Wheel servicing equipment manufacturer Hunter has launched the fourth generation of the Revolution tyre changer. The top of the range, fully automatic changer has been upgraded to suit the needs of high-volume tyre shops, according to the brand’s UK distributor Pro-Align.
Rema Tip Top Automotive UK is supporting investment into young apprentices via the donation of new Corghi tyre changer and wheel balancing machinery to Nottingham’s Remit Group. The NTDA Tyre Industry Award winning supplier of tyre repair materials and tyre service equipment has also provided a comprehensive tyre repair consumable, tools and equipment package in aid of the training centre’s Specialist Tyre Apprentice Programme.
Pro-Align is targeting workshops looking to grow their business in 2020 with a new offer designed to reduce equipment investment costs and lower the bar to improving service capabilities. The £9,999 Ultimate Starter Bundle includes three key workshop systems, offering a saving of almost £2,000 when compared with buying the pieces of equipment individually (which would cost £11,985). Included within the bundle are the Hunter TCX 52 tyre changer, the Hunter SmartWeight Pro wheel balancer and a Teknel Butterfly induction heater, making it an ideal package for those looking to enter tyre servicing, upgrade or replace existing equipment.
On 2 July Cemb S.p.A., the leading balancing machines and vibration analysis systems manufacturer, announced that it had acquired M&B Engineering, an important player in garage equipment production. Cemb reports that it is beginning “the internal production of tyre changers” as a result of the purchase. None of the financial details associated with the transaction have yet been revealed.
For garages looking to increase the number of revenue-generating tasks they can complete, the increased efficiency of their equipment is of paramount importance. Most directly, changing a tyre more quickly and safely means more customers can be served – and of course billed. But the latest changer from Hunter, distributed in the UK by Pro-Align, offers the chance to increase the additional tasks its operator can complete through increased automation of the process.
Hofmann Megaplan’s Smart X tyre changer has been approved by BMW for installation in its franchise dealerships. Hofmann Megaplan states that the automated machine’s approval by the German marque backs up its quality and simplicity, as the manufacturer’s preference for runflat tyres presents more difficult wheel assemblies on which to perform the change.
Since it became part of the US garage equipment supplier Integrated Supply Network’s ISN Europe division in late September 2017, UK distributor Tyre Bay Direct has added its newly related company Atlas Equipment’s range of garage equipment to its portfolio. The UK company was identified by the US giant, which operates from 13 locations across the USA and Canada, and exports to Central and South America, as “the ideal partner” to help launch its equipment range into the UK, it states.
Despite the fact that here in the UK and Ireland there is not a culture of changing from summer to winter tyres at the end of the season, tyre related problems do increase during the colder, wetter months. In order to help workshops to be ready to tackle these potential issues, TecAlliance has developed a tyre change checklist that provides optimal support and offers customers maximum transparency. Another important issue is the installation and configuration of tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), for which it now offers even more comprehensive information.
German equity investment company Stargate Capital GmbH has entered into an agreement to purchase the Beissbarth GmbH and Sicam Srl subsidiaries from Robert Bosch GmbH. The purchase price has not been disclosed, and the deal’s finalisation is subject to approval from antitrust authorities.
In 2017 Cemb has widened its mobile service dedicated range of products with a new semi-automatic tyre changer for cars, light commercial vehicles up to 24” and motorcycles (using the optional clamping kit). The SM624 is particularly suitable for mobile service thanks to the 12V power supply, and can be equipped with the patented pneumatic device UHP, which assists the operator during mounting and demounting of low-profile or runflat tyres.
Pro-Align’s recent distribution agreement with ADAS diagnostic and calibration tools supplier TEXA shows how garage equipment specialists are adapting to the rapid development of the connected car. Yet the staple equipment remains a vital part of the equation; greater accuracy in the tyre changing and wheel balancing processes can help ensure the full functionality of downstream systems. In addition, Pro-Align tells Tyres & Accessories that balancers and changers are often overlooked in terms of their potential for a workshop’s efficiency and profitability.
Pro-Align’s recent distribution agreement with ADAS diagnostic and calibration tools supplier TEXA shows how garage equipment specialists are adapting to the rapid development of the connected car. Yet the staple equipment remains a vital part of the equation; greater accuracy in the tyre changing and wheel balancing processes can help ensure the full functionality of downstream systems. In addition, Pro-Align tells Tyres & Accessories that balancers and changers are often overlooked in terms of their potential for a workshop’s efficiency and profitability.
Rema Tip Top Automotive UK’s fourth consecutive Aftermarket Equipment Supplier of the Year Tyre Industry Award was a testament to its “great working partnerships and mutual value added benefits and expertise,” according to group CEO Mark Insley. In its capital equipment portfolio, the company supplies Corghi garage equipment, including the brand’s latest Touchless line of wheel service equipment for all ranges of tyre changers, wheel balancers and wheel aligners, demonstrating such added value partnerships. Rema Tip Top states that Corghi’s latest products “guarantee extreme professionalism”, as they concentrate on the wheel alone without touching the rim and/or the tyre, depending on the product line, during any procedure.
GSF Car Parts reports sales so far in 2017 from the Garage Essentials workshop equipment tooling programme have reached record levels, citing several factors.
Delticom AG teamed up with Netherlands-based TechnoMarketing to exclusively present the Mobile Mech concept and its compact, ‘all-in-one’ Ecube tyre service unit. Delticom believes the Ecube is a “completely game-changing” advancement which provides businesses with more versatile solution to the roadside tyre sales.
Rema Tip Top