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www.hunter.com
Hunter Highlights
Form 2880T-123, 5/06
Copyright © 2006 Hunter Engineering CompanySmartWeight is a trademark of Hunter Engineering Company
Volume 123/2006
News and Trends of theAutomotiveService Industry
Hunter HighlightsA Publication of Hunter Engineering Company
11250 Hunter DriveBridgeton, MO 63044 U.S.A.314-731-3020http://www.hunter.com
Hunter VisitorsAMBEST Truck Stops
AMBEST Truck Stops’ Director of Service CentersTommy Davis led a group of 26 company service
center managers on a facility tour and review ofheavy-duty products by Hunter staff.
Hunter Product Manager Pete Liebetreu (far right)demonstrates the Hunter B400T automated brake
tester to some of the group members in the Truck &Bus Safety Center.
Microsoft Names Hunter Programmera“Most Valuable Professional”
Brandt called the award a pleasant surprise. “Professionalnewsgroups and forums are a great place to get informationand find answers,” he said. “And, if you hang around longenough you start answering other people’s questions.”
Continental Tire North America, Inc.Continental Tire Ford Account Manager Jeremy Parrott, WestTerritory Manager Chris Willett, Northeast Territory Manager Ali Cardenas, GM & Chrysler Account Manager Paul Rogers,Southeast Territory Manager Kay Hershey and Southwest TerritoryManager Courtney Harris, received a comprehensive, two-day review of Hunter’s GSP9700 technology at Hunter’s St. Louis Research & Training Center.
Pictured from left: Jeremy Parrott, Hunter Product Manager DaveScribner, Chris Willett, Ali Cardenas, Paul Rogers, Kay Hershey,and Courtney Harris.
This GSP wheel balancer line in Raymond, Mississippi has been upgraded to handle an increasedvolume of SmartWeight™ feature-equipped units that are being shipped throughout the world.
Pictured at right, Surface MountTechnology automates circuit board
assembly in Raymond, Mississippi.
Pictured at far left, A G&Ltraveling column machinetool increases the speed ofproduction and quality ofmetal components in Durant,Mississippi. This and othernew machinery allow theproduction of advanceddesign features not practicalwith conventionalfabrication methods.
At left, freshly powdercoated lift rack componentsare ready for assembly.
Rick Brandt whose career at Hunter has taken himfrom repair technician to Information TechnologyProgrammer Analyst was recently named a MostValuable Professional (MVP) by MicrosoftCorporation. The award is presented annually toindividuals who are exceptional in their support ofMicrosoft technical communities worldwide. Brandtis a long-time participant in many Internet-basedprofessional newsgroups and forums that exchangeinformation about the application and use ofMicrosoft software. His contributions were noticedby the Microsoft MVP committee who nominatedhim for the award. Brandt is currently responsiblefor programming that integrates the newestinformation technologies with Hunter’s internal dataand business management.
Recent plant expansions andupgrades have increased output andimproved efficiencies at Hunter’smanufacturing operations in St. Louisand Mississippi. These capitalimprovements were initiated to matchthe growing demand for Hunterproducts in the U.S. and overseas.Today, for example, Hunter’s St. Louis plant alone shipsapproximately 35% of its total product to export destinations.
A second Surface Mount Technologyline and X-ray and optical inspectionequipment installed at Hunter’sRaymond, Mississippi, ElectronicsPlant have doubled SMT circuit boardproduction capacity. Currentproduction now averages well over 1,000 boards per day.
New welding robotics in Raymondand Durant, Mississippi and a powdercoating facility in Durant speedproduction and enhance quality.
In St. Louis, a Hunter-brandedalignment computer line has beenimplemented and software production expanded.
Hunter has also moved production of bench and on-car brake lathes toa new assembly line in Union,Mississippi, along with the tirechanger distribution center.
Champion Tire & Wheel, Inc. was founded by three formerGoodyear engineers to provide precision wheel and tireassemblies to NASCAR racing teams for testing andqualifying. Today, with a staff of 50 and a fleet of 15 tractortrailers, the company maintains the racing wheels for allNASCAR Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Seriesraces. At Champion’s Cornelius, North Carolinaheadquarters facility, the company uses Hunter tirechangers and the GSP9700 Road Force Measurement®
System exclusively to provide its services. Virtually everywheel in these NASCAR events is measured and maintainedby Champion technicians using Hunter equipment.Champion then delivers the wheels to the respective teamson race day where they are match-mounted with Goodyearracing tires using the wheel data provided by Championand the tires’ force variation data provided by Goodyear.
Champion co-founders Kevin Mahl, Jamie Rolewicz and Todd Carpenter review the newest Hunter GSP9700features with product manager Dave Scribner at Hunter’s St. Louis Research & Training Center.
The wheel assemblies are then remeasured for excessiveroad force variation and balanced using eight GSP9700s.
Daily output can reach 1200 match-mounted tireand wheel assemblies,or more than 100,000 perseason. These wheelassemblies will be usedfor testing. Wheels usedin races are assembledat the track on the dayof the event.
Champion archives and tracks data on everywheel throughout its life. The data is quicklyaccessed using a bar code scanner.
Wheels are maintained,stored and deliverd tothe track on race dayby Champion. Nextel
Cup teams may request60 to 70 tire and wheel
assemblies per race.
Champion technicians use Hunter TC3500 Tire Changers tomatch-mount all tire and wheel assemblies prepared attheir North Carolina facility.
