-
Welcome to Auto Parts Forum
Whether you are a veteran automotive parts guru or just someone looking for some quick auto parts advice, register today and start a new topic in our forum. Registration is free and you can even sign up with social network platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, and LinkedIn.
-
Similar Topics
-
By Counterman
In our cover story for
link hidden, please login to view, we asked distribution leaders to reflect on the successes and challenges of 2022 and share some of their insights for the industry in 2023. Here’s our Q&A with Paul McCarthy, president and CEO of MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers.
AMN/CM: What is the greatest threat facing the automotive aftermarket? What is the greatest opportunity?
PM: I have combined these questions, because if you look through a longer-term lens, the aftermarket’s greatest threat and opportunity are the same: technology.
EVs have generated concern in the aftermarket, but that needs to be kept in perspective. Remember the aftermarket’s history: With every new technology there were projections that there will be nothing or not enough to repair – but every time we still see problems and failures with these new parts and technologies. Think of fuel injection, electronic ignition or TPMS. Auto engineers are not perfect, and the real world is a difficult operating environment. In fact, NADA data indicates that EVs are coming back to the dealer more often than ICE vehicles – and needing more repairs per visit than ICE. New technologies have historically been good for aftermarket revenue – and we are looking at a flood of new technologies unlike any we have ever seen.
With so much focus on electrification, we aren’t talking enough about the revolution happening now: ADAS. We released a study at Vision that projected ADAS will exceed a billion-dollar market for replacement parts by 2030. Let me say that again: a billion-dollar market for replacement parts. That’s all opportunity and upside for the aftermarket.
And, the story of increasing vehicle content is not only ADAS or EVs. The increase in new-vehicle prices demonstrates the lifecycle opportunity. New-vehicle prices hit an eye-watering $30,000 a decade ago; now, the average is $50,000. And while some of that is near-term supply issues, increasing vehicle content has driven this long-term trend. Every one of these new technologies can break or need calibration or maintenance. We believe this huge increase in vehicle content bodes well for the future of aftermarket tickets.
The aftermarket is now living the famed “Innovator’s Dilemma” everyday: the challenge of managing two businesses. One, maximizing the returns from our existing business, which has a very long, fat tail. In parallel, we are growing new, innovative businesses prepared to take advantage of the aftermarket opportunities of electrified, automated and connected vehicles. In our view, the aftermarket is well-positioned in both the old and new industries.
The aftermarket should not be afraid of the future. If we engage the classic aftermarket entrepreneurial spirit, we believe technology and content bring more opportunity than risk.
AMN/CM: How can the independent aftermarket parts and service segments best prepare to repair the car of tomorrow as ADAS, EVs and other technologies become more prominent?
PM: In addition to the points above, we have a lot of work and training to do – together, up and down the value chain – to make sure that shops are prepared, and consumers know that the aftermarket is ready and able to supply the parts, tools and technologies to fix these vehicles. And we can.
AMN/CM: How is the Right to Repair issue impacting your members’ business?
PM: All this opportunity is contingent on one thing: Right to Repair legislation that allows market competition. Right to Repair, and the Federal REPAIR Act, are necessary to realize our future.
Consumers need this. If Congress takes action to ensure choice in vehicle repair and maintenance, consumers will save enormous amounts of time and money.
We appreciate the cross-industry partnership on this bill – a unified effort is essential to success. We have momentum. You’ve heard about the many bipartisan bill co-sponsors, the executive order, the FTC report and the hearings all in favor and support of consumers right to choose where and with what parts their vehicle is repaired. This new Congress is our moment; it may be our best chance of getting a bill passed. If we don’t succeed, by 2035 $63 billion in consumer service choices will be thwarted by repair restrictions – and that number will quickly grow. Our industry must – and will – be heard to protect consumers and free markets.
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By Counterman
When available, remanufactured parts can be a great alternative for your customers, giving them the option to purchase a like-new or better product at a lower price point than the new part. With gasoline prices at multiyear highs and inflation squeezing consumers’ budgets, it’s the perfect time to talk to your customers about reman parts.
Since 2010, MERA – The Association for Sustainable Manufacturing has been making the case for remanufactured parts, on behalf of the broader remanufacturing community across multiple industry sectors. One of the key challenges has been defining the concept. In aviation and aerospace, for example, remanufacturing is called “maintenance, repair and overhaul” (MRO). For medical devices, consumers goods and electronics, it’s known as “refurbishing.”
