Bowmonk explains the benefits of using an electronic decelerometer.
The Tapley meter continues to be widely used in vehicle testing stations and repair workshops today, with the tool still approved for performing a decelerometer test. However, accountability and duty of care are playing a significant role for technicians in more recent times, with an increased requirement to provide more data and information, as well as ensuring methods are in place to retain any information gathered for archival purposes.
The benefits of progressing your equipment to an electronic option therefore quickly becomes apparent. With the mechanical decelerometer test, users still have to physically hand write the achieved efficiency value on a report and sign it off, leaving room for possible error. On the other hand, using an electronic decelerometer for the same method of testing, such as the Bowmonk BrakeCheck, reduces potential issues.
The need for manually writing the efficiency value by printing off the actual braking efficiency and percentage of braking imbalance is no longer required, for instance. Now, the tester only has to sign the test print-out to confirm he/she has carried out the test. The values are already recorded from within the unit and transported to the infrared printer – this can then simply be stapled to the inspection sheet. In addition to braking efficiency, the BrakeCheck device will also give technicians the percentage value of left/right imbalance of the vehicle.
Aside from the mandatory scheduled testing, there is a perfect opportunity to create a profit centre, particularly for those repair shops that do not have access to a roller brake tester. Non-MOT garages and fast-fit centres are using tools such as Bowmonk’s BrakeCheck to increase their revenue through the provision of a ‘pre- overhaul’ and ‘post-overhaul’ brake test report. Put simply, this provides the information necessary to meet requirements in the form of a ‘before and after’ printed comparison, while also demonstrating greater value to customers.
