreme among their stellar non-performers of the new Marxist trains of ideology on how thingsshould be arranged for the future are SAA and the South AfricanPost Office who are both financial basket cases as we speak.

So the Rand continues to be persecuted by soulless bankers,cash flows at Eskom are putrid, and no new power station hasbeen built in South Africa since 1969 to uplift and take care offuture growth. All this output inevitably fails and adds up to theparliamentary farce of payback. The money dominating all mediaproceedings for over a month is it a case positive for the fact thatthe ANC is delinquent and cavalier in the way it runs the SouthAfrican economy.

With 72 ministers now in place from what Mandela inheritedonly seven ministers in place at regime change, it’s all-so out ofcontrol. On the cost of government its public service wage payoutsgone mad and although the solutions remains one of a no-growtheconomy, it won’t deliver any new jobs for the foreseeable futureand with out any resolve to grow the private profit making sector.

Things look grim for our free enterprise system. It would havebeen nice for a few of the toy toying parliamentarians at the Stateof the Nation to admit right now they have screwed up the nationor is it a simple case of them not wanting to countenance thefrustration of the average South African taxpayers in the country’sdismal performance or are these numbskulls all just fiddling whileRome burns?

The questions go on and on. However, the reality of the Eskominvestigations will in all probability come to very little unless we’reable to rid this economy of communist inspired ideals that havefailed across the world to achieve anything.

The combination of union led strong worker participation andsolid business principles seem to deliver the economic disconnectwith reality we are currently enduring and being forced to live in.

FRONTLINE EDITORIAL - by Ian Groat

THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS

4R E F I N I S H E R

UTOMOTIVEAAUTOMOTIVE

WHAT’S HOT?

UTOMOTIVEAUTOMOTIVEAT H E V O I C E O F T H E I N D U S T R Y

R E F I N I S H E R

March - April 2015 Edition 178

Telephone: +27 (0)11 949 4091Facsimile: +27 (0)11 252 6844Email: [email protected]: www.autoref.co.zaPublisher: Ian GroatEditor: Claire MacfieAccounts: Val GroatDesign: Jay GroatAssistant: Nataschja FerreiraCT Correspondent: Dave FallEuropean Technical Editor: Andrew Marsh

The views expressed in articlesin Automotive Refinisher arethose of the authors and shallnot be construed to representthose of the Editor or thePublisher. Accordingly,Automotive Refinisher acceptsno responsibility for claims andstatements made byadvertisers and independentcolumnists. Further, theappearance of advertisementsherein does not necessarilyindicate the approval byAutomotive Refinisher for theproduct and/or serviceadvertised. The editor andpublishers of this magazine giveno warranties, guarantees orassurances and make norepresentation regarding anygoods or services advertisied inthis edition. Material may notbe reproduced in any formwithout the written consent ofthe publisher. AutomotiveRefinisher is dedicated toservicing the business interestsof the collision repair industry.

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WE ARENOW DIGITALGreat news! All issues of AutomotiveRefinisher magazine are available for easydownload on all iPads and Android tablets. Check out past editions on our websitewww.autoref.co.za or go towww.autoref.co.za/past-editions

Get all your latest news on new products and equipment for your repair shop, as well as training info.

WE ARENOW DIGITAL

INDUSTRY NEWS

RECALLS

USA NEWS

Hyundai Corp is recalling 204 768 Elantras because of apower steering defect that might cause the cars tosuddenly revert to manual steering, the company said ina report filed with US auto safety regulators.

The recall affects four-door Elantra sedans produced from1 June 2008 to 30 April 2010, and 2008-2010 model Elantratouring hatchbacks, Hyundai said in a report on the NationalHighway traffic Safety Administration website. It said the defectmight affect an estimated 3% of those cars.

“Steering control can be maintained, however, the vehicle willrevert to a manual steering mode, requiring greater driver effort,particularly at low speeds. This could result in an increase risk of acrash,” Hyundai wrote in its report.

The carmaker said it had understood that the loss of powersteering assist has not been considered a safety defect in the UnitedStates when manual steering was maintained.

“More recently, however, the industry has increasingly handledsimilar issues through safety recalls due to the greater driver effortat low vehicle speeds,” Hyundai said. “To remain consistent withthe industry trend, Hyundai has decided to conduct this campaignas a safety recall.”

The company did not say whether there had been any incidentsinvolving the defect.

AFlorida judge recently ruled in favour of shop owner RayGunder, overruling a motion to dismiss filed byProgressive Casualty Insurance Company in a lawsuitGunder filed on behalf of a customer.

Judge Susan B Flood of the County Court of the Tenth JudicialCircuit in and for Polk County, denied Progressive’s motion todismiss the complaint and strike claim for attorney’s fees.Furthermore, the court denied Progressive’s motion and defeatedthe insurer’s efforts to invoke the Appraisal Clause as provided forin their policy contract.

The lawsuit was filed by Gunder, owner of Gunder’s AutoCentre in Lakeland, Florida, acting on behalf of his customer. Thesuit accuses Progressive of failing to pay for the reasonable andnecessary costs to perform repairs to Gunder’s customer’sdamaged vehicle.

“This ruling is huge as it allows us to proceed with the multiplelawsuits we currently have in process on behalf of other customerswho have been short changed by this insurer as well as otherinsurers who have underpaid their policy holders,” Gunder said ina release.

The lawsuits seek full payment of the under payments, pluscosts, expenses, attorney fees, prejudgment and postjudgmentinterest.

Gunder has also settled a lawsuit against State Farm Insurance,and has set a precedent for pursuing legal action against insurancecompanies on behalf of his business and customers.

GUNDER’S VS PROGRESSIVE

HYUNDAI RECALLS ELANTRAS

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The recent drafting by theDepartment of Trade andgazetted in October 2014concerning regulation of the

Consumer Act and levies that areproposed to be paid is deemed to be anew requirement for the automotiveindustry. The CRA in its response to this isclearly set out by us about the wayforward in this matter of legal dispensation.

Letter From Motor IndustryOmbudsman

We would like to thank all theManufacturers/Importers/Dealers andService Providers who have adhered tothe South African Automotive IndustryCode of Conduct (Code) and registeredwith the office of the Motor IndustryOmbudsman of South Africa (MIOSA)and paid their levy.

To those who have registered but notyet made payment please remember tolog back in and follow through to thepayment platform.

To those who haven’t registered yet,please note that the date of registrationhas been extended to the end of February2015. The MIOSA and the Code wasaccredited by the Department of Tradeand Industry on the October 3, 2014. TheCode was published in the GovernmentGazette on October 17, 2014, Notice817, Government Gazette No 38107(3)and as such has become a Regulation ofthe Consumer Protection Act and levy’spayable to the MIOSA are now a legalrequirement from the AutomotiveIndustry.

You can register via the websitewww.miosa.co.za or [email protected]

Information on the accreditation and acopy of the Code can be downloadedfrom our website.

Johan van VredenMotor Industry Ombudsman of South

Africa

CRA Response To The Above LetterDear MembersWe thank you for being patient with

regard to feedback from us on registrationcompliance with MIOSA.

In principle we support the samecustomer service philosophy of‘Competent, Fair, Efficient and Speedyservice and repair’ as is implied by MIOSA.In reality though and over the last fewyears, the Consumer Commission is notable to keep up with the increasingcaseloads of customers that have

unresolved issues.As an association, we embrace the

provision under our code of conduct thatpromises to resolve disputes and supportour members and their customers, givingthem an avenue to seek satisfaction totheir grievances. These processes are inplace and have proved to be efficient andeffective.

Our opinion is that no approach wasever extended by the relevant authoritiesincluding the department of trade andindustry for discussion or provision ofinput related to workflow processes orhandling of complaints. In essence theautobody repair industry is alreadyregulated in terms of accreditedmembership association for overview,control and capability monitoring andburdening the already over extendedeconomic conditions on repairers and tonow fund an initiative which is already inplace does not bode well with us. It is ourfirm belief that to remove the R64 millionrequired to fund this process from thepockets of business owners isunacceptable and totally unfair.

Our opposition organisations have hadno input in this regard and appear to beleaving their members without support ordirection in this matter.

Although gazetted we will be lodgingour grievance with the minister of Trade

and Industry within the next 48 hours. Wehave already put discussions in place toquestion the setup without consultationwith the authorities and we assure you ofour proactive intervention on this ruling inthe short term. Due to the fact that we asan employer organisation have not beenconsulted on this process or any feesrelating to the gazette on the matter wedeem the process of consultation to benon-effective and therefore non-transparent. Our recommendation wouldbe to incorporate the Ombudsman intoour claims resolution procedure only afterour own internal options have beenexhausted and if necessary billed forservices rendered.

Our recommendation at present is thusto ignore the request for registration andrefer all enquiry in this regard back to usfor interim resolution and await the rulingwhich will be applied on the basis of ourmeetings with the authorities.

We trust you are in agreement withour current ruling and assure you of ourcommitment to member support and fairtrade and practice agreements. Should youhave additional comment or feedback thatwe can use to strengthen our alreadyagreed stance on this process we wouldappreciate your input by return of mail [email protected] at your earliestconvenience.

LOCAL UPDATE

A DUPLICATION OF SERVICES FROM MOTOR INDUSTRY OMBUDSMAN



CRA NEWS


BMW AD M-A 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/17 9:50 AM Page 1

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Kia South Africa is experiencing an encouraging level ofsuccess with its Kia Car Save Programme that aims toprevent vehicles from being scrapped because repairingthem is not seen as economical by the insurers. The

programme has been underway for the past three years, but there isnow a big push being made to make the benefits more widely knownto the trade and the public.

“We are finding that some insurers are writing off vehicles asuneconomical to repair when the damage is only 50% of the value.It used to be 60-70% of the value,” explained the Kia SA paneldevelopment manager, Piet Oosthuizen, in an interview at thecompany’s central parts distribution warehouse in Germiston.

“This can put a huge financial burden on the vehicle owner whomay be a young person or a pensioner who may not be in a positionto buy a new replacement vehicle after being paid out on theinsurance claim,” added Oosthuizen. “Our programme, focuses ondiscounting parts prices and is aimed at keeping the repair costs ofbadly damaged vehicles below the insurer’s write-off limit.”

“Our aim with the Kia Car Save Programme is to ensure therepairs are carried out to the correct standard by one of our 410approved panelbeaters in South Africa and that genuine replacementparts are used. To this end we are prepared to discount the parts –sometimes down to cost price - to make the repair economical,” saidOosthuizen.

The Kia Car Save Programme is an easy process for the vehicleowner, panelbeater, insurance company and Kia dealers. The insureror panelbeater needs to submit the quote with the write-off value toKia SA and we will have provided our recommendations on how wecan discount the relevant parts pricing to save the vehicle.

Owners of vehicles that are not insured can also submit theirquote and we will assist them.

“This results in a win-win situation: firstly the customer gets avehicle that has been properly repaired, secondly Kia SA retains itscustomer and thirdly the insurer, hopefully, keeps their client andsaves money. We have already managed to ‘save’ more than 500vehicles with our Kia Car Save Programme and are confident ofpushing up this number substantially as we now promote theprogramme more vigorously.

“ The Kia Car Save Programme is an assistance programme open to anyKia vehicle owner and enquiries can be directed to myself([email protected]) or through a dealer, an accredited panelbeater or aninsurance company,” concluded Oosthuizen.

INDUSTRY NEWS

KIA - SAVING CARS FROM BEING SCRAPPED

WHAT’S HOT?


KIA AD M-A 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/19 10:34 AM Page 1

The giant American paint makerSherwin-Williams are about to re-enter the South African marketwith their international refinishing

products along with their new nationalimporter, Kanye Vimba.

Llewellyn Mulder, CEO of Kanye Vimba,sole distributors for the brand, says that theSherwin-William’s range is well accepted inthe local marketplace and that their systemsoffer state-of-the-art colouristic back-up andquality.

The ATX solvent borne offers acomplete range consisting undercoats,basecoats, spot and overall clearcoats thatmeet and exceed all the latest VOCinternational requirements in their mediumand high solids formula’s. ATX has proven tobe an outstanding refinish paint because thematerials have a very high viscosity andholding power, combined with a blendablecolour match. The products always deliver areliable performance in repair.

Along with their international refinishOEM approvals, Sherwin-Williams have a

major success in the supply of specialist paintlike solvent borne paints along with soft feelcoatings and adhesion promoting primers.They have become a first tier automotivesupplier to motor makers across the worldmarket.

The latest addition to the Sherwin-Williams refinish brand is their AWXPerformance Plus refinish system. It’s noweasier to apply than ever and its fast dryingaction provides an excellent colour matchingcapability while meeting the world’s strictestVOC demands.

The compact toner range and excellentcolour reproduction are backed-up by asuperb range of high performance spectraprimers and a range of premium clearcoatsthat include their express scratch repairprogramme. These are capable of such fastcure times that they can eliminate the needto bake a vehicle in production.

Sherwin-Williams HistoryThe Sherwin-Williams Company founded

in 1866, is one of the world’s leading

companies in the manufacture, distributionand sale of coatings and related products toprofessional, industrial, commercial and retailcustomers.

Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes, adivision of the Sherwin-Williams Company,manufactures and distributes a complete lineof advanced technology paint and coatingsystems for automotive and fleet refinishingindustries.

Providing high performance interior andexterior coatings, along with associatedproducts, the company now serves a varietyof customers including automotive jobberdistributors, collision repair facilities,dealerships, fleet owners and refinishers,production shops, auto body builders andoriginal equipment manufacturers.

Kanye Vimba will be showcasing all theSherwin-Williams cutting edge technology atthe upcoming Automechanika trade showfrom 6-9 May at Nasrec, Johannesburg.

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

BUSINESS UPDATE

KANYE VIMBA REINTRODUCE SHERWIN-WILLIAMSCAR REFINISH BRANDS

R E F I N I S H E RUTOMOTIVEAA

PRODUCT PROFILE

The trusted name in body shop products just got better

HIGH DEFINITION

WAXJHB: 011 908 5446CT Tonie: 083 458 0699KZN Andre: 082 850 [email protected]

The trusted name in body shop products just got betterUTOMOTIVE12

AR MARCH-APRIL 2015 NAT_NOV/DEC 2005 paganation 2015/03/20 12:04 PM Page 8

The AWX Performance Plus® Waterborne Refinish Systemuses a proprietary waterborne resin system designed todeliver speed and high performance. The AWX PerformancePlus® Waterborne Refinish System achieves VOC emissionscompliance in all 3.5 VOC regulated areas. With minimalcapital investment, the AWX Performance Plus® WaterborneRefinish System will out-perform your expectations withexcellent colour match, hiding and application properties. Paint - it’s what you do. It’s all we do.

S O L E D I S T R I B U T O R

Cell: +27 82 552 8126; Tel: +27 11 396 [email protected] Business Park, Unit B1, Spier Road, Glen Marais, Kempton Park, 1619

SHWERWIN A4 AD M-A 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/17 9:53 AM Page 1

Sykes-Pickavant is a company that hasbeen around for many years in thefield of panelbeating tools. The bodyshop specialist range of hammers

and dollies are distributed locally by BulldogAbrasives and there are a number of reallyspecialised aluminum toolkits for the repairof aluminium.

The company is based in Peckridge,Staffordshire in the UK. It uses state-of-the-art production machinery to keep theirfinished tool quality right at the top of theindustry in both functionality and holding upin the workplace on a daily basis.

John Cross gave Automotive Refinishermagazine a quick look around theircompact factory in the UK where theyproduce popular tyre testing kits, torquewrenches, induction heaters, hub pullersand flarematic brake repair systems, amongothers.

Cross said that the company had in thelast decade become very competitive onthe cost of their range by driving downtheir overhead costs to compete withoriental competitors. The all-new JaguarLand Rover aluminium kits for body repairwere now nominated equipment globallyfor the brand’s approved repair centres.

Sykes-Pickavant has been manufacturingand distributing tools since 1921. TheSykes-Pickavant brand is well-knownworldwide as a guarantee of qualityproducts, service and real value for money.

Until recently Sykes-Pickavant wasowned by Facom Tools and the StanleyCorporation. Now, once again it is anindependently owned company, fullyresponsible for its own development.

Sykes-Pickavant is a UK market leader inthe supply of Specialist Automotive Toolsand Hand Held Diagnostic equipment.

Sykes-Pickavant’s “Workshop Solutions”specialist tool products, are carefullydesigned to solve particular problems, oftenmaking a difficult job, easy and quick. As acompany, they have a commitment to

developing the tools that will be used bytomorrow’s technicians, and investing in acontinuous programme of applicationsresearch and development. This has keptSykes-Pickavant at the forefront ofautomotive service and maintenancetechnology.

Their programme of hand-helddiagnostic products brings a whole range ofopportunity to the independent garagetrade. The range includes enginemanagement systems testers, electronicservice tools, pressure and vacuum testers,and gas analysers. With these instrumentsalmost any vehicle on the road can beconfidently serviced to the manufacturer’sspecification in the shortest time.