With that in mind, MERA and five other trade associations from around the world have created a common definition of remanufacturing:
Remanufacturing is a standardized industrial process by which previously sold, worn or non-functional products are returned to same-as-new, or better, condition and performance. The process is in line with specific technical specifications, including engineering, quality and testing standards. The process yields fully warranted products.
When the definition was unveiled in September 2016, the trade associations hailed it as “a tremendous step forward in the industry’s quest to raise awareness and acceptance of remanufactured products.” To address misconceptions and points of confusion, the trade associations are highly intentional in the words that comprise their definition. Notably, the definition doesn’t include the word “used.”
“There’s a reason for that,” explains John Chalifoux, president of MERA since its inception. “In the area of trade – particularly free-trade agreements – remanufactured goods have their own category. They’re not considered new; they’re not
considered used.”
Plus, the word “used” has a stigma attached to it. For some people, it’s synonymous with waste. And that’s not at all what remanufacturing is about.
MERA is a division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). When
MERA formed in 2010, it was the Motor & Equipment Remanufacturers Association. However, that changed in 2018, when MERA unveiled a new brand descriptor: MERA – the Association for Sustainable Manufacturing.
“Our purpose really is to elevate and mainstream what our members do,” Chalifoux tells Counterman. “ … When I say ‘elevate,’ we’re trying to help the perception [of remanufacturing] catch up with the reality. And the ‘mainstream’ aspect is to give remanufacturing a better seat at the table for any discussion on the circular economy or even recycling.”
That was the underlying thought process driving the name change in 2018. MERA’s staff drew some inspiration from Merriam-Webster’s definition of “sustainable,” which includes this description: “of, relating to or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.”
“That’s what our members do with cores,” Chalifoux adds. “They harvest the cores.”
MERA offers this simple definition of sustainable manufacturing: It’s “manufacturing with reuse.”
“It is a manufacturing process that restores original products in a factory setting, yielding goods that are like new, but better than the originals,” the MERA website explains. “The finished goods have like-new quality, they offer better value and they are better for the environment. As an eco-friendly process, sustainable manufacturing conserves materials and embodied energy, and it reduces landfill waste.”
At AAPEX 2018 in Las Vegas, Chalifoux unveiled a new symbol to promote remanufacturing. It was the familiar recycling icon – consisting of three green arrows representing the reduce/reuse/recycle concept – along with a fourth arrow that represents remanufacturing. Now a registered trademark of MERA, the four-arrow symbol illustrates the association’s position that remanufacturing should occur before traditional recycling. In other words: Reduce, reuse, remanufacture, recycle.
“All of this is helping us to better communicate both the quality and green associated with remanufacturing,” Chalifoux said during a press conference at AAPEX 2021. “Remanufacturing yields quality parts that are like new and delivers environmental benefits that are superior when compared to recycling. In the circular economy, the environment is better served when we reuse core materials rather than raw materials. The embodied energy, material and labor in cores are too valuable to ignore.”
The core for a remanufactured part is completely disassembled down to individual components. All renewable components are cleaned and analyzed for failure modes, and then reassembled using a combination of new and refurbished components, resulting in a reliable finished product virtually identical to a new part.
The great news for your customers is that some remanufacturers also address known OEM design issues, using upgraded components or processes to improve upon the OEM part. For example, CARDONE has re-engineered the power brake boosters for some Ford F-250 and F-350 models. The original design was prone to water entry, which caused a hard pedal during braking. CARDONE added a silicone seal around the shell neck – including the entire crimp area – to ensure a watertight seal and longer-lasting performance.
It’s worth noting that Michael Cardone Jr., co-founder of CARDONE Industries, is the founding chairman of MERA. “MERA would not exist if not for Michael Cardone Jr.,” Chalifoux says. This article merely provides a snapshot of remanufacturing and the benefits of selling reman parts. For more information, visit
link hidden, please login to view and link hidden, please login to view. The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By Counterman
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has introduced an Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Specialist Certification test (L4).
The test is designed to identify technicians who possess knowledge of the skills required to diagnose, service and calibrate ADAS on automobiles, SUVs and light-duty trucks.
“Because ADAS service is becoming a very important vehicle repair service, our stakeholders requested that we develop a certification test that demonstrates that automotive service professionals are qualified to perform ADAS service,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO. “We worked closely with service technicians, service representatives from vehicle and engine manufacturers, aftermarket trainers and technical educators to develop questions that deal with practical problems experienced by technicians in their work with vehicles that include ADAS.”
