Wheel Alignment With Camera Technology

While the mechanics of a Diesel engine have not changed that much over the years, the technology to ensure longevity, safety and durability of big trucks and buses has moved forward in leaps and bounds. David Lowery of David Lowery Diesel Repairs out of Emerald, decided he needed the best for his clients, so he turned to Levanta and JOSAM for the right solution.

Emerald might be a small town, but we love how David saw a big opportunity! Realising that wheel alignment was not a service offered anywhere in Emerald, David jumped at being the first and only Diesel Repair Workshop in the region to offer commercial, heavy vehicle wheel alignment services, utilising camera technology. 

His new JOSAM Cam-Aligner is designed specifically for commercial vehicles such as trucks, trailers and buses – all of which pass through his town on a regular basis. David can now service more clients quicker, resulting in greater productivity, which is flowing through to his bottom line. Nice one Dave!!

This compact wheel alignment system enables truck and bus workshops, as well as tyre service centres, to offer wheel alignment options quickly and accurately. 

Measurements such as; 

• Toe, Steering Box Position, Camber, Out of Square, Parallelism and Axle Offset 
• Caster, KPI, Toe Out On Turns and Max Turn 

are calculated using patented camera technology with the chassis center line of the vehicle as reference. 

Enabled by the unique rolling method, toe and camber measurements may be taken while the vehicle is in driving position. No lifting of the axles with run-out compensation is required, alternatively the system can also be operated with standard run-out procedure. 

Wireless technology is used for transmitting data between measuring units and the computer. 

The computer software guides the user through the measuring process and prints out measurement reports of values, before and after alignment.

If you want to add this revenue raising product to your client offerings, all you need to do is call Levanta today on 1300 577 541. 

We can coordinate an onsite free demonstration right in your workshop so you can experience the JOSAM Cam-Aligner first hand before you look at adding it to your service repertoire. One of our experienced consultants can guide you through every aspect to help you make your decision.  

Brake Safety ... It's Time To Stop and Thinki

Brake safety seems to be in the news a lot lately.  With several reports released inside the last 12 months outlining brakes as one of the key focus areas to prevent fatalities, brakes and brake maintenance is quickly becoming a feature on the agenda of industry leaders and regulators.

Ongoing brake maintenance should be a key priority for logistics managers, owners and service managers alike. With the safety of their assets, and the lives of their staff and the general public at stake, regular brake maintenance can help lower the instances of some of the leading causes of accidents.

Why Test Brakes?

Safety - To ensure vehicles are safe to use.

Legislation - It is becoming more of a regulatory focus to frequently test brakes.

Liability – Reduce the risk of legal action with accurate testing information.

Economy - Minimise vehicle downtime, reduce lining and component wear, and decrease tyre wear.

OH&S Fatigue Management - Provide a positive effect on driver fatigue management.

So what can you do? 

Be proactive -- preventative maintenance is critical. Having the right testing equipment means you can reduce tyre wear, improve vehicle safety, experience fewer brake related incidents, and retain auditable records to reduce your risk of liability.

Roller Brake Testers are widely considered as the most comprehensive testing system in the industry. Using this method produces the most consistent results across all axles and achieves greater safety. 

There are also a number of options to enhance the system including speedo checking, play detectors, emission testers, headlight aimers and noise meters. These accessories give this unit the added advantage of being able, in some cases, to form the basis of a complete vehicle test lane.  

If you want to ensure the safety of your fleet, call Levanta on 1300 577 541 and we can bring a set of Mobile Roller Brake Testers to your workshop! See for yourself the power and safety that these testing units can give your business and your fleet today. 

Value Balancing Act

Value is a word that gets bandied around a lot these days, now more so than ever within the present global economic environment. Businesses are searching for the best “value” in every purchase and quite rightly so. Value is a simple equation that includes two major components, the cost of the item and what you are getting for that cost. 

When it comes to important purchases such as vehicle hoists, there is a long term value as well as an immediate cost.  Saving a few hundred, and in some cases even thousands, on a hoist in the short term can have repercussions over the long term. 