The comprehensive range of Sykes-Pickavant body repair tools has a dedicatedworldwide following. There are specialtools for every part of the car’s bodywork.They have also received the first everaccreditation from the Motor IndustryInsurance Research centre at Thatcham(UK) for Body Repair Tools.

You can get more information on thealuminium TLR approved aluminium rangefrom Bulldog Abrasives.

Contact them on +27 (0)11 786 5991or on [email protected] formore information.

BUSINESS UPDATE

SYKES-PICKAVANT WORLD CLASSTOOLS

WHAT’S HOT?

John Cross (right) at the quality testing station for their popular torque wrench tool range.

There is a new range of Jaguar Land Rover approvedaluminium body repair tools from Sykes-Pickavant.



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CARSYSTEM AD M-A 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/17 9:55 AM Page 1

Extrasealer Black and White wet-on-wet sealers bring new levels ofspeed and efficiency to thepreparation and refinishing of new

panels and are perfectly suited to rapidminor damage repairs, promotingoptimum adhesion for the complete rangeof R-M topcoats. They are the ultimategreyshade sealers.

Mix the shade you need and enjoymassive savings. Extrasealer Black andExtrasealer White are designed to beintermixed to provide no less than eightprimer shades, or tinted with 5%UNO HD or ONYX HD mixing bases fortopcoat savings of up to 40% and up to a45% reduction in application time.

Time Saving, Energy Saving AndStreamlining

You need to be cost effective and withthe increasing demands of insurancecompanies to reduce repair costs,Extrasealer reduces process times stillfurther through SpeedArt, eliminating timeconsuming sanding during pretreatmentand prior to topcoat application: UsingExtrasealer, the SpeedArt process makes itpossible to eliminate sanding. Further

significant topcoat savings can be madethrough the use of the greyshade guide,optimising the efficiency of the topcoat,reducing process time and materialconsumption.

Your body shop will profit from twohardeners. D80 is the preferred hardenerfor large areas which ensures dries in 15minutes at 20°C bringing your body shop

the fastest possible throughput. D70 fasthardener is preferred for coldtemperatures.

Extrasealer Black and White comes in aone-litre tin for convenience and savings.

For the perfect match, use theExtrasealer greyshade guide ExtrasealerBlack and White, perfect greyshades forR-M topcoats.

LOCAL UPDATE

R-M EXTRASEALER -THE DIFFERENCE ISBLACK AND WHITE



PRODUCT PROFILE

R-M’s Extrasealer black and white wet-on-wet range is perfectly suited forspeedy minor damage repairs. It eliminates any time consuming sanding andreduces costs even further for the body shop.


R-M S-O AD 2012_Layout 1 2015/03/17 9:57 AM Page 1

Celebrating the 14th Passion for Speed events held inZwartkops Raceway and Killarney, Cape Town, the racerswheeled out their historic machines in droves for no lessthan 300 competitors to perform before near record levels

of spectators in a packed race day that had all the atmosphere of thegolden era of motor racing on show.

With thundering SKF Pre-1966 production cars with championSarel van der Merwe throwing his boat-like TAR Ford Galaxie aroundwith a bit of precision guidance from behind the wheel all to no availwith mechanical gremlins setting in and seeing him grind to a halt.

Legendary drivers like Paola Cavaleri and Hennie Groenewald’sPlymouth and Jonathan Du Toit’s Chev-Nova, Cavaleri took the FordGalaxy to a win at Zwartkops in the days main event along with thehigh profile Le Mans Sports and Sports GT cars. Evergreen MichaelBriggs took the chequered flag in his Daytona muscle car. RossLazerus’ Shelby Cobra had a very successful series with a victory inCape Town while Rui Campos in the Lola T70 Spyder took the firstleg in the Castrol-sponsored race.18

ZWARTKOP PASSION FOR SPEED

The day was punctuated with short and sharp cut and thrust raceswith greats like the Champion of Champions legends race cars gettingthe spectators waving and cheering. Greats like Willie Hepburn,Thomas Faulkener and Michael Briggs all going like the proverbialclappers to clinch the series outright while the Little Giants Pre-1966division saw some spirited driving coming from Trevor Tuck in theAlfa Guilietta and Denzil Bhana in the Ford Anglia. Hearing the ultranoisy Formula 1 demonstrations supplied a real blast from the pastwith one ear-piercing shriek all of their own.

The Passion for Speed also saw excellent drives from Alan Bailliein his Brabham RT2I while Jaki Scheckter won races in the super quickFerrari F430 in battles with Jonathan du Toit’s Ferrari F430. So theinternational race series wasn’t short of talent and star cars in any way!

Looking at it from a spectator point of view a great time was hadby both eager spectators and white knuckle racers in the doubleheader series that was better than ever for drivers looking to stepback into the nostaligic era of motor sport competition.

14TH INTERNATIONAL PASSION FOR SPEED

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Retro race fans were treated to great weather andexciting racing this year.

The sight and sound of early Formula One machinerycaused a big buzz at Zwartkops.

Sarel van der Merwe was a big crowd pleaser onceagain with the huge 1963 Ford Galaxie with plenty ofsideways action.

With huge fields it was a bit crowded in the cornersas Jonathan du Toit made a dash for it.

The pits were choc-a-block with great drivers andcars to make the occasion special.

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CLASSIC TTRACINGCLOSE TOHOME

“Who can catch the Flying Scotsman?”Ian Simpson on his

Suzuki, was the man tobeat at this year’s races.




The honour challenge between the four Scottishchampions of Ian Simpson, Bill Simpson, Howard Selbyand Gordon Grigor went the way of the Scots by justtwo points advantage in the series of match races withLes van Breda and his son Graeme and SpringbokPeter Labuschagne all mounted on identical SuzukiGSR 500 machinery.

Jimmie Guthrie of “Team Incomplete” won all sevenlegs of the pre-66 racing category and came secondoverall in the series.

Stepping back into the past at Zwartkops Raceway’s 14thPassion for Speed for two wheelers were many racing worldchampions and celebrities from South Africa and abroad. Theracing was held over two full days with glorious summer

temperatures at Zwartkops, near Pretoria. The match race between Scotland and South Africa featured eight

identical machines, all Suzuki GSR 1000 machines. Featured riderswere Gordon Grigor, Bill Simpson, Ian Simpson, Howard Selby, RobBurns and Stephen Maxwell (all from Scotland). They faced up againstsuper quick Springboks such as Les van Breda, his son Graeme, PeterLabuschagne and popular ace Rod Gray, in the series sponsored byGeLock Asset Management.

Saturday’s events were packed with action and thrilled enthusiasticbikers with machines dating back 60 years or so, and held in front ofa record crowd of close to 10 000 spectators. Sunday’s races, boasted

the “Day of Champions” and saw another big rider tussle on theprogramme.

Super stylist Jimmie Guthrie, now 79 years old, put on a superbdisplay to win the Pre 1961 Vintage Classic Racing section with the“Team Incomplete” Manx Norton, while the Kawasaki Z900 ofEtienne Louw ran off with the silverware in the Production RacingPre 1985 Era machine class.

Despite a big fall in practice due to oil and water on the track inpractice, Les van Breda scooped his rightful win in the 1984 sectionof the awards. But no one could catch the multiple TT winner andflying Scotsman, Ian Simpson as he romped off with the win in the TTracing series followed by TT specialist AJ Venter on another GSXRSuzuki. Third overall in this class was Les van Breda on yet anotherSuzuki.

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SILVER FALCON DPS M-A 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/18 3:12 PM Page 1

SILVER FALCON DPS M-A 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/18 3:12 PM Page 2

NF Apprentices is a uniqueindustry initiative that hasindentured 40 apprentices in themotor repair industry in the past

year, and is setting its sights in 2015 ongrowing bigger and stronger.

2014 was a telling year for the non-profitinitiative that offers holistic support to itsapprentices and the repair shops they areplaced in. The foundation has managed togarner support from 12 of the leading shopsin Gauteng with 80% of their apprenticeplacements yielding success. NF Apprenticescontinues to refine its processes in order toensure that the right high potentialcandidates from disadvantaged backgroundsare placed in its partner shops.

NF Apprentices sees itself as the bridgebetween business and apprentices, guidingboth parties towards successful andrewarding apprenticeship programmes. NFApprentices offers shops and apprenticesstructure and direction which has seen itsapprentices successfully complete theirtraining milestones and move up in theirtraining levels. Busi Maile, NF Apprenticesprogramme director says that many of theapprentices placed by the foundation arealready adding value and are contributingand highly productive members of staff.Gradually, partner shops are also starting tosee the benefits to having apprentices whoadd to their bottom lines.

The foundation has excelled in a numberof areas such as placing three young womenspray painting apprentices in three of itspartner shops. Added to that, last year atotal of five of their apprentices participatedin the World Skills Competition qualifiers for2015 in the Spray Painting and Auto BodyRepairing categories. Two of NF’sApprentices, Thabiso Mohale and BonganiNkosi, have gone through to the final roundsand one of them could represent SouthAfrica later this year in the main World SkillsCompetitions set to take place in Brazil.These two finalists will compete head-to-head at the Skills Competition that will beheld at the Automechanika Show that willbe held in Johannesburg at the beginning ofMay.

It’s an exciting time for NF Apprenticesand the young men and women in theprogramme are working hard to securethemselves a place in the motor repairindustry.

The foundation would like to eventuallybecome a hub of excellence and creativityfor young artisans in the industry, giving thema platform to interact, exchange bestpractices and collaborate on entrepreneurialventures.

NF Apprentices has set its sight onreaching more unemployed youth andpossibly expanding into other regions. This,however, will be very difficult to achievewithout the support of the entire industry.

As a non-profit organisation, the foundationdepends on the generous contributionsmade by businesses and social fundingentities. The foundation’s beneficiary basemakes it possible for companies to accesstheir BBBEE points for Socio-EconomicDevelopment spend.

Repair shops seeking to indentureapprentices can also partner with NFApprentices to boost the BBBEE scores

under Skills Development and access themerSETA grants and the relevant taxrebates from having apprentices.

The foundation invites the industry as awhole to get involved and participate increating a platform for young artisans whowill fill a great need in the shortage of skillswithin the collision repair industry. ContactBusi on +27 (0)11 805 3867 or visit theirwebsite: www.nf.org.za

TRAINING UPDATE

NF APPRENTICES ON THE UP AND UP



TRAINING

NF Apprentices are very proud to have introduced three young women spray painters in this year’sapprenticeship placements. From left to right: Caroline Makuaoba at Cornright Motors, Nolitha Salimane at AutoBody Specialists and Noreen Mankabidi at Carrelo Autobody.

Bongani Nkosi (left) is an apprentice at Auto Body Specialists and Thabiso Mohale (right) is an apprentice atDent Doctor Randburg. They are two of the six semi-finalists who will duke it out at this year’s World SkillsCompetition finals which will take place at the Automechanika SA show 6-9 May this year.


Roger and Carol Mason of MasonManufacturing fame in the MotherCity offer free fitting of theirexclusive custom-made seat covers,

boot and load liners for cars, station wagons,4x4’s, SUV’s, bakkies, minivans and trucksfrom their secure drive-in fitting bays at 192Lower Main Road, Observatory, CapeTown.

They are also one of the biggestmanufacturers and suppliers ofpanelbeating/spraypainting and cleaningaccessories – producing five tons of in-housemutton cloth manufactured every monthfrom their very own knitting machines, acase in point.

Spraypainter overalls, double-sided woolbuffing pads, steering wheel covers (toprevent grease marks when a vehicle goes infor a service), are just some of the productsmanufactured and even exported to as faraway places as Mozambique, Zimbabwe,Zambia and Namibia.

Trading as the ‘House of Henry’ since

1993, the Masons have been customising carseat covers since 2010 from their easy-to-find Observatory, Cape Town premises.

Masons capable and friendly staff offerthe very best quality service – one that’s‘tailored for that perfect fit’. All the coversare removable and fully machine washable

and can be ordered in quality cotton canvasand other materials.

Be sure to go to the Mason’s websitesfound at www.carseatcovers.co.za andwww.masonmnf.co.za. For additionalinformation phone +27 (0)21 447 8860 oremail them at [email protected]

LOCAL NEWS

MASONMANUFACTURING -RESTYLED, REFINED,REWARDING



WHAT’S HOT?

Carol and Roger Mason are the leading specialists in customised seat covers, boot-liners and load liners forjust about every vehicle sold in South Africa.

After inflation, the UK car bodyrepair market’s value is estimatedto be 34% lower than in 2004.The number of car body repairs

was 24% down last year from 10 yearsearlier. The factors driving continuedshrinkage of the body repair sector aredetailed in Trend Tracker’s latest report ofcar body repairs, The Future of the Car BodyRepair Market in the UK, 2015 - 2020

After inflation as measured by the RetailPrices Index, the UK car body repair marketis estimated by the specialist automotiveresearch firm Trend Tracker to have fallen invalue by 34% between 2004 and 2014.

In its latest report on the sector, TheFuture of the Car Body Repair Market in theUK, 2015-2020, Trend Tracker notes thatvolume demand for repairs peaked at 5.81million in 2006, but has since fallen steadilyto an estimated 4.20 million repairs in 2014,a decline of 28%. Overall repair volume was24% lower in 2014 than in 2004.

Trend Tracker says the decline in themarket for car body repairs cannot all be laidat the door of the 2008/2009 recession andits aftermath. The insurance claims rate fellfrom 2000 to 2011, although it is estimatedto have turned up recently. The fall in theclaims rate is partly explained by motorists

driving less, average mileage having fallen by15% since 2000. Another contributory factoris the fitment of ABS brakes to all new carssold since 2007.

Average repair costs in current pricesrose from R9.3 billion in 2004 to R100billion in 2014 (excluding VAT), but in realterms, after inflation as measured by theRetail Prices Index, they are estimated tohave fallen by 13% in the past decade. TrendTracker attributes the fall in real-termsaverage repair costs to a decline in thenumber of relatively large and expensiveinsurance-funded repairs to private cars, andrepairs to fleet and company cars. It expectsaverage repair costs to increase gradually, sothat with a 2% increase in repair volumes,2014/2020, the value of the UK car bodyrepair market will rise 5% from 2014 to2020 in real terms.

Recent re-growth in the new car marketis already rebuilding the car parc up to fouryears old. A more bouyant used car marketwill also boost dealer demand forrefurbishment of used cars, although SMARTrepairers are making substantial inroads intothe refurbishment market at the expense oftraditional body shops.

The number of primary body shopsoperating in the UK car body repair market

is forecast to decline by 9% between 2014and 2020. That will be a much slower rateof decline than the 19% seen between 2007and 2013. With improving prospects for carbody repairs but a continuing decline inbody shop numbers, Trend Tracker expectsan 11% overall deficit in car body repaircapacity by 2020. In contract with the near50% excess capacity in the sector 16 yearsearlier in 2004. However, any shortfalls willbe seasonal and local, and insufficient toencourage regrowth in the number ofrepairers.

Trend Tracker Director and lead bodyrepair sector analyst Chris Oakham says,“The outlook for body shops is highlydependent on a continuing recovery of theUK economy, reviving demand for new andused cars, and giving motorists back morespare cash for elective repairs.

“But,” he adds, “the increase in safetyfeatures such as Lane Departure Warning,Adaptive Cruise Control and EmergencyBrake Assist in new cars is likely to reducethe frequency of accidents in normalconditions as ABS has done in the past,while the congestion now endemic in urbantraffic will reduce the severity of the averagecollision, along with the average value ofcollison repairs.”

BIG FALL IN UK COLLISION VALUE

UK NEWS

by Dave Fall


GUMTREE BACKS SAMOTORSPORT



The first round of the 2015 Midas Historic Tour took placein March at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. Standingtrackside watching the collection of classic racers I couldn’thelp but get taken back to Kyalami’s heydays and I was

reminded of how great it is to see the circuit enjoying such a buzz inatmosphere.

The event had a strong entry of 218 cars spread across thevarious categories. There was action all around the track with thesafety car being deployed no less than six times. Big racing namessuch as Peter Lindenberg, Jeffrey Kruger and the Du Toit brothersblitzed the course behind the wheels of their big 60’s and 70’s retroracing machines. The day was a great success.

Some of the racing classics on display inspired you to want tojump online and find your own collectible, which what Gumtree hasmade a lot easier since last year when they launched their newGumtree Auto Inventory Tool (GAIT). Dealers now get tocustomise their Gumtree listings to better showcase their dealershipand brand. The package is designed to make not only the dealer’s lifeeasier, but loads of added services including optimising car buyersearch results for increased sales.

With fields in the pre-1979 Marlboro Saloons as big as 40-60strong, you could say that these are the biggest fields in localmotorsport currently and boy do they know how to produce close,

thrilling racing. It was Pierre de Waal in the Alfa GTV, who came outvictorious just ahead of Ullie Sanne in his BMW 2002. TheInvestchem Formula Fords was won by Graham Hepburn after amajor pile-up in heat two, he was followed home by Andrew Horne.

The Sabat Lotus Challenge was won by Sean Hewitt from AndreDafel. Whilst the first round of the Liqui Moly Endurance Series waswon by Dawie Olivier in his 450 Mercedes after an hour-long racein pouring rain. Jan Jacobs in his Alfa came home second, havingblown off the much faster sports cars, who just couldn’t keep up thespeed and accuracy in the rain.

