What Will You Be Working On Next?

Newly emerging mix of auto materials changes what shops will see tomorrow

by Curt Harler

Every automotive materials industry - steel, aluminum, plastics, glass, and some others - feels its product will be the mainstay of the car of the future.

And what will drive the material chosen to carry the load? Light- weighting and recyclability.

One automotive materials industry expert believes there will be a lot more aluminum in vehicles. He says the amount of aluminum used in cars has doubled in the past 10 years and that the trend will continue. Aluminum castings, used in the transmission housing and engine, already are a major part of most autos. There is also growth in closure panels - doors, trunks, and hoods. Next, he feels, will be structural parts - the body or the frame. Down the road, he hopes to see aluminum become a major component of exterior panels.

Of all the components gaining ground on the traditional steel fraction of vehicles, aluminum has made the most progress. The new Audi A-8, for instance, has more aluminum than any previous vehicle, with about 38 percent of the car made of aluminum.

But What About Steel? Will aluminum replace steel? No. Steel retains the inside track in the auto industry and likely will for the near future. About 55 percent of the typical car today is steel. William Heenan, president of the Steel Recycling Institute, Pittsburgh, Pa., maintains that steel will dominate auto construction for many years, mainly because of its lower cost. "If a material cannot be as safe as steel and as cost-effective as steel, it won't even make it into the ballpark with automakers," he says.

Heenan adds that the existing infrastructure of auto shops with workers trained to work with steel bodes well for steel's long-term viability with auto makers.

"Does it stick to a magnet?" asks Darryl Martin, senior director, Automotive Applications for the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), Washington, D.C. He credits the continued use and recyclability of steel in autos partly to cars being so big that they can't be thrown out and partly to the ease of removing steel and iron from the waste stream.

Steel is about 66 percent of the curb weight of today's car. "You'll hear about other materials like aluminum," AISI's Martin says, "but most of that goes into castings like the engine block. Sheet aluminum is no more than 2 percent of total use."

"The iron atom has Alzheimer's - it doesn't know where it's been, it just knows what it's doing now," Martin says. That makes steel easy to work-and rework, or replace.

Do Carmakers Care? Carmakers need to meet two standards: their new vehicles must be economical to build and to buy, but they also must meet legal requirements for mileage and recyclability. DaimlerChrysler, for example, did an auto design project called CARE: Concepts for Advanced Recycling and Environment. Susan Yester, senior manager of vehicle recycling programs, says the reason the company undertook the CARE project was they understand there is an opportunity to design for the environment. "That includes design for disassembly," she says.

The idea of designing for the environment will go beyond recycling. "Disassembly, gas mileage, and emissions control are critical components," she continues, noting that the design criteria today depend on the market-things are different in North America than in Europe or Asia. Yet, she sees a general globalization of the market. International Standards Organization (ISO) standards are active in the lifecycle area and a standard may be developed for auto lifecycles.

There are changes in vehicle makeup already as manufacturers break new ground. The Audi A-8, mentioned above, has a remarkably large aluminum component; the Ferrari 360 uses an unheard-of amount of aluminum in the chassis and underbody. Perhaps most surprising is the use of plastic in cars. The Lotus Elise actually has a plastic frame. On the other hand, people were surprised in 1953 when the Corvette came out in fiberglass, weren't they?

In recent years, the 2,712-pound DeLorean probably did more to push the design and materials envelope than any other production vehicle. Stephen Wynne, owner of DMC Houston, points out that DeLorean was a rebel in the auto industry. And, Wynne maintains, most innovation will come from outside the orbit of the Big-3 or the Japanese spheres of influence. "It's the smaller companies like Ferrari that are pushing the envelope," Wynne says. "The big manufacturers sit back until the new ideas are proved out."

The typical family car isn't a Lotus or a Ferrari, nor even an Audi A-8 (have you checked the price?); still, when the big boys move, they throw around a lot of weight. In the case of aluminum use, they seem to be throwing out a lot of weight.

Across the market, the use of aluminum has increased six to seven percent per year and the typical 1999 car has about 280 pounds of aluminum in its construction. Some cars, like the Lincoln LS with its V-8 engine, have as much as 450 pounds of aluminum.

