RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC — Keith Kreft of Cupertino, Calif., was presented the Equipment and Tool Institute (ETI) Founder’s Award at the association’s recent board meeting. The Founder’s Award honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment and support of the Institute. It is ETI’s highest honor. Kreft is the 14th recipient of the award since it was established in 1985.
Formerly with Snap-on Diagnostics, Kreft has been involved in the design, development and support of automotive diagnostic products for 30 years and holds 10 patents in the field of automotive engine analysis. His hands-on engineering experience included developing engine analyzers, emission analyzers, OBD scan tools and hand-held measurement equipment.
“Keith’s experience and dedication, combined with his knowledge and his appreciation of the challenges of the service technician, has resulted in many new and innovative approaches to solving vehicle service concerns,” said Charlie Gorman, ETI executive manager. “ETI is pleased to recognize his contributions to the Institute and to the industry with this award.”
Kreft started his career with Sun Electric in 1972 after receiving his bachelor of science degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. At Sun, he progressed through many engineering positions, including chief engineer of advanced systems. Kreft participated in the development of many of Sun’s diagnostic products, from early emission analyzers like the EPA-75 to larger diagnostic analyzers such as the SUN 2001, SUN 1215 (Computer II), and Interrogator (1805), and European products including the Sun 2013 (BMW), Sun 2011 (Renault).
After joining Balco/Snap-on Diagnostics in 1987, Kreft was responsible for organizing and directing the development of Snap-on’s hand-held products: the MT 2500 Scanner and MT2400 Vantage. He played critical roles in developing three expert systems: Sun’s data acquisition-driven engine diagnostics, Snap-on’s symptom-driven Troubleshooter repair strategies, and Snap-on’s component testing instrumentation/information system.
Kreft is a past member of the ETI board of directors and past chairman of ETI’s OBD Protocol Interface Review Subcommittee. He is a member of the NASTF Equipment Committee, and spearheads the development of the OBD capabilities assessment matrices. He is a long-standing member of SAE and has been an invited speaker at many industry events including the SAE Congress, the Mobile Sources/Clean Air Conference and the ETI Annual Meeting.
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