September 2007 Premier Magazine is published by Knorr-Bremse for the UK Commercial Vehicle Industry

Inside: Braketech Northern VLS C P T

N e s t l é A l e x a n d e r D e n n i s - P a r t s

Distribution Ask The Experts - Spurious Parts

Special Service Centres

c o n t e n t s

Welcome to Knorr-Bremse

Premier Magazine is published by Knorr-Bremse Systemsfor Commercial Vehicles Limited.All articles have been approved by donor companiesand/or organisations before going to press and thereforeunderstood to be correct at the time of going to press.Responsibility for any misinformation contained withinapproved articles supplied by donor companies and/ororganisations cannot be accepted by Knorr-Bremse ortheir agents. Any opinions expressed in any suchinformation are not necessarily accepted or endorsed bythe company.

Should you have any news or viewsabout our magazine please contact:

Tim FordSales and Marketing ManagerMobile: 07977 988851Rebecca StoneSales and Marketing Communications ExecutiveTel: 0117 9846 207

Knorr-BremseSystems for Commercial Vehicles LtdCentury HouseFolly Brook RoadEmerald Park EastEmersons GreenBristol BS16 7FE

Tel: 0117 9846 100Fax: 0117 9846 101

Email: premier@knorr-bremse.comwww.knorr-bremse.co.uk

Simon Craddock

magazine

Preliminary European studiesconsidering the potential benefits ofvehicles being equipped withAdvanced Safety Systems such asAutomatic Emergency Brakingutilising sensors to measure therelative speed and distance betweentwo vehicles, and Lane DepartureWarning and Lane ChangeAssistance systems could ultimatelyprevent around 11,000 fatalities and70,000 serious injuries per yearacross the EU. In 2006 Knorr-Bremsespent nearly £100 million onresearch and development in thepursuit of safer driving, and yet atthe same time low cost spuriousparts are being sold in the UK likethe spring brake on the front coverwhich fell off a vehicle after 6weeks. Is it really worth cuttingcorners on safety criticalcomponents…?

Simon CraddockManaging DirectorMobile: 07977 988843

Knorr-BremseService Centres

22/23

Braketech Northern:Knorr-BremseService Centre

VLS:The Operation at

Northumbria Water

Confederation of Passenger Transport

Nestlé:Ralph Defty

talks to Premier

Alexander Dennis:Parts Distribution

16/17

12/15

10/11

06/09

04/05

Tim Ford:Spurious Parts Special

18/21

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and put forward a proposal to supply on a nationalfooting,” Reed recalls. “At the time, Braketech was onlya banner under which, we the members, sold ourservices.”Since then, Braketech has become synonymous withbrake servicing excellence after Reed pioneeredaccreditation for relining, profiling and machiningbrake shoes and drums through an Institute of RoadTransport Engineers’ (IRTE) scheme. VariousGovernment departments provided support beforethe launch.“We are currently working on the fourth and fifthlevel of the license which will be to do withdiagnostics,” says Reed. “Because we have gone theextra mile, we were offered business by various axleand truck manufacturers and the volumes of businesscontinued to grow.”Although Braketech is operated with six other CVcomponent distributors, Reed owns and controlsBraketech (Northern) which he runs as a separate

We travel toHetton-le-Hole nearDurham, on a thunderyday in mid July, where afresh approach to brakeservicing anddiagnostics is helpingPeter Reed to expand abusiness he originallyset up with his wife Annmore than 30 years ago.

Knorr-Bremse Service Centre - Braketech Northern Ltd

GuySheppardmeetsPeter Reed& David LeeIt originated in Hetton-le-Hole and is now sweepingthrough much of the commercial vehicle servicingmarket. Located midway between Sunderland andDurham, the former mining town is the headquartersof a business that is helping to transform the waybrake servicing and diagnostics are done in some ofthe UK’s biggest distribution and PSV fleets.Peter Reed, managing director of NETS Truck, Trailerand Bus Parts, realised back in the 1990s that therewas an urgent need of a national approach to partsand servicing. The idea stemmed from a regionalservicing contract with a major supermarket whichwas looking for a similar high standard of serviceprovided by NETS across the country. As a result, anew joint venture business called Braketech wasformed with other independent CV parts specialists.“I invited a number of company principals in thesector with an engineering capability to a meeting

business from NETS. He also operates the entire UKnational parts’ distribution service for the Germantrailer manufacturer Krone. “As a result of introducing accreditation in 2002,people have been drawn to us, particularly buscompanies, says Reed. “It gave them the confidencethat they are getting the very best practice principlesand products available in the brake service products.”He believes his business fills a vital niche in the CVmarket as well.“One of our main customer targets are the truckdealerships who in turn tend to service and repairtrailers of various types and makes. We provide themwith our overall understanding of the trailer partsmarket coupled with an extremely high service levelenabling them to focus on their own market sector operations. Providing solutions, parts, brake servicetechnology and sorting out problems for people ishow we make our living.”Also the extra business that has come from various

We recognise the fact that we needcapable and motivated people“

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axle and truck manufacturers has resulted in rapidexpansion. Both the Hetton-le-Hole premises andReed’s workforce, which is now 50-strong, havedoubled in size over the last seven years.