While expensive will not always mean high-quality, extremely low priced hoists will almost always include cut corners, including no certification, thinner steel, limited or no engineering, and more, all of which leads to compromised safety, continual expenses for upkeep and increased downtime for your workshop. 

When considering your next 2 post hoist or 4 post hoist purchase, take a long term view of your asset as an investment, and calculate the ongoing running costs over the life of your hoist. These costs could include repairs, maintenance, replacement and even legal fees in the event of accidents as a direct result of poor quality. The numbers add up and suddenly what you thought was a cheap or “value” hoist is now a drain on your cash flow.

Your best bet is to make sure you get value for money on your next vehicle hoist purchase. Look for Australian Standards certifications, check the quality of the steel, confirm warranties and servicing agreements, and above all get true value for your hard earned money.  

If you're considering your next hoist purchase, why not give Levanta a call first. We have a huge range of Ranger and BendPak 2 Post Hoists, 4 Post Hoists, as well as LiftMax Mobile Column Lifts to suit any workshop requirement. 

Call 1300 577 541 and let one of our experienced team members help you choose the right hoist for the job! 

JOSAM and TruckCam Join Forces With Amazing Results

Late last year the Josam and TruckCam brands, worldwide specialists in heavy duty wheel alignment, joined forces to launch a new camera system to measure wheel angles.

Now working together, these dominant trademarks within the heavy duty alignment market, have developed a common division for commercial vehicles in the Car-O-Liner Group.

Introducing their brand new product at the 2014 Automechanika in Frankfurt, their new creation generated a lot of buzz and excitement from truck and bus workshops, as well as tyre service centres everywhere!

Launched under the Josam brand, the new heavy duty wheel alignment system is called JOSAM Cam-Aligner, and is a result of the best of both manufacturing worlds.

Some of the advanced new JOSAM cam-aligner features include:

• Camera technology with targets and sensors operating with the vehicle’s centre line as reference.
• A modular system that can measure all wheel angles in extensive configurations and align the ACC Adaptive Cruise Control of various vehicles. Furthermore, it can be combined with a frame check module to analyse chassis distortions and may also be used for quick diagnosis of the axle geometry.
• Roll the vehicle 180 degrees for automatic run-out, and measurements of toe and camber are taken in a matter of minutes. By adding two more wheel adapters, two axles can be measured simultaneously with 50% less operating time.
• Wireless technology for transmitting data between sensors and the PC-software. A new Graphic User Interface guides the operator through the measuring process and prints out reports of the wheel angle values before and after alignment. During adjustment, “live” values are shown on screen to determine proper alignment.

JOSAM cam-aligner handles wheel angles such as toe, steering box position, camber, out of square, parallelism and axle offset. For turning axle angles caster, KPI, Toe Out On Turns as well as max turn are measured. Everything is performed within the shortest possible time, including set up.

If this sounds like the perfect addition to your truck or bus workshop, or you are a tyre service centre looking to move up in the market, visit Levanta (Australia's exclusive distributor for Josam products) to find out more about this fantastic new product, or simply get on the phone and call one of our team on 1300 577 541.   

I’m Packing Up My Hoist And Going Home

Sounds ridiculous right?

Not so much if your workshop has mobile column lifts. You can literally pack them away when you're done, with a set fitting into approximately 2 pallet spaces. So not only do you get the power, you get the space you need in your workshop for everything else.

You may not have previously considered getting a set of mobile column lifts, but their adaptability, durability and operational ease can make them one of the most useful items in your workshop.

Unsure if mobile column hoists are right for your garage? Here are a few of their benefits…

Free up Your Work Bays

When running a busy workshop, space is paramount. Mobile column lifts are easily stored away so they don’t take up valuable work space when you’re not using them. And you’re able to set them up ANYWHERE, so you can turn your car park area or another empty space into a work bay if needed.

You can even add jack stands to support one vehicle, and then move the mobile column hoists over to raise another. It’s like having two pairs of lifts for the price of one!

