We talk to Steve Blake, Director of KPS Automotive Parts, to find out more about the Luton-based company.
Q It’s fair to say KPS is a new name for our readers. Can you tell us a little more about the company and your CV product offering?
Steve Blake (SB): KPS Automotive Parts was formed in 2004. The two directors are former employees of TRW, with extensive knowledge of power steering products (passenger car, LCV and HCV). The company has a primary focus on electric power steering and braking, CV Parts, Electric Parking Brakes and Valeo Braking/Lighting, but we are rapidly expanding our product range.
KPS offers a mix of new and remanufactured products. This meets the needs of our customers by ensuring good availability. Additionally, we support our customers with a constant supply of ‘new-to-range’ steering racks, columns and pumps – electric, hydraulic and manual.
Our current CV product offering includes CV wheel hubs from an OE manufacturer, fitted with Timken bearings, ABS ring and bolts. It comes complete with a Knorr-Bremse brake disc fully assembled if required by the customer. We also offer CV steering boxes and brake calipers all remanufactured by companies that have been established for 10 years or more.
Q Do you offer products for Light Commercial Vehicles?
SB: We supply the aftermarket with products for light commercial vehicles in the form of power steering racks and pumps, together with brake calipers, steering linkage & suspension parts and a full range of Koyo bearings.
Q What are the benefits of offering and fitting remanufactured products?
SB: KPS is a company that believes in recycling and remanufacturing. We want to do everything we can to reduce the impact on the environment and to that end we offer as many remanufactured products as possible, supported with new units where required.
Remanufactured part availability means reduced lead-times for our customers. This generally means a fast response time because we don’t have long lead-times for the ‘new equivalent part’. It supports our policy of a greener environment, whilst at the same time offering a fast and efficient service to our customers.
Q What kind of delivery and stock availability are you able to offer customers?
SB: We offer next day delivery for all of our parts, with the additional option of ‘remanufacture and return’ of the customers unit where applicable and in some cases, we also offer a ‘same day’ service.
Q Do you provide any technical and aftersales support?
SB: KPS can offer technical advice concerning fitment as required for all of our products. This is often related to power steering products and less common on our other product ranges. Aftersales support goes hand in hand with this. We want to ensure the customer feels fully supported throughout the process of procurement, fitment and operation.
Q Your CV Power Steering Boxes are a safety critical item. What kind of testing and quality checks do you have in place during the manufacturing process?
SB: KPS is very conscious of the CV steering boxes we offer being a safety critical part. We have extensive experience, built up over many years in the business, having also spent a large part of that time working for TRW in the remanufacturing operation.
We disassemble the steering boxes, clean and inspect all of the parts to ensure they are to OE standard, replacing parts as required. All new genuine seal kits are used to reassemble the parts in accordance with the OE process. Safety critical checks are made at every stage of the process and the completed unit is functionally tested on a state of the art testing facility that replicates the vehicle and on-road conditions.
