Parts distribution specialist XPart has simplified its All-Makes website, allowing garages to save time by finding the parts they need more quickly and efficiently

Technicians searching for high quality all-makes parts can now access the parts they need more rapidly by using XPart’s new look All-Makes website, www.xpart-allmakes.com. The site has been simplified to be more user friendly, allowing customers to find parts and locate their nearest XPart wholesaler in just a few clicks. The XPart All-Makes team has also added direct links to its latest product offers and important health and safety data (Material Safety Data Sheets), together with news and developments from XPart and other Caterpillar-owned companies.

A detailed electronic service and repair manual known as the MG TF RAVE disc is now available to MG TF owners from all XPart AutoService centres and wholesalers

MG TF owners can now access valuable service and maintenance information for their cars with an electronic workshop manual, available from all XPart AutoServices centres and wholesalers. The first disc of its kind to go on sale to motorists, it offers extensive technical advice for owners of MG TFs manufactured by MG Rover between 2002 and 2005. It contains a greater depth of technical detail than can be found in paper manuals, together with comprehensive search and cross-referencing functions, and the option to enlarge diagrams and print pages of interest.

Thermal management specialist Zircotec reaffirms its commitment to historic car racing as it renews its sponsorship of the HSCC Historic Road Sports Championship for 2010
 
Classic car drivers and owners participating in the HSCC Historic Road Sports Championship are set to benefit from further thermal management support from Zircotec as the company renews its sponsorship of the historic race series for the 2010 season. The company first supported the series in 2009, having become increasingly involved in providing coatings for historic road and race cars in recent years. Its plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings offer an effective solution to the traditional problems associated with overheating, such as poor reliability, heat damaged components and driver injury and discomfort.

Evolution Time Critical is continuing to facilitate the delivery of critical components to automotive manufacturers where traditional means of transport are failing amid the current severe weather, preventing expensive line stoppages

Emergency logistics is helping automotive manufacturers to avoid highly expensive delays to production by facilitating the delivery of critical components where standard deliveries are failing due to the treacherous snowy conditions. Evolution Time Critical is reporting an upsurge in demand for its services since the cold snap began, saving customers an estimated 30 million euros by preventing line stoppages. The company has made multiple urgent deliveries across Europe as manufacturers strive to keep production lines running amid serious traffic difficulties caused by the heaviest snow experienced in some parts of the continent in nearly 50 years. In some cases Evolution has despatched helicopters or arranged air charters to ensure on-time delivery at the manufacturers’ premises, reacting swiftly to incoming requests in order to ensure deadlines are met.

Attending the Autosport Show on Thursday 14th and Friday 15th (stand number 19350 – Hall 19), team principal Phil Hindley will be available to discuss driving opportunities within Tech 9 Motorsport’s multi-championship winning team.

“I am pleased to confirm our first dealer team as Platts Abarth, based in Stoke-on-Trent. We tested their car at Silverstone for the media day in October, and had great success. The car ran well, was very well received by the drivers, and I am looking forward to working with such a successful multi-franchise dealer,” comments Hindley. “Being part of the Abarth 500 series brings a great buzz of excitement as competitors look forward to what will become such an exciting championship in the future.”

ZircoFlex, the new flexible ceramic coating from Zircotec, will be on display at the Autosport Engineering Show, stand E753, with the company also introducing its latest colour finish

Motorsport professionals attending this year’s Autosport Engineering Show at the Birmingham NEC will be able to view Zircotec’s new flexible ceramic coating, ZircoFlex™, at their show stand E753, and hear about its strong potential for use in motorsport applications. The company’s new lightweight heat shield, ZircoFlex, is thought to be the first of its kind and has been proven to reduce surface temperatures by up to 64 percent.

A specialist consortium, supported by government investment, is developing braking systems that solve a range of challenges across multiple industries. Federal-Mogul’s friction expertise will play a key role in delivering a durable and effective product, opening significant new opportunities for the company.

Carbon composite brake discs provide substantial improvements in both performance and weight compared with traditional iron discs, but the cost of such systems has so far made them largely unaffordable in the majority of applications (including commercial vehicles, trains, industrial equipment and all but the most exotic cars) where their performance characteristics could bring substantial benefits. A UK-based consortium of specialist companies is addressing this challenge by developing new techniques that will allow carbon discs to be made from manufacturing scrap, providing a lower cost, more environmentally friendly solution to very high braking performance.

British motorsport and technology specialist, Prodrive, has established a partnership with Opti Engineering to help bring its engineering skills and technologies to vehicle manufacturers based in India.

Prodrive, which already has operations in the UK, China and Australia, has recognised that Indian vehicle manufacturers want to own the IP (Intellectual Property) that underpins the key technologies in their vehicle systems and to understand those systems to allow in-house development. “Three key elements have made our client relationships so successful in India,” says Tony Butcher, Prodrive managing director. “Our understanding of the priorities of the Indian customer, our impartiality towards different hardware providers and our willingness to share technical expertise in key systems. With the establishment of our partnership with Opti Engineering, there will now be a fourth factor; local support.”

Strategic supply agreement follows the award to Allison Transmission of $62.8 million by the Department of Energy grant for commercial truck hybrid drive systems in August 2008.

INDIANAPOLIS:-  Allison Transmission has announced that it has entered into a long-term business agreement with Delphi Automotive Systems, LLC that will see Delphi supply Allison Transmission with key hybrid drive system components and energy storage systems. Delphi's expertise in the manufacture and integration of electronic and hybrid system components for the automotive industry will complement existing Allison Transmission product offerings in both the city transit bus and truck markets.

Unique chemical process removes all unnecessary weight, resulting in a cleaner bodyshell that is easier and safer to prepare for racing and rallying.

A unique chemical immersion process that easily removes all paint, grease, oil, underseal, adhesives and sound deadening material offers motorsport preparation companies a simpler and safer method for stripping and cleaning bodyshells. By removing up to 35kg of unnecessary weight from a typical four door shell, the process developed by Surface Processing (SPL), also offers preparation companies a legal weight reduction service without affecting the existing vehicle strength. SPL’s process also claims to improve the working environment for engineers; by removing paint, adhesive and underseal, any further preparation work such as welding is done on clean metal, avoiding the release of noxious fumes and lowering the fire risk.