Gumtree and Mitsubishi Electric acted as television broadcastpartners of the Tour. The day was of special significance as it markedthe first time that the Historic Races were broadcast viawww.salivestream.co.za.

“We were extremely pleased to come on board as sponsors,”says Jeff Osborne, Head of Gumtree Automotive. “The Automotivecategory of Gumtree South Africa remains our most popular verticaldrawing well as we have over a million unique visitors to the siteevery month. The sponsorship was a very natural fit.”

The second round of the 2015 Midas Historic Tour takes place atDezzi Raceway in Port Shepstone on the 11th April. There’s loads ofexcitement on the day, so be sure check it out.

LOCAL NEWS

LATEST NEWS by Jay Groat


GUMTREE AD M-A 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/19 10:27 AM Page 1

GENEVA 2015 NEW REVEALS



GENEVAMOTOR SHOW

GENEVAMOTOR SHOW

Ferrari 488 GTB Engine: 3.9 Ltr turbocharged V8

0-100 km/h: 3.0 secTop Speed: 329 Km/h

Engine: 5.0

Lexus LF-SAConcept

Nissan SwayConcept


31

2017 Ford GT

Engine: 3.5 Ltr V6 Eco-boost0-100 km/h: 3.2 sec

Top Speed: 322 Km/h

Audi R8 e-tron Engine: Twin synchronous electric motor0-100 km/h: 3.9 sec

Top Speed: 200Km/h

Aston Mart in VulcanEngine : 7.0 Lt r V12 0-100 km/h: 3.0 secTop Speed: 362 Km/h

GENEVAMOTOR SHOW

Koenigsegg RegeraEng ine: 5 .0 - l i t re tw in-turbo V8 hybr id

0-100 km/h: 2 .8 secTop Speed : 402 Km/h

C i troën DSD ivine Concept

VW Sport CoupéConcept GTE

AR M-A 2015 J_NOV/DEC 2005 paganation 2015/03/23 12:37 PM Page 6

You see these Jeep Wrangler cult classic’s driving aroundtown a lot these day’s, its a common sight to see themcompany branded and cruising the highways. Althoughwhen I see one bound to city limits, I can’t help but feel

sorry for it, as the whole concept behind the wild butch look is lostif it’s purely for show. The car only starts to shine once you detouroff from any stretch of asphalt.

Recently the A utomotive Refinisher team were fortunateenough to dig their claws into one of Jeep Wrangler Sahara’ssteering wheels for a week. My last encounter with a wild horseWrangler was a few years back where any right turn yielded greatsmoke rings thanks to the fillies under the hood. Jeep know how tobuild strong engines with no expense being spared.

Under the hood of our entry level Sahara Wrangler was a130kW 4 litre straight six, which pulls 305 Nm of torque from afive speed transmission, and sounds so easy on the ear.

Off-roading capability with the Sahara is thanks to a rear Trak-Loc limited slip differential. With the Sahara Wrangler all the basicsare there, but when I say basics I should be talking raw ruggednesswhen that’s what these vehicles are all about. Comfotable seatingwith safety features such as air bags, remote key access and paddedroll-bar, air-conditioning and a butt kicking sound system is all apart of the package.

Not much has changed inside or outside, keeping true to Jeep’sclassic style and rudimentary design as the interior gadgetry is stillas understated as the exterior of the car. The Punchy performancefrom under the hood is ready at any stage of play, be it climbing asteep incline on an offroad track or overtaking on the highway.

The only “speedhump” throughout the course of the week wasthat I made really good friends with petrol attendants as it’sseriously thirsty. Surprisingly the Sahara sat at about 11.5litres/100km and considering the Sahara’s performance doesn’t lenditself to a light foot. Most people I know who own one of thesebeauties already have a city run around which keeps the “toy” forfun weekends of off-roading and just to get out and about.

What you could expect to pay for the Sahara Wrangler is areasonable R239 500 considering the lifestyle one of these vehiclespresents.

The overall package is brilliant if getting out there and taking theroad less travelled is your thing. If this is the price that you canafford then it’s a great car and lifestyle combination.

Unfortunately a little pointless if the only thing the Sahara willever see is tarmac its whole life. But having said that, if being one ofthe cool kids around town is your thing, then nothing else will dothe trick as well as the Sahara Wrangler.

DRIVEN JEEP WRANGLER SAHARA



More than 90 years being a Standard in the automotiverepair industry and Innovation from 3M confirmed thatour end user customers value cut, finish and feel of anabrasive sheet as the three most important purchasing

characteristics for the product they use.The all-new 401Q 3000 WetorDry abrasive is premium quality

abrasive that will take your finish up to the next level. The productis electrostatically coated to ensure even coating of the abrasive tothe specially treated paper backing. The even coating is critical toproduce an excellent finish which, will also produce a finish that isfree of unwanted deep, wild scratches.

The process also enhances the cut performance of theseproducts. The harder silicon carbide abrasive used in themanufacture outperforms the aluminium oxide found on otherproducts, ensuring a price/performance benefit.

Note: The “P” designation used in front of a grit numberdenotes the use of the FEPA (Federation of European Producers ofAbrasives) grading system. Since the FEPA grading system is notaccurate enough for the ultrafine grits, you will notice that some ofthe 3M products will only have grit numbers on the back.

Wetordry is available in full and half sheets in grit sizes: 800,1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 and 3000.

LOCAL UPDATE

3M WETORDRYTM GOES FINER

3M delivers with the 3M™ PPS™ Paint Preparation System. This innovative systemincreases efficiencies by eliminating the need for traditional mixing cups and paintstrainers. The 3M™ PPS™ Paint Preparation System has been around for more than adecade and the introduction of the Midi and the Micro sizes most recently now allows

3M to offer a complete solution to ‘Mix what you need, spray what you need’ convenience andefficiency. Just choose the PPS™ cup to suit the size of your job and you can mix as much or aslittle paint as you need. 3M is the pioneer for the disposable paint application system and investsmore than $1B dollars annually in research and development to ensure that we continuallyprovide you with the highest quality product that delivers the perfect finish. 3M™ PPS™ protectsyou and your business through the system’s ability to enhance quality, optimise efficiency, reducesolvents and maximise production. 3M innovation ensures that you maximise the benefits ofPPS™ products and eliminates the quality issues often experienced by users of less superiorproducts:

l 3M™ PPS™ Paint Preparation System ensures you have accurate 125 micron or 200 micron filtering.l You will not experience any paint contamination issues from release agents when using 3M™ PPS™ Paint Preparation System.l 3M™ PPS™ Paint Preparation System has been designed to collapse in on itself when spraying which will save your painter up to 100ml

of paint every time – saving the shop money.To ensure that you are always investing in the highest quality products and to receive the benefits of local 3M technical, training, warranty

and other support, please ensure that you purchase the 3M™ PPS™ Paint Preparation System from an authorised 3M distributor. 3M SouthAfrica wants to ensure that your business is protected from poor quality substitutes; the risks involved are often not worth the small savingsand can result in the shop spending more money on rework and wasted paint as a result of these products. mix what you need, spray whatyou need. Should you have any concerns or wish to discuss any of these matters, please contact your 3M sales representative or call 3Mdirectly on +27 (0)11 806 2000.

3M PPS PAINT PREPARATION SYSTEM



PRODUCT PROFILE

WHAT’S HOT?


IBIS is delighted to announce that Andy McDonald from TeslaMotors will be presenting a session at this year’s IBIS GlobalSummit, which is being held at the Hilton Athens on 27-29 May,2015. Titled, ‘Building a global bodyshop network with the consumer in

mind’, Andy’s session will explore Tesla’s approach to collision repairacross the world, meeting different clients’ needs. As a vehiclemanufacturer, Tesla focuses on electric powertrains that present aunique set of challenges for a bodyshop network. Customer service,value for money and quality are the driving factors of the Teslaprogramme and Andy’s talk is sure to light up the audience.

Andy joins a roster of already confirmed sessions including CliveHumby, founder of dunnhumby and co-creator of the world’s firstsupermarket loyalty card for Tesco; Rex Green, consolidation expertfrom BB&T; Joseph Funk from AIG, who will explore insurer modelsin South America and Asia; a local session from Yannis Ioannidis,from AkzoNobel, on the market, trends and opportunities in Greece;Claudio Giribuola from Toyota looking at ownership and howinsurance is integral to Toyota; and David Mills from Direct LineGroup who will be discussing RBS and its view of the customer.

Existing IBIS 2015 partners: 3M, AkzoNobel, Audatex, Axalta,EMM, Enterprise and Fix Auto World are joined by returning partnerAutomechanika, the global trade fair brand, and new partner Chief-Elektron.

Mike Cranfill, vice president of global collision and new businessat Chief-Elektron, said: “I have attended several IBIS conferences inthe past and feel this is the best source for our company to discuss

relevant industry topics, gain current market information, andnetwork with key members of our industry drivers: OEMmanufacturers; insurance industry representatives; and the repairindustry.

“I will use the IBIS summit to help update our annual strategic planas we continue to support all three industry drivers.”

Shelley Cheshire, CEO of IBIS, said: ‘We are delighted to bewelcoming back so many existing partners as well as the newpartners we have this year in Chief-Elektron and Fix Auto World. Itis testament to our growth around the world and a trend we arekeen to encourage.

“I am also thrilled that this year’s agenda has such a diverse rangeof speakers and topics, all covering our 2015 theme: Evolutionthrough collaboration. It looks set to be the best Global Summit todate and I hope to see you all there.”

Delegate places are available from £1 795 and include full accessto the Welcome Party on 27 May, for informal networking in arelaxed environment; the full day’s conference, including lunch andbreaks, on 28 May; the International Dinner, the height ofsophistication, on the evening of 28 May; as well as the final half day’sconference and delegates’ lunch on 29 May. The price also includestwo nights’ accommodation (27 and 28 May) at the five-star HiltonAthens.

To confirm your place, email Nicola [email protected], call 00 44 (0)1296 642826 or visit theirwebsite: www.ibisworldwide.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS

IBIS 2015 HAS ANELECTRIC TWIST

BASF RECEIVES BESTSUPPLIER AWARD



IBIS 2015

UK NEWS

Once again, PSA Peugeot Citroën has presented awardsto its best suppliers. BASF’s Coatings division receivedthe award for its CathoGuard®800 cathodic e-coat.This is applied to the vehicle body to protect it from

corrosion. The special benefit it offers PSA is its cost savingspotential.

By presenting this award, the French automakers is paying tributenot just to the product CathoGuard®800 but also to BASF’scommitment. “As the main supplier to PSA, we are very pleased andproud to receive this award. It shows recognition for BASF’s powerto create innovative high-quality products that save costs and areglobally available. The award also confirms the close partnership thatexists between BASF and PSA,” says Laurent Vaucenat, globalaccount manager Renault/Nissan and PSA at BASF. The BASFCoatings division has already been awarded the title of core supplierby PSA in 2012.

The cathodic e-coat is the first layer of the paint system.CathoGuard®800 is in great demand as an alternative to

conventional e-coats that often incorporate tin. CathoGuard®800has a low solvent solution content that saves material due to its highefficiency. In addition, this technology is highly suitable for integratedpainting processes that dispense with primer application. Savings inconsumption without compromising on quality.

The PSA Group benefits from this innovative technology for theproduction of 500 000 vehicles per year. Many major automakershave also introduced CathoGuard®800 into their global operationsin recent years.

The PSA Group had a number of good reasons for introducingthe BASF product.

“We have been able to save over 10% in materials and energy byusing CathoGuard®800 for cathodic e-coating,” says FrédéricDelbecque, account manager PSA at BASF. “There is less need forrework, owing to uniform application of the corrosion protectionlayer and its high quality. This accelerates the production process.The perfectly smooth surface meets the requirements of ourcustomers in the automotive sector.”


IBIS AD M-A 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/19 10:30 AM Page 1



It is a scary phenomenon but the older you get the faster timeseems to fly. This year kicked off with a lightning quick start andit seemed as if February came along before one had time tomore than blink. The fact that I am in the publishing business

adds to the quick ramp-up as we had only about two weeks to getour January publications out as many people who needed to beinterviewed had only returned to work mid-month. However, thefact that time flies faster as your age moves along is a naturalperception and not a gripe.

I do have a couple of pet gripes that I wish to air though.The firstone is motoring related and involves the placement of the directionindicator stalk in a motor vehicle. I cannot for the life of me workout why motor manufacturers do not agree on which side of thesteering column this critical safety-related item is located. Imagine ifthey didn't agree on the order of the pedals such as clutch, brakeaccelerator.

On some vehicles it is on the left side of the column and onothers on the right. This is not only related to the make or modelof vehicle. Most manufacturers seem to have both options in theirranges.

The ultimate head scratching occurred at the recent launch ofthe Ford Fusion, a large, luxury sedan, in the Cape where, believe itor not, some variants had the indicator stalk on the right and otherson the left! When questioned on this quirky arrangement the Fordspokesman said that few motorists move regularly betweendifferent models and are seldom faced with the quandary of wherethe indicator is located.

I do not agree. For instance, these days many people drive rentalcars where the stalk may be on the opposite side to the situation intheir own car and can then get flustered in a busy traffic situation,possibly ploughing into another car with the windscreen wipers andwashers working away and no flashing light indicating the directionone would like to travel.

Now to the other gripe. This is about the growing lack of goodmanners and dress sense, particularly as regards attendance atfunctions.

This gripe session starts with failing to reply to invitations, andthen come the “no shows” at events and late arrivals. Finally thereis a growing lack of dress sense in terms of dressing correctly for aparticular occasion.

It’s all down to good manners and showing respect for one'shost or hostess and the organisation he or she represents.

I have been on both sides of the fence – journalist and PR –

during my 40-odd years working in and around the SA motorindustry and I have seen an accelerating deterioration in all theseaspects of good manners in recent years.

I started working at the Pretoria News in the 1960’s where theminimum requirement was slacks and a sports coat or blazer witha tie. This formality, usually extending to a suit and long sleeve shirtand tie every day, continued through my 20 years at ChryslerSA/Sigma/Amcar/Samcor and for most of the 18 years I spent atToyota SA. Only towards the end of my career was there arelaxation in that ties and jackets were no longer required in theoffice.

Most corporates still maintain good dress sense, but the mindboggles when you see the way many of the motoring journalistsdress these days. Jeans – often faded and torn – are the norm, witha tee-shirt and trainers being seen as acceptable apparel by many,despite the fact that the hosts and hostesses may be wearing suitsand ties and smart dresses or slack suits.

This even goes when these journos are on overseas trips, oftenin countries like Germany and Japan with conservative dress codes.My worst has been seeing two SA journos wearing rubber slipslopsat the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK and at the AMGfactory in Germany. Two of the journos paired their slipslops withbeach baggies and the third wore frayed and faded jeans.

Unfortunately it seems there is no simple way of making goodmanners in terms of behaviour and dress a matter of importance.Any suggestions?

Now for some good news. This relates to the excellent turnoutfor the annual Passion for Speed race meeting at ZwartkopsRaceway for cars and motorcycles. The parking area was packedand it was like the good old days as the fans had free access to thepits so they could see their favourite cars, motorbikes and thedrivers or riders up close.

It is a pity that as matters stand the classic aspect of motor sportis thriving in terms of entries and interest from true enthusiasts, butthere are still far too few spectators at race meetings outside thePassion for Speed events at Zwartkops and Killarney in CapeTown.

I am fortunate in that I am involved in Lotus Register racing andhaving a new Class B car, as well as being a friend of the publisherof Automotive Refinisher , Ian Groat, who shares my love for classictwo-wheelers – particularly those made in Britain. This gives methe inside track on thriving historic racing, the machines and peoplethat compete and makes me very happy!

NEWS FROM THE ZOO - by Roger Houghton

2015 OFF TO A VERYFAST START

Confusion with the Fusion - which side is the indicator stalk actually on?


Telephone: +27(0)11 452-0875 / +27(0)79 206-7881 / Fax: +27(0)11 452-8372

Tyrone: +27(0)82 856-1200 Aki: +27(0)84 889-7014 / Email: [email protected]

Website: www.phoenixchange.co.za

PHOENIX EXCHANGE AD M-A 2013_Invoice TOYOTA 16-8-05 2015/03/17 10:03 AM Page 1

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

BRAND PROFILE

WHAT’S HOT?

BASF CELEBRATES150 YEARS

NEW HOTLINE FROM BASFCOATINGS SERVICES

BASF is turning 150 in 2015. Thecompany began in Germany in 1865with the development andproduction of dyes. The production

of ammonia in order to make fertiliserfollowed a few years later and then plasticscame along. Since then, the company’sportfolio has continuously developed andevolved and today their product rangecovers a wide spectrum of industries fromchemicals, plastics, performance productsand crop protection to oil and gas.

It is a great achievement for any companyto remain successful for so many years. ForBASF this number speaks to the creativityand determination of our employees – in thepast and the present. For 150 years, theyhave managed to find the right balancebetween risk-taking and responsibility.