Braketech (Northern) is now one of the largest brakerelining businesses in the UK and was recently givenKnorr-Bremse service centre status after meeting thecompany’s stringent criteria. Operations director DavidLee, says its success is down to knowledge, interestand enthusiasm of its brake engineers coupled withrecommendations from customers. “It gives customersconfidence that they are getting the very best productavailable combined with best practice and servicing.”Reed and his fellow directors are now planning torecruit two national sales managers to further expandthe national Braketech operation.“We recognise the fact that we need capable andmotivated people to expand the business. One willlook after chemicals and consumables and the otherwill focus on HGV fleets and the PSV industry.”But he stresses that staff loyalty has played a key rolein his own business which he started with wife Ann33 years ago, including sons Mark and James. “Wehave a nucleus of committed members of staff whohave been with us some considerable time.”When asked about the future Reed says: “Ourintention is to steadily grow our own businesses,NETS, Braketech (Northern), Krone Parts DistributionUK, and of course, in the wider world, Braketech Ltd.”He believes one factor likely to encourage expansion isthe increasing demand for quality parts and servicing.“There are all sorts of people selling parts cheaperthan us and when they fit them they don’t workbecause they haven’t been programmed properly. It’snot like conventional selling where you say ‘roll up, rollup you can have this for 10p’, it’s selling from aknowledge base.”

L to R - David Lee & Peter Reedwww.braketech.co.uk

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At £160,000-a-time, the vehicles used byNorthumbrian Water for sewage removal areassets that clearly need sweating to justify theinvestment. Guy Sheppard discovers howdowntime on servicing has been cut dramatically, byensuring that the braking systems of each tractor unitexactly match their trailer.

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Away from it all in the heart of the Pennines are astring of reservoirs that supply people in the northeast of England with their water. The vast open spacesare home to abundant wildlife, attracting walkers,cyclists and anglers as well as people simply out toenjoy breathtaking views across some of the mostunspoilt and remote parts of the country.Northumbrian Water is understandably proud of thereservoirs which blend in with their naturalsurroundings and provide enormous recreationalopportunities for the conurbations on Tyneside,Wearside and Teeside. Just off the A68 and four mileswest of Castleside, turn south at the Manor House puband follow the road into the valley. There you’ll findDerwent reservoir, 40 years old this year and with its1000 acre site, the most visited fishery of theNorthumbrian Water reservoirs.But there is another side to the company’s business -treating sewage from households and businesses, farless enchanting, but just as important to maintaininga healthy local environment. Unless the company’ssewage works operate efficiently, rivers will becomepolluted, marine life will be damaged and, ultimately,people’s lives will be threatened.

Northumbria. The magnificent Derwent reservoir is 40 years old this year.

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A fleet of six 44-tonne tankers play a pivotal role inensuring that this function is done to the higheststandards. They are on the go 24 hours-a-day, sevendays-a-week, transferring the by-products of sewagetreatment works to reprocessing plants so that alldangerous toxins are removed before being sent tolandfill sites. There is no break for holidays and the investment inthe vehicles is high because the company simplycannot afford to have any of them out of action for anextended period due to mechanical failures. This isbecause the storage capacity for the sludge at eachsewage works is strictly limited.

The tankers, which have a 30,000 litre capacity, arebrought in for a standard service inspection onceevery six weeks. This is done by Vehicle and LeaseService (VLS), a joint venture business set up in 1999by Northumbrian Water and CE Electric (formerlyNorthern Electric) to supply, maintain and manageboth their fleets as well as those of other utility andpublic sector organisations.Fleet engineer Dave Foster says the brakingsystem of each Northumbrian Water tanker is exposedto unusually high levels of wear and tear. “Sewageworks have to be near people so a lot of the work isaround towns with plenty of stop-starts. Automatictransmission in the trucks also means that the brakestake a lot more punishment than if it was manualtransmission.”

Three years ago, VLS decided to explore how theamount of downtime spent on servicing brakes couldbe reduced. “We were looking at having TIM (TrailerInformation Module) units fitted to give us moremaintenance data,” recalls Foster. We were unable tofit these modules to our existing trailers as we werenot using full Knorr-Bremse braking systems at thistime. The (TIM ) unit could also tell us whether theroll stability control on the trailer had actually beenactivated.Northumbrian Water’s tankers are supplied by WhaleTankers with axles made by DaimlerChrysler.Although these have in partial Knorr-Bremse brakingsystems, Foster says the significance of matchingthem up with the systems on the tractor units hadbeen missed. Knorr-Bremse pointed out that withoutinformation about the braking pressures, it wasimpossible to verify whether the tractor unit or thetrailer was doing all the braking work. We had nevercoupled a trailer to a tractor unit and analysed theirrespective braking pressures. That meant we didn’tknow if they all matched together and consequentlywe now get Knorr-Bremse engineers to carry out theinitial synchronisation whenever a new tanker comeson stream. We can do this with confidence as tractorunits are always paired with the same trailers.The opportunity to improve things arose when thetrailers came up for replacement and we worked withthe technical people from Knorr-Bremse to come upwith a specification that would improve reliability,reduce vehicle downtime and give us extrainformation about the braking system.

To achieve a longer brake life, Knorr-Bremse andDaimlerChrysler produced a specification for the rotor,brake pads and calipers against the operatingconditions under which the tankers operated.Foster says: “Once they were happy that the trailerunits were set up correctly, Knorr-Bremserecommended that we work with their local agent.”This is Braketech Northern, based at Hetton-le-Holenear Sunderland, which ensures the correctspecifications were maintained when servicing. “Wenow phone up Braketech and ask for a set of pads,rotors or calipers for a particular trailer,” explainsFoster. “They will have a data sheet registered to thattrailer so they can supply us with the correct part.”He adds that the requirements for each combinationare all slightly different. “Although it works for us, itmight not elsewhere - the specs relate exactly towhat these tankers do.”The results of the change have been dramatic withcalipers and rotors now lasting twice as long as beforeand the life of disc pads being extended by 70%. “Weused to pull the vehicles in every four months andwere getting through two sets of discs each year,” saysFoster. “Now we are getting more than a year out ofthe discs.”More significantly, the amount of down time neededto maintain the vehicles has dropped dramatically aswell. “We are talking about a week’s extra use out ofthe vehicle every year as a result of these changes,”observes Foster.

