Federal-Mogul has acquired the Daros Group, a privately-owned supplier of piston rings for large-bore engines used in industrial energy generation and commercial shipping,

“The market for industrial engine piston rings is growing, as global energy companies and expanding global logistics providers require additional power generation and shipping capacity,” said José Maria Alapont, the company’s president and CEO.

He added: “This acquisition also will enable Federal-Mogul to capitalise on new market growth utilising integrated global engineering and manufacturing capacity.  Federal-Mogul expects further sales opportunities in global industrial markets as customers increase orders for industrial engine refurbishment.”

The Daros business adds approximately 220 employees to Federal-Mogul’s global operations and the acquisition includes manufacturing locations in China, Sweden and Germany.

After the Daros business is integrated into Federal-Mogul, industrial piston rings will be sold under the Federal-Mogul Goetze and Daros brands, according to their respective market presence and engine type.

The new range comes in smaller pack sizes

Unipart Automotive has signed an agreement with Mobil to supply the Mobil 1 synthetic engine oil, through its distributor network from August 2010.

Wendy Williamson, Unipart’s customer marketing director, said: “As the technology of the modern petrol and diesel engine leads to longer service intervals, Unipart has played its part to reflect the changing requirements of the aftermarket sector.

“Mobil 1 is a valuable addition to Unipart’s extensive oil range, providing garages with even greater choice and enabling them to meet customers’ precise servicing needs effectively.”

The range will come in 20-litre, five-litre and one-litre sizes, while barrels of 208-litre Mobil 1 will be delivered directly to the customer.

Unipart’s oil portfolio includes 31 grades and covers fully synthetic, semi-synthetic and mineral oils with an additional range of long-life products.

Larger workshops can specify 205-litre barrels or obtain bulk quantities from 400 litres up.

Mobil 1 branded products already meet the new ACEA 2008 specification requirements, and the remainder of the Unipart and Mobil range will comply by implementation in December 2010.

X-treme Power outperformed competitors

Philips is hoping to boost its kudos in the UK replacement lighting market after winning Auto Express magazine’s headlight bulb of the year award for the fourth time in a row.

Its X-treme Power bulb outperformed competitors in every test. The brand is installed on one in three new cars but has enjoyed less aftermarket success in Britain.

However, Ed Savage, UK manager of Automotive Lighting, said progress had been made since taking an active presence in the UK.

“We are starting to see the results of the expansion of our distribution base in the UK and a more aggressive pricing and marketing policy over the last year,” he said.

44 factors have been given a danger rating

The UK’s smallest factors are struggling as the effects of the credit crunch linger, according to a report by Plimsoll.

The analyst has given 44 small motor factor companies a danger rating.

David Pattison, author of the report, said: “Whereas large companies can call on banks and parent companies or cut out loss making parts, smaller companies are running out of cash.

“There are too many small companies chasing too little market. The inevitable is another round of consolidation with large competitors buying small companies at a discount.

“Of the 354 companies with assets of less than £3 million, we have identified 148 as vulnerable to takeover.”

The independent aftermarket has won its battle to secure a special Block Exemption Regulation for the sector.

With just days to go before the current regulation expires, the European Commission announced this morning that it has formally adopted the new legislation.

The new rules will apply from June 1, 2010 and comprise a Block Exemption Regulation focused specifically on the aftermarket. This is accompanied by sector-specific guidelines.

The new rules will increase competition in the market for repair and maintenance by improving access to technical information and by making it easier to use alternative spare parts.

They will also allow the Commission to tackle manufacturers’ abuse of warranties when they request that cars are serviced only in authorised garages.

Under the rules, vehicle manufacturers will no longer be able to make the warranty conditional on having the oil changed or other car services only in authorised garages.

Michel Vilatte, president of FIGIEFA, the organisation which led the European Right to Repair Campaign, said: “The new set of rules is a good step in the right direction in the form of a clear message addressed towards the vehicle manufacturers.”

That message, he said is: “Independent operators must have access to repair and maintenance information, the free flow of original spare parts supplied by parts manufacturers and of spare parts of matching quality should not be impeded and the vehicle manufacturers’ warranties, whether contractual or extended, should not be made conditional upon the exclusive servicing in the authorised repair network.”

The Bosch Group has made a good start to the current fiscal year, and intends to make up for much of the loss of sales in 2009, according to its chairman, Franz Fehrenbach.

