Commercial Vehicle Show 2015 – Products and Services

As well as the usual displays of minibuses, one of the other draws to the Commercial Vehicle Show are the stands of exhibitors showing products and services relevant to the bus and coach market. There were certainly plenty there and Chris Peat reports on some of them.

Garage, workshop and repair

Bradbury Equipment was holding a special show offer, providing a two year warranty and free installation frame with every one of its commercial brake tester provided.

Promoting its portable electronic brake testers, onboard weighing systems, in-vehicle PCs, reversing cameras, in-vehicle CCTV and vehicle management systems was Bowmonk.

Checkpoint was exhibiting its range of loose wheel nut indicators with its newest product, the Trucklock, on display. This is a wheel anti-theft locking nut and key. Each key can be encrypted individually or alike for fleet needs. One nut per wheel should deter or stop wheel and tyre theft.

Lead acid battery charger supplier, CTEK, had a charging solution for buses and coaches on show. The product is designed to ensure equal charging of both 12v batteries in a 24v set up. The company has found that in a high proportion of cases, battery sets were not balanced, which results in the needless replacement of batteries that are in good working order. As well as the battery charging units themselves, the company was also promoting its full battery management solution, with the various processes and solutions it can put in place to improve efficiency and decrease the amount of batteries being replaced.

Dawsonrentals’ stand was eye-catching in its sheer size. Displayed was its new portable auto centre. Designed to be a compact automotive repair and painting centre, it can fit a Mercedes-Sprinter sized minibus inside. Approximately 4m in height and 10m long, it does not require any planning permission to erect. It can also be extended outwards if required. It includes a reception area, a three-tonne scissor lift, a three stage filtration system, an extraction system, climate control, daylight LED lighting throughout, an infrared rail mounted curing platform, spray gun cleaning facilities, a spray and curing booth, CCTV, lockers, storage space and anti-static flooring. Options are available for either purchasing outright or renting the unit.

ATF lane equipment and other workshop products were displayed by Gemco. Heavy lifting machines, lubrication, pipework and other workshop furniture can all be provided.

The Smart ONE AdBlue storage, dispensing and management unit was displayed by GreenChem. This is designed for smaller to medium sized fleets and once AdBlue levels reach a certain level, an automatic alert will be sent out to schedule a refuelling. With an inner tank capacity of 2,900-litres, it is available to buy or rent.

Greenox was displaying its AdBlue solutions, including its storage and dispensing facilities.

Maha UK Ltd was presenting its range of roller brake testers, play detectors, headlamp testers and inspection pits as well as ATL equipment suitable for testing larger vehicles.

Heavy duty column lifts were displayed by Maxima. The products are wireless and have adjustable wheel support to accommodate various wheels. They have an LCD screen that shows the exact lifting height and come with two years unlimited warranty. Hydraulically powered, they have a lifting capacity of 12,000lbs per column. For safety, they have an automatic stop function when the highest point is reached.

JHM Butt was showing the latest wireless mobile column lifts from Ravaglioli.

National Windscreens was promoting its fleet glass repair and replacement service. It claims to have the UK’s largest fitting centre network and can cover all PCV needs, providing full European coverage.

One of the newest products on Parma’s stand was the Zafety Lug Lock, a wheel nut securement system engineered to reduce the risk of wheel loss. The plastic device pushes into two adjacent wheel nuts, creating a resistance and as such minimising their ability to come loose.

New on Premier Pits’ stand was the ASP System sliding cover. Shown on a demonstration pit, the covering can be equipped with either a manual or pneumatic air motor. According to the marketing material, installing it takes a few hours and requires no building works. The solution’s extruded aluminium is anodized to ensure quality and durability.

Billed as a ‘quantum leap’ in tyre management, RL Automotive’s TAC-Scan laser tyre scanner allows tyre treads to be measured without technicians having to get down on their knees. The device is slid underneath the vehicle and the tool uses a laser to measure the tread condition. A display on top of the unit allows the user to see the silhouette of the tread and inspect how worn it is. It keeps an auditable record of the readings. A digital USB pressure probe can also be attached for tyre pressure readings.

New from StertilKoni was its DiamondLift. The in-ground telescopic piston lift has ultrasonic sensors to provide real time synchronisation for safety. The locking arms are made from strong hardened, nitro carbonised steel. The lift has been designed to be easy to use and maintain. Instead of using traditional rollers, the DiamondLift travels on plyethylene slides atop a stainless steel guide. It has a DiamondGuard coating, which provides a barrier protection against hazardous workshop fluids and prevents soil contamination.