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The importance of this saving is underlined by thefact that the typical lifespan of each tractor unit is fiveyears and each trailer is seven years. The joint cost ofboth when new is around £160,000.Foster originally joined Northumbrian Water in 1975having served his apprenticeship as a fitter with aFord car dealer. He has seen many changes over theyears but the increasing pressure to reduce down timeis one of the biggest. “When I joined, tankers wererunning from 7.30am to 5.00pm. They now run 24hours-a-day. If a lot of money has been spent on atanker, you want to get the full value out of it. They’reexpensive pieces of kit to have parked up doingnothing. “It’s all about giving the user maximum useof the vehicle while satisfying people like VOSA(Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) at the sametime.”VLS has 10 workshops which are mainly scatteredaround the north east of England. Foster spends mostof his time working with contract managers ensuringthat the specification for each vehicle is correct.

In addition to the 44-tonne sewage tankers, there aremore than 80 other trucks within the NorthumbrianWater fleet. Foster also has to deal with a wide rangeof vehicles connected with the electricity supplyindustry such as pole trucks and crane wagons.“The thing that makes my job different is the varietyof equipment that we’re supplying into the parentcompanies. If you ran curtainside trucks up and downthe country for a supermarket, that’s all you’d everhave.”Inevitably, given the diverse nature of the vehiclesFoster is dealing with, the problems he has to dealwith are often unexpected. “You are reacting toproblems and requests as they occur,” he says.

He is a firm believer in working together as a teamto find the best solutions, pointing out how thepartnership with Knorr-Bremse, DaimlerChrysler andWhale, produced such dramatic improvements tobrake servicing. “In VLS, it’s a team effort between thecompliance manager, the head of workshops andmyself. If you don’t have that little triangle in place, itdoesn’t work very well.We all bounce ideas off each other.”

They now run 24 hours-a-day“ ”

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While bus and coach travel is recognised as the safestform of road transport, when accidents do happen theconsequences can be very serious. So when anoperator’s vehicle was involved in a fatal accident onthe continent recently, two experienced members ofthe Confederation of Passenger Transport’s CrisisControl service spent the weekend handling theintense media scrutiny that followed, enabling theoperator to focus on sorting out the aftermath of theaccident.This incident reflects the hands-on style of theConfederation of Passenger Transport UK (CPT), atrade association recognised by the Government asthe voice of the coach, bus and light rail industries.The CPT is the focus for consultation and negotiationon national and international legislation, localregulations, operational practices and engineeringstandards.The confederation has 1100 member companies,ranging from major, multi-national, stock exchangelisted transport operators to the smallest familybusinesses. The organisation’s activities are similarlywide-ranging – from lobbying cabinet ministers onprimary legislation, to advising Joe Bloggs Coachesabout seat-belt anchorages and the intricacies ofdrivers’ hours rules.

Operators’ voices heardMember companies also benefit directly from theCPT’s access to politicians and policy advisors at alllevels. As the CPT is consulted on changes inlegislation and policy, it is well placed to ensure thatmembers' voices are heard and their interestssafeguarded at the heart of Government.According to the CPT’s Chief Executive, SimonPosner, trade associations exist to support theirmembers and further their interests, to defend themwhen they are under fire, and to establish a commonposition on issues affecting the environment in whichthey operate.“Without such a body, individual companies are, in a

A trade association with teeth: the Confederation of Passenger Transport

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very real sense, on their own” said Simon Posner.“It is extremely difficult for one company to influencegovernment regulations – at home and in Europe –and to ensure that the law-makers fully understandwhat the practical effect of their decisions will be.Without a trade association, it is almost impossible forcompanies to know what is going on in the variousauthorities that regulate their industry, and to knowwhat threats or opportunities may be in the pipeline.It is only when companies act together that the voiceof an entire industry is heard, and that legislators areobliged to take note.”

Keeping track of costsIn the absence of any reliable industry cost statistics,the CPT decided in 2003 to compile an index of itsown. Using figures supplied by volunteer membercompanies in each region, the index tracksmovements in operators’ key costs and combinesthem to give an overall figure for changes. In the year to December ‘06, the CPT’s statisticsshowed that members’ overall operating costsincreased by 7.1%, with a 5.9% increase reported inmaintenance materials. With growing costs and thedownward pressure on fares, the organisation urgesits member companies not to risk cutting corners toreduce running costs.“Despite our industry’s excellent safety record thereare nevertheless occasions when a serious accidentinvolving a coach does occur. The CPT providessupport to the member operators involved and wepromote adherence to the highest engineering andsafety standards as a matter of course.” Mr Posnerexplained. “If members are offered safety-critical partsat significantly reduced prices we’d urge them toestablish the real origins of the part concerned; if itdoesn’t have a recognised vendors’ name and partnumber the chances are that in-service performancewill be significantly reduced and there may be norecourse to a manufacturer in the event of anyaccident that might result.“

by Steve Law

www.cpt-uk.org

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RalphDefty& thechocolatefactory

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Nestlé manufactures andmarkets some of the world’smost successful food andbeverage brands – Kit Kat,Quality Street, Aero, Smarties,Buitoni, Shredded Wheat,Cheerios, Nescafé and Carnationto name just a few.With headquarters in Vevey,Switzerland, it’s the world'sbiggest food and beveragecompany, employing over250,000 people andwith factories oroperations inalmost everycountryaroundtheglobe.