Laurent Tainturier, senior vice-presidentfor EUE region, including CIS-Middle East-Africa explains: “Today’s requirements andthe expectations of society are much morecomplex. But our focus is still on improvingpeople’s quality of life. This, however, shouldnot come at the expense of the nextgeneration(s). When we conduct researchtoday, we keep one guiding principle inmind: sustainability. We treat resources withcare and respect and strive to strike abalance between all three dimensions:economy, environment and society.

“It is critical that a company such as BASFaddresses the challenges facing our planet,including those of energy and foodresources, as well as urban living. In 2050,the world’s population will reach nine billionwith 70% of the people will be living in cities.

Resources are already scarce and we haveonly reached almost seven billion people.Everyone needs a roof over their head, cleanwater, and electricity.

“This poses a tremendous challenge,especially in Africa and the megacities of thedeveloping world, as people want to bemobile and move around. To feed ninebillion people in 2050, we will need twice asmuch food as today. How can that beaccomplished if we can’t double the amountof farmland?” he asks.

From its early beginnings, BASF hasalways had innovative and collaborativeculture. BASF continues to work closely withuniversity researchers, scientists andchemists who have provided thecornerstones for our research.

Compared with the past, today’s jointendeavours involve many more disciplines.The construction of a wind power turbine,for example, requires a team of researchers,developers and market experts. It is not onlyabout improving material properties, but –

more importantly – ensuring they fit andwork together in the best possible way. Thismeans that, within BASF itself, we need towork across different divisions and combinethe knowledge of many experts. We needto consider solutions together withcustomers and scientists.

BASF’s global and local anniversaryprogramme is envisaged as a virtuallaboratory – the “Creator Space™programme, in which we can try out newways of working together over the next yearand beyond – within BASF and with otherstakeholders i.e. customers, scientists, andother communities. It is interactive andbrought to life by the ideas and discussionsof its visitors. The three anniversary topicsposted focus on urban living, energy, andfood.

The South African anniversaryprogramme sees a number of highlyinteractive events being hosted throughoutthe region involving scientists, customers,business partners and employees.

BASF Coatings Services recently opened its NationalTechnical Services Hotline to cater for its customers inSouth Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa for the paint brandGlasurit. The national toll-free number gives the customers

direct access to the National Technical Information Centre whichhas, among other things, a direct link to the Colour Lab in Muenster,Germany; the global headquarters for BASF Coatings. Customers canobtain technical information such as paint processes and colourinformation for Glasurit.

“We understand that time is an important factor to ourcustomers, therefore with the introduction of this hotline, we aim torespond to our customers’ requests instantaneously,” notes RenoNell, national technical services consultant.

“Each of our six branches across South Africa have a number oftechnical consultants on call to assist our customers with variousconcerns, however, we realised that some queries such as requiring

colour information on OEM vehicles can be quickly addressedtelephonically, hence one of the reasons for setting up this number,”explained Nell.

The link between the National Technical Information Centre andthe Colour Lab enables the local facility to channel any systemcomplaints that may require practical testing directly to Germany andalso allow for a direct channel to follow up on the results.

The Colour Lab in Muenster is the centre for all global coloractivities, particularly for the fast changes in OEM car colours. Thus,any new colour information is filtered through the National TechnicalCentre through to the hotline so as to give customers informationthat is relevant to this region.

The hotline; 0800 265 687, is currently accessible between 08h00to 17h00 from Mondays through to Fridays with extended hours tobe added in the near future.

Seen at the celebrations in Johannesburg from left to right are Petra Bezuidenhout, Joan Maria Garcia Girona,Mamokgheti Phakeng, Christo Marais, Laurent Tainturier, Hanli Prinsloo and Horst Freitag.

Reno Nell, NationalTechnical ServicesConsultant manningthe national hotline -0800 265 687.

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2015 started well for the motor industry. Total vehicle sales at52 306 units were up on December sales (51 459) whilstexports of 16 708 in January were a bit behind December’stotal of 21 830 but up on January 12 months ago of 13 845.

Traditionally December has lower sales as people hold back. InJanuary sales in the New Year started to climb again.

Overall top seller in January was Toyota (11 191) exports (4 201).Volkswagen sold the most passenger cars at 8 342 and exports of 4420. Ford was in third place with 5 672 vehicles (738 Rangers).Nissan overtook General Motors by 70 units.

Renault posted good sales and sold 1314 while Honda managed1 144.

Largest selling vehicle again was the VW Polo Vivo: 3 002 andToyota Hilux the leading bakkie at 2 605 with the Corolla not farbehind on 2 464.

The feeling in the industry is that in 2015 should grow a bit – orat worst stay flat. Who knows? We used to say in the old days “Along term forecast is what is going to happen after lunch!”

What could affect our sales and the rest of the economy, ofcourse, is the supply of electricity handled by a bunch of incompetentamateurs. Hopefully they never enter the motor industry.

Mitsubishi have enhanced their ASX Compact Cross-Over with anumber of exterior and interior updates. An updated CVT systemlowers fuel consumption on the automatic model, along withenhanced drivability. The ASX features a five-star Euro N-Cap ratingand seven airbags, plus all the usual safety features. A good all-roundpackage, the 2.0-litre sells for R300 000.

Chrysler in South Africa has officially partnered with the Jeep Clubof South Africa so as to integrate with the international Jeep ownersgroup – as they have done in Europe.

Automotor Und Sport has voted the Mercedes-Benz C-Class thebest medium sized car and the S-Class as the best luxury car. 113 000readers took part in this survey.

Husqvarna Motorcycles, who used to make sewing machines,have now set up their own office in South Africa. Fast FreddieFonsham is the man looking after the brand as he did at CMH.Husqvarna belongs to KTM. This Austrian company sold 159 000motorcycles last year.

A big tussle goes on between Toyota who sold the most vehiclesin the world in 2014 and Volkswagen just a couple of hundred unitsbehind them. VW with their Mach 18 plan seems well on track. Theyaim to be number one in the world by 2018. They have got threeyears to go.

Suzuki in South Africa has been enjoying some good sales. Thedealer of the year is Suzuki Auto in Johannesburg South.

Mazda launched their Mazda3 when they opened for business inOctober here in South Africa. This Mazda has now been named theNew Zealand Car of the Year and the National Business ReviewSupreme Car of the Year.

Honda’s high quality Mobilio seven-seater has now had a newCVT automatic gearbox added to its range. It’s spacious, functionaland reliable vehicle with a really perky motor.

Kawasaki and their CEO, Chris Speight, who celebrates 34 yearsat the helm of the brand in South Africa, unveiled one of the fastestand most powerful road bikes ever produced by this famouscompany. It is a Ninja H2. It is a 1000cc motorcycle with 150kW.They also have an R model available, which is not to be ridden onthe road and comes without guarantees. It is to be used only ontrack days. Price of this wonder bike is R600 000 and it sports224kW. Wow. It is the first motorcycle ever launched onto themarket with a super-charged engine for the road.

Peugeot 308 was voted Car of the Year 2015 in Morocco. It wasup against the 3-series BMW and their X4, Hyundai Elantra and C-Class Merc.

News to hand is that the Mazda3 also won the Family Car of theYear in Scotland. So the pedigree continues. The Mazda2 also arrivedon our shores earlier in March.

Nissan is celebrating the great success they have had with theNP200 half-ton pick-up where they have a market share of 52.2%.17 412 were sold in 2014 plus they received glowing reports fromMalcolm Kinsey on the spares and on quality from IPSOS. This bakkieis made in South Africa.

Shown at the recent Paris Show, the KIA Rio with exterior andinterior updates has arrived in South Africa. It’s their best sellingmodel in this country. Prices start at R177 000 rising to R225 000.

The Citroën C4 Cactus has won the “Most Beautiful Interior”

DID YOU HEAR? by Roger McCleery

Celebrating motoring excellence with a hat trick win, Porsche scooped the title of the 2015 WesBank / SAGMJ Car Of The Year when its Macan S Diesel was announcedthe winner at a gala dinner hosted by WesBank, the competition’s headline sponsor, at Gallagher Estate in Johannesburg. The Porsche Macan S Diesel faced stiffcompetition in the 11-strong finalist line-up that represented the best of the best from a cross-section of segments and price points, making it one of the most hotlycontested races in the competition’s 30-year history.

40


43

The compact Korek HD floor frame features adouble layer ground frame for robustperformance and easy set-up. The flexibletower assemblies are highly mobile. It offersextended cab tower pulls with traction pulls of20 tons per basic tower.

The towers are simple to fix as they operateon rollers and are fixed to the HD Korekframe by four wedges with three main standson offer. This is coupled to 30 ton compositionhydraulic sets. The options for a perfectchassis cab and frame straightening job areendless as well as painless.

As far as speed of output and profitability areconcerned, the HD Korek offers majorprofitability at a reasonable entry level cost. Itis ideal for both CV repairers and large fleetoperators as an investment in Truck repair.

prize at the 30th International Automobile Festival.Honda has launched a new VFR800 motorcycle with all-new

front forks and swing arm, traction control, adjustable seat height,ABS, heated grips, self-cancelling indicators and an engine withgreater low- and mid-range torque. It is also lighter than theprevious model. The V4 configuration goes back 40 years and givesthe bike a soul of its own.

Firestone in South Africa keeps giving prizes. One of thewinners of a 1987 Firestone Competition that promised tyres forlife received his latest set of tyres – 28 years after the event. AndreWentzel has just received his new tyres for his Fortuner.

Porsche delivered 190 000 new cars to customers in 2014. InDecember they sold a record 20 644 cars.

Volkswagen’s Amarok double cab now comes with anautomatic version of their 4x2.

Number one truck seller in the world is Mercedes-Benz whosold nearly 500 000 trucks last year.

Awards keep coming thick and fast. GWM C30 has scooped aJD Power Quality Award in the mid-size entry category.

Porsche had two world premieres in January: the 911 TargaGTS and a Cayenne Turbo S. They just keep getting better,although it is hard to believe they are that good.

Peugeot is not lagging behind with worldwide sales of 4.3% and2.9 million units sold last year.

Isuzu also recorded global sales particularly out of China. Opels are on the way back as well with 1.1 million vehicles sold

in Europe.


Listen to Roger McC leeryevery Tuesday on Radio

Today (1485 A M)at17h30 for everything

about SA motor ing.

Kevin Robertson riding an Immaculate 1936 Velocette motorcycle won the102nd running of the DJ International Motor Cycle Rally. It was held over twofull days and the event attracted over 100 entries with six international ridersat the event. The race that started in Hillcrest finished in Germiston.

41

17 year-old Kelvin van der Linde is the youngest Bridgestone/SA Guild ofMotoring Journalists Motor Sportsman of the Year in its 50 year history of theaward.




Williams partnership with PPG Industries, the worldleader in coatings and specialty products, will becontinuing for a 12th consecutive year. Since 2003PPG and Williams have worked together to find new

solutions to find all-important weight savings in the team’s FormulaOne cars, a vital element in lap times. New regulation changes forthe 2014 season, including the addition of complex hybrid powerunits, have seen Formula One cars become heavier than in previousyears. WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING has benefited from PPG’slatest technical paint solutions that have led to an impressive 48%reduction in the weight added to the car during the painting process.By reducing the amount of paint products needed, PPG coatings canprovide WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING with a performanceadvantage whilst maintaining the presentation standards expected ofthe team’s much talked about 2014 livery.

“Formula One demands the best and expects excellence,”explains Patricia Phountoucos, European communications managerof PPG. “On every aspect of the car from the electronics inside, tothe exterior paint work on the outside, teams are always looking formaterials that provide consistency and excel in performance. This iswhy PPG and Williams have continued the partnership for animpressive 12th year.”

Sir Frank Williams, founder and team principal of Williams,commented: “With the weight of the cars being so important in2014 in light of the major regulation changes, having PPG’sinnovative weight saving paint on the FW36 is more useful thanever. We have worked together for many years now and I’mdelighted that our partnership will be continuing for anotherseason.”

PPG: Bringing Innovation to the Surface.™PPG Industries' vision is to continue to be the world’s leading

coatings and specialty materials company. Through leadership ininnovation, sustainability and colour, PPG helps customers inindustrial, transportation, consumer products, and constructionmarkets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more waysthan does any other company. Founded in 1883, PPG has globalheadquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in nearly 70 countriesaround the world. Reported net sales in 2014 were $15.4 billion.PPG shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol:PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com and follow@PPGIndustries on Twitter.

The PPG logo is a registered trademark and Bringing innovationto the surface is a trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

INDUSTRY NEWS

PPG AND WILLIAMS CONTINUE LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP OF 12 YEARS

PPG ENVIROBASE WATERBORNEGETS A NEW LOOK

PPG Automotive Refinish has created new global branding for its popular ENVIROBASE® HighPerformance waterborne product line. Updated product packaging for the leading PPG brand nowgives a completely refreshed look that includes a redesigned paint system logo and new colourful labeldesigns for its waterborne toners and its integrated waterborne undercoats and clearcoats. According

to PPG, the branding initiative is intended to better reflect the premium quality of the Envirobase HighPerformance paint line and the brand’s international leadership in waterborne refinish systems.

“With the brand’s broad market acceptance around the world, we thought it was time to give EnvirobaseHigh Performance a fresh look that would reinforce its foremost position in the industry,” said John Outcalt,vice president, global automotive refinish. “It is important to note that while the branding and packaging forEnvirobase High Performance are new, we haven’t made any changes to the technology of the system. Ourcustomers can expect the same premium PPG performance they are accustomed to.”

WHAT’S HOT?

PRODUCT UPDATE


For more information call +27 (0)11 953 2576

or visit www.ppgrefinish.com

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JLR GROWTH & PRODUCT STRATEGY



Not long ago the whole automotive sector sufferedbadly with the effects of the global financial marketdecline with the effects in terms of delayed modelreplacements still being seen more than six years later.

Many vehicle manufacturers did the unthinkable in order to survive– a few did not.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) suffered more than most. At the timeowned by Ford Motor Company with its largest, most profitableproducts struggling for sales. Indeed in common with many othermanufacturers the rate of sales was at or below break-even. Thenit happened … China.

Whilst the ‘mature’ vehicle markets of the world ran away fromnew vehicle sales, China developed an insatiable thirst for SUVs.Not just any old SUVs, but foreign upmarket SUVs. By happy co-incidence Ford were able to sell JLR shorn of most of its debt toTata Motors, and so began a renaissance. Land Rover sales tookoff, and kept going. Range Rover, which Ford had spent mucheffort placing as an upmarket sub brand, also took off. Tata werein the right place at the right time – indeed in 2014 JLR contributedmore than 85% of the Tata automotive division global profit.

So That’s All Good, Then? Well, Not Quite …The key to sustained profitability is how a vehicle manufacturer

uses key assemblies over and over again to minimise investmentand ultimately reduce piece cost. Let’s look at three differentvehicle manufacturer’s approaches to this issue:

l BMW. The engines (petrol and diesel) use a highlydeveloped 500 cm3 combustion module which is then applied toall the engine configurations from in-line 3 cylinders to V8’s. Thebody architecture is scalable, meaning the 1 to 4 series essentiallyshare the same body structure beneath the skin, the ‘X3’ is a crossover, and all the larger vehicles share almost identical sub-structures. This matrix of engine choices and body styles maximisescommon components wherever possible, and took decades todevelop.

l Mercedes-Benz. The powertrain strategy is morefragmented than BMW but the body architecture from C class toS class shares the same architecture – minimising developmentlead time and maximising profit. By introducing structural certainty

into the product life cycle the packaging of all the other systems isalso more certain, and faster.

l Volkswagen Group. Three assembly kits cover all vehiclesegments from the smallest to the largest for the four volumebrands – Audi, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen. The largest kit – MQB– took a full 10 years to develop, including the engines, provisionof LNG, provision of hybrid drive, provision of pure electric drive,and provision of hydrogen fuel technology. Effectively all possiblemedium term option demands were co-developed so that as themarket develops over the life cycle of the kit, Volkswagen Groupsimply switched on the appropriate elements. MQB, once the rollout is completed later in 2015 will contribute more than fivemillion vehicles per year.

The best part? Even though much has been written about all ofthe above, customers for these brands are not bothered becausetheir choice of components are wrapped up in the body style oftheir choice. Good profits, happy customers.

So How Does JLR Compare?When Tata bought JLR they were given five years to access

Ford components as part of a licence agreement. At the point ofsale, that content looked like this:

l Land Rover Defender (L316) – diesel engine and manualgearbox.

l Land Rover Freelander II(L359) – diesel engine (co-developed with PSA), petrol engine, front body structure (sharedwith Mondeo CD345).

l Land Rover Discovery III (L319) – diesel engine (co-developed with PSA), petrol engine (JLR design, built by Ford), T5chassis, a few body stampings.

l Range Rover Sport (L320) – diesel engine (V6 co-developedwith PSA), petrol engine (JLR design, built by Ford), T5 chassis, afew body stampings.

l Range Rover (L322) – diesel engine (V8 developed by Fordfor JLR), petrol engine (JLR design, built by Ford). The body designwas completed whilst Land Rover was part of the BMW Group.

l Jaguar XF (X250) – re-mastered Lincoln Town Car platform(S type was first to use it), diesel engine (V6 co-developed withPSA), petrol engine (JLR design, built by Ford).

