Garage equipment 38 www.aftermarketonline.net JULY/AUGUST 2024 A1’s UK sales manager Matt Hume explains the work that went into devising and implementing a full garage fit out for Fastech — in just three weeks Working wonders to create a workshop Creating a new workshop from the ground up can be a daunting task. Looking at a blank canvas can leave even the most experienced garage business owner wondering where to start — especially when the space in question was an office. This was the case recently for Fastech, a multi-site garage business that works exclusively with car rental companies. The business has depots around most of the UK’s airports and was opening a new arm in Bristol. With a specific shopping list of garage equipment and a tight deadline in mind, Fastech turned to the garage equipment division of A1 ADAS Solutions Group for help. Our first site visit was to look at an office space due to be converted into the workshop area; it took a little imagination to begin with! Fastech was looking for advice on layout, flooring and equipment which included diagnostic tools, tyre replacement and wheel alignment equipment, an air compressor and two and four post lifts. Initially, we looked at the lifting equipment and recommended an EAE 4-tonne 2-post lift alongside an EAE 5-tonne 4-post wheel alignment lift with an EAE 3-tonne jacking beam. The 2-post lift features three stage front arms and two stage rear arms which allow greater control to meet jacking points on a wide range of vehicles up to medium sized vans. The 4-post lift has front turnplates and rear slip plates to aid accurate wheel alignment results, along with a 5.2m platform to accommodate larger wheelbase vehicles with ease. We then turned our attention to the wheel alignment system, which Fastech asked to be colour matched to the lifts. This is something we’re asked for quite frequently. The best one for their needs was the Absolute Alignment Bluetooth Lite Wheel Aligner. It’s a good entry level, cost-effective 6-sensor CCD 4-wheel aligner that can be operated from an Android tablet. This gives the technician greater mobility when working beneath a ramp. For a machine with a small footprint, it has a solid, wellbuilt base unit that holds the wheel clamps with integrated chargers. Next up, we considered the diagnostic equipment. For this, we supplied the Autel MS906s pro eu, a compact but powerful diagnostic tool with a huge range of service functions. This was complemented with an Autel multi-security gateway unlock, which is the ideal solution for workshops dealing with newer vehicles; something particularly relevant for Fastech’s customers. For the air compressor, we chose the Nuair B3800BPRO/200 FM3. It has a 200-litre receiver tank with a 2.2kW (3Hp) 230v motor. As a popular workshop belt drive compressor, it’s suitable for various applications, is reliable, and consistently performs well. Lastly, we looked at the tyre equipment requirement. Here, we wanted Fastech to be able to replace low profile tyres with ease, so we installed an EAE EE-4880ID tyre machine with ‘Assist Arm’. This added assist arm gives greater leverage and can work on low profiles without risk of damage to the alloy wheel. It was partnered with a manual input EAE EE3096V2 wheel balancer. From Fastech’s order, through to the co-ordination of multiple teams for the full install, it took us just three weeks. This also included full on-site training for the depot’s new staff where needed. It was indeed a fast job and it’s fantastic to see the site up and running. Visit https:// a1diagnosticsolutions.co.uk for more information.
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