CHANTILLY, Va. – The Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association’s (APRA) Electrical Division will be hosting its annual “Survive & Thrive" Clinic on Saturday, Oct. 30 at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. The clinic will take place during the International BIG R Show.  

The day will begin at 9 a.m. with Bruce Purkey of Purkey’s Fleet Service Inc. in Arkansas, who will explain the latest developments in the heavy duty electrical field. Purkey will talk about what rebuilders can and cannot do with the new systems and will go into some of the most recent features of onboard data transmission that can record or send malfunction messages to the trucks’ terminals or maintenance facilities. He will describe the usage and testing of AGM (Absorbant Glass Mat) batteries so rebuilders understand their capabilities and idiosyncrasies. Purkey will emphasize the new trends in technologies, testing and marketing of heavy duty units to better prepare rebuilders for the challenges they face in this market.

Daniel Wolff of Schaeffler Automotive Group will present a session explaining the operational principals of INA clutch pulleys that have been in use extensively by many OE manufacturers and are used by millions in the U.S. and Europe in many OE applications. Wolff will explain the operational principles of this popular device, their market coverage and their ever-growing popularity with almost every car manufacturer.

Shawn Bray of Romaine Electric in Washington will build on his well-received seminar during the Electrical Mega Clinic in Springfield, Mo., and will explain ways rebuilders can make profit by rebuilding as well as selling complete units in this highly competitive market. Bray will emphasize how rebuilders can lower the cost of goods and concentrate on units and methods that will show better results on the bottom line.

Next on the agenda will be Mohammad Samii of Sammy’s Auto Electric in Illinois. During his two-part session, Samii will explain the latest changes to the electrical system. He will also discuss PCM activation of voltage regulators and cover some compatibility issues. The second portion of his session is aimed at hands-on-rebuilders and will consist of step-by-step pictorial presentation of rebuilding late model starters and alternators that are becoming commonplace. Other rebuilding subjects such as replacing slip rings on most popular rotors will also be shown in a step-by-step presentation.

The day will finish with a roundtable discussion and Q & A session. This is the interactive part of the program, where the floor is open for audience questions regarding technical questions and problems, market niches, increasing sales and profit, or any related issues concerning the rebuilding industry. Participants are encouraged to bring their questions and seek answers.

Click here for more information on the BIG R Show website. To register for the Electrical Clinic, use the BIG R Show registration form found on the website. The cost of the clinic is $95 when registering before Oct. 15; after that date the rates increase to $110.

CHANTILLY, Va. – APRA’s Electrical Division will be hosting its annual “Survive & Thrive Clinic” on Saturday, Oct. 31 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The day will begin at 8:45 a.m. with Bruce Purkey of Purkey’s Fleet Service, who will explain the latest developments in the heavy duty electrical field. He will talk about what rebuilders can and cannot do with the newer systems and will go into some of the most recent features of onboard data transmission that can record or send malfunction messages to the trucks’ terminals or maintenance facilities.

William Avancini, sales executive of Zen North America Corp., will then take the podium and explain the idea behind the design principles of Zen’s clutch pulleys and starter drives. He will also explain the production, testing, and qualifying methods of these components.

Next on the agenda will be Mohammad Samii. During his two-part session, Samii will explain the latest changes and systems. He will also discuss PCM activation of alternators and data bus operated warning lights along with case studies showing repair and diagnostic process with pinpoint voltage profiles and scope captures will also be discussed. The second part of his session will be pictorial showing some step-by-step rebuilding techniques of popular late model starters and alternators. This part also includes step-by-step pictorial slip ring replacement on most common alternators such as CS-130D, DR44G, Ford’s 3, 4, 6-G, and Bosch internal fan rotors that every small rebuilder can accomplish with tools they already own.

Following lunch Gene Kaiser, Regitar’s QC and technical services manager, will present the company’s latest effort to make compatible regulators. He will focus on Ford applications, which have been a source of trouble for rebuilders, creating conditions that indicate the alternator works fine, but the warning light remains on. Regitar’s other new regulators and products will also be shown and discussed.

Dennis Jacinto, president of Lester Catalog Co., will bring the audience up-to-date on the latest development of their catalog and the web-based KwikFinder program, which is the most popular cataloging system for electrical rebuilders.

The day will finish with the ever-popular panel roundtable discussion and Q & A session. The panel will be moderated by Jacinto and Dan Smith. This is the interactive part of the program where the floor is opened for audience questions regarding technical, marketing or any related issues concerning the rebuilding industry. Participants are encouraged to bring their questions and seek answers.

The APRA Electrical “Survive & Thrive Clinic” will be taking place during the International BIG R Show. For more information on the BIG R Show please visit www.bigrshow.com. To register for the Electrical Clinic, please use the BIG R Show registration form found at www.bigrshow.com. The cost of the Clinic is $105 early bird or $115 after Oct. 16.