Commercial vehicles continue to become more efficient, cleaner, safer, and cheaper to run, but they are also growing more complex.
That is why all workshop operators must ensure that their staff get continuous training and professional development. Today, a great deal of expertise and special equipment is necessary to properly perform even the simplest standard tasks, such as regular service or replacing specific components. Now Automechanika Frankfurt is offering an exclusive free workshop as part of Truck Competence to help get interested commercial vehicle professionals fit for the future: Radar- and camera-based driver assistance systems in workshop practice.
Electrification is moving forward at breakneck speed, and the share of modern commercial vehicles equipped with electronic safety and assistance systems continues to increase rapidly. As a result, commercial vehicle specialists, particularly in the independent aftermarket and repair market, need relevant technical training on a regular basis, so that they can continue expanding their system- and manufacturer-independent expertise and stay abreast of the very latest technology.
That is why Automechanika Frankfurt will once again be offering an exclusive practical workshop on radar- and camera-based driver assistance systems this year. Modern trucks and buses are equipped with an increasing number of intelligent radar- and/or camera-based advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to increase safety, including Autonomous Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Departure Warning Systems (LDWS) and Autonomous Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS). These systems also relieve the burden on drivers by making truckers’ strenuous workdays a little less stressful.
Many driver assistance systems are now mandated by law
Since EU Regulation No. 2019/2144 came into force in all EU member states on 5 January 2020, the number of advanced driver assistance systems that are now mandatory has increased significantly. As of 6 July 2022, six new ADAS functions have been mandatory for all type approvals for new vehicles, and from July 2024 these functions will be required for all new vehicles registered: Moving Off Information System (MOIS), Blind Spot Information System (BSIS), Reversing Information System (REIS), Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA), Driver Drowsiness & Alertness Warning (DDAW), and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The stated goal is to reduce the number of people killed or injured in accidents even further by making these vehicle safety systems mandatory.
Assistance systems are everywhere
As the number of assistance systems found on modern vehicles increases, commercial vehicle professionals increasingly find themselves confronted with a wide range of ADAS (and the special requirements of each) in their workshop activities even for what to date had been the most routine of tasks, and even when they do not have to work on these systems directly. Be it when repairing accident damage, after conducting extensive chassis repairs, or simply after replacing a windscreen, vehicles with radar- and/or camera-based ADAS require a professional inspection and adjustment of their radar and camera sensors, followed by the professional calibration of these systems. Not only do these essential tasks require special equipment, but the workshop personnel carrying them out must have the right technical training.
In order to instruct trade visitors from the commercial vehicle service sector in the proper handling of radar- and camera-based driver assistance systems in the workshop, Automechanika Frankfurt is collaborating with Schlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & CO. KG and their amz – Die Aftermarketzeitschrift trade journal to organise a practical workshop on Radar- and camera-based driver assistance systems in workshop practice. An experienced trainer from the Vehicular Department of the Chamber of Crafts Training Centre in Münster (HBZ), supported by equipment manufacturer Texa (diagnostics) and Haweka (optical measurement systems), will be providing participants with a sound overview of the function of these systems and their components. The necessary theory is combined with an extensive hands-on component in which the workshop participants get the chance to calibrate and adjust the sensors and cameras on a semi-trailer themselves. Following successful completion of the Truck Competence hands-on workshop, each participant receives a certificate.
Daily workshop
The workshop takes place daily from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. in the Truck Competence workshop tent in the outdoor exhibition area (zuP11, B03) and is aimed at mechanics, electricians, mechatronics specialists, supervisors and consultants for commercial vehicles, as well as service consultants, automotive experts and vocational schoolteachers and trainers. Registration for the free workshop is now open on the Automechanika website.
Exclusive practical presentations especially for commercial vehicle professionals
For the first time, this year’s event will feature presentations from respected companies in the commercial vehicle industry. These presentations, each of which will be approx. 15 minutes long and take place in the Truck Competence workshop tent, delve into interesting topics relevant to workshop practice and the provision of service, repairs and maintenance for modern commercial vehicles.
These include ‘Additive manufacturing solutions’, which looks at spare parts produced by 3D printers (Daimler Trucks & Buses, 10:00-10:50 a.m.); ‘MirrorCam ‘professional calibration of mirror replacement systems’ (Haweka 1:00-1:15 p.m.); ‘Optimising costs with AGM battery technology’ (Varta 1:30-1:45 p.m.); ‘The five key components of technical support for professional brake service, (Knorr-Bremse Truck Services, 2:00-2:15 p.m.); ‘Professional wheel bearing service’, (Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket, 2:30-2:45 p.m.); and ‘Practical application of digital tachographs (DTCO) in workshop operations’ (Continental Automotive Technologies/VDO, 3:00-3:15 p.m.).