SomersTotalKare used the show to make people aware of the fact it has changed its name to TotalKare, reflecting the fact that the Halesowen firm now delivers much more than column lifts. Despite the new moniker, there will be no there will be no changes to the day-to-day running of the business.

TotalKare MD, Tim Jackson, said, ‘The Somers name is synonymous with the highest quality mobile vehicle lifts, but over the past few years the business has diversified to offer a much more comprehensive package of vehicle lifting solutions. Whilst we will continue to supply our acclaimed cable free and cabled lifts, our product range now includes fixed post lifts, lifts for forklifts and a wide range of ancillary products. We have also seen massive demand for our service and maintenance packages, which cover lifts from numerous manufacturers, and this represents one of the fastest growing parts of the business.’

Displaying some of its test workshop and ATF equipment was VL Test Systems.

One of WashTec’s products most suited to the bus and coach market is the SoftWash, which features brush pressure control. It incorporates full gull wing mirror avoidance and is fully automatic to vehicle shape and size. Additional products and services are available to provide a full turnkey installation.

Among Wilcomatic’s heavy duty vehicle washing systems for bus and coach applications, is the C5000 Magnum. Designed to cause far less damage than drive through models, this two brush system includes roof jets and a wing mirror avoidance system. A high pressure washer washes only the wheels. Also promoted were its sister companies: Working Water, Wickham Gensol and the newly acquired Archway TCS.

Parts and accessories

AutoSock, a wheel covering for better traction in wintery weather, is constructed from a material specially designed for the purpose. Intended to be easier to fit than snow chains and less expensive, it comes in a variety of sizes, suiting all PCVs.

New on Capital Seating’s stand was KAB’s GSX-3000 range of driver seats. The standard model is the Base variant, whilst the comfort design is available in either left hand or right hand drive and the Partner is available in grey fabric and moquette. Features include air suspension, integral height adjustment, an adjustable shock absorber, lumbar support, seat angle adjustment, seat heating and integral neck support.

A new seat displayed by Cogent Passenger Seating was the Hawk. Major developments to its site in Swansea at the moment, will improve efficiency.

Air conditioning and climate control products, Airtronic and Hydronic were displayed by Eberspacher. It also showed its diesel fuelled air and water heaters, suitable for minibus and midibus applications.

Flettner’s roof ventilation equipment includes the Flettner 2000, which is designed to combat excess heat, condensation and odours as well as for durability and the ability to endure all elements.

LED Autolamps showed a wide range of lighting solutions for CVs, including rear function lamps, marker and number plate lights and work lamps.

Mirrors were displayed by Mekra Lang, including a few examples for coaches. Its bus products can be heated and come with the option of being either manually or electrically folded. For coaches, it has wide angle, crossview and close proximity mirrors available.

An interesting solution for achieving better traction in wintery conditions was shown by OnSpot. When activated a snow chain system is lowered and the chains will be positioned underneath the driving wheels to improve friction.

Various seats were displayed by Scot Seat. The manufacturer provides seating suitable for minibus and minicoach applications, with M1, M2 and M3 tested variants available.

Spal Automotive was showing its range of electric fans and blowers.

Technology and equipment

Alpine’s dashboard mounted media unit is ideal for use on Mercedes-Benz minibus size vehicles. The X800D-V features a 20cm high resolution touch screen, video and audio playback and a DAB digital radio. It has in-built Bluetooth technology and satellite navigation.

DPF cleaning solutions from Ceramex include the Xpurge, a system designed to restore filters to an as good as new condition. It uses automated equipment for rapid processing and to achieve what it describes as ‘excellent first pass’ cleaning results. The company claims this device can remove up to 30% more than conventional methods. The business also has available its Veritex inspection technology, which can be used to verify the condition of the filters after cleaning.

Credit Card Keys showed its Smartbox, a key management system. The solution can be easily scaled and is suitable for all size fleets. Keys are kept in a locker that can be managed by a single or multiple administrators. One or several keys can be attached together with what was described as an intelligent key control peg. This is placed in a key strip that indicates if it is accessible to the user.

Telling visitors about their windscreen repair equipment was Esprit Windscreen Systems. Representatives from the company were also on hand to provide information on its training offerings.

As well as a simulated racing car driver unit, Intelligent Telematics was also showing its IT1000 3G vehicle camera and tracking solution. The camera can be fitted to any vehicle, offering video footage and telemetry data over the mobile phone network. It includes VTS Software to display telematics data, including GPS, speed and G-Force measurement.