Health & Safety Pays at Nestlé‘Health & Safety’ is not an expression used lightly atNestlé, the world’s biggest food and beveragecompany. In fact it underpins all aspects of theorganisation, from product design throughmanufacture to customer service. It is this far-reaching commitment to health and safety, driven bythe company’s most senior management, that hashelped Nestlé achieve such a powerful combination ofcommercial success and consumer satisfaction on aglobal scale. One of the most dynamic and critical aspects of theNestlé business is the logistics of product distribution.As the last link in the physical supply chain theintegrity of this link – in terms of security, quality,efficiency and environmental considerations – isparamount. Nestlé demands that every stage of thisprocess meets or exceeds the highest standards.

Nestlé’s UK Logistics network is based upon twomajor distribution hubs - Bardon in Leicestershire andYork, on the multi acre site originally founded byRowntrees. The York warehouse has a 38,000 palletworking capacity and will despatch close on half amillion pallets during 2007. York generally servescustomers north of a line passing from Stoke toNottingham, so it covers Scotland and is alsoresponsible for deliveries to customers in NorthernIreland and the Nestlé’ distribution centre in SouthernIreland. Graham Lyon LGV Fleet Manager responsible for allaspects of the own fleet, and Ralph Defty VehicleEngineering Foreman responsible for the vehicleworkshops have worked at York for over 30 years. With a requirement to ship some 115 million cases ofNestlé product per year, equating to 100,000 loadsand an annual mileage close to 18 million km. Nestlécontracts out around 90 per cent of its deliveries.However, that still leaves Ralph Defty, and his team ofsix mechanics and two body specialists, with 180trailers on core fleet and 13 chocolate tankers tomaintain in perfect condition. On top of this, they’reresponsible for 15 Scania tractor units that must beavailable to meet an extremely demanding 24/7schedule.

Nestlé Logistics VehicleEngineering Foreman,Ralph Defty, gives Premier’sSteve Law the inside story..

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Trust“We are extremely demanding in our selection of unitand component suppliers - in this business you haveto work with partners that you can be certain will bearound to support you in the longer term” said RalphDefty. “Nestlé is a very large organisation but it doesrecognise the value of building close relationshipswith individual suppliers; the trust that can be builtup over a number of years works to the advantage ofboth parties, particularly when you do hit problems.”

Knorr-Bremse has been contributing to Nestlé’simpressive fleet Safety performance for many years.Like Nestlé, Knorr-Bremse places safety at the head ofits corporate mission, and believes that hands-onexperience is the best way to convince customers ofthe real advances in road safety provided by itssystems. Having brought trailers into the fleet with anincreased overall height, Graham and Ralph werekeen to check out the Knorr-Bremse roll stabilitysolution as soon as it was launched. Knorr-Bremsesaid ‘come down and try it for yourself ’, so they did.“It was quite an experience” said Ralph Defty, “I couldcertainly feel the difference when the RSP wasswitched on and off!”The Roll Stability Program (RSP) uses a lateralacceleration sensor fitted in the braking system toprotect heavy vehicle trailers against roll over. On thestrength of the demonstration and the companies’existing history of close partnership – Nestlé has usedthe TEBS trailer electronic braking systems for years –RSP was specified on all new trailers with immediateeffect. There are already 20 RSP equipped trailers inthe fleet and a further 15 will be added this year. As a further precaution with the emphasis on healthand safety, Graham advised, we put all of our driversthrough the advanced LGV driving training course andtest.”“In terms of supplier relationships product andpersonal integrity are of equal importance” RalphDefty added. “We look for a quality product and weassess the value on a lifetime basis – we’re notlooking for a cheap solution. But we must also be ableto rely upon the quality of partners’ advice andsupport. With Knorr-Bremse I know they’ll doeverything to support us if the need arises. If I have aquestion we can talk it through on the phone orthey’ll just drop in. That’s what we look for in all ofour suppliers – people that will support us. With ourpartners we’re in for the long term.

Fine art“We’ve got the management of our trailers andtractors down to a fine art so utilization levels are nowextremely high” Graham Lyon explained. “The tractorsare running around the clock and there’s no waiting toload. With 180 trailers on the core fleet we canpre-load for any collection or delivery. Every stage ofthe process has been optimised and we’re notrestrained by loading or tipping restrictions on ourown inter-factory transport.”“Our trailer fleet is roughly half tri-axle and halftandem.” Ralph Defty added. “We run them for 15years, and the tractor units for eight years, so effectivepreventative maintenance plays a critical part inmaximising fleet availability and utilization whileminimising the overall costs of total life ownership. The vehicle engineering team complete in-depthtraining courses – and receive regular updates – fromall of the company’s key suppliers, and the Yorkworkshop is equipped with the same diagnosticssystems as used by the manufacturers. The trailers aresafety inspected every eight weeks.Nestlé is authorised for in-house warranty by all of itskey suppliers. It also keeps extremely detailed recordson the integrity, performance and costs of all unitsand related components so it always has a clear,objective view of what works well and what doesn’t,together with a breakdown of the associated costscalculated on a lifetime basis.

