Aftermarket October 2022

OCTOBER 2022 AFTERMARKET 49 www.aftermarketonline.net observed: “Wipers are one of the main causes of MOT failure, with the RAC reporting that 7.2% of overall MOT failures are due to issues affecting motorists’ view of the road, which includes windscreen wipers. As the busy MOT season approaches, technicians should consider stocking up on wiper motor products to meet this increased demand over the next few months. WAI's LIN2 smart wiper motors have been designed to deal with common faults and failures of wiper motors, and through replacement, have shown to reduce comebacks, by simplifying a complex and often difficult part replacement.” He added: “The LIN2 wireless protocol offers the latest in intelligent control and ensures accuracy and compatibility to all vehicles that use it. With built in diagnostics, the smart wiper motor will automatically align to the vehicle settings for wiper speed and matches the number of speed increments. All of WAI’s wiper motor references have been engineered to match OE quality to ensure a perfect fit and hassle-free installation. Plus, new magnets on our products deliver the torque needed to withstand extreme weather conditions and compensate for worn components in the wiper system.” Critical part Craig McCracken, Group Factor Manager at Arnold Clark Autoparts, observed: “As we approach autumn/winter, and the busy MOT season, windscreen wipers are a critical part when it comes to checking over a vehicle due to the part they play in driver safety. “They are one of the most hard-working parts but the least durable thanks to the constant attack from weather conditions, bugs, pollen and leaves. The recommendation is to replace them every 12 months. At Arnold Clark Autoparts we offer a wide range of wiper blades from popular brands including Bosch, Borg & Beck and Trico for garages to choose from.” There is an added inducement this autumn as Craig noted: ”During September and October we are offering customers the chance to win up to £15,000 worth of prizes, including a gaming bundle which includes a PlayStation 5, Samsung 4K HDR Smart TV and Oculus virtual reality headset, when they purchase any set of Trico wiper blades. Customers who buy a set of Trico wiper blades will be given a scratch card to reveal what prize they have won. This includes the top prize technology bundle, as well as other exciting prizes including a Landmann Dual BBQ, Delonghi coffee machine, Apple AirPods, Amazon Echo Dot and food vouchers. “Trico’s premium range of Exact Fit wiper blades are included in the promotion. The Exact Fit range offers simple, direct installation with OE style connectors pre- fitted to the blade. This makes them a perfect upsell product for factors as they offer drivers a simple product to fit themselves. Likewise, technicians can also fit them in seconds leaving them more time for other jobs.” Craig added: “Arnold Clark Autoparts also offer the Trico Flex range of multi-fit wipers. This universal beam blade range covers 96% of the vehicle parc in just 15 SKU’s making it an ideal product for garages and workshops to stock on site for quick, easy access.” Development Commenting on the DENSO wiper blade programme, DENSO Europe Pan European Strategic Marketing Manager Fatiha Laauich said: “To meet DENSO’s strict quality standards, the company’s wiper blades undergo many checks and a wide range of demanding tests before they are added to the wiper programme. To undertake these tests, DENSO has a special facility in Japan. The structure evaluation is a visual check to determine the number of fixing/pressure points, in order to achieve equally distributed pressure on the windscreen for fine wiping. In addition, the wiper blade rubber pull-out strength is checked by measuring the force that is required to actually pull it from the frame, which is also an important safety test, as it is crucial that the rubber does not slide off the wiper blade frame under any circumstance. In manual operation, the assembly, and conversely, the dis-assembly of the wiper blade on to, and off of, the wiper arm is assessed as to how easily either operation can be carried out. Naturally, neither process should cause any issues for the end user. “After the wiper blades have been attached to the arms and installed on the vehicle, wiping area coverage on the windscreen and their geometry are assessed as it is crucial that the wiper blades do not touch the wiper arms. Contact causes irregular pressure distribution and poor wiping of the windscreen, as well as unpleasant contact noise for the driver. During the initial performance test, the wiping performance is evaluated, along with checks on noise, chattering, lateral movement and clip torque. Then, the durability test checks the performance of the wiper blades after 100,000 wiping cycles, which equates to two years of typical use. Tests on environmental resistance are also a very important part of DENSO’s test procedure and can be divided into corrosion resistance and weather resistance.” Fatiha added: “Finally, the wiper blades will be used on test vehicles for a prolonged period in several different regions of Europe to monitor their performance under many different conditions, such as in high temperatures in the South of Europe and in extreme, low temperatures, as experienced in Eastern Europe.” Windscreen wipers are a critical part when it comes to checking over a vehicle due to the part they play in driver safety ”