The new bodyshop facilities will be unveiled to operators at an open day on Wednesday 3 April.
Two Titan booths have been fitted, by Todd Engineering of Staffordshire. One is 18m long and can accommodate an articulated tractor unit and 13.6-metre semi-trailer combination; the other is 9m in length and will be used for vans and smaller rigid trucks.
Both booths have robotic gas catalytic dryers by Italian manufacturer Greentech. Automatically controlled, natural gas-powered panels in the form of an arch pass directly over the vehicle, transmitting low-intensity infrared heat.
Surface temperatures of 420ºC on the heaters translate into ultra-fast curing times, drying the paint five minutes of exposure.
“We’ve spent a lot more than we need have done for a conventional system, but Greentech’s eco-friendly drying technology holds out the promise of payback over time, through dramatic reductions in energy usage,” says Steve Rooney, dealer principal.
“More importantly, it also means we can offer an industry-leading level of service to customers for whom vehicle availability is a top priority – in the right circumstances, we can now paint their truck, van or trailer to an exceptionally high standard and get it back to them on the same day.”
Sparshatt Truck & Van is one of only two providers in the UK to apply Greentech’s technology for CV operators, and it has also commissioned a mobile version of the system. Some of the first vehicles to emerge from the larger booth were Actros tractors (pictured), repainted in silver for operation by Formula One teams.