FUTURE TECH - by Andrew Marsh


l Jaguar XJ (350 and 351) – unique Jaguar aluminium intensiveplatform, diesel engine (V6 co-developed with PSA), petrol engine(JLR design, built by Ford).

l Jaguar XK (X150) – another unique Jaguar aluminiumintensive platform, diesel engine (V6 co-developed with PSA),petrol engine (JLR design, built by Ford).

Eight product lines, three of which used a separate chassis, twoof which used nearly all aluminium construction, none of whichused a powertrain built by JLR – in other words a fine collection ofvehicles which were not being built profitably due to the lack ofproduct strategy.

What did Tata do? They placed the vehicles in a way that JLRhad never done before by using celeb photo opportunities. Thistechnique is finely honed in India where celebs cross manyboundaries – from sport to film to TV to politics. Taking theessence of this and ensuring everything a vehicle customer touchesor sees is fashionable, allowed Tata to re-freshen an essentiallysound range of vehicles (albeit over complex with insufficientcomponent sharing) at minimal cost and produce one outstandingproduct evolution – the Range Rover Evoque.

The product line-up now looks like this:l Land Rover Defender (L316) – diesel engine and manual

gearbox. Due to cease production at the end of 2015 after 67years. The original production line is odds on to be transferred toTata, whilst an ‘all-new’ Defender will be introduced in 2016.

l Land Rover Discovery Sport (L550) – re-mastered Fordbody architecture first seen on the Evoque, diesel engine (co-developed with PSA), petrol engine, front body structure (sharedwith Mondeo CD345). New four-cylinder diesel and petrolengines built in house will replace the outsourced items.

l Land Rover Discovery IV (L319) – same as the Disco III,except the 3l V6 diesel engine (co-developed with PSA), petrolengine (JLR design, built by Ford), T5 chassis, a few body stampings,and due to end production soon.

l Range Rover Evoque (L538) – re-mastered Ford bodyarchitecture, diesel engine (co-developed with PSA), petrol engine,front body structure (shared with Mondeo CD345). New four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines built in-house will replace theoutsourced items.

l Range Rover Sport (L494) – diesel engine (V6 co-developedwith PSA) to be replaced shortly by the in-house diesel engine,petrol engine (JLR design, built by Ford), aluminium body structureshared with the Range Rover – evolved from but not shared withXJ.

l Range Rover (L405) – diesel engine (V8 developed by Fordfor JLR), petrol engine (JLR design, built by Ford), aluminium bodystructure shared with the Range Rover Sport L494 – evolved frombut not shared with XJ.

l Jaguar XE – new, mostly aluminium body structure, in-housepetrol and diesel four-cylinder engines, V6 petrol engine (JLRdesign, built by Ford). Deliveries start in May 2015.

l Jaguar XF (X250) – re-mastered Lincoln Town Car platform,diesel engine (V6 co-developed with PSA), petrol engines (JLRdesign, built by Ford).

l Jaguar XJ (350 and 351) – unique Jaguar aluminium intensiveplatform, diesel engine (V6 co-developed with PSA), petrolengines (JLR design, built by Ford).

l Jaguar F-type – replaced the XK, uses the same base bodystructure (so not related to XJ, L405 or L494), petrol engines (JLRdesign, built by Ford).

In Analysis…Well, overall volume in 2014 was 462 678 units of which

381 108 were Land Rovers. In the automotive world a very closelyrelated product (ie, minor skin changes) or a low cost tooledproduct could reach break-even on 50 000 units, but a full blownvolume vehicle should clear 10 000 plus units per year. Jeep forexample sold 1 089 000 vehicles in 2014 – nearly three times the

Land Rover volume with six model ranges.l Jaguar sold 81 570 vehicles across the tail end of XK

production, the XF, the XJ and F-type…. a volume that shouldhave looked much more like 200 000 units.

l Land Rover sold 381 108 units of which was dominated bythe major Tata led coup – the Range Rover Evoque. Ignoring thelow volume Defender and soon to be deleted Discovery IV, theEvoque and Discovery Sport should be produced at a rate ofabout 250 000 per year.

We still see in JLR a company of two parts – Jaguar, bought byFord, investments higher than many African nation’s GDP, still notgaining traction, and Land Rover with radical recent history (Hondainfluenced Austin Rover, MG Rover, BMW Group, Ford) as well asdiverse product range. In addition as JLR have known for manyyears, the engineering team is still smaller than the immediateglobal competition. The result is products that are developedsequentially as an entity rather than the simultaneous co-development one would expect to find. This translates to eachnew product arrival having many different solutions for the samething.

One example: The XJ (X350) was first launched in 2003 as analuminium intensive vehicle which used mainly pressings for thebody structure, in stark contrast to the low rent approach used forthe Audi A8. The semi retro design effectively killed sales, leadingin 2010 to a radical overhaul – and still modest sales.

When the opportunity came to develop two closely relatedRange Rovers from this platform, JLR developed yet anotherevolution. Hopefully if the XJ is refreshed soon it can be broughtinto line with the Range Rover twins, but this is unlikely. The XJ isbuilt in one plant and also assembled from kits in India whilst theRange Rover twins are built in Solihull – where the Jaguar XE willalso be built. Confused? You soon will be…

None of the major competitors would have taken thisapproach. Look how BMW evolved the ‘E39’ 5 series to becomethe first X5 (E53) – wherever possible the donor car parts areused. This pattern has been greatly expanded in subsequent years.

The OutcomeThe success of JLR is for the time being essential for the United

Kingdom economy. One is in no doubt that as JLR volume expandsso the economic effect will diminish, as the plants in India increaseproduction and the plants in China as well as Brazil come onstream. However, as this long established company finally gets ashot at becoming a global force one can see worrying underlyingtrends in play now that will affect profitability over the next five oreven 10 years.

The lack of clear product strategy will hurt JLR. Developingendless unique solutions leads to higher piece cost, reduceddurability and so increased customer ‘issues’. Land Rover still smartof the entire regions lost due to the problems caused by underinvestment during the worst of the British Leyland days, whereLand Rover was shunted between the truck and car divisionbecause the grown-ups did not know where it fitted into thecorporate picture whilst paying customers looked on amazed.

It really is time for an essentially fine company to start actingwith more clarity to deliver demonstrably better robustness fortheir highly fashionable products. Stop tinkering and get one’s headdown – success is definitely within reach.

Auto Industry Consulting is an independent provider oftechnical information to the global co llision repair industry.Products include EziMethods, our online co llision repair methodssystem and Auto Industry Insider, our co llision repair industrytechnical information website. For more information please visitthe websites: www.ezimethods.com andwww.auto industryinsider.com or contactben.cardy@auto industryconsulting.com



www.autoindustryinsider.com


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Amulti-million Rand investment in a rubber crumbmanufacturing plant in Hammarsdale will take rubber tyrerecycling to a whole new level in KwaZulu-Natal. DrMehran Zarrebini, head of British investment group PFE

International which owns Van Dyck Carpets, said that the newfacility would be the new home of the Mathe Group, one of onlytwo KwaZulu-Natal companies registered with tyre recyclingregulatory body REDISA.

The REDISA Integrated Industry Waste Tyre Management Planwas gazetted in November 2012 as a means of dealing with themounting number of waste tyres dumped in landfills and openareas. Each year, South Africa adds 11 million waste tyres to thisunfortunate stockpile.

As tyres are designed to be robust and durable, they arenotoriously difficult to recycle and take extremely long periods tobiodegrade. The mounting number of waste tyres has become ahealth and environmental hazard. Tyres are often burnt for warmthor to remove the scrap metal in disadvantaged communities,releasing noxious gases such as dioxins and carbon monoxide.

The Mathe Group currently recycles waste truck tyres in an 850sq/m facility in New Germany. Its new factory, which is due to becommissioned in April this year, comprises a 2 500 sq/m factoryand a 1 000 sq/m warehouse. It will be fitted out with R20 millionworth of state-of-the-art equipment that is due to arrive in SouthAfrica within the next three months.

At capacity, the Mathe Group’s New Germany facility processessix tons of radial truck tyres per day. Each truck tyre weighsapproximately 68 kg. Between 15 and 20 % of the tyre is made ofsteel that is separated from the rubber and provides an additionalrevenue stream for the company. The steel is sold on to otherrecyclers and a large portion is exported to India.

According to Zarrebini, the Mathe Group processedapproximately 28 000 truck tyres during 2014. Over the next fiveyears, this number is expected to dramatically increase toapproximately 150 000 tyres. These tyres will then produceapproximately 8 670 tons of rubber crumb.

“We are constrained by current capacity in New Germany andnew capacity will come online in May/June 2015,” Zarrebini said. Atpresent, the existing factory can only receive a single truck of wastetyres at a time. They are transported from Redisa depots in CapeTown and Bloemfontein. The new factory and warehouse in

Hammarsdale will accommodate multiple deliveries and stockpiletyres for recycling.

New equipment will allow the Mathe Group to recycle both carand truck tyres. The recycling procedure comprises sorting, a threephase crushing process and then the packaging of the resultingrubber crumb. Magnets remove the metal components andseparators produce different sized particles for differentapplications. These include the manufacture of asphalt for roadsand pavements, brake pads and insulation products.

Currently, between 70% and 80% of the Mathe Group’s rubbercrumb output goes to the Van Dyck factory in Prospecton whereit is used to manufacture acoustic underlays for laminated flooring.The Mathe Group has also provided rubber crumb for use as afoundation for sports fields utilising artificial grass. Rubber crumbfrom the New Germany factory was used for four FIFA one starrated soccer fields in Cape Town last year and is currently beingused to complete a major project in Southern Africa.

The Mathe Group was set up in 2010 by Vusumuzi Mathe, anentrepreneur who has worked extensively in the constructionindustry since 1985 serving both the public and private sector withkey focus on the construction of roads, bridges and housing inGauteng. This company began manufacturing rubber crumb orgranulate in late 2011 in limited quantities. In 2013, the MatheGroup obtained a licence from the Ethekwini Municipality tomanufacture rubber crumb without restriction on quantities.

Zarrebini explained that the Mathe Group had begun supplyingVan Dyck Carpets with rubber crumb in 2012 when that companywas expanding and had begun manufacturing acoustic underlays.“There was synergy from the start since Van Dyck was trying tosource rubber crumb locally instead of either importing it or buyingit from the Western Cape and Gauteng. From PFE International’spoint of view, it made sense to secure the company’s supply chain,so we formed a joint venture with the Mathe Group in 2014.”

Significant investment in equipment at Van Dyck will increaseoutput of acoustic underlays and hence consumption of rubbercrumb. Van Dyck will also begin making acoustic cradles and soundbarriers using rubber crumb later this year.

Zarrebini said that Van Dyck was working with a UK partner toinvestigate other applications. Currently, acoustic underlays arebeing exported to the United States, Australia, Qatar and SouthKorea.

INDUSTRY NEWS

HAMMARSDALEINVESTMENT TO BOOSTTYRE RECYCLING

UK ROADS TO GO DRIVERLESS

LOCAL UPDATE

UK NEWS

More Britons will from next summerbe joined on the roads bydriverless cars, after thegovernment gave the go-ahead for

the vehicles to be tested on public roads toencourage companies developing thetechnology to invest in the country. Driverlesscar testing will be restricted to vehicles with aperson present and able to take controlshould the need arise, the Department ofTransport (DT) said.

The department said it has carried out areview into driverless cars and found there are

no legal barriers to the technology beingtested on British roads. It is now working on acode of practice for driverless cars. This is dueto be published in the spring and vehicles areexpected to be tested on roads across thecountry starting the summer.

“I want Britain to be at the forefront of thisexciting new development to embrace atechnology that could transform our roadsand open up a brand new route for globalinvestment,” Transport Minister Claire Perrysaid in a statement.

The driverless car industry globally is

expected to be worth trillions by 2025,according to the UK government, with carmakers such as Daimler vying with technologyfirms such as Google.

The testing of driverless cars on publicroads follows a government investment ofR1.9 billion in the technology in four Britishtowns.

Britain’s auto industry has been growingstrongly, the value of British car exports hasdoubled in the past 10 years, and lawmakershope that driverless car technology could helpsustain the sector in the decades to come.


Contact: +27 (0)11 463 2169Block B, Ground Floor, St. Andrews Office ComplexMeadowbrook Lane, EpsomDowns, Johannesburg

THE AIR GUN SA RANGE OFFERSTOP PERFORMANCE AT A VALUEPRICE WITH PROFESSIONALMATERIAL TRANSFER EFFICIENCY.DISTRIBUTOR ENQUIRIES AREINVITED FOR THE HIGHPERFORMANCE RANGE.

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Kapci Coatings car colourdocumentation has seen a boostwith the latest international variantcolour box. The company

formulations plus variable shades can beeasily found and tested against the colourswatches found in the new Variant ColourBox.

To keep pace with international carcolour development Kapci Coatings haveinvested heavily in both equipment forcolour analysis and skilled companypersonnel to get their shades exactly rightmodel for model. All of the colour tools areconnected to software to make colourretrieval of any formulae simple.

OEMs have been well covered in thenew updated colour service with around15 000 manufacturer’s new colours beingavailable with the Kapci formula retrievalsystem.

It is handily arranged in alphabetical orderfor fast searching along with their currentcode numbers. Colours are constantly beingadded and updated each year.

The Kapci Colour guide system is basedon another 4 000 colours and this guidenow covers metallic and pearl. It supplies fastidentification for any problem colour thatsees an absence of a specific manufacturer’scode. It also comes complete with a familyof close variants so the guide is able to

supply a comprehensive colour spectrum.It’s now systematically organised into twovolumes, one for solid based colour shadesand the other for metallic basecoat and pearlpaints, if you are looking for a good shadefor a respray of a current car. It can also befound quickly from the Kapci Colour guide.

Kapci Coatings have a full selection ofmaster colours found in the RAL swatches,all having been matched as closely aspossible by Kapci to the original shade.

The company have also been activelyinvolved in gathering all known local SouthAfrican model colours to help colourists inthe spray shop achieve an accurate localcolour match to an original car finish.

COLOUR NEWS

KAPCI COATING’S VARIANT COLOUR BOX AND OTHER QUICK COLOUR IDENTIFICATION TOOLS



WHAT’S HOT?


KAPCI AD M-A 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/17 10:11 AM Page 1

VERMONT N-D 2014 ADS_Layout 1 2015/02/03 11:26 AM Page 2



PRODUCT NEWS

PRO XL AEROSOL PROPELLING EXCELLENCE

CARS WITH CRASH AVOIDANCE REDUCE ACCIDENTS

As crash avoidance technology becomes morecommonplace, repairers should prepare for fewer, morespecialised repairs. Steve Abrantes knows first-hand thatvehicles capable of avoiding collisions without driver

assistance will have an impact on the collision repair industry. The manager of San Diego Volvo’s collision repair centre has

already seen a reduction in Volvo XC60 crossovers since a crashprevention system became standard on the vehicle in 2011.

“We’re not seeing that car in here,” he says of the vehicle,equipped with a system called City Safety. “The avoidance system iscosting us money because we’re not seeing those cars with the samefrequency as the previous models.”

Though he suspects any repairs involving the avoidance systemcould earn his business a bit more than a traditional fix because ofthe expensive and intricate components, he has yet to find out.Abrantes says he plans to start tracking repairs on the model to seejust what he’s earning, or missing, because of the system.

It’s a predicament many repairers could find themselves in ascrash avoidance technology becomes more widespread. If recentstudies are any indication, the systems could prevent huge numbersof crashes each year if they become standard in every vehicle.

A report from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers(EEE) estimated that crash avoidance technology could eliminate allaccidents caused by driver error. That’s a whopping 90% of crashes.

An earlier study by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) whichevaluated the Volvo CX60 with City Safety Technology found thatclaims under property damage liability coverage were filed 27% lessoften for the vehicle compared to other midsize luxury SUV’s. Claimsunder bodily injury liability were filed 51% less often And overallclaim frequency for the XC60 was lower than for all other midsize

WHAT’S HOT?

US NEWS

luxury SUV’s combined, as well as other Volvo’s, under every type ofinsurance coverage.

The XC60 system detects the distance and speed of othervehicles within 18 feet of its front bumper when travelling between9 and 19 mph day or night, and automatically brakes if a crash isimminent. Susanna Gotsch, industry analyst for CCC InformationServices, says such systems will likely hurry the country’s accidentdecline, which is already dropping 1-2% a year for a host of reasons.

“I think it’s going to speed up a trend that we’re already seeing,”Gotsch says. “It will certainly drive down accident frequency, thoughI’m not sure that it will eliminate accidents.”

“Whether all crash avoidance systems will work as designed hasyet to be seen,” she says. “As long as there’s a human element, therewill always be a danger of collision.”

She says shops should be ready to learn about new crashavoidance systems as they are released, since repairs to thosesystems, which can include cameras, sensors, microprocessors andother components, will probably become commonplace.” Theycould also make for more expensive repairs, she says, but costs willinevitably come down as production ramps up.