Manufacturers will have to find a way to get weight down due to the need for greater fuel economy. The only reasonable way to meet fuel requirements is to reduce weight-with aluminum, automakers can keep the size and lose the weight.

DaimlerChrysler's Yester agrees. "We see a general lightweighting of the vehicle." While she sees a vehicle with steel, aluminum and plastics in the near future, she adds, "It is not completely clear to me what the best solution will be."

What About Plastic? Audi has marketed its aluminum A-8 as allowing buyers to get "class without mass." The message is the same: aluminum is strong, yet light. Does this mean an uphill battle for non-metallics like plastic? Until several environmental issues get worked out, it won't be a severe threat to iron and steel or aluminum.

The Lotus aside, it will be a long time before any sizable percentage of the typical American car is made of plastics. Several different types of plastics, often from dozens of producers, go into a typical car. Pulling the plastic cladding off of the outside of cars is tough to begin with. And making a good-looking repair to plastic is extremely time-intensive.

"Ultra-lightweight steel is a very viable candidate," Yester says, adding that each material has positive aspects. She notes that component type is not the only consideration. Honeycombs and exotic combinations of materials may be in the offing. "But in the next two or three years, I see no major divergence in the components used," she adds. This is because assembly-line manufacturers, turning out 50,000 to 100,000 vehicles, have different considerations than those building boutique cars.

The American Iron and Steel Institute's Southfield, Mich., office is currently running a pair of projects to promote steel-intensive design concepts. GM, Ford, Chrysler and 12 steel companies are funding the projects.

The ULSAB-AVC is one of the projects under way. ULSAB stands for UltraLight Steel Auto Body. AVC is the Advanced Vehicle Concepts consortium that is offering ideas for low-cost, lightweight vehicles that still meet 2004 standards for crashworthiness. A previous program, UltraLight Steel Auto Suspension (ULSAS), focused on a 3,000 pound vehicle; however, the new ULSAB-AVC program focuses on building a 2,000 pound vehicle that still maintains the same size - five passengers and similar trunk room.

The other project in motion is the UltraLight Steel Auto Closures (ULSAC) project that aims to keep steel an integral part of doors, trunk lids and the like.

"From a practical standpoint, it is difficult to design a unique vehicle for every market. So there will be an emphasis on common elements," Yester says.

Other Materials Magnesium and stainless steel are the dark horses in the metals race. Both are real contenders to become an increasingly large part of vehicle makeup. "Magnesium will remain part of the competition for wheels and some castings," an industry expert concedes. Engineers will work out the viability of magnesium based on its performance and cost. It's in the cost area that magnesium has its biggest problem today. However, that could change as economics change. DaimlerChrysler's Yester also predicts an increase in the use of magnesium, but notes that any material-including magnesium-will have to be suitable for mass manufacturing.

Stainless steel is another popular material. Use of stainless is not a new idea. The DeLorean body is stainless steel, rather than ordinary steel. Not many DeLoreans have made it into the recycling loop - first, not many DeLoreans were sold; second, those which are on the market are treasured by their owners.

"As for corrosion resistance, the stainless does not have any problems," Wynne says. "And it is recyclable." Yet he concedes that aluminum is gaining momentum. "It's (light) weight and the new bonding methods make it as integrally strong as steel cars," he adds.

Since stainless is a high-value metal for recycling, it sees periodic revivals in the auto market and these revivals likely will continue, even though there are doubters.

Looking at Recyclability A materials industry expert maintains that it is possible to recycle all of aluminum's various alloys. "Aluminum comes back in high-level uses, not like steel that mainly goes into rebar," he says, maintaining that one-third of the aluminum in today's car is recycled material.

So the battle will continue with lightweighting and recyclability at the heart of the auto design conflict. Several things are certain: the car your shop works on tomorrow will be designed to be taken apart; there will be mandated record keeping on recovery; and the mix of materials recovered will be different. And it will be lighter to handle.