BatteryGuard systems were exhibited by Intellitec. The devices ensure a vehicle has power enough to start the engine in the event a battery is run down.

With an ideal stand location by one of the food courts, representatives from Merridale were on hand to discuss fuel management needs. One of the products on display was the Audotor GS Dual Hose, a heavy duty diesel pump with integral fuel management system. Designed for mixed fleets, it is designed to have a long life (ten years) and is bio-diesel compatible. It can be linked to Merridale FuelSite, FuelWorks or FuelFX fuel management software.

A complete collision avoidance system was shown by Mobileye. The company provides products designed to help avoid collisions with pedestrians and cyclists, as well as devices that warn when a vehicle is getting too close to the rear of another in front and one that warns if the driver is about to collide with it. The warnings can be either audible or vibrations.

Verilocation was presenting its driver dashboard, which features two-way messaging, job allocation, satellite navigation, driver performance feedback, tachograph updates and vehicle checks.

The CV Show provided a launch platform for MiX Telematics, which released MiX Vision, MiX 3D and My MiX. MiX Vision is a road facing and driver facing camera. Located within the vehicle, and configurable to be triggered by a wide range of events, it simultaneously captures high quality images of the road ahead and inside the driving compartment. To facilitate night time recordings, the driver-facing camera records infra-red light. The system also includes a microphone. Whenever an event is triggered, the eight seconds of video prior to the event and seven seconds after it are uploaded to the MiX Fleet Manager software.

MiX Telematics also launched MiX 3D, a remote digital tachograph data download service, designed not only to ensure compliance but also provide a highly convenient solution to this time-consuming and laborious task. Offered as an add-on to MiX Fleet Manager, it remotely captures data from the digital tachograph unit and the driver’s tachograph card and is compatible with both Stoneridge and VDO Continental tachograph units. My MiX was launched too, a portal for drivers to access their own performance data and see how they are performing against site averages for key statistics. All three of these releases are compatible with MiX’s Fleet Manager package.

Road Tech was, as usual, at the show demonstrating its suite of software solutions for fleet management, including Falcon Tracking, Checkmaster licence checking and the Tachomaster tachograph system. New was a refreshed branding, complete with a nicely restyled logo and marketing material.

Stoneridge has been keeping on top of the latest in technological developments, presenting wearable technology. It has the DuoWatch, a watch for drivers that presents their work time, helping them keep track of their drivers’ hours, which are displayed in real time. It shows countdowns to the driver’s next rest time. The company was also delivering the message that there are 60% fewer infringements with its SE5000 Exakt Duo2 tachograph. The unit makes use of the One Minute Rule, meaning only the longest continuous activity in a single minute is logged as the activity during that minute. It features Working Time Directive calculations, ensuring drivers know exactly how long they have been working for.

Making visitors aware of its fleet compliance equipment was Tachodisc. Its equipment includes the Digifob 3, which displays data from the driver card. The user can scroll through the data, which is displayed in chronological order. It provides a range of tachograph equipment.

The latest edition of Tacho-Sys’s Digifobpro was launched at the show. This mobile analyser of driver cards and vehicle units contains an EU rules engine and will download driver cards and analyse the data on the spot, highlighting any infringements and summarising data.

Displayed by Trailer Vision, the Omni-Vue 360degrees look down camera system consists of an electronic control unit (ECU), four 185degree cameras and a digital video recorder (DVR). The cameras are located around the outside of the vehicle and their images are stitched together and displayed on an onboard monitor, providing a 360degree view around the vehicle.

Not only did Unwin Safety Systems display its range of wheelchair restraint equipment, it also showed its lifts and ramps now available through a joint venture with Autoadapt. Also shown were Revar public transport door systems, including in-swing, sliding and emergency doors. This range includes specially designed units for Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, Peugeot Boxers, Citroen Relays and Fiat Ducatos.

Vision Techniques has the VT TurnAlarm, a device designed to prevent collisions with pedestrians and cyclists by using speakers and LEDs mounted on the blind spot in an effort to get the attention of cyclists, specifically when the driver is turning left. The company has its TurnSign system, a light up sign warning cyclists when the vehicle turns. It also has the TurnCamera, providing video images of a blind spot when a driver turns.

As well as its range of heating and air conditioning systems, Webasto displayed its new control panels. The SmartControl is simple to use, compact and easy to install, featuring an ambient temperature display to help when adjusting temperature. The MultiControl provides a preset timer for parking heaters. It allows up to three start times per day for a heater.

