Innovation a popular destination last week in Paris

PARIS — When Gustave Eiffel first thought of and tapped engineers to design and build the Eiffel Tower, it was considered a feat of innovation.

More than 118 years later, innovation still abounds in the Parisian streets and exposition centers, highlighted with the 18th Equip Auto now through Saturday in Paris. "We have to innovate. Innovation is everywhere," says Armand Batteux, president of both FIEV and Equip Auto. "We want to be innovative and we want most to be international, and we have to be international."

While the European aftermarket differs greatly from that here in the United States, a number of the same players take their products to service centers around the globe. The best of innovations were recognized during the Grand Prix of Innovation awards ceremony.

Federal-Mogul Corporation won the gold award in the Spare Parts and Aftermarket category for its Ferodo LV brake pad line that utilizes Thermo Quiet technology. Jay Burkhart, senior vice president, global aftermarket, described the line as the next generation of brake pads when he accepted the award on the company's behalf. The brake pads are one piece featuring an Integrally Molded Insulator (IMI) that replaces the conventional shim.

Kevin O'Dowd, group brand manager of brake products for Federal-Mogul, says "whether shims are pinned or glued onto the pad, they can migrate and find themselves within a bad place within the brake caliper."

"Whether a shim's pinned or glued on, it would migrate and find itself within a bad place within the brake caliper," he says. But the new technology "means quieter braking and consistent noise reduction for pad life. The insulator also absorbs heat vibration. That means increased durability. "

Valeo's Beep&Park Keeper took away the silver award in the Spare Parts and Aftermarket category. The products combines a front and rear parking assistance system with an audible and visual warning system for when the vehicle is parked. When movement of a vehicle between 20 centimeters and one meter is detected, warning lights will flash. A horn sounds when there is movement less than 20 centimeters away. The sounds and lights stop when the moving vehicle stops.

Innovations for concerns
These award winners shed light on a couple of main concerns Europeans are facing on a daily basis. Narrow city streets crammed with cars and scooters, provide not only a need for creativity when it comes to driving, but also parking.

And in addition to these new products hitting service centers now and in the near future, a number of companies took the time to update their clients and visitors on happenings within their global ranks.

Frank Ordoñez, president Delphi Service and Solutions, reports the company is nearly finished with its restructuring process as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy declaration. He also spoke about the Delphi Service Center.

"Philosophically, the Delphi Service Center is what enables the customers to fix the vehicles, to train the installers and to use the OE quality parts that Delphi produces," Ordoñez says. "We believe it is the key to expanding the knowledge in the aftermarket with all of these electronics that (Guy Hachey, president Delphi Powertrain Systems and Delphi Europe, Middle East and Africa) has talked about — the ones that we are working on today and the ones that we will be working on tomorrow."

Existing service centers focusing on different areas will be brought under the umbrella of the Delphi Service Center. Also along these lines will be Diesel Point, the first of which opened last week in the Czech Republic. This will bring the ability to fix the common rail diesel to the garages in Europe, Ordoñez explains.

As for other companies at the show, José Maria Alapont, Federal-Mogul president and CEO, took time out of the show to highlight Federal-Mogul's efforts in the European aftermarket, while Honeywell is showcasing its new Jurid brake line, NONOX, as well as its recent endeavor into remanufactured calipers. Martin Grimm, director product marketing with Honeywell, says remanufactured parts are becoming more of a request in some European countries. These countries often are very concerned with environmentally friendly products and several have rules in place to protect the environment.

Right on track
With innovation keyed as the automotive industry's destination, more than 2,000 exhibitors are sharing their latest developments from original equipment to collision and repair and the aftermarket this week. The latest technologies vary, but they all aim to serve the end customer better.

Such is one goal of the Grand Prix of Innovation. In addition to the awards in the Spare Parts and Aftermarket category, prizes were handed out in Engineering and Advanced Technology/OEM, Garage and Services categories.

Valeo took home a second award, winning gold in the OEM category for its camless Smart Valve Actuation system. Honeywell Turbo Technologies' dual stage parallel sequential turbocharger was the silver award winner in this category.

In the garage category, Actia Muller was the silver winner for its expert shock absorber tester with which the shock absorbers can be tested on the vehicle. Akzo Nobel Car Refinishes SA was the gold winner for its Sikkens Autoclear UV, a two-component UV-curable, extra fast drying polyurethane clearcoat that dries in six minutes.

Robert Bosch took home the silver award in the new Services category this year for its Bosch BDC PREMIUM, a repair program for diesel parts. The gold winner was exponential, a partnership of five manufacturers — Gates, SKF, Tenneco, TRW and Veleo — geared toward training.