Martin notes that, in addition to end-of-life recyclability, manufacturers will require more recycled content in components used to build the car of the future. "In steel, we are way ahead of the curve and always have been," he says. So for the near term, your shop will still be working with what it knows best.

Curt Harler is a freelance writer based in Strongsville, Ohio.

New composite is quieter, lighter Material Sciences Corp.'s Quiet Steel composite, which is designed to reduce noise and vibration, may be one of the automotive materials of tomorrow. It was chosen by Ford for the dash panel of its 2001 Explorer Sport Trac sport utility vehicle (SUV).

Quiet Steel, which is available through the company's MSC Laminates and Composites subsidiary, is made of a very thin (1/1,000th of an inch thick) polymeric coating "sandwiched" between two metal skins. Manufactured in a high-speed continuous coil, this material can be delivered - in sizes up to 72 inches wide and weighing 50,000 pounds - to automotive stamping plants, and processed in standard transfer press equipment.

To ensure structural integrity of the part, the metal skins can be customized to design engineers' specifications for type and thickness. In addition, the polymeric coating can be tailored to meet their specific noise reduction needs.

For the 2001 Explorer Sport Trac, Ford design engineers set specific targets for overall riding comfort, noise reduction, weight and cost savings. To help meet their goals, they selected Quiet Steel for the instrument dash panel.

The material not only satisfied the vehicles' structural needs, it provided significant noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) benefits. This enabled engineers to remove other materials previously used to reduce NVH, which simplified the vehicle's assembly process.

In addition, Quiet Steel is 100 percent recyclable. Many NVH materials used today are not environmentally friendly and must be separated during the recycling process.

MSC Laminates and Composites engineers worked closely with Ford to develop a dash system that met the three goals necessary to the vehicle's overall development: noise reduction, weight reduction and cost savings.

The primary goal was to reduce noise for passengers. After extensive testing under a variety of conditions, Quiet Steel was chosen as a major contributor to reducing structure-borne noise in the vehicle. For example, it scored 95 percent on speech intelligibility testing. This means when the vehicle is traveling at 35 mph, passengers hear 95 percent of audible speech. A 100 percent rating can only be achieved in an insulated, sound-proof room.

The second goal was to reduce the dash panel's overall weight. Previously, the 27-pound dash was made of four components: a dash insulator, steel dash doubler, mastic deadener and steel dash panel, and engine side fiberglass dash insulator. In the new system, only a Quiet Steel dash panel and fiberglass dash insulators are needed, which reduced assembly time and saved space while weighing only 20 pounds.

The direct savings in material cost and reduction in manufacturing and assembly time will help achieve the third goal: overall cost savings.

Gerald G. Nadig, MSC's chairman, president and chief executive officer, said, "Our Quiet Steel materials have been extremely successful, particularly in automotive power train applications in the last 15 years. Ford's use of Quiet Steel in a major body part sets the stage for additional light vehicle body applications not only at this company, but at General Motors and DaimlerChrysler.

"Today, we have about 50 other applications under development. These include other dash panels, floor pans, roof panels and trunk floors."

Internet Resources for the
“Dot-Com” Interested Shop Owner

by Colby Horton

The "dot-com" revolution is alive and kicking. It seems like every company has an Internet site. So they are not left behind technologically, many shop owners are taking advantage of some up-and-coming Internet sites geared toward the automotive industry. These sites now encompass everything from quick parts ordering, automotive training and information to customer interaction, retention and employment services.

Wheel Alignment Systems New partnerships and software compatibilities are changing the business of wheel alignment. Just as automotive repair has become a technological business, the area of wheel alignment is also becoming more high-tech. New wheel alignment products feature new cabinetry, new computer power features and sometimes, a virtual look into alignment measuring in a three-dimensional perspective for technicians.

Because of the high costs for replacing alignment systems, some companies have begun offering corrosion-resistant upgrades for many pieces of the cabinetry and equipment involved in wheel alignment.

In August, one technology company released a computerized wheelless alignment system. With digital technology, the system makes alignment work easier to perform, since adjustments can be made without wheels in the way. Because of the system's portability, it is no longer necessary to dedicate one service bay of your shop to wheel alignment.