Addressing journalists in Stuttgart, he said there were clear signs of recovery in all regions, with an especially powerful boost coming from the markets in China and India.

In the first quarter of this year, Bosch Group sales were up roughly 25% year on year. But the first quarter of 2009 was also the lowest point of that crisis year, so current sales are still significantly below their 2007 level.

Sales in the current fiscal year are expected to grow by more than 10% to 42 billion euros, driven principally by automotive technology operations responding to increased demand for vehicles, especially outside Europe.

However, Fehrenbach warned that recovery should not be “taken for granted”.

White van men are under attack again after an online insurance broker revealed the results of a poll of the nation’s rudest drivers.

27% of 1000 UK motorists told VanInsurance.co.uk that van drivers display the least etiquette, followed by taxi drivers (24%) and young people (15%).

The research shows that the rudest offences by van drivers include:

• cutting you up (30%)
• pulling out in front of you (26%)
• tailgating (22%)
• swearing and gesticulating at other road users (10%)
• not saying thank you when another road user gives right of way to them (8%)
• not letting you in (4%)

Lee Grandin, Van Insurance MD, said: “Rude drivers are thoughtless and their bad behaviour contributes to unsafe driving conditions.

“At the very least, rude drivers cause frustration and anxiety and at worst, may indirectly cause road rage or even road traffic collisions.”

The company has the following etiquette tips for van drivers:

1. Remember that your van represents your business, especially if your business name is printed on the side
2. Keep your mouth closed – despite how tempting it might be to abuse members of the public, your next potential job could be listening
3. Try leaving 10 minutes earlier in order to make it to your next job on time and without your blood pressure going through the roof
4. If someone lets you pull out before them or waits for you to pass on a street where vehicles are doubled parked, just flash, smile or raise your hand to say thank you

Bosch says predictive emergency braking systems can prevent 3 out of 4 rear-end collisions involving personal injury

Bosch’s automatic emergency braking system is going into series production for the first time, fitted as standard to the new Audi A8.

The system provides support for drivers where there is the threat of a rear-end collision.

It interprets the state of the traffic flow ahead of the vehicle, warns the driver and reacts automatically.

“Roughly 80 percent of drivers do not hit the brakes at all before a rear-end collision, or do not use the car’s full braking capacity,” said Dr. Werner Struth, president of the Bosch Chassis Systems Control division.

The system is based on ESP® electronic stability program and the LRR3 long-range radar sensors of the ACC adaptive cruise control system, which are complemented by a video sensor.

The Audi A8 features two long-range Bosch generation 3 radar sensors, which can detect objects within a beam width of 40 degrees at a distance of up to 250 metres, and can determine their position and speed.

Of all the accidents involving injury and fatalities in Germany, 15% are rear-end collisions.

Other Bosch systems and components in the new A8, include the instrument cluster; the control unit and sensors for the passenger restraint system; a domain control unit; the starter, and the wiper drive.

For the gasoline engines of the new A8, Bosch supplies various engine control units.

The two initially available diesel engines use Bosch injection systems with piezo valves and injection pressure of up to 2000 bar.

ECP's 75th branch

Euro Car Parts has opened a new branch in Crawley, taking its network of outlets to 75.

The 22,000 sq ft branch has three floors and acts as a distribution hub to neighbouring branches in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

It holds £1.5million worth of stock and employs 40 members of staff.

Donna West, director of communications at ECP said: “The branch offers a wide and comprehensive range of OE parts at low prices.

“Expert parts advisors are here to help the customer purchase anything from the right exhaust to alloy wheels, batteries, wiper blades, filters and all consumables.

David Main (left) thanks Autodata's Malcolm Rixon

Autodata has been presented with an award in recognition for its fundraising efforts for industry charity BEN.

The presentation was made at the Garage Equipment Association’s annual dinner in April.

Malcolm Rixon, Autodata’s technical liaison and licensing manager, received the award from BEN chief David Main.

Rixon said: “We were delighted to attend the GEA’s annual dinner and to receive this award from BEN.

“The charity does incredible work and Autodata is pleased to continue with its support for BEN on behalf of Motor Trade employees both past and present.

“We’d like to thank BEN again for recognising us in this way and we look forward to working closely with the GEA and BEN in the future.”