Non negotiableThe combination of an in-house fleet operator andmaintenance provider is becoming increasingly rare,and it’s a tribute to the efficiency of the York operationthat it has succeeded for so long. Ralph Defty puts thisdown to the ability to keep an eye on the smallestdetails without losing focus on the ‘big picture.’“Clearly we can never lose sight of the financialdimension, but we also instil in our people that safetyis non-negotiable; routine processes such as applyinghandbrakes when parking trailers in the yard, makingsafety observations, reporting near misses andhazards are now second nature to the team.” GrahamLyon explained. “knowing that our vehicles are fittedwith the safest braking and stability systems is veryreassuring and supports our drive for a high priorityon health and safety. ”

Some of the longestestablished Nestléconfectionery brands.1916 - Walnut Whip1933 - Black Magic 1935 - Aero 1936 - Dairybox 1936 - Quality Street1937 - Kit Kat, Rolos & Smarties1948 - Polo Mints1957 - Munchies1959 - Caramac1962 - After Eight

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I could certainlyfeel the differencewhen the RSP wasswitched on and off! ”

“

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“

Alexander Dennisparts distribution

Bus and coach manufacturer Alexander Dennis has spent thepast three years investing in its aftermarket business to

ensure the company is equipped to service its growingcustomer base, which includes operators in 20 countries,

including significant presence in Hong Kong and theemerging North American market. Sharon Clancy visits the

Guildford centre

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the low-costoption in thelong-term ”

“

Alexander Dennis expects to see a further trendtowards pence-per-mile packages and morecomprehensive contracts including full vehiclemaintenance in the bus sector, reports Williams. Thecompany has just secured further long-term deals tosupply ”pence-per-mile” contracts with LondonGeneral, Travel West Midlands and Travel London, andrecently secured the first contract of this type withArriva London. “When companies tender for a routemany of their fixed costs including the purchase priceof the vehicle are already determined, and they willbe able to forecast fuel, staffing and service costs.The largest variable cost will be the value of theserviceable parts.”Parts availability is a key factor, says Williams. “We usecomplex forecasting tools and will go to great lengthsto get vehicles back on the road quickly. It is criticalthat genuine parts are available, otherwise thetemptation may be for operators to seek non-genuinealternatives.”

Original component suppliers play an important rolein this by increasing production to meet demand, hesays. “That’s why we are pleased that Knorr-Bremse isincreasing production of its disc brakes andcomponents again in 2007 to meet the marketdemand for genuine parts.”

Fit for the 21st centuryAt the heart of Alexander Dennis’s Aftermarketdivision is a state-of-the-art customer call centrebased at the Guildford manufacturing location. This issupported by the sophisticated parts distributioncentre at Skelmersdale, Lancashire which is also theAftermarket head quarters.The Guildford call centre handles around 2,500 calls aweek from customers with parts orders, warrantyclaims and technical queries. All calls are routed viathe centre, with the ability to transfer customers withmore complex enquiries to technical and engineeringspecialists located at other sites. “Our aim is to answerevery call within 30 seconds,” explains Williams. “Wealso believe in having engineers on the end of the linewho can advise operators on any problems they maybe experiencing.”The company is encouragingcustomers to place orders electronically so our staffcan focus on supporting them, not on transcribingverbal orders into the computer system.”The 45,000 sq ft central distribution warehouse atSkelmersdale has over 22,500 parts in stock, from 800different suppliers. On average the companydispatches over 1,800 parts every day, including thosefor other vehicle makes. “We are in a good position tooffer similar support on specialist product like AirBrake components to customers operating othervehicle makes as we do our own. This ensures thoseparts come from the original equipment supplier andprovide operators with peace of mind,” says Williams.

Rob Williams - head of parts sales, stresses thatthe company is more than simply another distributorto the PSV industry. “As a vehicle manufacturer we arecommitted to whole-life support, not just in theshort-term. We also know that using genuinereplacement parts from the original equipmentsupplier is the low-cost option in the long-term,especially on arduous urban bus operations.”Alexander Dennis only supplies genuine air brakeparts. “Some companies supplying bus operatorsstock both genuine and non-genuine parts for thesame vehicle, but it is important that the customerknows exactly what they are getting.”Re-manufactured parts from a third-party suppliermay lull some into a false sense of security, warnsWilliams. “We refer to them as being ‘repairedparts’, because that’s what they are more likely to be.They are not the same level of quality as a genuinenew part or an original equipment remanufacturedpart which are built to very exacting specifications.”

www.alexander-dennis.com

Q. Why buy an original part when you can turna blind eye and save up to 50% elsewhere?

A. Because the ‘savings’ conceal a potentialthreat to your business, your customers andyour reputation; you may even be puttinglives at risk!

Spurious parts specialContact: Tim FordSales & Marketing ManagerMobile: 07977 988851tim.ford@knorr-bremse.com

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Industry-wide concerns about thein-service performance of spuriousparts and the growing number ofattempts to pass off product asso-called ‘genuine re-engineeredparts’, calls for greater awareness andunderstanding of the issues by allconcerned.

For this issue, Premier has broughttogether the views of two of theindustry’s most experienced partsdistributors, Alan Bekkers of Drakefieldand Geoff Dwight of ImperialEngineering, some new perspectiveson manufacturing by Tim Ford ofKnorr-Bremse, and a request for moreevidence of spurious parts from theDepartment of Transport.

Tim Ford, UK Sales& Marketing Manager,Knorr-BremseAnyone buying replacement commercial or PSV partsfrom a company stocking the products of the majororiginal equipment manufacturers is entitled toexpect that they’ll meet appropriate performance,durability and safety standards. Yet our recent articleson spurious parts have brought to light many moreexamples of unbranded components bought, in thewords of the buyers, because they were“indistinguishable from the real thing”. Clearly no external inspection, even by an experiencedeye, can reveal the specifications of metals, plasticsand rubber, manufacturing tolerances or the standard(or complete lack) of quality controls. Over and abovefundamental design, these are the factors thatdetermine whether a particular part will deliver the

Industry comment from Tim Ford, Alan Bekkers and Geoff Dwightsort of long term, dependable performance that should ultimately make it the safest and most costeffective solution. But the obvious pointers, like the lack of a recognisedmanufacturer’s label and/or any sort of reference ordate stamp numbers should alert both buyers andsuppliers. If it’s difficult to trace the origins of a particular part, then you can be sure it will be difficult,if not impossible, to obtain any sort of recourse whenthings go wrong. And if things go REALLY wrong, thebuck could stop with you!Genuine parts, from original equipmentmanufacturers, are clearly labelled to indicateprecisely what was manufactured, where, when andby whom.