Lift Heavy Vehicles of ANY Size

Of course, mobile column lifts are often used for trucks and buses. But what if you need to lift up a semi-trailer or an articulated bus? Or if you only want to lift a car or van? Just add or remove sets as you need to, and you’ll be prepared for anything.

Our cable-controlled mobile column lifts are synchronised to lift at exactly the same speed. The circuit connection makes it easy to add more lifts as you need them — so you can be sure ALL your mobile column lifts will work at the touch of one button.

Elevate to Perfect Heights

Working in the pit can be difficult and uncomfortable. Your staff members would prefer to be working above ground, where things are easier to reach and they aren’t in danger of inhaling the harmful gasses that can accumulate in a low-lying, enclosed area. With a set of mobile column hoists, it’s easy to elevate vehicles to the perfect height for maintenance.


Just a few reasons why you should choose the LiftMax mobile column lifts from Levanta…

• LiftMax lifts are engineered to be incredibly light and easy to manoeuvre. 
• They’re designed to be extremely compact — storing one set takes up less than two pallet spaces!
• Unlike some other brands of mobile column lift, the electrical components for LiftMax are available off the shelf from a range of electrical suppliers, so it’s easy to obtain spare parts.
• The high quality engineering of LiftMax even extends to the materials used for the main screw. Cold rolled screws have been chosen over lathe cut screws, resulting in superior durability and a greatly extended service life.

To find out more about our LiftMax mobile column lifts, call us today on 1300 557 541 or visit the Levanta website

Manufacturer under the Microscope – BendPak

BendPak was one of the first manufacturers to offer distribution exclusivity to Levanta, and we have a long and proud partnership with this global leader. Understanding from the beginning that we wanted to supply only the best quality products to our clients, we actively sourced a relationship with the lifting giant to bring their equipment to the Australian market.

Their story began back in 1965 with the launch of QMA (Quality Machine & Associates). The new business, wholly owned and operated by Don Henthorn, quickly gained a reputation as the premier manufacturer specialising in precision machine work and service. In 1979, QMA began development on an innovative product, a hydraulic tubing bender specifically for muffler shops, and BendPak was born. 

No other manufacturer in the industry has a more sophisticated and comprehensive research and quality control program. It would be safe to say that BendPak’s competition looks to them for inspiration and ingenuity in their own products, a point of pride with BendPak who often state, as Charles Caleb Colton once said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” 

BendPak has been building automotive service equipment the right way, the best way, with the best materials and components for longer than anyone else. From top to bottom, no lifting system has more quality, durability or longevity engineered into it than a BendPak. Their tradition at BendPak is to start with the very best to bring you the very best—and then give you even more. 

BendPak recognises the manufacturing process as a moment of maximum influence. When they ship a unit, they need to know that the product that left their manufacturing complex was the best it could be. That's why they demand nothing short of the very finest in facilities and machinery. In 2006 BendPak invested in a brand new 300,000 square foot facility designed for maximum efficiency and safety, where they employ the best steel fabrication techniques in the world.

In early 2010, Managing Automation Magazine honoured BendPak with the prestigious Progressive Manufacturing 100 Award, placing BendPak on the short list of innovative manufacturing companies alongside global giants like Cisco, Pepsi, Northrop Grumman, General Motors, Siemens, IBM and Xerox Corp. 

Their facilities grew with their product output when in 2011, after nearly three years of planning, they announced the commencement of construction on an all-new $65 million, mega-sized facility that now serves as a secondary manufacturing hub, which nearly doubled their current production capacity. The vast, 480,000 square-foot complex was built on a 15 acre plot of land, and it is one of three new factories that will help BendPak meet the increased demand for reasonably-priced, high-quality automotive equipment.

Today, BendPak is a global leader in the production of lifting systems, pipe-benders and air compressors with a commitment to be the best. Recognised as the benchmark in quality, the company has been pioneering technology, marketing and training programs, as well as operational and supply systems for over 45 years, continuing to go from strength to strength! 

