Products

Whilst we in the bus and coach industry are familiar with Eberspächer heating and ventilation systems, this is only one aspect of the company’s product ranges and only one of the markets they supply.

They are also responsible for the design and development of the major components that they use in their systems. These are developed in close collaboration with the parent German company but in many cases it is Eberspächer UK that designs the equipment and manufacturers it and supplies it to Europe and other parts of the world, as well as the UK.

Typical of the components produced at Ringwood is this evaporator unit

However, Eberspächer UK doesn’t simply produce a basic piece of equipment and sell it. Vince explains, ‘Yes, we produce a set of standard components, but that is only the start. We don’t simply pack them up in a box and send them off to the vehicle builder, that isn’t our way. We work closely with the vehicle manufacturer or converter to design bespoke systems for them.’ These use the Eberspächer UK range of components but each system is individually tailored to meet the exact requirement of the customer. The kit of parts they supply to one manufacturer to convert a Mercedes-Benz Vario for example, may on the face of it be the same as that supplied to another manufacturer – after all it is carrying out the same function – but it will in fact be very different. ‘We design the system so it is a complete package,’ says Vince. ‘Our aim is that the system should slot straight into the vehicle not needing any on-site modification or adjustment. That’s where our team of Customer Contact specialists are so vital. They work closely with our customers and our designers to achieve the perfect solution. You can’t buy that experience, it comes from building solid relationships founded on good design, good product, trust and honesty and I believe that is what Eberspächer UK is all about.’ Eberspächer UK also have teams that will install the systems for vehicle builders.

Eberspächer UK are always researching new products and are not averse to buying in products from other manufacturers where they don’t have it in their range, feel it will meet a specific need or where initial volumes are not high enough to make in-house manufacture viable.

Diavia started like that. Diavia is the well-known air conditioning system, produced by Delphi Automotive Systems for small vehicles, and marketed by Eberspächer UK for some years. It actually got rather misnamed because although everyone knows it as the Diavia system, components from that source only form a part of the Eberspächer air conditioning package. Eberspächer UK began selling air conditioning systems in 1990 and in 2000 became the UK distributor for Diavia. That came to an end in 2012 when Eberspächer UK decided to manufacture its own componentry rather than buy it in. I asked Vince why they came away from Diavia. ‘We’d been thinking of making our own parts for some time,’ he said, ‘primarily so we could have greater control and continuity of supply. When Delphi decided to put the Diavia business up for sale we looked at buying it, but decided against. We felt it would be better to produce our own components instead of buying them in so we bit the bullet and set up a separate manufacturing facility for the components and I am pleased to say it has proved highly successful, and we have no regrets. Certainly feed-back from the market place has been very positive.’

Another factor which played a part in the decision was the growth in the air conditioning business. In 2012 air conditioning reached the point where for the first time it represented 50% of the company’s turnover and it continues to grow. Kits are not only supplied to vehicle builders in UK and Ireland but also to Eberspächer’s European subsidiaries.