MARCH 30, 2006AASP-MN Announces Hybrid Training
MINNEAPOLIS - The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota (AASP-MN) is hosting "Hybrid Technology & Service" on May 9 and 10, 2006. The course, presented by Craig Van Batenburg, Automotive Career Development Center, will cover how the hybrid system works, including issues surrounding nickel metal hydride batteries, regenerative braking and air conditioning systems. Van Batenburg will also discuss how and why old diagnostic strategies work on hybrids, as well as safety issues and what is normal and what is not. The two-night clinic will be held from 6:00 p.m.to 10:00 p.m. at Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park, MN.
For additional information or to register, contact the AASP-MN office at (612) 623-1110 or 800-852-9071 or register online at
www.aaspmn.org.
(Source: AASP-MN)
DIAMOND BAR, CA - The deadline to register for the SEMA Installer Certification Exams has been extended to Friday, March 31. The extension applies to all exams: Electric Sunroofs (Z1); Body Exterior Components (Z2); Leather Interiors (Z3); Roof Treatments (Z4) and Custom Wheel and Tire (Z5).
To register for the exams, visit www.sema.org/certification or contact Tracy McGee at
[email protected].
WASHINGTON (March 8, 2006) - The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that strengthens the U.S enforcement of anti-counterfeiting laws, expands penalties and helps promote tougher international standards for the protection of intellectual property rights. More than $200 billion in U.S. tax revenue, let alone ethical business revenues, is lost annually to counterfeiting and intellectual piracy operations, according to U.S. business groups.
"These are useful tools that will help beat back this form of theft," said one of the bill's sponsors, Senator Patrick Leahy, in a March 7 news release published by his office. The bill, already approved by the Senate, cleared the House March 7 by voice vote. President Bush is expected to sign it into law.
The bill broadens the definition of trafficking to ensure that all transfers of counterfeit goods are penalized. For example, the modification would eliminate a loophole in the current law that allows counterfeiters to stay within legal limits when they transfer counterfeit goods in exchange for some future benefits. "The bill closes some glaring loopholes in current trademark law and provides much-needed tools to enhance criminal-enforcement efforts," said Bruce Josten of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a news release.
The newly passed measure also subjects violators to the forfeiture and destruction of all counterfeit goods, of the equipment used in their production and marketing and of property and assets derived from counterfeiting. Under the current law, counterfeiters are required to surrender the goods they have produced but not the equipment used to produce and package them.
Another provision prohibits trafficking in counterfeit labels, stickers and other markings. It was enacted in response to a 2000 federal appeals court ruling that said that trafficking in trademarks that are not attached to a product does not violate the trademark statue. U.S. distributors of counterfeit goods have exploited the loophole left by the ruling by importing goods and labels separately and then affixing fake labels to the generic goods before sale, according to the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition in Washington.
U.S. business groups, including the automotive industry, have supported the bill as an important step in promoting stronger anti-counterfeiting measures in other countries.
(Source: U.S. Department of
State, Bureau of International Information Programs)
BEDFORD, TX - The Hertz Corp. is now offering a discount savings program to members of the Automotive Service Association (ASA). The discounts are available at all participating Hertz locations and apply to various car classes. In addition to year-round discounts on rental costs, ASA members are also eligible to save on car class upgrades and other money-saving offers.
"We are very pleased to partner with the Hertz Corp. and offer our members a money-saving option for vehicle rentals," said B.J. Johnson, ASA's director of membership development and affiliate relations. "As a member-first organization, we strive to increase the membership value of ASA through programs such as this, and will continue to seek out programs that directly assist our members in their day-to-day operations."
For more information on this or any other ASA member benefit, please call (800) 272-7467, ext. 295. A downloadable version of the association's benefits and resources is available at
www.asaondemand.com.
(Source: ASA)
WASHINGTON (March 28, 2006) - According to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM), automobiles are the most recycled consumer products in the world today.