Finally, digital cameras are being used in many areas of the automotive industry. Wheel alignment is no exception. One wheel alignment software program uses pictures taken by digital cameras to provide measurements and to ease the process of adjustments.

With the new wheelless alignment systems we can see just a glimpse of the future of wheel alignment. Digital cameras, computers and changing software programs will continue to make the process of wheel alignment and adjustment much easier.

Safety Features on Newer Vehicles

High Tech Goes Mobile

by Rachael J. Mercer In this age of information and technology, new products for your vehicle are becoming more high-tech and useful than ever before. Imagine products for your car that tell you if you're about to back into something. Or, a device that sees your blind spot and warns you before you make the costly decision to change lanes.

Imagine your vehicle being disabled when a thief attempts to steal it because they don't possess the "chip" needed to activate the electrical system. These products are not imaginary, though. They are quite real, and are available in many places.

Car Security Systems Although security systems often come standard on many vehicles, that doesn't really mean they're as effective as they could be. How many times have you glared in annoyance at a car as its bright lights and screaming siren goes on and on? Many people are apathetic and unresponsive when they hear or see an activated car security system, so many new theft-deterrent systems have been developed with a different goal in mind. Instead of warning passers-by that a car is being tampered with, these products often immobilize the vehicle if the driver is not the one attempting to get inside.

An antitheft immobilizer system developed by Texas Instruments (TI) is a keyless, numberless, wireless system available in many new vehicles. A small electric device, buried in the ignition key, is identified by the vehicle's engine and allows the car to be started. Without a match between the codes within the key and within the engine, the car will remain immobile and unprofitable for would-be car thieves.

In the event your car is stolen, a preventive measure that can identify your car after theft is offered through Entire Car Protection Co. Each window in the car is etched with a permanent identification number. In addition, warning stickers let potential thieves know that the car is identifiable in the event of theft. ECP offers a $2,500 reward to car owners whose vehicles are stolen and not recovered within 30 days.

In the future, TI hopes another electronic product will bring new meaning to the phrase "keyless entry." Without mechanical locks on the exterior of the car, the vehicle's engine will seek out the code in an approaching driver's ignition key or in a plastic code in their wallet or purse. Automatically, the vehicle will unlock itself to allow passengers to enter.

Another new vehicle security and recovery system, STOP Pursuit Termination Technology, is equipped with three interrelated devices. The patented STOP technology first alerts the thief with a voice warning sequence, then disrupts motor function temporarily. Finally, STOP completely disables the engine and maintains a verbal warning until the police department locates the car.

The security system was developed by Stovact Inc. A two-way interface confirms all system commands and alerts owners if the car has been compromised. The system is designed to differentiate between a minor bump and a probable theft. In addition, Stovact offers remote control of car functions, allowing owners to lock and unlock the vehicle as well as warm up or cool down the vehicle by sending page commands from any touch-tone phone via a remote start feature.

Navigation Systems

One new product that many companies are developing and promoting is a navigation system for vehicles. Gone are the days of reading foldout maps while driving down the interstate. Instead, companies like Onstar, Philips Car Systems and Alpine are making getting from one place to the other a much smoother ride.

The Car Navigation System by Alpine simply requires that drivers enter their final destination in the computer before leaving their initial destination. With global positioning system (GPS) satellites that orbit the earth, the Car Navigation System tracks the vehicle and the computer, providing street-by-street navigation information.

The VDO Carin 440 Navigation Radio System, from Philips Car Systems, combines Philips audio entertainment with a navigation system. Spoken directions, accompanied by pictographs, direct the driver turn-by-turn.

The entertainment system is also available with a remote 10-disc CD changer and an in-dash 4-disc CD changer.

Of course, the Onstar system, which is available in many new factory cars, delivers directions, but also allows drivers to contact Onstar operators should they get lost, break down or have an emergency.

To handle the changes in vehicles that have these new direction and navigation systems, many new companies are developing - and established companies like AAA are establishing - new branches. AAA has created a branch, called RESPONSE, to deal with the changing needs of their customers.

