You can't beat quality engineering 08 March 2010

Don't buy budget workshop equipment, if you want it to last and to continue to perform safely to specification. And make sure that, if you're preparing for a workshop revamp, you consult an organisation with a good track record. That's the advice not just from Tony Portlock, projects manager at garage services firm Gemco – from whom you might expect such comments – but also Dieter Hughes, head of workshops at Venson Automotive Solutions, the independent fleet management specialist.

Last year, Hughes commissioned Gemco to design and equip a substantial new workshop and bodyshop in Welwyn Garden City, primarily to support Hertfordshire County Council's fleet of 2,300 vehicles – a contract that was renewed last summer for another 10 years. He explains that Gemco won the deal, partly due to its size, engineering capability and experience – but also because of its approach to partnering with clients.

"I class Gemco as part of main bank of transport engineering knowledge and, on this kind of job, you need a company large enough to be an all-round partner," he says. "You also need equipment to be fit for purpose and with good backup. For me, that meant buying British supported – such as Beissbarth wheel alignment systems and Gemco's Stenhoj lifters," he adds.

As for the project itself, the combined facility had to be designed to handle everything from cars to LCVs, low loaders, library vehicles, community transport buses and the emergency service vehicles for Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue. It also had to be completed to a very tight two-month deadline.

Looking at the workshop, Gemco supplied two MOT bays: one a vehicle lifting platform for class 4 and 7 cars and LCVs; the other, next to it, a VOSA inspection lane over a steel pit for Class 7, 5, HGVs and PSVs, equipped with a commercial roller brake tester, shaker plate and tachograph for all-round testing.

Beside those, the company also provided a maintenance area for fire engines and HGVs. This is served by two twin-ram 30-tonne in-ground multiplex hydraulic lifting systems, equipped with bespoke adapters for the fire engines. Hughes makes the point that they were also designed to handle low-entry vehicles, such as the council's mobile library trucks and Mercedes and Iveco minibuses, and that they can tolerate unbalanced weights, due, for example, to water storage on fire engines.
That area was also supported by a full lube facility, with four grades, all on flexible hoses, and a waste oil system. A similar system, with lube service reels suspended from gantries, then supplies a 14 bay vehicle service area, along with retractable LEV for exhaust gases. That was also equipped with three two-post mechanical lifts, rated to 5 tonnes, and two more rated to 3.2 tonnes, as well as a 5-tonne four-post hydraulic platform lift and a set of mobile hydraulic columns.

As for the bodyshop, that was equipped with everything from a computer-based paint mixer (Standox in Stevenage) to two spray booths – one back-draft for HGVs and one down-draft for cars and LCVs, by Dalby – as well as a body jig lifter from Car-O-Liner. Hughes makes the point that the bodyshop was designed to run independently of the workshop, so was also supplied with a pair of two-post lifts (one rated at 3.2 tonnes, the other five tonnes), a two-poster for four-wheel alignment and a set of four mobile mechanical lifting columns, all from Gemco. He also says that Venson is currently going for PAS125 and ATA certification.

On the air services side, Gemco designed a combination energy-efficient compressor system, providing clean air for bodyshop staff and fire brigade testing, as well as for the workshop air tools. Then, in terms of electrical work, it also provided supplies from the existing mains to both the workshop and bodyshop – with power into the spray booths, compressors, LV sockets etc.

The secret of success throughout, says Hughes, is to look for reliability and service backup. "The supplier needs to have longevity in the market so the warranty is worth something. But also, the equipment needs to be well-built and not bought on price only.

"Best value is what's important to us," he says. "For example, we went for a single structure solid steel pit, with built-in roller brake, oil extraction, air lines, lights, escape routes etc for the Class 7 and 5 lane, in line with VOSA's recommendations – not a cheaper version. And the other point is that, where possible, we chose one organisation capable of providing the whole range of equipment to handle a very diverse vehicle fleet – and also capable of providing service response times to ensure that we meet availability targets."

Author
Brian Tinham

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