“Another unknown, Gotsch says, is whether auto manufacturerswill be held liable for repairs if an avoidance system fails to prevent acrash.

“There’s adaptation that will have to take place,” says Gotsch,noting that crash avoidance is beginning to take precedence overcrash worthiness. “It’s good for people to be aware of what’s coming,anticipate that, and plan for that.” That’s exactly what Abrantes isdoing at San Diego Volvo. “We’re seeing (the systems) in thepremium brands now,” she said. “But they will certainly impact ourbottom line as they become more common.”

The Pro XL aerosols with the uniquevari nozzle application makes touchups easier than ever for repair work.

The all-new range of ProXL Aerosolsfeature the unique vari nozzle. Thisunique range is now available for carrefinish distribution and collision

repair centres. The Pro XL aerosol range usesall new technologies to power a unique varinozzle. It is fully adjustable and it can also beused in both horizontal and vertical positions

to optimise spray painting performance givingyou a spray gun finish in an aerosol.

Pro XL aerosols can be used with amultiple of refinish paints such as basecoat and2K colours, as well as industrial quick dryenamels in all types of spot repair and bumpertouch-up applications. This provides a veryhigh quality, convenient, quick and cost

effective solution. The sole importer of PRO XL aerosols in

South Africa is Kanye Vimba and you can seethe new products at the upcomingAutomechanika SA show in May at NASRECJohannesburg. You can give Kanye Vimba a callon +27 (0)11 396 1161.




Take control of your bottom line by taking command of yourlabour rate. Profit margins are shrinking at collision repairshops. Margins have decreased on everything from parts tomaterials. Body shops in some areas are seeing a mere 3%

net profit on paint, and single digit net incomes overall. Althoughsome things are out of your control, one way to offset business costsis note your labour rates.

Some labour rates are commonly set too low because bodyshops simply allow it to happen. Too many body shop owners wantpeople to set their rates for them. Some body shop owners have lostsight that they are the ones who set and have full control over therates, not insurance companies.

Many body shops feel that vendor partners dictate labour rates,which is a myth. Every body shop not affiliated with a direct repairprogramme has free will and the ability to set their own ‘fair andreasonable’ rate.

What constitutes a ‘fair and reasonable rate’ is a blurred line, andthere is really no firm method of evaluating that. Ultimately it comesdown to body shop owners assessing their business and decidingwhat services are worth.

Good body shop owners set their own rates. They assess theircosts of doing business, markets and value provided to customers,and decide what a fair return for those investments should be.

Everybody knows they should analyse both their business costsand local labour rates surveys to get a feel for where their labour rateshould be. But that’s not all that you should base your rate on. Thereare a few other considerations to ‘fairly and reasonably’ set your bara bit higher to achieve a 75% gross profit margin on labour, which iswhat all body shops should aim for.

Stand Your GroundAlthough you don’t have to you can still decide to offer discounts

to insurance companies that your body shop commonly works withto strengthen the business relationship.

If you do opt to do so, try the tiered labour rate structure basedon volume rather than negotiations. As a rule of thumb insurers thatprovide less than R200 000 worth of work monthly should get yourhighest rate. Insurers that provide R200 000 to R500 000 should geta mid-range rate and insurers that provide more than R500 000should get your lowest rate.

Body shops need to understand how much cost they incur byaccepting credit cards from customers. That’s the most typical waythat people pay for collision repair services but it has a wholedifferent cost-structure compared to cash-paying consumers. Bodyshops give up to 5% of all money collected to the credit cardcompany in fees, which includes all parts, materials and labourmoney.

All the fees with credit cards, which can be more significant thanyou might expect, have to be covered by repair centres. You end upgiving consumers with credit cards a far better pricing structure thanyou give to your best insurer.

Body shops should set a retail labour rate for credit-card payingcustomers at about 10% higher than customers with cash. That helpsoffset and insulate your business from the costs associated withaccepting credit cards.

An example would be, body shops might experience a R500credit card transaction fee on a 10 hour R25 000 repair. You haveto increase your labour rate by R50 an hour to offset that cost.

It is important to know what other body shops in your market arecharging. Labour rate surveys can help you get a point of reference

on where you sit relative to the competition, but be careful not toput too much faith in them. There are several market factors toconsider that labour rates surveys don’t account for:

l Shop Accessibility – is your shop in a highly visible area?l Location – are you in an industrial zone where costs are low

or in a commercial zone where costs are high?l Market Population – how much demand exists for your

services?l Community Growth – body shops that were once located in

rural areas may now be more prosperous which could increasebusiness costs.

l Vehicle Models – what types of cars do you most commonlyrepair? Do you specialise in high-end models that may require moretraining, equipment and certification?

Factors will vary from body shop to body shop. You might wellremember to re-evaluate your rate monthly as market factors andconditions that affect your business can change over time.

Assess Your Value Added DifferentiatorsIt would be nice if you could just set your labour rate in a way

that best competes with your neighbouring body shops. Everybusiness has different overhead costs which impacts the revenuethey need to be profitable. You may offer additional services oramenities or services that make you more appealing and better thanyour competitor. You can charge more for that.

Body shops usually look at price or value when raising labourrates. The value route is the better option.

The pathway of value – if you build it into your goods and servicesthat you offer, then price is not important. Customers will buy yourgoods and services if it is based on the value they get.

The key is to have the best technologies, technicians and facilitiesthat other body shops don’t have. Consider your customeramenities, designated parking, pick-up and delivery, professional andwell-trained staff, and waiting areas. You may want to charge R50 orR100 more per hour in labour because of the qualitative value youoffer.

How do you know exactly how much labour rate increase yourservices are worth? It’s up to you to decide and your customers tovalidate. Customers won’t pay for it if it’s something they don’t findvalue in. But more often than not, customers want to leave theirvehicles with shops that pay attention to those details.

INDUSTRY NEWS

EARN YOUR FAIR SHARE -LABOUR CHARGE OUTRATES

WHAT’S HOT?

Insurance discounts and credit card charges can cut into bottom line profitability.


MIXPLAST ADS J-F 2014_Layout 1 2014/02/06 10:58 AM Page 2

The year 2014 saw Mercedes-BenzCars continue their productoffensive with a number of newintroductions into various luxury

segments. The success of these new modelsis reflected in the final sales figures for 2014,as reported to the department of Trade andindustry (DTI) resulting in a record numberof 28 370 units. This posts a growth of25.3% over 2013 sales and has resulted inMercedes-Benz emerging as the clearnumber one brand in the premium luxurysegment in South Africa.

“New models introduced in the latterpart of 2013 and during 2014 have provento be extremely popular with customers andthis success is particularly evident in the salesvolumes of our compact cars, the new C-Class and the S-Class,” says Florian Seidler,executive director, Mercedes-Benz CarsSouth Africa.

Models in the compact car segmentinclude the A-Class, B-Class and GLA modelvariants. Sales of these models have grownby over 80% during 2014. These modelscontinue to attract new and trendycustomers to the brand.

“The new C-Class was introduced intothe South African market in May 2014 andhas continued its domination of thiscompetitive segment, as did its predecessor.Our award-winning plant in East London hasbeen ramping up for increased local andexport production and the success of thisprocess is testimony to the dedication andskills levels of our employees,” adds Seidler.

“More thrilling products are coming inthe SUV segment and together with a fullyear of the new C-Class and our offer of acomplete compact car range, 2015 will bejust as exciting and successful as 2014,”concludes Seidler.

Mobility SolutionsTimes change and customer needs

change – so why should products andservices not keep track? The Mercedes-BenzGroup of Companies in South Africa(MBSA) prides itself in listening to the needsof the customer and tailoring products andservices to these needs. The latest solutionfor advanced customer mobility solutionsfrom MBSA is the Agility finance product.

Introduced at a pilot group of dealers in

the middle of 2013, 70% of the company’sdealer network is now equipped to offerAgility, the roll out to the rest of thenetwork was finalised by the second quarterof 2014. As word of this amazing productspreads among discerning customers, Agilityrecorded a significant increase in financepenetration in the last three months of 2014.

Current trends in vehicle financing showan inclination on the part of customers toopt for longer vehicle finance terms, in orderto own a new vehicle at a rate that suitstheir pocket. Customer choices are in partdictated by the way in which traditionalfinancing institutions structure their loanfacility. By the time the customer trades thevehicle, its value has depreciated to such anextent that it severely limits the option tobuy up to a better product.

“Similar and parallel to the innovations ofour brand, Mercedes-Benz, we are nowintroducing to a customer, innovative andnew ways of obtaining, financing and insuringa vehicle and being able to enjoy andexperience our fascinating brand”, says FranzKoller, executive chairman of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services.

The Agility finance product fromMercedes-Benz Financial Services turns thistrend on its head, giving the customeraffordability over a shorter term byguaranteeing the future value of the vehicle.MBSA carries the risk for the customer. Wecan do this because of the high quality of ourpassenger car and commercial vehiclebrands, which offer exceptionally high valueretention over time.

Daimler Trucks in 2014Daimler Trucks sold almost 500 000

trucks in 2014. Despite partly difficult marketconditions, the world’s leading manufacturerof commercial vehicles managed to increasedeliveries to 445 300 units in the first 11months of 2014, an increase of threepercent over the same period last year.

Based on December figures, DaimlerTrucks finished 2014 with a considerablypositive sales growth reaching nearly500 000 units. Final worldwide sales figureswill be published at Daimler’s annual pressconference.

“Our intense efforts in all regions arepaying dividends. Despite many economic

challenges in some key markets, we can lookback on 12 successful months. With almost500 000 trucks sold we are already comingvery close to our target envisaged for 2015,”said Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, member of theboard of management of Daimler AGresponsible for Daimler Trucks & Buses.

For commercial vehicles, 2014 wasdominated by developments that variedwidely from one region to the next. Weakeconomic prospects and politicaluncertainties put a strain on the marketdevelopment in Latin America. In Europe,sales were impacted by the lack of dynamiceconomic development in addition to theintroduction of the new Euro VI emissionsstandards and the difficult political situationin Eastern Europe.

“There are more brands in South Africathan in any other market in which Daimlercompetes, which is good news forcustomers because they benefit frommanufacturers who have had to sharpentheir game, offering incredibly innovativesolutions spanning the entire value chain,”says Kobus van Zyl, executive director ofDaimler Trucks & Buses South Africa.

“With our global presence, ourtechnological leadership and our intelligentplatform strategy we are well prepared toreact swiftly and appropriately to toughtimes in the economic environment.Daimler Trucks will continue to worksteadily on further expanding their positionas the world's leading truck manufacturer in2015.”

BUSINESS REPORT

DAIMLER ENJOYEDBUMPER YEAR IN2014



UPDATE

Franz Koller, executive chairman of Mercedes-BenzFinanical Services said that the company were makinggood progress in their insurance book to overcomeover trading by some SA insurance companies thathave seen lower write off levels introduced on highend vehicles.

The Mercedes-Benz management team revealed a spectacular performance on the year’s trading activities.


396 1161

GENERAL A4 AD M-A 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/23 11:14 AM Page 1

The high profile Turn One Motor Solutions company whospecialise in insurance products for motor racing teams andactivities are just one of the high profile companies thathave joined and endorsed the Motor Traders Organisation

(MTO).Company Director and ace motor racing driver Gary Formato

says he feels that the MTO is also passionate about providinginsurance solutions for the motor industry and look set to developthis related business for Turn One.

Turn One are an authorised financial services provider to thetrade in workshop, car sales and body shop markets. Five-timenational champion Formato, who is also a long time SupersportFormula One commentator, says that with the MTO helping themdrive their insurance offer together they are able to establish andtailor specific policies that suit motor traders going forward in themarket place.

“Some of the benefits of joining the MTO are quickly visible,” saidNoel de Robillard. “Our monthly standard fees are low at some

R400 per month and remain extremely competitive for the raft ofservices that we supply like assistance with BEE Certification, atpreferential rates, access to a full legal team of lawyers and labouradvisors, insurance packages that cover retrenchment, funeral cover,personal accident and maternity leave, among others, as well as beingendorsed by warranty solutions Motorite, Innovation Group,Standard Bank for SAPS work as well as Avis Fleet for out ofwarranty vehicles.”

Along with all of this the MTO can assist with financial factoringfor motor workshop service plans for the workshop and are also ableto assist with occupational health and safety issues. De Robillard says,“We’re constantly striving to ensure that our members benefits aretaken seriously and service delivery of good value for membershipremains a core value of the group.”

You can get more details on the Motor Traders Organisation onwww.mto.org.za or call toll free on 0861 298 009 for moreinformation.

INDUSTRY NEWS

MOTOR TRADERSORGANISATIONATTRACTING ASOLID FOUNDATION

LOCAL UPDATE

With improved 50mm steel wall thickness and state-of-the-art colour matching fluorescent lighting andnew safety features in the stainless steel burner andheat exchangers. The SA Star Spraybooth alsoincorporates both front and side doors for easyentry at a very competitive price. The sprayboothmeets and exceeds health and safety standards.

CAL L HENRY BAS S ON ON 082 857 5772

New Control PanelTwin Door Access

Improved LightingBurner withautomatic flap

control

SLASH COSTS WITH THE SA STAR SPRAYBOOTH

SALES - SERVICE - FILTRATION

ZENITH EQUIPMENT INTRODUCES THE SA STAR SPRAYBOOTH

ZENITH EQUIPMENT INTRODUCES THE SA STAR SPRAYBOOTH

VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.zenithequipment.co.za

62

Noel de Robillard (left) of the Motor Traders Organisation (MTO), and Gary Formato, director of Turn One MotorSolutions are developing new policies that are motor trade specific in cover and value added insurance to findworkable solutions to real problems.



Virgin Plastics is a small family runbusiness that has been providingoutstanding personal service forthe past 20 years to the collision

repair industry.Claudia Dos Santos took over the

running of the business from her father afew years ago and hasn’t looked back since.With a graphic-design background, she ismeticulous about detail and insists onquality products for her clients.

Adapting to each customer’s needs iswhat Claudia and her team at Virgin Plasticsare able to do. They have a long list ofproducts they supply ranging from doublesided tapes, touch-up bottles, nylon overallsuits, seat covers – that can be personalisedto each shop or supplier – and so muchmore. If you require something unique foryour body shop then Virgin Plastics will helpsource it for you – fender covers have evenbeen a request of late.

Recently they have consolidated theirstorehouse and have introduced effectivecourier networks to help distribute theirproducts timeously all around South Africa.

“This move helps us to save time ingetting our products to our clients. It hasbeen the right step forward to enable us to

give of our best at all times and keepgrowing the business,” said Claudia.

For service with a personal touch andcompetitive pricing you can give them a callon +27 (0)83 251 9442 or+27 (0)72 380 3020 or the office on+27 (0)11 616 2870.

LOCAL UPDATE

VIRGIN PLASTICSTWO DECADES OF SUCCESS

WHAT’S HOT?

INSURANCE MORE OF A CONCERN THAN FUEL COSTS

Car owners in the UK are nowmore worried about insurancecosts than fuel costs. Latestresearch from Auto Trader

reveals a significant drop in concerns aboutthe price of petrol and diesel over the lastyear.

The news comes from Auto Trader’slatest car buyer survey, which pooled theviews of 1 000 respondents in December2014. Fifty one percent of those surveyedsaid fuel costs were among their threebiggest concerns when running a car,compared with 56% for insurance costs.This contrasts with the start last year, when70% highlighted fuel costs as a top three

concern with 59% citing insurance costs.The same 12-month period oversaw a dropof 16.6% in the price of unleaded acrossforecourts, while diesel came down by 16%.In January 2014, the average price ofunleaded was reported as 130.5p per litre,by January 2015 the price had fallen to108.9p according to the AA’s monthly FuelPrice Report.

“It’s not surprising that fuel priceconcerns have subsided in the last year,”said Nick King, market research director atAuto Trader. “However, the fact that morethan half still register it as one of their threebig concerns on motoring costs, suggeststhat many view the decline as a short term

trend. For many others, fuel costs stillrepresent a significant proportion of theiroverall motoring budget and disposableincomes.

The cost of buying and running a vehicleis estimated to account for about a third ofall disposable income among the 800 000poorest car owning households in the UK.And despite the drop in wholesale fuelprices, more than 69% of the price paid atthe pump still goes to the treasury, thanksto fuel duty and VAT.

Auto Trader’s car buyer survey has beenrunning for the last year and pools anationally representative sample of thepopulation.

WHAT’S HOT?

Claudia Dos Santos, CEO of Virgin Plastics (front) and her Virgin Plastics team of Citizen Mthembu (left) andThomas Agalenghle make sure that the correct orders are shipped out timeously.

Supercure Spraybooth Rail System

Procure Mobile Infra-Red

Hotbox Colour MatchingDryer With Timer

Tel: 011 425 4062Franz: 082 463 6284Email: [email protected] Madeley Street, Rynfield, Benoni




Dust in any repair shop is the number one enemy, especiallyfor a spray painter. In any progressive and forward thinkingcollision repair shop is a dust free system. Why? Theextraction of dust is absolutely key in keeping your

employees healthy while increasing productivity and maintainingconsistent quality in your final finish. A clean shop is also very pleasingto any client and service provider.