Low cost manufacturing?Clearly, product can be made cheaper in low costcountries. But is the product really comparable withthe original item and how will it perform in service?

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(Tim Ford continues)As most leading Western European manufacturershave mainly semi-automated or automatedproduction lines, labour costs will only account for30% to 40% of their total product cost. Raw materialssuch as metals, plastics and rubbers generally comefrom the same sources and so base costs are thesame. Many of the higher grade materials typicallyrequired to meet Europe’s more exacting standards, interms of life expectancy and performance, aren’tavailable in these markets.So when we see “copy” parts that are significantlycheaper there has to be a compromise in thespecification of materials and, in some cases, theamount of material used - we’ve seen severalexamples of castings with reduced wall thickness.Add to this the potential for less than stringent, or insome cases non-existent production and qualitycontrols, and it’s clear that such low prices can only beachieved by cutting corners.This is reflected in the stand taken by a Chinese busoperator we heard of recently that is buying EuropeanK-B spare parts via our Hong Kong distributor.Apparently the operator has decided to expand itsfleet with European-made buses and is so worriedabout getting copy or counterfeit spares that they willonly source parts from Europe. In fact they requestedconfirmation in writing from Knorr-Bremse that ourdistributor was only supplying genuine K-B parts. Andthat’s a business based at the centre of the world’smost prolific counterfeit parts industry.

Department of Transport responseAs I indicated in a previous article, Knorr-Bremse’sconcerns on this issue have been conveyed to theDepartment of Transport. Robert Johnson, a TransportTechnology and Standards Division policy advisor atthe DoT, acknowledged our concerns re industrystandards in relation to markings, product testing andconstruction requirements and requested “anyevidence which you may have to substantiate thisissue which could assist in future decisions in thisarea.”Please forward any examples of spurious K-B parts toKnorr-Bremse so that Knorr-Bremse can help progressthis matter with the Department of Industry.

Alan Bekkers,Managing Director,DrakefieldDrakefield has been supplying commercial vehiclefactors for over 25 years and we’ve built a solid

In the case of some outfits in China, India or EasternEurope, there’s every likelihood that the liability willbounce back to you. And insurance companies don’twarm to spurious parts either; their own legal teamswill be asking whether the parts supplied wereactually ‘fit for purpose’… A worthwhile exercise is to call your insurancecompany and ask them how they’d process atheoretical claim: e.g. you’ve supplied a non-originalequipment valve that prosecutors believe contributedto the accidental death of a pedestrian. It will be very enlightening. In the 1990s we were involved in a legal case over areconditioning project that turned out OK, in that wewere entirely vindicated, but the process lasted over

reputation for quality and good service in a verycompetitive marketplace. We keep a large stock andwe’re delivering to between 60 and 80 regularcustomers in a 100 mile radius of Rainham.We do get asked to supply ‘cheaper alternatives’ fromtime to time, but I’m certain that to do so would notonly undermine a hard-won reputation, but couldactually threaten the future of our business.When you’re dealing with the major manufacturersyou can supply product with complete peace of mind,for all concerned. Some people believe productliability insurance will cover them but it doesn’t – it just means that your insurance company will seek to pursue a claim back to the manufacturers.That is if they can be located.

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four years and was extremely stressful. Involvement inreconditioning quadrupled our insurance premiumstoo. These days we sell genuine product from themajor manufacturers – exclusively. If there is any sortof problem we know we can go back to themanufacturer who will sort it. In the meantime people will continue to requestcheap, spurious parts “just to save the sale.”There areno standards and no legislative teeth - you can stillput whatever you like on a 40-tonner! But if things gowrong you’ll be on your own if the manufacturer isn’tthere to carry the can.

Bus companies assume that if they’re buying from anapproved distributor of the major suppliers they arebuying a genuine OE product – and they are entitledto this assumption. But they’re also operating in avery competitive, price-sensitive market, so a perceived £20 saving on any one part can haveserious implications over the life expectancy of severalthousand vehicles. We’ve learnt of pirates offering bus operators “originalparts with one third off”, but when we’ve analysedthe items concerned in our lab the only thing theyhave in common is the logo copied into the casting. Clearly, operators have to keep their fleets on the road.If for any reason a regular supplier can’t provide aparticular part, they’ll go out into the market to source it. Hopefully they’ll locate another approvedsupplier with the necessary OE part, but there’salways the risk that someone less scrupulous willpitch a copy part. With public transport the potentialrisks are obviously high, and the fact that we carry£10m limited liability insurance reflects this.But you can’t insure against knowingly runningvehicles with inferior products fitted and, from a legalstandpoint, ignorance is no defence in this world.And if a component is found to be to blame, who doyou contact if it doesn’t even have a manufacturers’name or a part number on it?