With more than 7,000 vehicle recycling sites in the country, recycling generates nearly 50,000 jobs and enough steel to manufacture 13 million new cars, says AAM.In addition, auto recycling is the 16th largest industry in the United States with an annual worth of nearly $25 billion. Each year, 95 percent of retired autos are processed for recycling. Trailing the auto industry are the newspaper industry with a 75 percent recycling rate, aluminum at 52 percent, and glass at 22 percent.
Everything from floor mats and instrument panels to upholstery, aluminum and steel can be recycled for use in a new automobile or another consumer product. Nationwide, about 26 automobiles are recycled every minute, and at least 84 percent of a car's material content is recycled. Old autos are recycled into new autos, old consumer products are recycled into components of new autos, and parts of old autos are recycled into new consumer products. For instance, milk jugs are recycled into auto trim, while carpet becomes sound-deadening material, and spent battery casings become splash shields.
Metals such as steel or copper are melted down and reused for new consumer products, building construction or for use in a new vehicle. For example, consumer batteries used in flashlights or cameras are often made from melted metal from an discarded vehicles.
(Source: Alliance of Automobile
Manufacturers)
BETHESDA, MD (March 20, 2006) - While there are lots of ways to spend your tax refund, the Engine Repower Council (ERC) and the Car Care Council (CCC) suggest putting it towards your second biggest investment: your car or truck. Although you may want to get rid of your present vehicle in favor of a new car or truck, "repowering" a worn out engine on your current set of wheels may make much more sense in the long run.
"When a car or truck suffers major engine damage, often the first reaction of most consumers is to buy a new or used vehicle. In some cases that might make sense, but often it's simply not necessary. And it's a very expensive proposition compared to repowering your car or truck's worn out engine with a rebuilt/remanufactured engine," said Rick Miller, ERC chairman. "Once you consider the 'hidden' costs such as interest financing, depreciation, higher insurance rates and taxes, the economic benefits become very clear. A rebuilt/remanufactured engine is also less polluting and consequently better for the environment."
A rebuilt engine is one that has been remanufactured to prescribed standards and specifications by highly skilled machinists using state-of-the- art equipment and components. During this process, many new components are installed that meet or exceed original equipment performance standards. Frequently, says ERC, rebuilt engines are better than the engines installed in a new vehicle because better parts are used, or design changes are made to correct problems with the original engine.
Rebuilt engines get better gas mileage than a worn out engine, and emit fewer pollutants. Engine repowering also saves the tremendous amount of energy used in processing discarded engines and vehicles. It also saves raw materials that would have been used in building a new engine. A professionally rebuilt engine is typically warranted for at least one year, or 12,000 miles, with some remanufacturers offering warranties as long as 36 months or 36,000 miles.
With an average vehicle price approaching $30,000 (including the other new or used vehicle costs cited), a rebuilt/remanufactured engine purchased and installed at an average cost of $2,500 to $3,500 can be a very sound and attractive investment, adds ERC.
(Source: Engine Repower Council; Car Care
Council)
BETHESDA, MD (March 20, 2006) - With the increasing cost of fuel, many employees may find themselves spending more and more to get to and from work, not to mention the hassle of traffic. Using mass transit can save a commuter not only the frustration of driving, but also provide more take-home money.
Transit, qualified parking expenses and some multipassenger vehicles are now eligible for some relief under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code Section 132. It enables employers to offer employees the opportunity to use pretax earnings to cover certain public transportation costs. Employers can set up pretax Transportation Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) similar to accounts available for medical expenses and dependent care. Information to help HR departments set up an FSA program is available at
http://www.taxfreetransit.org.
When signing up for the accounts, individual employees elect to set aside a certain amount of pretax salary to cover qualified costs incurred as a result of their commuting to and from work. This means that funding for the accounts is taken out of the employee's paycheck before taxes, resulting in a lower tax base for the employee. Mass transit commuters can contribute up to $105 per month in pretax dollars; people who drive themselves to work can contribute up to $205 per month in pretax dollars to cover qualified parking expenses. Commuters can participate in one or both of the programs.