The ASE ADAS Specialist test (L4) will cover content focused on the diagnosis, service and calibration of radar, camera, ultrasonic and other advanced driver-assistance systems. Many of the questions relate to a sample vehicle with advanced driver-assistance systems technology used by most manufacturers. This vehicle is described in the
link hidden, please login to view that is provided as an electronic pop-up during the test.
To register for the ADAS Specialist test (L4), automotive service professionals must have passed either the Automobile Electrical/Electronic Systems (A6) or Collision Mechanical and Electrical Components (B5) test.
There is a
link hidden, please login to view available for individuals planning on taking the ADAS Specialist Certification test to help in test preparation. For more information about the new ADAS Specialist Certification test and registering, visit link hidden, please login to view. The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By Counterman
The many “in-store services” offered in today’s aftermarket, creating custom hydraulic-hose assemblies is a potential profit center that’s often overlooked. I’ve always worked in rural or semi-rural markets, and I learned hydraulics pretty early in my aftermarket career. At that time, I also was moonlighting on the family farm, so I was already familiar with some of the unique needs of hydraulics customers.
The typical hydraulics customer is “under pressure” when they call or drop by your store. Hose failures rarely happen while a piece of equipment is idle, so chances are the customer was right in the middle of a job when that hose burst. Consider the types of equipment that utilize hydraulic power: construction and farm equipment; manufacturing machinery; tow trucks and flatbeds; forklifts; etc.
Even if you don’t serve farmers in a rural market, potential hydraulics customers are all around, and some of them already are buying automotive parts and supplies from you. Municipal fleets may include anything from small sedans and pickups to dump trucks, backhoes and excavators. Towing and recovery companies operate in every type of market. Factories and warehouses rely on hydraulic-driven machinery and forklifts to produce and distribute goods of all kinds. Unscheduled downtime in any of these industries equates to lost profit, wasted employee hours and disruptions to service.
Demand for hydraulic-hose assemblies is relatively immune to “comparison shopping” or other price-point considerations. In these situations, the most desirable “features and benefits” are that you have the necessary fittings and hose available to get their piece of equipment up and running as soon as possible.
Having an adequate supply of fittings and hose in a breadth of sizes is critical to meeting these “on-the-spot” demands. When it comes to fittings, there are hundreds of individual SKUs to choose from, but the core of your stock will be the various sizes of NPT (“pipe thread”) and 37° flared-seat “JIC” fittings.
Other common types are ORB (O-ring boss), ORFS (O-ring face seal), Komatsu 30° flare and JIS 30°
flare. Each of these fitting types have a unique combination of thread sizes, seating and sealing surfaces and applications. Making leak-free connections requires accurate identification and selection, and each coupler must be mated to the same style of fitting to seal properly.
Hose ID and coupler-fitting size both can be expressed in “dash” (-) sizes, based on multiples of 1/16th of an inch. A 1/4-inch hose or fitting equates to a “-4” (4/16); the 3/8-inch is a “-6” (6/16); and a 3/4-inch coupler is a “-12” (12/16). This universal sizing system also is used extensively by hydraulic suppliers to encode information into their part numbers for both hose and couplers.
link hidden, please login to view Hydraulic hose comes in a variety of materials, construction and operating pressures. The most commonly stocked hose is referred to as “two-wire,” which has two layers of braided wire reinforcement to give it the ability to perform in many higher-pressure applications. Hydraulic pressure decreases as hose diameter increases, so you will notice that smaller-ID hoses are rated for higher pressures than equivalent hoses in larger diameters.
Coupler fittings come in two styles: “permanent-crimp” and “field-attachable.” Permanent-crimp fittings are inserted into the hose, then swaged or crimped to form a tight seal around the hose. A dedicated crimping press and dies are required to make these assemblies. This process can be compared to attaching crimp-type electrical terminals, although the tolerances of a proper hydraulic-hose crimp are much more exacting!
Field-attachable fittings feature a threaded stem and mating sleeve or ferrule, and are assembled similarly to the compression fittings used for connecting nylon fuel lines. These fittings are reusable and do not require a crimping press, making them popular for emergency repairs and occasional use, but they’re more expensive than crimp-type couplings. No matter which type of couplings are used, hose and fittings from different brands or systems should never be mixed.
