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).

Subaru - hatchback

The Subaru Impreza hatchback didn't really grab me when it first came out - I still prefer the older sedan style.

However I've been seeing a couple of them on the roads recently and they seem to have something about them which is quite eye-catching .... and they're damn fast!

Dunno - let me know what you think of them?

Historical colour database for Porsche now complete

The world’s biggest colour library by Glasurit continues to grow. And yet it is not the present-day automobile colours used by manufacturers that are household names all over the world that the refinish paint manufacturer stores in its database. Glasurit also collects the original colours of cars belonging to long-forgotten times. This historical collection is of great interest to bodyshops and to classic car aficionados alike. A first announcement of success: with its comprehensive collection of Porsche colours covering the period from 1950 until today, Glasurit has now, for the first time, documented nearly 100% of a car manufacturer’s colours.

The Porsche chronology in Glasurit’s colour database starts in 1950 with the 356 model – the first model to have been mass-produced by this exclusive sports car manufacturer. Glasurit’s colour experts have determined the colours of all models that came onto the market after that. With enormously painstaking attention to detail more than 1,050 sports car colours have thus been compiled.

Adriablau (Adriatic Blue), Azurblau (Azure), Elfenbein (Ivory), Erdbeerrot (Strawberry Red), and Schwarz (Black) – these were the names of the Porsche 356 colours in those days. The exact hue behind the name is something experienced spraypainters can now find out in Glasurit’s database on the Internet. Here is stored the exact mixing formula for the colour in question – which thus makes it possible to mix the original colour using the Glasurit 90 Line waterborne paint system.

Of course, Glasurit is continuing with its work on the colour database by entering the latest Porsche colours and those of all other major manufacturers. But it is also continuing with its detective work in the field of historic colours, partly with the support of the car manufacturers and brand clubs. For the historical colour library is the centrepiece of Glasurit Classic Car Colors. With this Internet service Glasurit helps classic car aficionados all over the world to pursue their passion – the faithful restoration of vintage cars in keeping with the original models.

www.glasurit.com

Audi A3

The Audi A3 has been steadily growing on me as a hatchback. I reckon there are some very nice things that you can do to them to get eye-catching - "in-your-face design".... Almost tempted to get one.

Check out this pic from the Autostyle website of some of the things they are able to do with the newer shape Audi A3... Not bad at all.

Car styling and modifications

There are many different car styling modifications that you can make to a car. They are generally used to make it go faster, look better or both. This article is concerned with ideas that could make your car look better.

A lot of external car styling modifications try to make the outside of the car look smoother. The smoother lines then appeal to our sense of order and purity. To make the lines of your car more even, you may need to remove or cover up some of the design features of the original car.

Some of these original features are easy to change and can create an almost instant effect. One such case is where a moulded rubber bumper strip is fitted, that continues the bumper stripe theme, along the rest of the car. In most cases this is simply stuck onto the surface of the body and can easily be peeled away. If it is peeled away carefully there should be very little of the glue left on the body finish. Removing the bumper strip immediately cleans up the lines of your car. In a similar fashion some cars such as early Fiestas have plastic on the door pillars and round the quarter windows. Once again this can be carefully peeled away improving the image of the car.

A number of cars have grooves pressed into the metal panels of the body especially on the belt or waist line of the car. These are a hang over from when smaller metal panels had to be joined together in order to make a larger body panel. The join called a swage line was then hidden by creating the groove effect along the side of the car. These days door panels can be made using one piece of metal, and the swage line is really redundant. Despite this, it has become a recognised styling form in car design. Just take a look at all the cars that have them as you drive down the road! These swage lines may also be on the bonnet and boot as well. Swage lines disrupt the smooth lines of the car and as a result many people try to get rid of them. The usual way is to fill them in and then respray the panels. The filling can be done using standard car body filler. This can be reasonably successful but problems can occur if the panels end up being vibrated or flexed a lot. In this situation the filler may crack. In cars that have stiff suspension or on bonnets and tailgates that end up getting flexed a lot, filling with lead metal is a better alternative. Although this takes a lot longer to do the results are far better and the lead metal won’t crack or fall out. An alternative is to use a higher grade filler than the standard ones used in car repairs. Fillers from the aircraft industry have proved to be more durable than standard filler in this situation.

Another area where improvements can be made involves the locks and handles of the car. Removing the locks is the first stage. This leaves a hole which can be dealt with by welding a plate over it. The area then needs to be filled and smoothed over before painting. Doors are then opened by using an electronic key fob. These are fitted to modern cars anyway. The only problem arises if the battery goes flat and the electronic key fob fails to work. For this reason the tailgate lock is often left so that the vehicle can be entered if problems occur. Sometimes the tailgate has the lock removed and the other locks are left as standard. This is all personal choice and depends on the effect you want to achieve. The handles can also be removed and the holes filled and smoothed. In this case solenoids have to be fitted so that the doors are pushed open, as well as being unlocked, when the electronic key fob is activated.

The above ideas are really just a start when it comes to smoothing out the lines of your car. However, by doing these simple things you can create a style for yourself that is very pleasing to the eye

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This article is written by Tim Vincent. For further information on restyling, modifications and the car parts that are needed to do it, see the author's specialist web sites at http://www.fiestacarparts.co.uk http://www.cosworthcarparts.co.uk and http://www.subaruimprezacarparts.co.uk