APRA Electrical "Survive and Thrive" Clinic Held in Conjunction with the BIG R Show

August 25, 2010


CHANTILLY, VIRGINIA – The Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association’s (APRA) Electrical Division will be hosting their annual “Survive & Thrive Clinic” on Saturday October 30th at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The day will begin at 9:00 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. He 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, Missouri 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 2-part session, Mohammad 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 the ever popular 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.

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 $95 early bird or $110 after October 15, 2010.