A basic in-store hydraulic-station setup will consist of an electric-over-hydraulic crimping press with multiple sets of dies to crimp each hose size; an inventory of hose and fittings; and a chop saw to cut hoses to length. Thread-pitch gauges and dial calipers for measuring fittings, assembly lube and an identification chart round out the common accessories used while making hose assemblies. Your inventory also should include hydraulic fluids and filters, spill absorbents and other associated supplies. Establishing yourself as a hydraulic-hose vendor does require a significant investment in tooling and supplies, but the “gotta-have-it” nature of these sales allow for healthy profit margins on both the hose and fittings.
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view 
-
By Counterman
When it comes to advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), there’s good news and bad news for the automotive aftermarket.
First, the good news. The total addressable market for ADAS replacement parts and service is projected to skyrocket from $317 million in 2021 to $1.1 billion in 2030 – expanding at nearly 17% compound annual growth rate.
Those projections come from
link hidden, please login to view, an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based consulting firm that conducted a study on ADAS opportunities in the aftermarket. The Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) commissioned the study, which included interviews with 350 repair shops, an in-person focus group and a review of 91 journals, articles and academic papers on the subject. Speaking at the AASA Vision Conference, Jim Fish, lead partner at Innovatrium, asserted that ADAS is “singularly the highest growth opportunity in the aftermarket.” In 2021, more than 1 million vehicles required ADAS service in an aftermarket shop, according to the Innovatrium study.
And now for the not-so-good news: More than 90% of ADAS work that comes into mechanical shops is outsourced to a dealership.
On the collision repair side, the researchers found that more than 75% of ADAS services coming into an auto body shop are performed elsewhere. In 2021 alone, auto body shops outsourced $177 million worth of ADAS calibration work. While mobile technicians might pick up some of that work, the majority likely goes back to a dealership.
The researchers concluded that ADAS features such as automated emergency braking, blind-spot detection, lane-departure warnings and rear cameras will lower crash rates by 20% in 2030. What’s noteworthy about that data point is that 45% of ADAS features are deactivated by the consumer.
Factoring in the independent aftermarket’s limited capabilities for ADAS service – and the likelihood that some consumers will forego ADAS repairs if their vehicles are drivable – the total “likely” ADAS opportunity for the aftermarket is $236 million by 2030.
“This is a radical reduction from the total available market to the total likely market,” said Matt Ballard, head of research at Innovatrium. “ … We’re starting off with this low capability in the aftermarket, and it’s growing slowly. And presently, there doesn’t appear to be anything that would change that.”
Still, the researchers concluded that ADAS is a problem worth solving. They identified three major problems that are inhibiting growth of ADAS business in the independent aftermarket.
Problems Worth Solving
1. Cost of ADAS Repairs
The cost of ADAS replacement parts and equipment are out of reach for most shops, the study found. In many cases, only OEM parts are available, and the lack of standardized calibration processes add to the complexity of performing ADAS work.
“Our call to action is we need aftermarket alternatives,” Fish said. “We need parts that can do this. … And then standardized processes are going to increase aftermarket adoption.”
2. Low Shop Competency
ADAS is a new and intimidating technology that requires a high-end diagnostic skillset to properly service it. Some shops say there isn’t enough volume of ADAS work to develop in-house capabilities.
The researchers asserted that more training for technicians is needed to bring shops’ ADAS competency up to speed.
3. Consumer Usage of ADAS
More and more mass-production vehicles now come standard with potentially life-saving ADAS features. However, the real-world application of this technology is troubling, with 45% of ADAS features being deactivated for various reasons.
According to the study, 41% of consumers are shutting off ADAS features because they don’t believe they actually work, while another 41% find these features distracting and 30% believe they’re not needed.
The researchers recommend a combination of consumer education/information; regulations to ensure that ADAS features are being used as they were designed to be used; and verification.
Fish argued that ADAS is on a trajectory that’s similar to the aftermarket’s gradual adoption of the SAE J2534 standard for reprogramming vehicle ECUs. Fifteen years ago, most ECU reprogramming was being sent to a dealership. Today, 80% of mechanical shops with six or more bays are performing their own J2534 reprogramming.
“We have a long way to go, but we’re not going to get there unless we do something about it,” Fish said. “And no one company is going to solve this. It’s just not going to move the needle. We really need all of us together.”
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view
-
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.