Spies Hecker products approved by Ford

Top quality and efficiency are all-important when repairing damaged paintwork. Only quick, efficiently performed and high-value refinishes make the grade in the long run. This is why the Ford is now extending its many years of successful cooperation with Spies Hecker.

What this means in detail is that, from now on, also the Ford dealers in over 30 countries in the regions of Eastern Europe, North Africa and in the Near and Middle East will have the choice of using Spies Hecker product systems for the repair of damaged vehicles. As a preferred partner, Spies Hecker will be supporting service workshops and dealers with practical training and individual consultations on specialized, technical and business management issues. The Ford partners will benefit particularly from personal service by Spies Hecker locally.

“We’re delighted that we can now build on our successful cooperation with Ford in Western Europe. We’re happy to take up the challenge,” stresses Spies Hecker Brand Manager Thomas Melzer. “Armed with our high-grade products and professional training, we’re convinced that we can help to optimize accident repairs on Ford vehicles.”

Solutions for Ford – at Spies Hecker this means all-round support for greater efficiency and quality.

Spies Hecker - Efficient and truck vans

Competent service and efficient products – the Permafleet product system offers painters of commercial and special-purpose vehicles cost-effective solutions for all conceivable needs. Buses, coaches, trucks, box bodies, construction vehicles and tank trucks – commercial vehicles come in all shapes and sizes, and how the paint finish has to perform varies accordingly.

Different substrates such as aluminium, steel and plastic and different applications call for special product properties: Elasticity, non-slip characteristics and resistance to wear, chemicals, climatic effects and mechanical stressing, to name but a few.“Permafleet is more than just a paint system,” says Arno Steyns, Spies Hecker commercial vehicle specialist. “In addition to the balanced paints designed optimally for large surfaces, we support our customers with technical solutions, practical working aids and an extensive range of accessories.”

Technical data sheets and system posters give a rapid guide to the purposes, mixing and application of the paint system and ensure greater process security in the workshop. Individual support.

The Permafleet products meet the highest quality standards, and can be used for anything from customized original paintwork and repairs through to multicolour finishes. They score with rapid throughput and brief vehicle immobilization and adapt flexibly to the needs of the bodyshop. Professional advice is accorded top priority.

Arno Steyns explains: “Together with the bodyshop, we devise special paint system recommendations and optimize work processes in order to boost efficiency during application. We want commercial vehicles to stay on the road. Time laid-up in the bodyshop is costly for the owner.”“The range of services is rounded off with specialized seminars and practical training.” Arno Steyns adds. This way the business is perfectly equipped for trucks and vans.Another benefit is the possibility of branching out into new lines of business.

The Permafleet commercial vehicle system is compatible with the Permaflex product system for industrial coating and permits the painting of virtually any substrate with an abundance of possible effects.

Standowin - Modular, easy-to-use, precise results

The latest Standowin update from Standox features new practical aids that give refinishers even more support in their search for the right color. Combined with Genius, the handy Standox photospectrometer, the software detects even the smallest deviations from the original color and immediately provides a corrected formulation for the repair.

A dedicated database stores formulations generated by Genius under the customer’s name or reference for easy retrieval in future. Also it is now possible to operate Standowin using a touch screen. Before direct access to the formulations required operators to enter details such as the vehicle maker, model and color code via the PC keyboard. The 2/2009 update comes complete with a second CD, which contains the latest Technical Data Sheets and Safety Data Sheets with up-to-date information on the Standox standard range. The data is available in over 20 languages and reflects the latest legislation.

Standowin is highly adaptable, offering innovative solutions for the best refinishing processes and providing assistance in organisation and administration. Thanks to the modular structure, the functions can be used individually, in part or in their entirety. Every bodyshop can install and use Standowin as required. More complex modules require activation by Standox. This activation is free of charge and comes complete with an introduction to the different modules and their possible uses.

