Here are some of the products introduced at AAPEX, Nov. 2-4, in Las Vegas.
New auto-shop products introduced at AAPEX
ZF Aftermarket has launched its first aftermarket brake pad line for electric and hybrid vehicles, which won the Best New Hard Part award at the AAPEX New Product Showcase in Las Vegas.
The TRW Electric Blue for the U.S. market promises reduced noise and vibration, as well as reduced dust and emissions.
"We see the world evolving as a collective toward environmental consciousness – which is why we adapt," Mark Cali, head of ZF Aftermarket, IAM, U.S. and Canada, said.
"Our product quality, safety and expertise apply to this first-of-its-kind product line and will continue to exceed market expectations. The TRW Electric Blue Brake Pad is just part of another automotive revolution for our industry, and the recognition received as the Best New Hard Part at this year's AAPEX supports that direction."
ZF said the increasing demand for electric vehicles in the market is what drove the development of the Electric Blue brake pad line with 79 SKUs, covering 37 vehicle applications.
Electric Blue can be fitted on most electric/hybrid vehicles in the U.S., the company said.
Electric Blue's design exceeds OE specification of noise, volume and harshness, reaching an approval scoring of over 9/10, the company said.
The TRW Electric Blue brake pad is made to match OE products and to provide like-new braking.
The pad formulations are designed to produce less NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) compared to standard material, generate less noise, and protect the environment by emitting less dust and metals in the atmosphere, ZF claimed.
The brake pads are supplied with the necessary hardware and shim technology which follows OE configuration, including decoupling, textured, smooth/multi-layered and double-adhesive technologies to support the pads noise-dampening properties, ZF said.
Purolator Filters, a division of Mann+Hummel USA Inc., has launched PurolatorPRO, a mobile catalog app available for both iOS and Android users.
The app allows professional installers, technicians, service writers, and shop managers to access the newest cataloging information for all Purolator filters.
The app includes a fully integrated VIN decoder search option by taking a picture of the vehicle VIN with a phone. Additional features include cross-reference details, competitive interchange data and installation instruction sheets and videos.
The PurolatorPRO app provides access to the entire Purolator product portfolio, enabling professionals to view product availability and offering upsell opportunities, the company said.
Users can search for Purolator filters for passenger cars and light trucks, motorcycles, UTVs and ATVs, and commonly used vehicles can be added to a customized favorites list.
Denso Products and Services Americas Inc., an affiliate of Denso Corp., will launch an iOS interface to its VehicleMRI electronic inspection mobile app next spring.
VehicleMRI is currently available for Android smartphones and tablets with the mobile app available to download from the Google Play Store.
"We listened to technicians all over the country and realized that there is a huge contingent of iOS users and, by developing an iOS mobile app, it now gives us the opportunity to serve basically anyone with a smartphone," Frank Choi, business development manager, connected services department, said.
"The user experience will be very similar to the Android version with just a few differences native to iOS. The technicians have spoken and we have listened."
VehicleMRI standardizes the internal electronics inspection and provides predictive analytics, allowing technicians to quickly run up to 700 tests and produce a complete report that uncovers underperforming systems, saving mechanics and their customers time and money, Denso said.
Mann+Hummel will introduce a re-engineered line of WIX ProTec filters in first quarter 2022.
The new WIX ProTec oil filter features improved filtration media to allow for up to 10,000 miles of premium engine protection, the company said.
The WIX ProTec brand has been extended to now include air and cabin air filters, as well. Additionally, the entire line features newly designed packaging with the installer in mind, the company said.
The WIX ProTec oil filter provides up to 96% containment-trapping capabilities for passenger vehicles and light trucks. This elevated design allows for an extended period between oil changes, as the previous version provided engine protection for just 3,000-5,000 miles.
WIX ProTec air filters offer high-performing protection and are available for nearly every car and light truck on the road today, the company said. The filters help prevent foreign particles, such as soot, carbon and abrasives, from entering the fuel mix and damaging an engine.
WIX ProTec cabin air filters capture airborne contaminants, while also preventing leaves, dirt, bugs and other debris from negatively impacting the operation of the HVAC systems heater, air conditioner, and defroster, the company said.
WIX has facilities in seven different countries and manufactures more than 210 million filters annually.
S.U.R.&R., the vehicle fluid line repair division of Husky Corp., is offering a new universal clamping tool to help mechanics and vehicle service professionals working within difficult-to-reach spaces.
The CP720 Dual Jaw 360° Seal Clamp Pliers can be used for numerous applications including fuel, air conditioning, transmission and coolant lines.
Key features include a dual jaw which allows for crimping straight on or from the side and a slim head for use in tight spaces.
Measuring about 9 inches in length, the CP720 works with either single or double-ear seal clamps, which produce tight, consistent seals around the entire hose circumference (360°) and reduce the potential for leaking or damage to the hose, the company said.
ZF Aftermarket is adding three brake fluids to its TRW friction product line.
The TRW Brake Fluid will be available in Dot 3, Dot 4 and Dot 5.1 formulations and will be available in three sizes: 12 oz., quarts and gallons.