If you are thinking of upgrading your workshop equipment, consider the best in the industry -- find out more about BendPak hoists to find the perfect lift for your workshop. 

It’s Time to Stop and Think

Safe Work recently released a new report entitled, “Work-Related Fatalities Involving Trucks, Australia, 2003-2013”, a core section of this report outlines key focus areas to prevent fatalities. Ensuring vehicles are braked properly appeared second from the top of this list, while ensuring that vehicles and equipment are maintained appropriately and correctly was listed fourth. Being the second published industry report highlighting these areas, brakes and brake maintenance is quickly becoming a feature on the agenda of industry leaders and regulators.

Regardless of legislation, ongoing brake maintenance should be a key priority for owners and service management alike. With the safety of their assets, and the lives of their staff and the general public at stake, regular brake maintenance can help lower the instances of some of the leading causes of accidents.

Scene of fatal truck crash in Adelaide - investigators suspect brake failure

According to the NTARC (National Truck Accident Research Centre) report titled “Major Accident Investigation Report” (2013), 25% of all accidents are caused by speed, 12.1% through fire losses and mechanical failure, with fatigue coming in third at 11.9%. Each of these top three causes are shining a light on contributory brake issues.

Amidst the many recommendations offered by the NTARC, of particular interest is their recommendation that brake maintenance be prioritised, citing that the consequences of poor maintenance and misuse can be fatal.

Many of these incidents, both fatal and non-fatal, can be attributed to braking issues. As total fleet sizes experience growth, major crashes are consistently mirroring their growth pattern. With two fatal truck accidents in as many months dominating the media, a greater focus on transport vehicle maintenance should be top of mind for anyone who runs or manages a fleet.

Why Test Brakes?

Safety

Put simply, we test brakes to ensure vehicles are safe to use. For drivers, for the general public and for the client’s product that is being transported.

Legislation

While each State has their own regulations in place, it is becoming more of a National focus from a regulatory point of view to frequently test brakes.

Liability

Regular brake testing allows the operator to keep an auditable record of testing. In the event of a vehicle being involved in an accident, the risk of legal action can be reduced if accurate testing information is readily available.

Economy

Regular testing can minimise vehicle downtime in the workshop, reduce brake lining and component wear, and can assist in decreasing tyre wear -- saving businesses time and money.

OH&S Fatigue Management

As part of the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) minimising driver fatigue is a critical component. By regularly testing you can provide a smoother ride for operators, resulting in a positive effect on driver fatigue management.

So what can organisations do? Preventative maintenance is critical. Having the right testing equipment means you can reduce tyre wear, improve vehicle safety, experience fewer brake related incidents, and retain auditable records to reduce your risk of liability.

What is the Right Choice in Brake Testing Equipment?

Roller Brake Testers are widely considered as the most comprehensive testing system in the industry. Using this method produces the most consistent results across all axles. You can test one wheel at a time, review efficiency of service, and test parking and emergency brakes.

In-Ground Roller Brake Testing Unit

Greater safety is achieved with this style of testing with the single operator system allowing control on some systems direct from the vehicle cab via remote control. There are also a number of options to enhance the system including speedo checking, play detectors, emission testers, headlight aimers and noise meters. These accessories give this unit the added advantage of being able, in some cases, to form the basis of a complete vehicle test lane.

With Levanta, you receive the following as standard:

ü  The ability to form a full test lane and integrate with other systems,

ü  The only two year unconditional warranty on the market,

ü  The innovative ‘remote hands’ feature so we can remotely assist your staff,

ü  Detailed test functions and results from the remote PDA application,

ü  A labour saving single operator system,

ü  Pre-loaded job queuing for increased productivity and work flow, plus

ü  Reliable 24/7 support from our manufacturer trained technicians.

Receiving national and international recognition for excellence, you can be confident that with Levanta you have made the right decision for your organisations safety and maintenance needs.

Make the right choice for your business, your staff, and your clients. Choose a Roller Brake Tester from Levanta.