In the future, perhaps we'll have vehicles that require operators to key in a destination, sit back, and enjoy the ride. With satellite technology, tracking and directing a vehicle from outer space is now possible. Maybe one day those satellites will actually drive our vehicles for us.

Direction Safety Items AllState Insurance Co. released a survey last summer that stated that 27 percent of all automobile accidents occur while driving in reverse gear. New hi-tech products are eliminating problems with blind spots, mirrors and the difficulty of craning your neck to see the rear of your vehicle.

A product developed by Rostra Precision Controls uses a microwave signal to detect obstacles in vehicle blind spots as far as 12 feet away. Changes in the microwave frequency, which are caused by obstructions in the coverage area, are converted into a tri-color visual display and an audio alert for the driver. The sensor can quickly and easily be installed on the rear of any vehicle.

Similarly, a rear-end collision avoidance system developed by PM Technology works to prevent damage to a vehicle's rear. If a vehicle suddenly decelerated, the system prompts the vehicle's hazard lights to flash - warning cars behind it that they should do the same.

Muth Mirror Systems has also developed a product intended to prevent rear-end collisions. Called Auto Park 2000, the electronic back-up/parking safety system is automatically activated when the transmission is put into reverse gear. Signals inside the car vary in frequency as a car backs up. As it approaches any object - another parked car or a wall - the beeping signals become faster and higher pitched.

Blind spots can often make lane changes confusing and hazardous, but at least two safety products will aid drivers in making safer lane changes. The ALIRT Lane-Changing Alarm is an infrared sensor designed to fit just above side mirrors. As a driver checks the mirror before making a lane change, an LED display flashes to alert the driver if there is an object in the blind spot.

Wide-angle signal mirrors help accommodate safe lane changes by alerting drivers behind or beside the lane-changing vehicle that it plans to change lanes.

This safety accessory performs two functions: the protection of a fully functional signal mirror as well as the expanded visibility of a convex mirror.

When a turn signal is activated, chevrons flash in the corresponding wide-angle signal mirror to alert drivers in blind spots around and behind the vehicle. When hazard lights are activated, chevrons flash in the mirrors on both sides of the vehicle.

Other New Products Spare Tank is a newly introduced non-flammable fuel replacement product that aims to help motorists whose gas tanks run empty while on the road. Since we know it's unsafe to keep gasoline, which is flammable, in our trunks, this fuel replacement product is the safest alternative to gas, and is the quickest way to get your vehicle back on the road after running out of fuel. Another safe fuel additive now available is Pennzoil's Rescue. Both products are compatible with all gasoline-powered vehicles.

For motorists who travel to new cities, a new product similar to a laser detector is handy. The product, called RX500, brings together state-of-the-art technologies to alert the driver to all bands of radar, laser and other detection devices, but also informs drivers of road hazards, upcoming train crossings and approaching emergency vehicles. RX500 also acts as a digital compass, displaying directional information with numeric digits and cardinal points.

As the priority for motorists becomes safety and safer driving, products like these will most likely become mainstream, and perhaps one day will be standard on new vehicles and installed in most used vehicles. Just as continuing technology changes your life in your home, shop and office, so will technology continue to change vehicles and the products inside them.

Where's the Remote?

TV and other modern conveniences are enhanced and ready to hit the highways

by Levy Joffrion Technological advances are finding their way into vehicles more and more. And the coming years promise even more.

For example, Ford Motor Co. will equip its 2001-model-year vehicles with voice-activated systems offering advanced security features and information access. These systems will be standard on select Lincoln luxury vehicles and optional on Ford Focus in Europe, and Ford reports that other applications will be announced shortly.

The telematics systems will include the option of voice-activated access to personalized Internet information including news, stock quotes and weather. This telematics rollout will be expanded to virtually all Ford vehicles worldwide over the next several years.

"In the first years of the 20th century, Ford Motor Co. pioneered affordable personal transportation for ordinary people," said Jac Nasser, Ford president and chief executive officer. "In this new century, Ford will make affordable, advanced in-vehicle communications technology available to millions of customers."