Choosing a dust free system is quite an overwhelming process asthere are so many quality packages available. The best place to startwould be to see what your specific needs are in your repair shop andhow many people you would have on the same line. For example, ashop that has six painters and 12 body shop technicians would varygreatly in it’s compressed air needs to a business who only employstwo painters and two panel beaters.



GOING DUSTFREE?




You would also need to look at the productionrouting layout of your shop to see where the systemwould be best placed as the person on the end of afixed line would receive less air pressure than theperson at the start. Would a mobile unit suit youbetter? What other dust free tools do you require tohave the cleanest shop possible? Are you using dustfree sanders and papers to maximise your dustextraction? Is your system getting the correct pressureand air quality from your compressor? Are you stillprofitable after all of these decisions and where couldyou improve on your bottom line?

Loads of questions to keep you very busy and makeyou rather dizzy with all the information andrequirements that are out there.

With the ever-increasing use of aluminium by motormanufacturers in their vehicles grows the risk of harmfuland explosive dust that comes from this component. Aseparate aluminium work space is advised. A flexiblemobile dust free station would give you the best space-saving option while giving you the optimum results inreturn with a relatively low investment.

A swing-arm system, which has no pipes or cables inthe way, is best suited for the areas where sanding andpaint preparation is done. It also has a larger work areacoverage and it’s much easier for the operator to movearound. To maximise your space needs you could alsoopt for a wall mounted dust-free unit.

Sanding disc costs will decrease as these productslast about a quarter times longer than other standarddiscs while effectively removing dust.

The mobile vacuums are quiet and effective in dustremoval. They are efficient in running costs too.

There are many dust free tools that are engineeredto give effective performance once linked up to thevarious systems in place. Converting some of your toolsis also an option. To make the change to dust freeeasier on your pocket and those who work in the shoptake a look at what you have to hand that you couldconvert to become a dust-free tool.

After you’ve taken inventory decide what newproducts you want to buy to complete the system tomaximise cleanliness and your return on investment.

It’s always a good plan to speak to some of yourfellow body shop owners to see what they are usingand how it is working for them. This sharing ofinformation could save you a lot of time and trouble inyour dust-free future.

by Claire Macfie

AR M-A 2015 CLAIRE_NOV/DEC 2005 paganation 2015/03/20 12:08 PM Page 12

RUPES KR2

TThe RUPES KS 260 is a mobile Dust Extraction Unit forpneumatic and electric tools. It combines structuralsolutions with innovative functional properties. Designedand built specifically for the modern panelshop, it is an

exceptionally high quality product, built for extreme work load andconditions.

The unit features two powerful and reliable 1KW motorsenabling the connection of two simultaneous sanding units. Theoptional overhead arm keeps the workspace clear of hoses andcables. Featuring a dual automatic and manual start-up mode forboth electric and pneumatic tools, motor speed control, and ahighly-efficient dual protection Class M certified filter system. Thisunit is ideal for even the harshest of panelshop environments.

The built-in tool shelf has two slots and two side mobileholders designed for rolling up the extraction hoses granting freemovements with everything at hand. Tidiness & Mobility are partof the RUPES design programme.

KR2 TechnologyThis is an extremely flexible vacuum unit. It’s compact, simple to

install and it can be easily moved around the working area. The KR2is a real mobile workstation to provide the user with everything heneeds for daily work.

A 1,5kW power side channel pump is installed inside the unit.Again, a simple mobile vacuum cleaner, the pump can work formore than 20 000 hours without maintenance.

A 1m2 PTFE filter is installed inside the unit to block those verythin dust particles (99,9% efficiency with 0,3 um dusts). PTFEmembrane increases filter lifetime – also available for industrialapplication – with multiple kinds of dusts (dry, humid, metal, plastic,wood, etc.) A PTFE filter cartridge is fixed with a single plastic knob.Removing and replacing the filter is an easy and quick operationproviding simple maintenance.

Electronic Frontal Panel With Filter Check SystemA 1,5 kW side channel pump is started in manual mode or in

autormatic mode when electric or pneumatic tools are used. Anintegrated sensor measures in real time the filter condition andefficiency. The pilot light on the front panel is activated to remindthe user to perform the cleaning operation (“filter check” red LED).

Easy Dust Container ExtractionBy opening the front panel, the dust container can be easily

taken from the unit to remove dust. A special lifting rail systemmakes the operation fast and easy: one only hook is used to fix thedust container.

Filter RegulatorA compressed air filter regulator is included inside the unit.

Compressed air can be set at the correct pressure to supplypneumatic sanders or other pneumatic tools.

KR2 EquipmentElectric and pneumatic tools can be connected to the unit with

RUPES flexible suction hoses. An integrated cabinet can be used forplacing pads, tools and useful accessories. The perforated board,equipped with all supports, provides all consumables to the userquickly. A wide worktable with ribbed rubber surface makes all dailywork easy and fast. The back side is not only used to support hosesand cables, but can be integrated with all KR2 accessories toincrease the available space.

R E F I N I S H E RUTOMOTIVEAAUTOMOTIVE66

PRODUCT PROFILE

RUPES KS 260 EPNS

INDUSTRY NEWS

AR M-A 2015 J_NOV/DEC 2005 paganation 2015/03/23 1:31 PM Page 8

RUPES AD M-A 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/19 2:10 PM Page 1

Wynand Mulder operates VDS, a very successful bodyshop situated on Main Reef road in Roodepoort. Hehas a lifetime of experience in the collision repairbusiness and has ploughed profits back into

equipping VDS with amazing modern technology to keep up withproduction.

They have focused on improving the qualities of vehicle repairsthroughout production on the whole. “In today’s market you can’tproduce an inferior repair and to this end we looked at ourfoundation, sanding, in the paint shop area,” said Wynand.

The company has moved to a dust free approach with MirkaGold and Abranet all round sanding material. In addition, a great dealof training and technical assistance from Bulldog Abrasives has beenhad in their preparation. Their efficiency in this area of primerpreparation ready for colour has taken us a big step forwards with agreat improvement in final quality before the colour application takesplace.

“We are now using the 150mm Dry Gold Disc system from P220up to P800. It’s designed to reduce disc clogging with the inclusion ofa special disc coating to achieve optimum results,” said Wynand.

The one great result of sticking to the recommendations is thatthe bottle neck in production has gone. The dependable Mirkabrands have really increased output and improved quality.

INDUSTRY UPDATE

VDS KEEPS GOING FOR GOLD WITH MIRKADUST FREE PRODUCTS



LOCAL NEWS

Above: Wynand Mulder (left), the owner operator from VDS says that the businesshas shown a great increase in both production output and finished car quality byusing and adhering to the recommended Gold and Abranet abrasive dust freesystems from Mirka.

Primer preparation has become a significantly cleaner operation with the Golddisc system.


MIRKA AD M-A 2015_Layout 1 2015/03/17 10:16 AM Page 1

The 500L defies convention owing toits MPV passenger space, the feel ofa small SUV on the road and levels ofefficiency typical of a compact car.

The letter ‘L’ sums up the threedimensions: Large; functionality and space;Light; ‘lightness’ means user-friendlytechnology and eco-friendliness; and Loft; atrend-setting environment where one can livelife to the fullest.

“Lightness’ a feeling that improves andsimplifies the quality of life for the occupant'sbenefit. Fiat cars offer sophisticated yetstraightforward technological solutions thatsatisfy both the needs of everyday mobility aswell as the growing social awareness of others,the environment and safety issues. Light also isthe simplicity of use of the on-boardtechnology of the new car. The 500L is thefirst car of the Fiat group to be equipped witha multimedia device based on the newgeneration of the Uconnect infotainmentplatform. This system manages all mediacontent: radio, mobile phone, iPod andnavigation, while keeping the driver hands-free.

The system also includes an advancedBluetooth interface to access extra functionssuch as phone call management or reading

received SMS text messages via text-to-speech technology, the innovative AudioStreaming system that reproduces music filesand web radio stations directly from yoursmartphone in streaming via Bluetooth on theUConnect device.

Today’s car must be “light” for theenvironment as well as the wallet of its driver.Reduced fuel consumption and emissions istherefore an essential requirement for thesuccess of a car. For this reason, the Fiat 500Lwill be offered with the choice of two efficientengines distinguished by their lower pollutingemissions and CO2 levels, corresponding toreal economic benefit in everyday use for thecustomer; a petrol (70kW 1.4l) engine and aturbo-diesel (77kW 1.6l MultiJet 2) engine.Each with different qualities, all exploited tothe full in combination with the standard six-speed manual transmission.

All Fiat 500L engines have beenmeticulously engineered, requiring over10 000 hours of simulation on test-benches, inaddition to extensive road tests under varyingclimatic conditions.

To guarantee the protection of thepassengers, the new 500L combines a bodydesigned to the most modern criteria withactive and passive safety content that ensures

its optimum class leading performance. The new 500L's standard equipment

includes six airbags – front, window and sideairbags – front headlights with DRL (DaytimeRunning Lights) function and fog lights withthe self-adaptive cornering function. Themodel also comes standard with ABS, BAS(Brake Assist System) and the sophisticatedESC (Electronic Stability Control) thatintervenes in driving conditions close to thelimit. It also has an Anti Slip Regulation systemthat optimises traction at any speed, a HillHolder system to help the driver start offuphill by keeping the brakes locked makingpulling off easier.

The Motor Schleppmoment Regelung isused when there is a brisk down change inpoor grip conditions. The Driving SteeringTorque improves both driving safety andhandling performance. Finally ElectronicRollover Mitigation intervenes when a wheelleaves the road surface and helps restabilisethe vehicle and returns control of the car tothe driver.

The 500L is available from 35 Fiatdealerships nationwide and comes standardwith a three year/100 000km warranty andmaintenance plan.

DRIVEN FIAT 500L - COOL & CAPABLE





VEHICLE NEWS

71

RANGE ROVER, JAGUAR LANDROVER TO RECALL CARS TOFIX GLITCHES

Jaguar Land Rover North America will recall more than 104 000SUVs and cars after the US National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration published three notices that highlighted safetyissues that could lead to faulty braking and lighting. The largest

portion of the recall covers 74 648 Range Rover models built fromApril 15, 2005 to September 4, 2012.

The company will replace front brake hoses, which couldrupture and slow braking speed, increasing the risk of a crash,according to the notice.The recall is expected to begin in March.Another 24 679 Jaguar cars will be recalled due to similar brakingconcerns, Vehicles built from August 16, 2012 to January 8, 2014and sport models made from May 7, 2013 to January 8, 2014.

As many as 4 787 Jaguar XK models built from March 4, 2011to March 20, 2014 need updated software for their parking lamps.Jaguar Land Rover said it won’t charge owners for the fixes, and itwill mail notification letters before March.

Once a manufacturer or NHTSA determines a vehicle isdefective, the automakers will usually agree to voluntarily issue arecall and to fix the defect for free.

All the owner has to do it take it to a dealership affiliated withthe manufacturer.

Jaguar Land Rover’s move follows a second recall on January 31of 2.1 million vehicles by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Honda andToyota because of airbags that could go off while driving.

US NEWS

Jeff Kern, president of Car-O-Liner, The Americas has sentthe following updates: “Probably the biggest news for us isthe approval by Ford for their special programme. I issued apress release recently regarding Car-O-Liner’s involvement

as an approved supplier to the 2015 Ford F-150 CollisionRepair Programme. We have a number of approved productswhich are outlined in this release. “Other news that youprobably already know about is that the Car-O-Liner websitehas been redesigned. It’s the same web address, www.car-o-liner.com, but with a whole new look and easier navigation.”

“Regarding events, in the first quarter, Car-O-Liner exhibitedat the NADA dealers show in New Orleans to promote oursolutions for aluminium repair and our certified approvals acrossOEMs. In March, we exhibited at the BMW National AftersalesConference to support our partnership with BMW.”

FORD APPROVED FORCAR-O-LINER USA

US NEWS


All work and no play can make thebody repair business even morestressful than it already is and atAlfa Bodyworks this sentiment

rings true. As one of the biggest shops inCape Town, it can be challenging even atthe best of times and providing top qualityrepairs, big or small, for every client is ofutmost importance. Whether they arerepairing a Citi Golf or a Ferrari 458, eachclient receives excellent service. Partneringwith OEM approved brands makes this kindof top quality service and repair workpossible. From polishing a car or cyclingaround the peninsula, the passion andcommitment is evident.

The owners, Moeneeb and ShameegFataar, have a keen passion for cycling, andhave inspired many of their staff to take upthe sport as well. It’s not about the fancynames and latest gadgets, they have takenup a sport to channel the pressures of theindustry. Friendly staff competition hasbecome run-of-the-mill, with many aMonday morning banter being shared as towho sprinted the fastest in the weekend’srace or pedaled the slowest up the biggesthill during training. As team building isalways important to create a spirit of unity,cycling has proven to be an importantfactor in the success of the company, and acoffee stop on the weekend ride doesn’thurt company morale either.

During the past racing season in CapeTown, Alfa Bodyworks wanted to makesure their presence was felt outside theindustry as well. Team Alfa Bodyworks wasconceived and Teroson became one of theco-sponsors.

As a trusted South African brand, withmajor success in sealants and adhesives; andwith the new launch of the UP 450 BodyFiller and RB2010 Underbody Coating, theyjumped at the opportunity to supportanother successful local company who hasalready made a name for themselves anddevelop cycling within the community. It’sno secret that cycling has proven to be oneof the best platforms to promote companybrands in South Africa, and with the newTeroson polish system being launched inApril, creating brand awareness is key tothe system’s success.

At Alfa Bodyworks, they have alwaysbelieved in the quality and ease of use ofthe Teroson WX 157 Heavy Cut, as theperfect compound to bring out the shineon all vehicles, especially darker colours thatneed the extra cutting strength. There isalso a one-step solution on light colours;

with the introduction of the WX 180Politur Wax, as a hand application after thevehicle is washed, sealing the fresh paint’sgloss is guaranteed as it contains Carnauba,an extremely hard natural wax.

The team has achieved excellent resultson the road and in the shop, in the pastseason, with several podiums at the

prestigious Paarl Boxing Day Track event,and a twelve-man team completing thestrenuous Double Century 202km teamtime trial in just over six hours.

So whether it’s providing a quality repairor reaching the top of another podium,Teroson and Alfa Bodyworks have awinning partnership.

POLISHING UPDATE

TEROSON PARTNER WITH ALFA BODYWORKS, CAPE TOWN



WHAT’S HOT?

Ridwaan Pietersen from Alfa Bodyworks says that the entire Teroson range delivers a brilliant finish every time.

Alfa Bodyworks owners Moeneeb (middle) andShameeg Fataar (right) are seen with Dejean ‘DJ’Nicholson from Teroson in Cape Town.


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

Henkel SA (Pty) LtdPrivate Bag X083, Wadeville, 1422

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returns. The programme also comprises products such as cleaningagents, primers, fillers, surfacers, hardeners, and thinners that allowusers to make their ideal choice. Recently, the Mysterious Coloursseries was launched. This is a range of five concentrated toners thatgive particular OEM colours the desired effect.

Part of ValsparDe Beer Refinish is part of Valspar, a global producer of coatings

for use in various industrial and consumer markets. DeBeer Refinishsystems are marketed by Valspar Automotive. The division focusesspecifically on car refinishes for cars, commercial vehicles and lightindustrial applications. In addition to these systems,

Valspar Automotive provides numerous services, includingtraining and technical advice. Valspar strives to minimise theenvironmental impact of the manufacturing processes of ourautomotive refinishes.

For more informationabout De Beer productsemail them [email protected] orcall them on+27 (0)78 782 9618.

DeBeer Refinish has guaranteed quality, reliability, colouraccuracy and craftsmanship for over 100 years. Thecomplete, high-quality systems allow car refinishcompanies to improve their profitability. To visualise the

brand values, the DeBeer Refinish corporate identity will be renewedand made more dynamic. The restyled logo will be launched in theautumn of 2014 and rolled out in this period on the product labelsas well as in the entire communications package.

The characteristic bear has been the most striking aspect of theDeBeer Refinish logo for years. This visual element has featured onall packaging ever since the introduction of the brand in 1910. Forusers of DeBeer Refinish products, the bear symbolises reliability. Inthe renewed logo, the bear has been styled more dynamically. Thefont has been changed as well.

The corporate colour will be a deep, warm blue shade thatmatches the DeBeer Refinish brand values. The launch of the newcorporate identity will be supported by a comprehensivecommunications package.

About DeBeerDeBeer Refinish offers a compact, complete and high-quality

range of car refinishes in over 100 countries. The mixing coloursystems are used across the globe by car refinish companies that optfor colour reliability, ease of application and optimal operating

To keep pace with expansionthe Cowley SA group, who arethe sole importers for thesuccessful De Beer Auto

Refinishing brand, have moved to a newnational distribution centre inWolwekrans near Krugersdorp.

“The new centre,” says Neil Muller,“will be able to concentrate on animproved support base where stockorders and daily back-up stock deliveryto dealers can be improved upon.”