(Source: TaxFreeTransit.org)
DETROIT, MI (March 28, 2006) - While at first glance it may seem like a contradiction in terms, researchers at Ford Motor Co.'s Research and Innovation Center are quantifying the sensual feeling of touch.
(Photo: Ford Motor Co.)
The latest fruit of their labors is a floor shifter destined to debut on Ford's new Edge crossover vehicle. It's all part of the relatively new science of "haptics": the science of integrating the sense of touch into human-machine interactions. Researchers in Perceptual Design of Manufacturing & Vehicle Design R & A have collaborated with staff from Powertrain Operations and Core Ergonomics of NAPD to apply haptics to the floor shifter, which will be mated with the new 6F transmission.
"Through our work we have been able to quantify the sense of touch as it applies to vehicle controls," said Yifan Chen, technical leader, Perceptual Design. "Our major work last year was helping EESE [Electrical Electronic Systems Engineering] design operating feel for the HVAC [Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning] switches on the Fusion/Milan/Zephyr midsize sedans. We took the results of our work on switches and are now applying it to improving shifter 'feel.' "
The switch research Chen refers to involves a haptic switch playback system developed by Ford. It is capable of reproducing a wide range of "switch-feel." With this system, the user can change the characteristics of a switch - factors such as friction or force - and feel the difference as the changes are made. Groups of test subjects manipulated the switches as the software changed parameters, such as the feel of the switch turning, and they reported their perceptions of the experience and their preferences.
The parameters investigated were narrowed down to only those that made a difference to the test subjects' perceptions. In addition, a simple computer game measured the testers' ability to manipulate onscreen items using the switches as if they were joysticks.
"The results were fascinating," said Pietro Buttolo, technical specialist, Perceptual Design. "People were able to master the game better with the switches that were in the same range as the ones they found the most pleasing. Clearly, the brain is integrating feel with function."
The immediate benefit of the team's work was a system to quantify the feel of switches in order to not only create switches pleasing to the driver, but also a way of creating a common feel to all the switches on a vehicle's dashboard. "We've found that if we can control the parameters defining 'feel' within a specific range, most people cannot tell the feel of two switches apart," Buttolo said. "This makes a difference to people when all the switches have a commonality, even if the difference is felt unconsciously."
In addition, the team's work resulted in significant cost savings to Ford through the elimination of most prototypes for switches. "Prototypes are created in the computer instead of the time consuming and expensive process of having suppliers create a number of physical prototypes to achieve the desired feel," explained Chen.
With a solid baseline of research accomplished, the team then began applying its knowledge to the new floor shifter. "The shifter presented us with a challenge," Chen said. "Basically the shifter attaches to a cable which leads to the transmission. For our very first target program, the transmission, a joint venture between Ford and GM, is basically set as is the cable. In effect, we are constrained to a narrower range of possibilities by the transmission and cable hardware."
While drivers may not be consciously aware of fine differences between possible shifting feels, they are aware of how well a component functions and with a shifter that can possibly mean safety issues.
"Customers take the vehicles they drive as an extension of their personal qualities. They are looking for harmonious and delightful experiences," said Chin-Yuan Perng, section supervisor, Dynamics CAE and VSA, Automatic Transmissions.
Perng explained, "The customer experiences a vehicle's transmission through the working of the shifter. Touch and feel of the shifter motion deliver the first impression of the vehicle quality. Besides, the way the shifter slips in and out of gears constitutes a very important criterion to the safety of a vehicle. The most obvious example is the way the shifter goes into Park. If the feel isn't right, the driver could accidentally think the car is in Park with unfortunate consequences."
Buttolo added, "There is an essential harmony in human beings between the sense of touch and the brain's more logical functions."
(Source: Ford Motor Co.)
TOLEDO, OH (March 24, 2006) - The University of Toledo and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a three-year cooperative agreement worth about $1 million to improve and to optimize hydraulic hybrid vehicle components to maximize fuel economy benefits and minimize emissions. EPA will contribute up to $450,000 toward the project.