TRW Brake Fluids provide a long-lasting life and optimum braking performance with its blend of advanced lubricants, stabilizers, antioxidants and corrosion inhibitors, the company said, adding that the formula helps minimize wear, maximize performance and ensures brakes work in all temperatures, as well as helps prevent water contamination and debris corrosion in master cylinder rubber parts.
The Dot 3 brake fluid is designed for vehicles with drum brakes in the front and rear, as well as hydraulic clutch systems.
Dot 4 brake fluid is crafted for vehicles with disc brakes on the front and drum brakes on the rear and is best suited to vehicles with disc brakes all around, the company said.
This brake fluid is the best choice for catering to a wide selection of vehicles, the company said.
Dot 5.1 brake fluid is formulated for heavy, high-performance vehicles, providing an extra level of safety when coping with ambient temperatures ranging from -58 degrees F up to +122 degrees F, the company said.
Epicor Software Corp. has expanded its automotive Industry Data Analytics portfolio to include SideKick360, a web-based reporting platform that helps tire dealers and automotive service businesses generate increased revenue from each service opportunity.
Epicor said it is now the exclusive provider of the SideKick360 solution within the automotive aftermarket.
SideKick360 comprises five core applications that provide on-demand reporting and operations tools designed to help service writers identify and quote recommended maintenance jobs based on shop-defined service schedules.
SideKick360 provides maintenance recommendations based on vehicle service history and displays service history data by task, eliminating the need to review previous invoices, Epicor said, noting the solution's Invoice Detail tool analyzes each new invoice to help ensure all parts and labor charges are properly listed and billed.
In addition, SideKick360 provides in-depth "missed opportunity" reporting to compare services recommended by the solution to those actually sold and performed.
"SideKick360 is a powerful solution that helps users approach each service opportunity in a very strategic manner, leading to a more proactive and efficient experience for the service writer and the consumer," Tim Hardin, Epicor's senior vice president and general manager, automotive, said.
"By extending this capability into the tire channel, we will also help independent dealers and chains tap into supplier marketing programs and promotions and gain invaluable access to service-level data that can drive better, faster decisions about which parts, tires and other items they need to carry in each location."
Epicor aftermarket Industry Data Analytics offer visibility to more than 1 billion product transactions and nearly 140 million vehicle repair events per year, the company said.
In addition, the company's cloud data pools track current availability and historical performance of inventory items representing virtually all popular brands and product categories.
Epicor Software Corp. has introduced two industry data analytics solutions for automotive replacement parts distributors and service chains.
Epicor Predictive Maintenance Assistant (PMA) and Epicor Predictive Inventory Assistant (PIA) are designed to help users increase sales, profitability and customer loyalty by enabling service levels and operational efficiency, the company said.
The Epicor PMA solution features AI technologies that help service providers predict upcoming maintenance and repair opportunities.
"Every aftermarket business faces the daily challenge of demonstrating its unique value to their customers, whether service providers or consumers," Tim Hardin, senior vice president and general manager of automotive at Epicor, said.
"The Epicor Predictive Maintenance Assistant can help make service chains a more essential part of their customers' lives by identifying future issues that could affect the reliability and safety of their vehicles.
"This is the next step beyond conventional diagnostics. We're not simply responding to problems that have already occurred but helping customers understand what could happen down the road.
"This represents an extremely attractive new value proposition for our industry."
The Epicor PIA leverages three Epicor technologies – an AI-driven Automated Decision-Making Assistant, Inventory Management Tool and Epicor Vista Parts Replacement Rates – to continuously generate recommendations for optimizing inventories at each user location based on product demand and a variety of business-defined rules, Epicor said.
This capability can help distributors improve their competitive position and inventory efficiency by addressing new service trends and other changes taking place within their local markets.
The solution also includes AI-driven forecasting of brand and part by vehicle.
"It has become almost impossible for distributors and service providers to keep pace with the rapidly evolving universe of parts and service needs represented in today's car parc," Mr. Hardin said.
"Our Predictive Inventory Assistant enables these businesses to protect their single largest asset, their inventories, through an ever-vigilant virtual product manager that monitors and responds to changes in market behavior."
Snap-on Inc. has issued an new software release for diagnostic platforms covering general and collision repair for Asian, domestic and European vehicles.
In addition to new coverage and features, the software also delivers exclusive expert information enhancements plus everything from previous releases, the company said.
"Our information and research show us how and when specific vehicles' systems age and fail. We put that knowledge into every software upgrade," Dave Ellingen, president of Snap-on Diagnostics, said.
New coverage highlights include:
• 2021 automotive model year updates;
• addition of the Genesis make with G70, G80, G90, GV70, GV80 models;
• new models, system additions and more for Alfa Romeo, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Jeep, Honda, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, RAM, Toyota and Volvo; and
• Harley-Davidson BCM replacement and key fobs programming for all 2002-2020 models.