Telematics refers to advanced in-vehicle communications and information technologies and services. Examples include wireless phones, navigation systems, satellite radio and Internet connectivity.

Also available are in-motion satellite television systems that enable occupants of recreational vehicles and motor coaches to enjoy television while the vehicle is in motion. Formerly, satellite television could be received only while the vehicles were at rest.

KVH Industries Inc.'s TracVision LM is said to be an effective, reliable and affordable system that maintains satellite contact in mobile environments by sensing vehicle motion and automatically adjusting the antenna position.

Prior to the development of TracVision LM, the most affordable and commonly used options for recreational vehicles and motor coaches in the United States were automatic acquiring or crank-up units that could receive satellite television only while vehicles were at rest.

Also among technological advancements is the Tri-Zone HVAC system that is standard equipment on the Cadillac DeVille 2000.

It's an automatic climate control with three distinct zones — for the left-front, right-front and rear-seat occupants. A separate HVAC control panel is provided for rear passenger use. A larger air conditioning condenser helps increase system capacity, and a new scroll-type A/C compressor works more quietly than the previous piston-type compressor, Cadillac claims.

And interiors are getting quieter. For example, up-scale cabin refinement for Volkswagen's smallest vehicle, the Lupo, pleases manufacturers and customers alike. Noise, vibration and harshness engineers worked to ensure that the Lupo is on par, in those areas, with its siblings —the Golf and Passat.

Volkswagen worked closely with 3M in coming up with the lightweight and highly absorbent Thinsulate acoustic insulation, sealing out noise and adhering to strict weight parameters. Previous solutions for cabin refinement had produced increased weight to the detriment of fuel economy.

Volkswagen is the latest manufacturer to use the lightweight, synthetic insulation, but other 3M customers include General Motors, Nissan, Fiat, Toyota and Daimler/Chrysler.

To Meet Growing Demand for In-Vehicle Services

AAA launches new company AAA has formed Response Services Center, LLC, a new company that will allow AAA to deliver wireless mobile emergency assistance and travel information.

The company opened its new facility last month in Columbia, Md., a suburb of Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area. Full-scale operations will begin the fourth quarter of this year.

For now, AAA's 43 million members will continue to receive emergency road service in the same manner they always have; however, Response will give AAA the ability to deliver advanced in-vehicle travel and Internet services as the technology matures and gains wide consumer acceptance.

AAA plans to use Response to integrate mobile access to its database of maps, TourBook guides and other travel guidance information, as well as AAA-inspected and approved auto repair shops, lodgings, restaurants and campgrounds.

Response computer operators will be able to receive and interpret wireless global positioning satellite (GPS) data to pinpoint customer locations. The new company also will process automatic as well as driver-initiated requests for 911 emergency assistance, emergency road service, travel information, anti-theft auto tracking, remote door unlocking, route guidance and travel information/reservations. The wireless and automotive industries call bundled services of this type telematics.

"Response is the gateway to the future of emergency roadside assistance and real-time travel information access for AAA members and other consumers," said Marshall L. Doney, vice president, AAA Automotive Services.

Wireless industry veteran Daniel L. Dickerson, formerly of ORBCOMM USA and Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln RESCU development team at Westinghouse, is president of the new company.

Spray-On Bedliner Technology Owners of light trucks continually search for ways to protect their investments. For years, truck owners had to turn to plastic or rubber bedliners if they wanted to protect the beds of their trucks. Now, thanks to new technology, spray-on bedliners are becoming increasingly more popular and easier to install.

In the past, plastic bedliners allowed water and debris to become trapped underneath, promoting rust and corrosion. Spray-on bedliners prevent this from happening by forming a watertight seal. Also, the newer techniques allow the truck bed to resist scratches and abrasions. For the truck owner, this eliminates any high maintenance such as waxing or repainting.

The spray-on technique also allows the owner to match or complement the color of the vehicle. In the past, most plastic bedliners were manufactured in black only. Now, spray-on bedliners provide the option of colors that can be added to any bedliner.

Perma-Tech, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, now offers the industry's first glow-in-the-dark bedliner. The company uses a polyurethane chemical that can glow for up to 10 hours. The bedliner is sprayed on to 1/4-inch thick and comes in a variety of colors including yellow, blue and purple.