PPG introduces Audioguard Acoustical Coating

PPG Commercial Coatings has introduced Audioguard®, a waterborne, spray-applied coating that provides vibration dampening and reduces vehicle noise. Recipient of the prestigious PACE Award for Supplier Product and Process Innovation, Audioguard offers commercial OEM body builders a superior solution for structural vibration and noise reduction in cabs, under hoods, inside wheel wells and on interior panels.

“Audioguard is made of a proprietary combination of laminar, fiber and resin that hardens into a tough coating material,” says Dave Chapman, marketing director, PPG Commercial Coatings. “Because it’s waterborne, it’s a zero-VOC product and a very ecologically sound way to address vehicle noise and vibration issues.”

According to Chapman, Audioguard is particularly suited for fire and emergency equipment applications, as it reduces siren and road noise and provides patients and EMTs with a lower-decibel interior environment. It is also effective in numerous other noise and vibration reduction applications. Audioguard can be applied by spraying onto exposed surfaces and into restricted areas by spray wands.

Audioguard features:

* Superior sound and vibration dampening
* One-component waterborne product
* A zero-VOC and non-HAP coating
* Air dry or heat curable
* Chip, crack and mar resistant
* Thermal insulating properties
* A high performance-to-price ratio
* OEM automotive approved
* Allows OEMs to meet passenger compartment noise abatement requirements

New edition of ISO/TS 16949 quality specification for automotive industry supply chain

ISO has just published a new edition of ISO/TS 16949:2009, which specifies quality system requirements for suppliers in the automotive sector.

ISO/TS 16949:2009, Quality management systems – Particular requirements for the application of ISO 9001:2008 for automotive production and relevant service part organizations, replaces the 2002 edition which has been used by the major automotive manufacturers to approve more than 35 000 organizations worldwide that produce and supply parts for the sector.

The review of ISO/TS 16949:2002 resulting in the 2009 edition was carried out by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) and ISO technical committee ISO/TC 176, Quality management and quality assurance. The generalized implementation of ISO/TS 16949 quality management systems by automotive suppliers is seen as an opportunity to improve quality while reducing costs.

ISO Secretary-General Rob Steele commented: "With the global nature of the automotive industry quality management systems based on ISO/TS 16949:2009 throughout the supply chain will serve to streamline operations, and thus help organizations cut costs while improving efficiency. The publication of ISO/TS 16949 will assist the sector and to reassure consumers and ensure significant benefits for automotive suppliers amid the challenges facing the industry."

The new document aims at the development of a quality management system that provides for continual improvement, emphasizing defect prevention and the reduction of variation and waste in the supply chain. Incorporating the requirements of ISO 9001:2008, ISO/TS 16949:2009 also includes detailed, sector-specific requirements for employee competence, awareness and training, design and development, production and service provision, control of monitoring and measuring devices, and measurement, analysis and improvement.

Joe Bransky, a member of the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) comments: “In today's lean manufacturing environment, huge contingency stocks of inventory have given way to just-in-time logistics and delivery. The foundation of certainty that ISO/TS 16949:2009 provides in terms of improved productivity, quality, and delivery in the supply-chain, is probably more essential than ever.”

The 2009 edition results from the amendment of ISO/TS 16949:2002 to ensure its compatibility with the requirements of ISO 9001:2008, Quality management systems – Requirements. There are no essential changes to the technical requirements. The modifications relate mainly to the management requirements in the document to reflect the content of ISO 9001:2008, and those that are intended to improve consistency with the environmental management system standard, ISO 14001:2004.

Up to the end of December 2008, at least 39,300 ISO/TS 16949:2002 certificates had been issued in 81 countries and economies. This represents a 12 % increase over 2007.

The IATF has set a transition period of 120 days from date of publication of the new edition – 15 June – for organizations to comply with the standard's requirements. The details of the plan are given in a communiqué by the IATF Oversight Certification Body (www.iatfglobaloversight.org).