Rusty Jarrett, Getty Images
Champion Tire & Wheel, Inc. was founded by three formerGoodyear engineers to provide precision wheel and tireassemblies to NASCAR racing teams for testing andqualifying. Today, with a staff of 50 and a fleet of 15 tractortrailers, the company maintains the racing wheels for allNASCAR Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Seriesraces. At Champion’s Cornelius, North Carolinaheadquarters facility, the company uses Hunter tirechangers and the GSP9700 Road Force Measurement®
System exclusively to provide its services. Virtually everywheel in these NASCAR events is measured and maintainedby Champion technicians using Hunter equipment.Champion then delivers the wheels to the respective teamson race day where they are match-mounted with Goodyearracing tires using the wheel data provided by Championand the tires’ force variation data provided by Goodyear.
Champion co-founders Kevin Mahl, Jamie Rolewicz and Todd Carpenter review the newest Hunter GSP9700features with product manager Dave Scribner at Hunter’s St. Louis Research & Training Center.
The wheel assemblies are then remeasured for excessiveroad force variation and balanced using eight GSP9700s.
Daily output can reach 1200 match-mounted tireand wheel assemblies,or more than 100,000 perseason. These wheelassemblies will be usedfor testing. Wheels usedin races are assembledat the track on the dayof the event.
Champion archives and tracks data on everywheel throughout its life. The data is quicklyaccessed using a bar code scanner.
Wheels are maintained,stored and deliverd tothe track on race dayby Champion. Nextel
Cup teams may request60 to 70 tire and wheel
assemblies per race.
Champion technicians use Hunter TC3500 Tire Changers tomatch-mount all tire and wheel assemblies prepared attheir North Carolina facility.
Rusty Jarrett, Getty Images
www.hunter.com
Hunter Highlights
Form 2880T-123, 5/06
Copyright © 2006 Hunter Engineering CompanySmartWeight is a trademark of Hunter Engineering Company
Volume 123/2006
News and Trends of theAutomotiveService Industry
Hunter HighlightsA Publication of Hunter Engineering Company
11250 Hunter DriveBridgeton, MO 63044 U.S.A.314-731-3020http://www.hunter.com
Hunter VisitorsAMBEST Truck Stops
AMBEST Truck Stops’ Director of Service CentersTommy Davis led a group of 26 company service
center managers on a facility tour and review ofheavy-duty products by Hunter staff.
Hunter Product Manager Pete Liebetreu (far right)demonstrates the Hunter B400T automated brake
tester to some of the group members in the Truck &Bus Safety Center.
Microsoft Names Hunter Programmera“Most Valuable Professional”
Brandt called the award a pleasant surprise. “Professionalnewsgroups and forums are a great place to get informationand find answers,” he said. “And, if you hang around longenough you start answering other people’s questions.”
Continental Tire North America, Inc.Continental Tire Ford Account Manager Jeremy Parrott, WestTerritory Manager Chris Willett, Northeast Territory Manager Ali Cardenas, GM & Chrysler Account Manager Paul Rogers,Southeast Territory Manager Kay Hershey and Southwest TerritoryManager Courtney Harris, received a comprehensive, two-day review of Hunter’s GSP9700 technology at Hunter’s St. Louis Research & Training Center.
Pictured from left: Jeremy Parrott, Hunter Product Manager DaveScribner, Chris Willett, Ali Cardenas, Paul Rogers, Kay Hershey,and Courtney Harris.
This GSP wheel balancer line in Raymond, Mississippi has been upgraded to handle an increasedvolume of SmartWeight™ feature-equipped units that are being shipped throughout the world.
Pictured at right, Surface MountTechnology automates circuit board
assembly in Raymond, Mississippi.
Pictured at far left, A G&Ltraveling column machinetool increases the speed ofproduction and quality ofmetal components in Durant,Mississippi. This and othernew machinery allow theproduction of advanceddesign features not practicalwith conventionalfabrication methods.
At left, freshly powdercoated lift rack componentsare ready for assembly.
Rick Brandt whose career at Hunter has taken himfrom repair technician to Information TechnologyProgrammer Analyst was recently named a MostValuable Professional (MVP) by MicrosoftCorporation. The award is presented annually toindividuals who are exceptional in their support ofMicrosoft technical communities worldwide. Brandtis a long-time participant in many Internet-basedprofessional newsgroups and forums that exchangeinformation about the application and use ofMicrosoft software. His contributions were noticedby the Microsoft MVP committee who nominatedhim for the award. Brandt is currently responsiblefor programming that integrates the newestinformation technologies with Hunter’s internal dataand business management.
Recent plant expansions andupgrades have increased output andimproved efficiencies at Hunter’smanufacturing operations in St. Louisand Mississippi. These capitalimprovements were initiated to matchthe growing demand for Hunterproducts in the U.S. and overseas.Today, for example, Hunter’s St. Louis plant alone shipsapproximately 35% of its total product to export destinations.
A second Surface Mount Technologyline and X-ray and optical inspectionequipment installed at Hunter’sRaymond, Mississippi, ElectronicsPlant have doubled SMT circuit boardproduction capacity. Currentproduction now averages well over 1,000 boards per day.
New welding robotics in Raymondand Durant, Mississippi and a powdercoating facility in Durant speedproduction and enhance quality.
In St. Louis, a Hunter-brandedalignment computer line has beenimplemented and software production expanded.
Hunter has also moved production of bench and on-car brake lathes toa new assembly line in Union,Mississippi, along with the tirechanger distribution center.