The need for standardsWhen Imperial was looking after the remainingRoutemaster buses running in London we had to re-engineer many parts from scratch because they wereno longer in production. While we actually enhancedthem, using the latest technology materials and sealdesigns, they’d still have to be extensively testedbefore they’d be formally signed off by the LondonTransport Executive for use on the fleet. The same process applies today on the occasions weneed to re-engineer an obsolete part. Each stage hasto be fully documented, and approved by thecustomer’s engineering director, and the wholeprocess is underpinned by controlled tests. This is the sort of process we’d like to see adopted inthe form of industry standards before moreunnecessary tragedies arise. We’ve just been asked toprovide expert opinion on the origins of a foot brakevalve in an incident which resulted in a fatality, andwe’re seeing growing numbers of spuriouspart-related incidents. Imperial sells products on their integrity and theadditional value we provide in terms of peace ofmind, service and expertise. Then, at the end of theday, if anything does go wrong we and our customershave the weight of a credible original manufacturer tofall back upon.

Geoff Dwight,Engineering Director,Imperial EngineeringImperial Engineering is a leading supplier of parts topublic service vehicle operators, counting the ArrivaGroup, First Bus Group, Go Ahead Group, Metroline,London United and Stagecoach Group amongst ourcustomers. Selling to PSV operators, who can berunning up to 5000 vehicles, all carrying fare-payingcustomers, is obviously some way removed from thetrailer world, but we still come up against thespurious parts issue.

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At your service! Knorr-Bremse UK & Republic of Ireland Service CentresUnited KingdomService CentresAberdeenshireH.F. MoirDerek MoirBirchwood Works, Kinellar, Aberdeen. AB21 0SH01224 790 411

AntrimNeville GrahamMichelle McAlisterUnits 1-9, The Creamery, 29 Church Road, Ballynure, Co. Antrim,BT39 9UF028 9334 2427

AntrimRent-A-MercNorman McBride87 Dargan Road, Harbour Industrial Estate, Belfast, BT3 9JU028 9077 9755

ArmaghToal Truck ServicesJohn Toal21-23 Rathtrillick Road, Middletown, Co. Armagh, BT60 4HT02837 569 701

AyrshireGrant Welsh CommercialsGrant WelshUnit 12B, Olympic Business Park, Drybridge Rd, Dundonald,Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. KA2 9BE01563 851 015

BerwickshireBilly CoweBilly CoweTower Farm, Cockburnspath, Berwickshire, TD13 5YU01368 830 242

BuckinghamshireRing RoadStuart ChalmersGawcott Road, Buckingham, MK18 1DR01280 814 741

CambridgeshireR.J. Flack & Son LtdReg Flack19 Longhill Road, March, Cambridgeshire, PE15 0BL01354 657 235

CardiffTanners ElectricsPhil TannersWhittle Road, Leckworth Industrial Estate, Cardiff, CF11 8AT02920 225 580

CheshireAM BellSam GreavesHawkshead Quarry, Leek Old Road, Sutton, Maclesfield, Cheshire,SK11 0JB01260 253 232

CheshireBibbys CommercialsColin MurraySherbrook House, Winwick House, Warrington, Cheshire,WA3 7EW01925 762 143

CheshireThe Hulme GroupLee DrummondWarren Road, Trafford Park, Manchester, Cheshire, M17 1QR01618 776 071

CheshireTruck Services SandbachDarran TarrantSpringvale Industrial Estate, Millbuch Way, Sandbach,Cheshire, CW11 3HT01270 768 370

ClevelandNorth East Truck & VanWalter WhealdonCowpen Bewley Road, Haverton Hill, Billingham Cleveland,TS23 4EX01642 370 555

CumbriaTitterington Truck & TrailerPeter TitteringtonUnit 7 Sandysike, Longtown, Carlisle, CA6 5SR01228 792 600

DerbyshireTranscare 28 LtdDarren ParkinUnit 1, Lydford Road, Meadow Lane Industrial Estate, Alfreton,Derbyshire, DE55 7RQ01773 832 697

DerbyshireTrucktekMark PollockThe Elms, Moorfarm Road East, Ashbourne, Derbyshire,DE6 1HD01335 340 510

DorsetPLC CommercialAndy Burridge14 St Georges Avenue, Parkstone, Poole, BH12 4ND01202 722 288

DurhamBraketech Northern LtdDavid LeeHetton Lyons Industrial Estate, Hetton-le-Hole, Tyne & Wear,DH5 0RH0191 526 3753

East SussexMick Gould Commercials LtdToby GoldsmithThe Royal Oak Garage, London Road, Flimwell, East Sussex,TN5 7PJ01580 879333

EssexBCSBarry Craven9 New Rd, Rainham, Essex, RM13 8DH01708 522 101

EssexCrusely Trailer Engineering LtdDave ElyBotany Way, Beacon Hill Industrial Estate, Purfleet, Essex,RM19 1SR01708 861 144

SomersetMartock Commercials LtdMalcolm TimbrellGreat Western Rd, Martock, Somerset, TA12 6HB01935 823 901

FifeSealand Trailers - RosythSteven AddisonUnits 5&6, Forties Campus, Rosyth Europarc, Rosyth, Fife,KY11 2XB01383 419 205

GlasgowMackenzies (Cambuslang) LtdGordon MackenzieSomerville Street, Cambuslang, Glasgow G72 7EB01416 419 504

GloucestershireCollett Transport ServicesAndy CollettBibstone Farmhouse, Cromhall, Wotton Under Edge,Gloucestershire, GL12 8AE01454 269 606

GloucestershireMark EdgeworthMark EdgeworthWoodside, 6 St Edwards Road, Stow on the Wold, Cheltenham,Gloucestershire, GL54 1AP07977 849 436

HampshireR & M CommercialsRussell BlackmanBell Road, Daneshill East Industrial Estate, Basingstoke,RG24 8FB01256 840 404

HampshireT. Faulkner ABS EBS SpecialistTrevor Faulkner1 Mandela Way, Fourpost Mill, Southampton, SO15 5RZ07977 132 833

