Aftermarket April 2022

APRIL 2022 AFTERMARKET 49 www.aftermarketonline.net accuracy from your body alignment system isn’t up to it.” “The Meridian Live Mapping System is an electronic measuring system that interprets data provided by a single-hub laser-driven scanner, to generate accurate 360- degree views of damage that’s not always visible to the naked eye. It uses data from fixed targets to produce accurate assessments of the actual damage. The bodyshop then uses a Globaljig System such as the Globaljig Mobile or the Globaljig Super Rotax to restore alignment to within +/- 1 millimetre. “ Jim added: “ADAS still has to be recalibrated, but it’s a more straightforward procedure.” You need to know how to make the most of the opportunity. With this in mind, Gareth Newbery, Diagnostics and ADAS Co-ordinator at Repairify explained how the company looks to ensure its customers have the knowledge, training and equipment needed to make this happen: “ADAS is now commonplace in modern vehicles and the technology within them will continue to evolve. This means that safe calibrations at the time of repair are more important than ever. To ensure bodyshops and garages are conforming with the recent Insurance Industry Requirements (IRR), having the correct solutions for the job on-site rather than taking vehicles to a main dealer will save money, reduce key-to-key times and increase profitability due to the business being able to open up a new sales avenue. “Repairify understands that for businesses to invest in reliable products to meet the demand for this type of work, they must feel reassured that the cars will be repaired correctly and safely so they can get back on the road as quickly as possible. “Our approach is customer-focused, as we want to ensure businesses, no matter their size, are making the most of our technologies, while also knowing that they have access to an experienced and knowledgeable team that can assist them on site and remotely anytime they need it. “We provide on-site training that ensures that technicians and apprentices have a good understanding of the tool. We also offer vehicle specific training if required to ensure the calibrations align with the manufacturer approvals they might have. We also know that as new models come onto the market, processes are continually change, so our team is constantly researching and communicating with each other and outside sources to ensure they have the most up to date database, knowledge of vehicles and ADAS systems on the market.” He added: “Our comprehensive technology service provides repairers with the opportunity to have ADAS calibration, OE scans, diagnostics and resets implemented remotely by IMI and dealer trained technicians. In addition, to keep the cost of the outlay by shops to a minimum, we launched the industry’s first ADAS pay-as-you-calibrate initiative, which has been well received. It has been designed to support bodyshops and SMR centres by removing up-front costs involved in purchasing ADAS equipment and enables businesses, whether they are a single site operation or a group, to easily and effectively add this service to their offering in order to generate new income streams.” Potential What about the future? According to DENSO Europe Pan European Strategic Marketing Manager Fatiha Laauich, the current market for ADAS can be split into two segments: camera and radar, and one of DENSO’s upcoming projects is to make its ADAS available for retrofit. She observed: “Traffic accidents are a global issue. By reducing them, we not only save lives, but are also giving people a new degree of freedom, empowering them to travel confidently. “Reducing traffic accidents is a common goal all over the world. The UN aims to halve the number of global traffic accident fatalities by 2030, whereas the EU and the US have set similar objectives for 2050. “DENSO is working on an approach that takes account of both the depth and width of the task. The definition of depth is the full pursuit of cutting-edge technologies that will enable DENSO to make mobility users safer. One example of this is how DENSO is using AI technology to predict potential hazards by, for instance, detecting pedestrians, in a non-distracting way, when visibility conditions are poor. In addition, at junctions with poor visibility and other situations where blind spots pose a threat, V2X and map functions provide infrastructure- related information, which, together with sensor information, can help prevent many accidents. “The width means ensuring that products and technologies are used in as many vehicles as possible, including in the aftermarket. Pursuing this goal will require safe products with the highest level of quality and reliability, at competitive prices. “Since the 1990s, DENSO has provided advanced safety and various OE ADAS equipment such as LiDAR devices, millimetre-wave radar, and vision sensors. Introducing ADAS to the secondary market not only gives a boost to aftermarket businesses, but it also makes life-saving technology more widely available, empowering confidence and peace of mind at scale. She added: “It is this advanced technology that levels the playing field between independent workshops and their vehicle manufacturer franchised dealer counterparts, enabling professional technicians to access the most technically advanced vehicle parts, thus increasing customer confidence and loyalty.”