Brake Safety ... It's Time To Stop and Thinki

Brake safety seems to be in the news a lot lately.  With several reports released inside the last 12 months outlining brakes as one of the key focus areas to prevent fatalities, brakes and brake maintenance is quickly becoming a feature on the agenda of industry leaders and regulators.

Ongoing brake maintenance should be a key priority for logistics managers, owners and service managers alike. With the safety of their assets, and the lives of their staff and the general public at stake, regular brake maintenance can help lower the instances of some of the leading causes of accidents.

Why Test Brakes?

Safety - To ensure vehicles are safe to use.

Legislation - It is becoming more of a regulatory focus to frequently test brakes.

Liability – Reduce the risk of legal action with accurate testing information.

Economy - Minimise vehicle downtime, reduce lining and component wear, and decrease tyre wear.

OH&S Fatigue Management - Provide a positive effect on driver fatigue management.

So what can you do? 

Be proactive -- preventative maintenance is critical. Having the right testing equipment means you can reduce tyre wear, improve vehicle safety, experience fewer brake related incidents, and retain auditable records to reduce your risk of liability.

Roller Brake Testers are widely considered as the most comprehensive testing system in the industry. Using this method produces the most consistent results across all axles and achieves greater safety. 

There are also a number of options to enhance the system including speedo checking, play detectors, emission testers, headlight aimers and noise meters. These accessories give this unit the added advantage of being able, in some cases, to form the basis of a complete vehicle test lane.  

If you want to ensure the safety of your fleet, call Levanta on 1300 577 541 and we can bring a set of Mobile Roller Brake Testers to your workshop! See for yourself the power and safety that these testing units can give your business and your fleet today. 

Our New Website Is Just The Beginning

Rumours have been swirling for months about our new ‘under construction’ digital platform and we are pleased to announce that the finished product went live over the weekend!

In line with our company vision to consistently deliver, this new digital showroom has eclipsed web presence standards in the industry and we are not stopping there. Our Marketing Manager, Scott Neilson explains,

‘We have a serious commitment to being Industry leaders at every level, from our brand and digital presence through to our equipment and services. Keep an eye out online over the coming months, the new website is just the beginning.’

Over the coming weeks we will be finalising our video and specification sections and ensuring that the site is working seamlessly for our customers. With detailed product and service descriptions, digital catalogues and brochures, pixel perfect imagery and a simple yet effective design, we are really excited about our new direction.

Levanta Equipment and Services include:

• Workshop Fit Outs 
• Equipment Servicing 
• Spare Parts 
• Vehicle Hoists
• Lifting Equipment 
• Lubrication Equipment 
• Workshop Equipment
• Wheel Service Equipment 
• Testing Equipment
• Wash Equipment

Working closely with manufacturers, suppliers and customers, we have developed a solid foundation from which we intend to launch our company into a new and exciting future. Our new Levanta website is helping us deliver a clear message to our suppliers, our competitors, and our customers – we mean business! 

Lifting The Benchmark In The Australian Automotive Industry

A first for the Australian Automotive Industry - servicing division.

In an Australian first Bartons Group, in conjunction with Levanta, have engineered the future in workshop space for the servicing division of their Bayside Dealership. The two companies worked closely on an intensive four week construction and installation project, to deliver a state of the art automotive servicing facility that will launch at Bartons Wynnum location later this month. 

With the automotive industry progressing at a rapid rate, Bartons chose to pre-empt the evolution and future proof their business in anticipation of the after-sale servicing growth trend. 

Strong local business advocate and Dealership Principal of the Bartons Group, Mark Beitz said, 

“So often businesses outgrow their facilities inside 5-7 years, and the cost is unsustainable. We have a strong vision for the next 10 years and beyond, so we chose the strategy of high investment in cutting edge technology now, knowing it will pay off in the long run.”

Bartons’ new state of the art servicing facility is the first dealership in Australia to install in-ground Envirolifts.

The in-ground style of lift has helped increase the amount of bays in their servicing workshop, while simultaneously increasing their production and saving them time during servicing. Coupled with the added safety features for their staff and increased benefits for their clients, Bartons see their investment as a safe bet. 

Lester Sharples, Chief Operations Officer at Levanta said, 

“Mark is ahead of his time. We engineered his vision and shaped the Wynnum workshop into a benchmark facility that has seriously impressed industry leaders Australia wide.”

Working closely with Bartons, Levanta have developed one of the most advanced servicing facilities in Australia, with key features including:

• 20 In-groundEnvirolift hoists

• An in-ground knucklelift with wheel alignment capabilities
• A 3-D camera imaging wheel alignment machine
• An in-ground roller brake and suspension tester for vehicle inspection

•  3 Wash bays, including underside wash

•  A full detailing, pre-delivery and window tinting facility
•  Waste oil and waste coolant collection systems
•  Bulk oil storage tanks
•  Direct fluid delivery system servicing individual work bays
• Plus 6 spare bays for provision of anticipated future expansion

  

CASE STUDY: Brisbane Bus Depot Workshop Fitout

Project Challenge

To work closely with a building and construction company to design, manufacture, supply and install a total workshop facility for the Brisbane City Bus Depot that can service and maintain up to 160 buses.

