National Windscreens is pleased to announce a £1 million investment programme designed to ensure it is equipped to meet the growing demand for camera and sensor calibration (CSC) for ADAS (Advanced Driver Assist Systems) throughout the UK.
In the event of a replacement windscreen being fitted the ADAS camera and sensor should be calibrated to ensure the technology works as intended. This current recommendation affects the whole windscreen replacement industry. National Windscreens is taking a market leading role by maintaining a truly national network of 108 fitting centres that can provide the workshop conditions required for accurate calibration of the vast majority of camera sensors at the time of a windscreen replacement.
A pre-booking facility will be available. National Windscreens’ strategy is designed to make life easier for motorists by providing a single point of service for both replacement glass and calibration. A calibration-only service will also be available by appointment.
Following an extensive evaluation programme, National Windscreens has invested in bespoke equipment to enable the business to carry out calibrations to camera mounted systems from early 2016 throughout the whole of the UK. The technology will change and the equipment must have provisions and a support network to maintain its capability and effectiveness.
An in-house training programme has been in place for several months and the appointment of Tim Camm as Technical Manager will further strengthen the company’s technical capability in this area.
National Windscreens is currently working closely with Thatcham to draft an ADAS Approved Code of Practice and, as a partner of many leading UK insurers and fleet businesses, will be offering billing arrangements for glass and calibration on one invoice.
Technical Manager Tim Camm comments, “ADAS is developing very quickly. Unsurprisingly, luxury models were the first to adopt the latest technologies, but we are now seeing it trickle down to practically all makes and model of vehicle. It is anticipated that by 2020 more than 40% of new vehicles will have at least two types of driver assistance system – driven by the desirable Euro NCAP 5 star rating.”
“Our figures show that at the moment, approximately 75% of all camera sensors should be calibrated under workshop conditions rather than dynamic calibration for accuracy reasons,” continues Tim . “The functionality of these cameras is increasing all the time and the need for absolute accuracy is paramount.”
The requirement for workshop conditions means National Windscreens is already ahead of the curve. Unlike some of its competitors, the independently owned company is firmly committed to retaining its UK wide fitting centre network as part of a business strategy that focusses on delivering excellent customer service.
National Windscreens operates a UK network of 108 fitting centres. On average the UK motorist is never more than 11 miles or 20 minutes away from a National Windscreens technician.
Tim continues, “Equipping centres with ADAS calibration tools and training staff in how to correctly use the new technology is a costly exercise, but our research indicates that use of ADAS is only going to increase. Accordingly we have taken the decision to implement a national programme of investment in equipment and training in anticipation of the growing demand for quality calibration.
The safety of UK drivers is paramount and we are confident that our robust approach to ADAS will be valued by all of our customers.”
To find out more about National Windscreens’ ADAS service offering please call 01827 338830.