For more information call+27 (011) 962 1552/1644.

LOCAL NEWS

DEBEER REFINISH CORPORATE IDENTITY RENEWED AND MORE DYNAMIC



PRODUCT PROFILE

NEW DE BEERLOGISTICS DEPOT

WHAT’S HOT?

Seen here are Neil Muller (left) with TechnicalSales Manager Neil Jansen van Rensburg.


The Clear Coats of De Beer Refinish are the crown on yourwork. These excellent products will give your car a glossylook. All De Beer Refinish Clear Coats are based on themost modern hydroxyacrylate resins. This gives a highquality varnish in terms of durability, chemical resistanceand UV protection. This productline consists of both VOC-compliant and non VOC-compliant clear coats. Theapplication of the clear coat, depending on object size andtemperature, can be tuned by mixing the clear coat withthe right De Beer Refinish hardener.

Call for distribution opportunities in your area.Sole Importer Cowley Automotive Products Tel: (016) 933 2233 email: [email protected] AUTOMOTIVE & INDUSTRIAL COATINGS (PTY) LTD

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Ford Motor Co was sued for patent infringement more than adozen times between 2012 and 2014, but not by jiltedsuppliers or rival automakers. It was the “patent trolls.” Theseoutfits, also known as patent assertion companies, initiate

patent cases but don’t sell products of their own. By buying patentsand filing lawsuits to allege misuse of intellectual property, they havewon billions of dollars in licensing fees and court judgments.

They have been a consistent thorn in the side of technologycompanies since the dot-com boom of the 1990s. And the autoindustry is their newest target.

To its practitioners, patent assertion is merely the exercise of alegal right. Patents are an asset, they argue, suing a company over itsuse of intellectual property is no different from buying a parcel ofland and asking the people using it to pay rent.

But patent lawsuits remain extremely frustrating to companiessuch as Ford. Patent assertion companies filed 107 lawsuits againstautomakers and suppliers in 2014, up from 17 lawsuits in 2009,according to San Francisco based RPX Corp, which bills itself ashelping corporations fend off trolls.

Now Ford is pushing back. The company told Automotive Newsthat it recently inked a contract with RPX which has spent nearly$1 billion amassing a portfolio of patents that could otherwise posea threat to members such as Intel Corp, Microsoft Corp andSamsung Group.

“We take the protection and licensing of patented innovationsvery seriously,” a Ford spokesman wrote in an e-mail. “And as manysmart businesses are doing, we are taking proactive steps to protectagainst those seeking patent infringement litigation”.

Automakers may not be willing to spend hundreds of millions ofdollars buying patents solely for legal defence. RPX hopes they willinstead join Ford in signing up with the firm, whose members pay anaverage of $1.5 million annually for access to a shared portfolio ofpatents. Most of the current portfolio is geared toward informationtechnology, but RPX plans to add automotive patents as well.

“At the end of the day it’s a cost, it’s highly unpredictable, andbecause it’s highly unpredictable, it’s a lot more of a distraction thanit would be,” John Amster, the CEO of RPX said in an interview.

Automakers’ exposure to patent lawsuits could increase in

coming years as cars rely more heavily on software. It’s easier to geta patent on software than on a manufacturing process or a physicaldevice, so there are more of these patents to be used as ammunitionin a court case, said Robert Resis, a Chicago-based patent attorneyat Banner & Witcoff. But many patents being used to sue automakerscome from within the industry.

One case, a patent assertion company called Signal IP Inc suedFord along with BMW, Fiat, Honda, Jaguar-Land Rover, Kia, Mazda,Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Volkswagen andVolvo. It claimed these automakers were violating patents on a widerange of electronic features, from keyless entry to airbag sensors andlane departure warning systems.

The patents in question had been registered in the 1990s and2000s by Delphi Corp, the former supplier arm of General Motors,and by Delphi’s predecessor, Delco Electronics Corp. How theyended up with Signal IP is unclear, but less than six months beforefiling the lawsuit, Signal IP bought a group of patents from Delphi for$1.7 million, according to disclosures by its parent company,Marathon Patent Group. Simply defending against such a lawsuit cancost an automaker millions of dollars. Losing in court can costsignificantly more.

Ford has a long history of fighting what is sees as patent abuse. In1879, a New York attorney, George Selden filed a patent applicationfor a “road engine” based on his idea for an automobile powered byan internal combustion engine. He delayed the application for 16years by filing revisions and in 1895 secured his patent, though hehad never built an automobile. Backed by a wealthy investor, Seldenthreatened to sue US automakers. Most of them, including Packard,Olds and Cadillac, paid royalties, rather than go to court. Theexception was Henry Ford, who prevailed in court by arguingSelden’s patent was limited to two-stroke engines, not the four-stroke engines in his cars.

“No man has a right to profit by a patent only,” Ford said in 1925,reflecting on the episode. “That produces parasites, men who arewilling to lay back on their oars and do nothing. If any reward is duethe man whose brain has produced something new and good, heshould get enough profits from the manufacture and sale of thatthing.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

“PATENT TROLLS”

Ford Evos Concept

WHAT’S HOT?


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With Teroson’s UP 450 Universal body filler you will enjoy easy sanding for all yourrepairs. This 2K polyester resin is for general purpose dents, scratches and small holes. Itis semi-flexible and a sanding grit of up to P120 can be used.

Contact Craig on +27 (0)79 504 4563 for more information on this product as wellas their wide range available for collision repairers.

TEROSONUNIVERSAL BODY FILLER UP 450

Power and performance in one affordable package. Chief® is proud of the impulse®-E/VHT and invites you to compare what impulse offersnext to any other pulling rack on the market. The impulse offers the quality, durability and innovative features you need at a price that will keepyou light years ahead of the competition. The multiple configuration options let you customise the design to specifically match your needs: youdecide the length, width and how many towers are right for you.

Features:l Simultaneous multiple pulling capability to precisely reverse damage for faster, higher quality repairs.l True 360-degree pulling with the ability to gang towers – even at the corners.l Self-levelling deck with six variable heights from 19”-40”.l Electric-over-hydraulic for smoother, quieter operations while generating 10 tons of pulling power and 10 000 lbs of lift capacity.l Patented Sure-Lock® mechanism pins and secures towers with one easy movement for added speed, accuracy and safety.l All height and pull functions are controlled from a single hand-held pendant. No more hassles with foot pumps or changing lines! Only Chief® could offer you so much for so little. “Y.E.S. – Your Equipment Supplier” is the sole distributor for Chief Automotive

Technologies in South Africa. Contact either Darrel van der Kolff on 083 926 7101 or Alex van Haute on 079 536 4574 for further informationon their products.

CHIEF IMPULSE®E/VHT PULLING RACK WITH VARIABLE HEIGHT TECHNOLOGY

NEW PRODUCTS




Easyliner is the complete solution for dent pulling essential for repairing small, mediumand big dents in sills, wings, doors and bonnets.

Easyliner enables one to:l Remove dents without disassemblingl Repair without replacingl Reduce the down-timel Increase marginl Improve profitability.Contact Aer-o-cure on +27 (0)11 444 6454 about these and other dent pullers as well

as much more on the comprehensive GYS range.

AER-O-CUREGYS EASYLINER DENT PULLER

This is a liquid bitumen solution designed to penetrate and seal porous surfaces, protectbare metal surfaces from corrosion and act as an industrial waterproofing agent.

Bitumen Primer protects the chassis, undercarriage and the inside of wheel arches againststone chipping and corrosion. It is suitable for cars, trucks, trailers and caravans.

To apply, ensure surfaces to be primed are free from oil, dirt, dust and any loose debris.On metal surfaces remove all loose rust with a wire brush. Any areas showing severecorrosion must first be treated with a suitable rust inhibitor or rust converter. Surfaces mustbe dry for best results, although the product will adhere to damp surfaces.

Contact Spanjaard on +27 (0)860 772 652 about their Bitumen Primer. Visitwww.spanjaard.biz for more on their product range.

SPANJAARDBITUMEN PRIMER

The Rodcraft Dust Extraction Units comply with class “L” requirements forfilters (according to EN 60335-2-69: 199-08). The air tools and electrical toolscan be attached directly on to the energy supply from the vacuum unit to enablea safer and more orderly workshop. The units have an automatic on/offcapability, but can also be switched to manual operation, if required. It has aneasy remote control start as soon as you start one of the connected tools. Theautomatic stop for the vacuum has a 10-second delay after switching off all of theconnected tools. It is equipped for both wet and dry applications with anintegrated sensor.

The extraction units are available in two versions:Part number RC7905: Compact version with a 21-litre tank, which features:l 1 motor by-pass cooledl 1 electrical socket l 1 suction hose model 7900/10SC with a nylon bag and class “L” fleece filter Part number RC7910: Large version with a 77-litre tank, which features:l 2 motors two-step (it is possible to operate the unit with one motor to

save energy) – bypassed, cooled.l 2 electrical sockets. l Ready with vacuum diverter for two suction hoses with a nylon bag and

class “L” fleece filter.l Basket for accessories or sander and practical joint to tilt the tank for fast

and easy emptying, for instance, into a drain. l Produces sufficient vacuum to work with two sanders simultaneously. The Rodcraft Dust Extraction Units are available from Bulldog Abrasives

Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd. Contact their sales team on +27 (0)11 786-5991 [email protected] for more information on this product as well as therest of the Rodcraft range of air and workshop tools.

RODCRAFTDUST EXTRACTION UNITS




The all-new 401Q 3000 WetorDry abrasive is a premiumquality abrasive that will take your finish up to the next level. Theproduct is electrostatically coated to ensure even coating of theabrasive to the specially treated paper backing. The even coating iscritical to produce a finish that is free of unwanted deep, wildscratches.

The process also enhances the cut performance of theseproducts. The harder silicon carbide abrasive used in themanufacture outperforms the aluminium oxide found on otherproducts, ensuring a price/performance benefit.

Contact your nearest 3M agent to find out more or seewww.3m.com for more details.

3MWETORDRY ABRASIVE

NEW PRODUCTS

Kanye Vimba are the sole distributors of the American refinish giantSherwin-Williams. The ATX solvent borne range offers a completerange consisting of undercoats, basecoats, spot and overall clearcoatsthat meet and exceed all the latest VOC international requirements intheir medium and high solids formula’s.

They will be showcasing all the Sherwin-Williams cutting edgetechnology at the upcoming Automechanika trade show from 6 - 9 Mayat Nasrec, Johannesburg. For more information on dealer opportunitiescall Kanye Vimba on +27 (0)11 396 1161.

KANYE VIMBALAUNCH SHERWIN-WILLIAMS

This new silicone free protective gel from Autoglym has many uses in the final finish ofrepair. It can counteract the aging and blackening process seen on exterior plastics after longexposure to sunlight. It is also capable of removing water stains and traffic film, bringing backa new look to plastic trim parts. The process is easy to follow once plastic parts are detergentwashed.

Simply apply the gel with a tint cloth because the formula is silicone free. The problems ofpaint contamination in the spray painting stage are totally eliminated with this plasticconditioner.

For more details call Autoglym on +27 (0)11 908 5446.

AUTOGLYM SILICONE FREE PROFESSIONAL PLASTIC RECONDITIONER




Painting has become a piece of cake! The design of SATAjet 5000B hasbeen created by the experts at the Porsche Design Studio who have, togetherwith the specialists at SATA, translated pure functionality into creative form.Due to the optimised shape of the gun handle, the spray gun fits perfectly inthe palm of your hand.

In addition, the gun handle of the SATA high-performance spray gunsfeature a digital pressure display integrated in the gun handle. What ispressure Indication required for? To ensure best possible colour matching,you should follow exactly the parameters recommended by the respectivepaint manufacturer.

SATA’s quest for excellent ergonomics however has not only influencedthe development of the gun handle, but equally the design of spray fancontrol, material flow control as well as the air micrometer. Robust but stilllow in weight, this spray gun offers a perfect combination of ease ofapplication and durability.

The SATAjet 5000B is the ultimate choice in spray equipment –exclusively available from Bulldog Abrasives. Contact details:+27 (0)11 786 5991 or [email protected].

SATAJET 5000BERGONOMICS AT ITS FINEST

National and local government regulations are specificin their protection of municipal sewer and storm waterdrains against grease and oil pollution. Contaminatedwater must pass through a grease trap or the oil separatorbefore discharging into the sewer system. Make sure youcomply with these legislations to avoid fines and penalties.

Arrow Trading has a low-cost Grease Trap & OilSeparator system developed for the automotive industry,panelbeaters, service stations, garages, wash bays etc.

Go green, order your Grease Trap & Oil Separatortoday from Arrow Trading on +27 (0)11 793 1251 orvisit www.arrowtrading.co.za. Get a 10% discount whenyou order this system from them at the AutomechanikaShow.

ARROW TRADING AUTOMECHANIKA SHOW SPECIAL

VIRGIN PLASTICSDOUBLE SIDED TAPES

Virgin Plastics has high quality double-sided tapes. Guaranteed professional finish with no comebacks. There are 30 metre rolls in the popularsizes of 0.8mm width. Included in the range is the mirror white form tape 10m or 30m easy application onto number plates. The trim mask tapeis a dream product saving you time and money.

For more information or to order please call +27 (0)83 251 9442 or +27 (0)72 380 3020 or the office on +27 (0)11 616 2870, or emailthem on [email protected]


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

85

DENT PRO-PORTABLE DENT PULLER

Call us on 076 142 7263082 452 6631

www.panelprotech.co.za

SILICONE SPRAY - PROTECTION THAT’ S BUILT TO LAST

tel: +27 (0)860 772 652 l email: [email protected] l www.spanjaard.biz

Special Lubricants and Allied Chemical Products

A high quality silicone based lubricant spray foruse on all rubber, plastic and wooden surfaces.

It is safe and non-toxic.


To start off, the day was bliss as theBoss was driving along the historicMain Reef Road in his new BMW.He and his mate, tourist

Commander Kettle were touring historicgold mines that now more often than notlie in ruin as their owner’s transferred allthe wealth to the stock market in London,while everything else took a back seat.

Rumbling from Krugersdorp to Springstakes a bit of time and by now with all thecommemorative brass plaques removed tosome local scrap metal merchant thehistory was invisible to the eye. It would bewishful thinking to see Johannesburg’shistory maintained.

The two old codgers grumbled on andon as they moved through the derelictremains of 100 years of heritage, in anuncanny number of old mine shafts. Theyrummaged through the famous mines likeDurban Deep, Crown Mines, the cabbagepatch in Fordsburg and City Deep whichtook up most of the glorious Saturdayweather. By about four in the afternoonthe Boss got a real burst of imagination inhis over active life by wanting to take thenew BMW 5 Series right into the middle ofthe squatter camp at the end of VictoriaStreet in Germiston.

Why? Well he wanted to pop a fewpictures off on his expensive camera on

the plight of poverty-stricken squattersviewed against the other life of thesophisticated modern world, that being thenew car he was driving around in.

He said he knew a secret place smack inthe middle of a bunch of homeless andvagrant people. When they stopped thevehicle, instantly they knew that they hadn’texactly been invited in. Commander Kettlefeared the worst as a quiet but inquisitivebunch of locals gathered around thepristine 5 Series for a look-see.

As the quick photoshoot was underwaythe Boss really excelled himself by lockingthe keys in the boot and the car becamedeadlocked.

Both of them became visibly upset andperplexed at the developing situation ofevening looming in the dead centre of asquatter camp. Being dressed in short pantsand highly visible in the wrong place it wasall turning into a nightmare for the two oldmen.

With just one inch of sunroof open, aglimmer of hope was however in sightwhen out of the blue one of the young ladssaid they would go and get Amos to openit up. He was their local car thief and couldget anything open.

Stepping into the dark shack that Amoscalled home, the Boss made a plea for helpand Amos came out. Armed with wire and

other tools of the trade to do his thing hesaid he could take out the rear doorwindow but that it would work with thewire to unlock the door instead. That said,within 30 seconds the car was open andkeys retrieved from the boot. It took a R50note to smooth things out and the teamwere once again mobile and leaving behindthe prospect of a night in the squattercamp once and for all.

As they came to the edge of theinformal settlement a couple of cops wereon duty under a tall blue gum tree. Theystepped out and stopped the car. “Haveyou been in that mad house of a place?”the sergeant asked them both. “Well wewere perusing a photo opportunity,” saidthe Boss. The sergeant quickly replied,“You must be barking mad to go in theirwith a new car, we don’t go in there, ever.So you are lucky you didn’t get robbed,raped or short changed in anyway.”

Then Commander Kettle laughed outloud saying the locals had been mosthelpful and hospitable to them and helpedthem on their way as they were outtouring for the day. Continuing the tripwith Willie Nelson’s track of ‘On the RoadAgain’ the Boss turned to CommanderKettle and said with a touch of relief in hisvoice, “Yes, but only just.”



AFRICAN PANORAMA - A DUMB DAY OUT by Ian Groat


Telephone: +27 (0)83 604 2395

Emai l : [email protected]

Webs i te : www.3m.com

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Documents

Automotive Refinisher March-April 2015