Information about EconoSpeed Connect was supplied by Zeta Automotive. The speed limiting device automatically adjusts acceleration for optimum engine performance. It benefits from remote connectivity, meaning its software can be updated with no vehicle downtime and it can be used to produce reports for analysis and management. It should reduce emissions and fuel costs for fleets.

Tyres

Amongst Aeolus Tyres’ range of products was a bus tyre in its urban range, the AGB20. A representative of the company claimed there was a product for all applications.

A ‘Little Gold Book’ was launched at the show by tyre and vehicle maintenance specialist, ATS Euromaster, for its 50th anniversary. The publication is a guidebook for fleet managers filled with information on how to improve cost control, uptime and productivity.

Bridgestone used the show to state the case for what it describes as its ‘premium position’. It vouched for the virtues of a premium product over budget brands and its ‘cradle to grave’ tyre supply partnerships. I was shown the Bridgestone U-AP 001 all position tyre from the manufacturer’s Urban range. This has been designed to provide low cost per km and high safety throughout the tyre’s life. It has thick sidewall protection to minimise damage from kerbs.

Continental showcased the ContiPressureCheck tyre pressure monitoring system. The system has integrated sensors, a data processor and communication system all housed in a rubber container that is glued to the inner surface of the tyre tread. It has now been made possible for tyre information from it to be linked in with onboard telematics systems. The first partner to launch ContiPressureCheck integration in the UK is Verilocation. The full tyre range was also shown.

With a new display stand was Giti Tire, which launched its GDR638 drive axle tyre designed for medium buses and trucks. One model on its stand that I was shown in particular was the GAU861 urban bus tyre. This has been designed for driving in urban conditions with frequent stops and changes in speed and direction. It features extra reinforced side wall protection to protect against curbing, as well as an extra deep tread pattern of 20.5mm. It is M+S and snowflake marked.

Michelin used the show to launch new sizes in its X Multi range of 17.5” and 19.5” tyres for 7.5 to 16 tonne midicoaches. The company says they are safer, more fuel efficient, quieter and longer lasting than the ten year old Michelin XDE2s they replace. Testing of the tyre against four premium competitor brands rated either B or C for wet grip under European tyre labelling legislation found an average 13m difference in wet braking between a vehicle shod with Michelin X Multi Z and X Multi D tyres and the other four tested products.

Michelin solutions, a separate company from Michelin, was making visitors aware of its new ‘Pence Per Kilometre’ (PPK) tyre management contract, which offers customers a contractual fuel saving commitment called Effifuel. It involves a dedicated team that indentifies and implements key actions to save fuel, the use of telematics, tyre management and eco-driving training with weekly and quarterly reports. The offering is part of the business’s Effitires tyre management scheme. The move is expected to see the company become the first provider to contractually commit to fuel savings on its tyre management contracts.

TD Tyres presented an eye catching stand. The team were on hand to talk to visitors on its tyre supply solutions. The company aims to provide a one stop shop for tyres, consumables, breakdown service and wheels. The emphasis is on providing a personal service, with next day delivery. Amongst the many tyre brands it can provide are Falken, UniRoyal, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Michelin and more. Steel wheels and ‘tyre first aid’ can also be supplied. I was also told there would be an exciting announcement coming up.

Miscellaneous

On Energenic’s stand, the focus was on its DPF Assist product, a fuel treatment to guard against blockages in DPFs, as well as its standard Envirox product, designed to improve fuel consumption.

Invergold now offers help to achieve ISO 39001 Road Traffic Safety Management compliance. As well as lowering premiums, going through the process to achieve the rating may also help identify further efficiencies that could be put in place. It involves requirements for safety aspects including speed, vehicle condition and driver awareness to help improve road safety management.

LicenceCheck were making visitors aware of the affect changes to the drivers’ licensing system would have on their operations. The removal of the paper element of the licence will make DVLA the only source of data against which to check an individual’s entitlement to drive. Live data from the DVLA database is used to verify driving licence information.

Four new online sales channels were launched by automotive auctioneers, Manheim. The business conducted three online auctions during the show.

A Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) was promoted by Millbrook, which is an ‘outdoor laboratory’ designed to measure emissions throughout its test track. It was also promoting its Millbrook London Transport Bus (MLTB) drive cycle, which it is using to help improve air quality in the capital’s bus network.

Transport training specialists from Novadata explained to visitors how it can help fleets better comply with legislation and run a more efficient operation.

Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA) had a stand making people aware of its scheme to promote the fitment of OE equipment on fleets. The organisation was demonstrating the difference between OE quality and non-OE quality.