Our Solution 

Designed from the conception stage in conjunction with the architects, this project combined the full scope of our workshop solutions, incorporating engineering, manufacturing, sourcing, supply and installation.

The project included; 

• The design and install of 2 x heavy duty suspended ceiling pits, with all steel work being hot dip galvanised. 
• Incorporating heavy duty air operated rolling work platforms, air/hydraulic rolling pit jacks and an exhaust extraction system that worked in conjunction with the pit lighting. 
• An entirely reticulated water system.
• Full oil delivery system that pumps two (2) grades of oil to five (5) hose reel gantries. 
• Compressed air system reticulated throughout the facility, with three (3) LZZ Compair compressors and large holding receiver tanks. 
• A total vehicle inspection lane including BM Roller Brake Testers and Shakers, headlight aimer and vehicle emissions tester. 
• Hot dip galvanising and installation of a 14.5m above ground 25t Knuckle Lift for the pre-maintenance wash bay.
• Three (3) in-ground completely automatic tyre bay lifters. 
• A drive through high speed, automatic bus wash, complete with high pressure under chassis wash facility.

Client Benefit 

Brisbane City Bus Depot have received an industry benchmark facility that focuses on the safety of their staff and the buses that service Brisbane. This state of the art facility services and maintains up to 160 buses with ease. Allowing for multiple service, cleaning and repair bays, tradesman can work simultaneously to keep up with the heavy demands of this critical public service.

You Can Revitalise Your Pit or Lift With Levanta

MYTH

Because you have an older pit of lift in your workshop no modern jacking beam or pit jack will be compatible. 

FACT

AC Hydraulic pit jacks and jacking beams can be used with existing pits and lifts - regardless of their age! 

So ... what does this mean for your workshop?

Well, by retrofitting a highly efficient new jacking beam to your old equipment, you can save money and increase productivity. It’s an excellent way to get the results you need without doing a complete workshop overhaul.

Pit Jacks To Suit Every Type of Pit

The end frames on our pit jacks come with hundreds of different configurations. This means that regardless of the design of your pit, we have the end frames to suit your rails — giving you the lifting power required for big jobs.

For unusual pit designs without rails, talk to us about a floor running pit jack. These have a HUGE lift height of 2.2 metres, and enable you to get the wheels up off the ground so you can work quickly, efficiently and safely.

The Right Jacking Beam for Your Current Hoist

For wheel servicing while vehicles are still on your hoist, you need a jacking beam (or two jacking beams, if you’re planning to completely lift ALL the wheels to carry out wheel rotation, etc.).

Like the pit jacks, the end frames on our jacking beams are completely customisable – so whether your four post hoist is two-years old or 20-years old, they can be specially manufactured to fit. This enables your team to work much more efficiently, as you can handle all wheel maintenance at a good working height, and utilise your lift better by performing oil changes AND wheel servicing.

It’s easy to retrofit our products to your existing equipment

Simply tell our expert team what you need and they’ll customise the right solution to suit your workshop. Retrofitting really is easy and hassle-free, so there’s no need to continue working with equipment that hasn’t been optimised!

And because all AC Hydraulic products are designed and manufactured in Denmark (and supported locally by Levanta), you know they’ll be premium quality and will withstand the demands of your heavy vehicle workshop.

Visit the website to find out more, or give us call today on 1300 577 541 to discuss your requirements.

Is Roller Brake Testing a Concern For You?

The ATA Industry Technical Council has received information from a number of operators who are concerned about the way roller brake testing is conducted by enforcement agencies.

To gain a better understanding of the issues being reported, the ATA has created a short survey to get an overview of how this testing is typically carried out by operators and agencies.

All operators are encouraged to complete the survey, whether or not you have experienced issues with the way roller brake testing is conducted. The ATA will use the survey results in discussions with road agencies.

The survey will take no more than 5 minutes to complete, and all responses will be anonymous.

Take the survey now.

** Article information supplied by ATA Friday Facts **

ATA Welcomes Levanta Superior Workshop Solutions

The ATA recently welcomed Levanta Superior Workshop Solutions as their newest member of the ATA's Industry Technical Council (ITC).

We are proud to be a part of the mission of the ITC, which is to improve trucking equipment, its maintenance and maintenance management. 

Members of the ITC are made up of operators and suppliers with leading expertise in truck technology.

Our National Technical and Product Manager, Joe Bourke, spoke with the ATA recently about workshop fittings that could be installed for everything from a motorbike through to specialised mining equipment.

“Levanta is Australia's premier workshop solutions supplier – we can provide everything from a simple jack to a complete workshop fit out,” he said.

“With the changes happening in the industry like the commencement of the NHVR, we wanted to be at the coalface of future vehicle inspection issues. That’s why we joined the ITC.

Through our wide range of leading international suppliers, we can bring a huge amount of industry experience with different equipment types and environments to the ITC’s discussions.” he said.

Levanta is looking forward to working closely with the ATA and the other ITC members.