HertfordshireFoulger’s CVS LtdPeter FoulgerMelda Farm, Bury Lane, Melbourn, Royston, Hertfordshire,SG8 6DF01763 262 826

KentCoombe ValleyMartin Husk16a Primrose Road, Dover, Kent CT17 0JA01304 206 498

LancashireLynch TrucksSteven LynchBarnfield Way, Altham Business Park, Altham, Acrington,Lancashire, BB5 5YT01282 773 377

LancashireKidds TransportMartin MorrisCaton Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA13PE01524 34334

LeicestershireMidland Commercial Services LtdJames BrownHazel Way, Barwell, Leicestershire, LE9 8GR01455 840 994

LincolnshireM.V. GreatrixMerv. GreatrixMain Road, Stickney, Nr Boston, Lincolnshire, PE22 8AE01205 480 459

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Republic of Ireland Service CentresDonegalD & M Motor ServicesDoug PeachAssoroe Road, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, Eire+353 719 851 242

DublinAutomotive ServicesJohn MurrayUnit 58, Park West Industrial Estate, Lebroquay Avenue,Dublin 12, Eire+353 161 209 22

DublinCP CommercialsPeter Costello42B Baldoyle Industrial Estate, Dublin 13, Eire+353 183 213 16

DublinRing Road LimitedShay MurphyJ19 Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole Co. Dublin, Eire +353 140 136 43

DublinTransport ComponentsScott Fletcher JonesUnit 10, Parkmore Industrial Est. Long Mile Road, Dublin 12,Eire+353 145 040 90

KerryKerry Coach ServicesMichael BuckleyWoodlands Industrial Estate, Park Road, Killarney, Co. Kerry,Eire+353 643 1945

KilkennyKeogh CommercialsLiam KeoghGrowine, Waterford Road, Kilkenny, Eire+353 567 729 983

LimerickPaddy Dore CommercialsMargaret DoreDock Road, Limerick, Eire+353 612 284 22

OffalyTullamore Test & Repair CentreKieran McManusCloncollig Industrial Estate, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Eire+353 579 352 057

RoscommonKelly TrucksJimmy KellyDrummond, Strokestown, Co Roscommon, Eire+353 719 637 070

LincolnshireR&A Scott Auto Services LtdAndrew Scott5 Sandars Road, Heaphman Road Industrial Estate,Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 1RZ01427 612 210

MerseysideFM EngineeringKen FlowerBurtonhead Road, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 5EA01744 746 800

MiddlesexPhoenix Motors & Recovery LtdJohn O’NeilPhoenix House, Rivers Gardens, North Feltham Trading Estate,Feltham, TW14 0RD0208 890 8230

MidlothianGeorge StoutGeorge Stout4 Eskvale Court, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 8HT01968 673 247

MorayElgin Truck & VanSandy KennedyGrampian Road, Elgin, Moray, IV30 1XN01343 542 171

Newry & MourneO’Hare Truck & Trailer Services & RentalDan O’Hare41, Omeath Road, Newry, Northern Ireland, BT35 8QN028 3026 1272

NorthamptonshireNorthampton CommercialsAlan BuckleManor Road, Rothwell, Northamptonshire, NN14 6YD0785 668 6363

North East LincolnshireClayden EngineeringDavid MoffittKiln Lane Industrial Estate, Stallingborough, Immingham,N.E. Lincs, DN41 8DU01469 571 203

PembrokeshireMansell Davies & SonDan StandingStation Yard, Llanfyrnach, Pembrokeshire, SA35 0BZ01239 831 631

SomersetBraketechDave MatthewsAnglo Trading Estate, Commercial Road, Shepton Mallet,Somerset, BA4 5BY07792 586 122

South Gloucestershire247 Trailer RepairsAndy MorganUnit B8, Backfield Farm Business Park, Iron Acton, Bristol,BS37 9XD07876 751 168

South GloucestershireHalls ElectricalTony HallUnit 16, Dean Court, Great Western Business Park, Yate, Bristol,BS37 5NJ01454 319 722

SuffolkBrake GeometryScott Parker82 Nethergate Street, Bungay, Suffolk, NR35 1HE07920 042 074

SuffolkSPR Trailer Services LtdSimon Rivers5 Walton Avenue, Felixstowe, Suffolk, IP11 3HH01394 275 590

TyroneMcLoughlin CoachworksJohn McLoughlin270 Battlefield Road, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, BT71 7NP02837 548 418

West MidlandsTruck EngineeringCraig WilsonUnit 10, Holland Industrial Estate, Bentley Park South,Darlaston, WS10 8LN0121 526 6004

West SussexAlex FreemanAlex FreemanUnit M + N, Ditching Common Industrial Estate, Hassocks,West Sussex, BN6 8SG01444 253 312

West SussexA J FreemanPhil MatthewsUnit 1, Forgewood Industrial Estate, Gatwick Road, Crawley,West Sussex, RH10 9PG01293 544 006

West YorkshireH & P ListerPeter ListerEmbassy Garage, Battye Street, Off Leeds Road, Dewsbury,WF13 1PD01924 454 595

West YorkshireWilliams Tanker Services LtdDave CrispHowley Park Road East, Leeds, LS27 0BS0113 289 7990

WorcestershireTPS AutomotivesJohn HeidtHoobrook Trading Estate, Worcester Road, Kidderminster,DY10 1HY01562 822 446

Republic of IrelandService CentresCorkJay CommercialsJohn McCarthyUnit 9, Ballycurreen Industrial Estate, Kinsale Road, Cork, Eire+353 214 312 395

CorkTransport ServicesSean LoftusBallyvolane, Cork, Eire+353 214 507 377