Although spray-on bedliners are primarily used for trucks, durability of the product has caused some companies to extend its uses. Ultimate Linings introduced polyurethane truck bedliners in the late 1980s and has developed a formula for applications in industrial and commercial uses as well. It has extended its product to trailers, vans, campers, boats and tank trucks. In addition, its liners can be used in walk-in coolers and fertilizer spreaders. This helps its dealers go beyond the light truck class.

Spray-on bedliners can also help reduce noise and road vibrations. These bedliners are permanently attached and will not shift due to rough roads. Also, the lining protects against load shifting because of its non-slip textured material. For the consumer, there is no maintenance involved, such as tightening screws or repairing cracks or splits in the liner.

Installation of these bedliners involves training. But the technology is improving and spray-on bedliners are becoming easier to install.

In many applications, installers must first lightly sand down the bed of the truck for the chemical to adhere and then the vehicle is sprayed in a booth. The entire process takes about an hour to an hour and a half if done by experienced technicians. SWD Urethane in Mesa, Ariz., has designed its product to cure in eight to 10 seconds into a hard surface.

Most companies offer training to new dealers and installers. Ultimate Linings sends technical trainers to your shop to help set up and install the complete system. They will train you and your staff on the latest, proven methods of equipment setup and maintenance, as well as overall technique. Ultimate Linings also offers technical support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The sales of trucks are increasing rapidly and the need for durable bedliners is growing. If you are looking to expand your shop's capabilities, you might look toward spray-on bedliners as a potential investment.

Automatic Transmissions Aston-Martin has developed a new standard in automatic transmissions. The company's new "Touchtronic" transmission allows gear changes to be made with the touch of a button, instituting limited slip differential.

The new "Touchtronic" transmission makes it possible for the driver to choose between three electronically controlled operating modes - six-speed standard automatic, five-speed sport automatic or optional "Touchtronic" gearshift system. The advanced electronics prevent any occurrence of missed gears or over revving of the engine. A gear lever has been installed, offering effortless automatic changes. While driving in any of the operating modes, the driver may re-select the standard automatic mode by simply moving a lever.

These three transmission modes offer simplicity and ease of changing gears at the touch of a button.

Fuel Injector Aftermarket is Primed for Growth As the number of fuel-injected vehicles on the road continues to rise and the number of injectors installed per vehicle increases, the aftermarket for fuel injectors is expected to show impressive growth.

According to strategic research conducted by Frost & Sullivan (www.frost.com), U.S. Fuel Injector Aftermarket, revenues for the total market have climbed from $228.5 million in 1998 to $242.0 million in 1999. Market growth is anticipated through 2005.

Although fuel injection was introduced in the late 1980s, it was not until the early 1990s that it was widely applied to cars. With a life expectancy of around 10 years, those early fuel injectors are now coming in for repair and replacement, boosting aftermarket revenues.

"The pace of technological advancement in this market is expected to accelerate as automakers develop new technologies to meet changing emission standards," says Frost & Sullivan analyst Meenakshi Ganjoo. "Designers are mainly looking to improve reliability, performance and cost-effectiveness of fuel injectors."

"Though changes are generally driven by OEMs, aftermarket manufacturers need to keep pace with new technologies," says Ganjoo. "Under such circumstances, understanding OE specifications and achieving OE standards is difficult, as it requires extensive research and testing facilities."

Meanwhile, changing EPA standards and automakers' desire to have smaller, lighter and longer-lasting fuel injectors have resulted in an explosion of part numbers. Some say the biggest challenge for aftermarket suppliers is to supply all variations of injectors that are available, including numerous new designs.

Although there has been some consolidation in part numbers, suppliers are reluctant to continue that trend because of the possibility that replacements will fail to meet EPA standards. Fuel injector distributors and installers consider parts coverage a major criteria in choosing a supplier, second only to quality.

Source: Frost & Sullivan, an international marketing consulting and training company that monitors the fuel injector aftermarket for market trends, market measurements and strategies.