New features and enhancements include:
• searching for Snap-on Cloud records with automatic license plate tagging when uploading vehicle system and ADAS recalibration reports;
• enhanced PID list feature for Triton, Apollo and Modis series products allow technicians to save double the number of custom PID lists and store up to 100 different PID lists, allowing techs to revert to previous settings, the company said;
• faster access to hundreds of on-tool component test training courses, now found at the top of the guided component test menu; and
• Triton-D10 and Apollo-D9 enhanced touchscreen responsiveness and scope navigation sensitivity improvements for Triton-D10.
The latest software release of the Mitchell 1 Manager SE auto shop management system includes new technician productivity tracking features that allow shops to automatically generate productivity statistics as their technicians clock in and out of labor operations and provides the option to track employee shift hours.
"Shops and technicians need to know the status of the work in-house, if certain jobs have been started and how much progress has been made, as well as how long it will take each technician to complete their work," Ben Johnson, director of product management, Mitchell Repair Information Co. L.L.C., said.
"The technicians and their managers can quickly ascertain 'clocked hours' against 'paid hours per job' to identify in real time how effectively that technician is utilizing their at-work hours.
"These new features help shops keep track of their labor margin, along with employee hours, to increase efficiency and profits."
The Technician Time Manager in Manager SE allows technicians to clock in and out of labor operations to track actual time spent for assigned jobs.
They start a job clock for a labor item, pausing it for breaks or lunch. When each labor item is finished, they mark that work as completed, Mitchell said.
The time stamps automatically populate the "Actual Hours" field for that labor operation in the Manager SE repair order. Managers and technicians can view "clock in" and "clock out" of jobs using a time management website via the Manager SE workstation PC, a smartphone, tablet or any other device on the shop's network via a web browser.
The labor time manager provides an overview of hours and efficiency for each technician.
Links are provided directly back to the repair order if more detail is required. If any clocked time exceeds pay hours, it is displayed in red, alerting technicians and managers to view it right away, Mitchell said.
Other features of the latest software release include:
• Employee Shift Clock: Shop employees can clock into their work shift and track their hours on their mobile device. If a time card change is made by a manager within Manager SE, the changes are displayed on the employee-facing time tracking website.
• Current Activity Screen: The dashboard allows owners and managers to confirm which employees are clocked in for their workday shift. Managers can review a list of technicians to verify current workloads, including jobs assigned and total clocked time for each so far. New program security settings for time clock functions ensure proper access and privileges for every role in the shop, the company said.
Manager SE shop management software is integrated with ProDemand, Mitchell 1's repair information system to help increase shop productivity.
Mitchell Repair Information Co. L.L.C. has added enhanced diagram navigation and interactive search functions in the latest release of its ProDemand auto repair information program.
"Over the past few years, we have made significant improvements to the wiring diagrams in Mitchell 1 ProDemand, streamlining navigation and linking diagrams to component information," Ben Johnson, director of product management for Mitchell 1, said.
"Building on those enhancements, we are pleased to introduce the latest interactive features to our customers to help them save even more time when working on complex electrical issues."
The new enhancements to the ProDemand Advanced Interactive Wiring Diagrams streamline navigation within a diagram set or from one diagram set to a completely different diagram set, as well as add interactivity to connectors, grounds and splices, the company said.
Improvements also include a dropdown history that shows the previous 10 diagrams viewed in a session.
Advanced Interactive Wiring Diagrams let users navigate via the diagram directly to repair information for components.
Component names shown in the wiring diagrams are active links that take users straight to the information needed, such as location, connector views and replacement procedures, the company said.
Connectors, grounds and splices are also now searchable in 1Search and include active hyperlinks that take users directly to related content.
ProDemand not only takes the user to the specific diagram, but when the diagram is opened the component, connector, ground or splice will be in focus with all the traces already highlighted, Mitchell said.
ProDemand auto repair information provides OEM repair, estimating and maintenance information and exclusive real-world industry insights in a single lookup, to help automotive technicians repair vehicles more efficiently, the company said.
The program features expert-based Real Fixes, ADAS quick-reference information, advanced interactive color wiring diagrams, the latest technical service bulletins, common replaced parts graphs, and integrated estimating with the Mitchell 1 Manager SE shop management system.
First Brands Group has introduced ANCO Fleet wiper blades, a new line created specifically for worksite vehicles available to vehicle service professionals.
The company also unveiled ANCO Factory Spec Rear, ANCO Winter and ANCO Extreme Weather blades for all driving conditions.
ANCO Fleet blades have been created for light-to-medium-sized work-site vehicles at commercial job sites and other environments that require the removal of harsh debris from windshields, the company said, adding the blades have been engineered to perform in the toughest conditions.
The ANCO Extreme Weather blade offers a step up from the classic style, as they are made with a robustly constructed armor to protect against the harsh winter weather conditions, the company said, noting the one-piece design conforms to the shape of any windshield and provides a clean wipe.
The ANCO Winter blade is made for typical winter driving and features a rugged, protective rubber boot to prevent snow and ice buildup.
These blades are constructed of high-grade steel for added strength, and a heavy-gauge wiper element resists tearing in sub-zero temperatures, according to the company.
The ANCO Factory Spec Rear blades are original-equipment replacement wiper blades designed to fit each vehicle's specific wiper arm type.
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