To view an animation of the hydraulic hybrid system, click here. A hydraulic hybrid system employs an accumulator, which stores energy as highly compressed gas, and one or more hydraulic pump motors, instead of the battery pack, electric generator/motor and power electronics used in electric hybrids. During acceleration, fluid in the high-pressure accumulator drives the pump/motor as a motor, thus providing torque to the driveshaft. During deceleration, energy is saved in the accumulator.
Hydraulic drivetrains are particularly attractive for vehicle applications that entail a significant amount of stop-and-go driving, such as urban delivery trucks, refuse trucks or school buses. A major benefit of a hydraulic hybrid vehicle is the ability to capture and use a large percentage of the energy normally lost in vehicle braking.
(Source: EPA,
University of
Toledo, Next
Energy)
OAKTON, VA - James Jordan, president of HCE, an energy business, announced recently that it has filed for patent protection on a new device and method for hydrogen storage.
The invention is expected to permit the storage of gaseous hydrogen at room temperature in a quasi-liquid form, having characteristics similar to gasoline. The device creates nanometer-scale water bubbles filled with hydrogen gas. At this scale, surface tension can maintain the gas within a bubble at very high pressure - approximately equal to 43,500 pounds per square inch (3,000 atmospheres) inside the bubble. The small size of these bubbles provides them with stability against gravitational aggregation and merging, says Jordan.
The fuel is expected to be stored, distributed and handled like gasoline. HCE reports that hydrogen stored in the form created by its proprietary device and process is expected to have a volumetric energy density (higher heating value) from about 24 to 29 megajoules per liter. The stated range is attributable to uncertainties in compressibility and small-scale cohesion factors.
The process is expected to have application to other high value gases made more usable in such a storage medium, such as natural gas (methane and propane).
(Sources: SEMA Research and Information
Center, HCE)
Updated GTO
DETROIT - General Motors (GM) confirmed in late Feb. that the Australian-made GTO coupe will be phased out of production this summer; only 10,000 to 12,000 more GTOs will be produced. The rear-drive coupe has declined in U.S. sales with the advent of the Pontiac Solstice two-seater.
(Photo: GM)
GM says that they have decided to phase out the GTO because of changes in U.S. airbag regulations that would require a redesign of the instrument panel. In 2005, Pontiac sold 11,590 GTOs compared to 2004 when it sold 13,569 - a 14.6 percent drop. However, Pontiac projected 18,000 annual sales of the GTO when it launched in 2003.
(Sources: SEMA, Automotive News)
Truck Bedliners
WASHINGTON - Concerned about adverse human health affects of exposure to methylene bisphenyl isocyanate (MDI), the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently completed an investigation of auto body repair and refinishing businesses that apply spray-on truck liners.
The investigation found that as many as 46 percent of the businesses investigated do not meet the Agency's "permissible exposure limit of 0.2 milligrams per cubic meter of air for MDI." However, OSHA also concluded that with the implementation of simple and minimal measures, the amount of exposure to MDI can be reduced significantly by these shops.
The suggested measures include:
* Conducting all spray operations inside a ventilated paint spray booth.
* Maintaining air velocities at a minimum of 100 feet per minute in the booth.
* Utilizing local exhaust ventilation when spraying in dead air spaces.
* Keeping operators outside of the truck bed during spraying.
* Using a spray extension handle to keep nozzle away from the breathing zone.
* Setting the spray pressure and temperature to the minimum level needed.
* Wearing a face shield or goggles when the half mask respirators are used.
* Wearing gloves and coveralls when prepping, spraying and cleaning up.
* Using tools such as spatulas when mixing the materials.
To view the report, click
here.
(Source: Automotive Aftermarket Industry
Association)
Rep. Melissa Hart, R-PA, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee and the chairman of the House Small Business Committee, introduced a bill (H.R. 4961) that would permit "self-employed business owners to deduct their health care costs when calculating their payroll taxes."
Hart believes the legislation will "level the playing field for the self-employed by lowering the economic burden to obtain coverage for themselves and their employees."
The National Small Business Association and the National Association for the Self-Employed are two of the numerous organizations supporting the legislation.
(Source: Automotive Aftermarket Industry
Association)
