National Windscreens has appointed Alistair Carlton as technical manager to further strengthen the company’s role in meeting the needs of new technologies.

With more than 23 years’ experience within the auto glazing sector, his appointment forms part of the company’s long-term investment strategy as the sector moves through a period of rapid change.

Carlton said: “Over the next few years the automotive glazing sector will undoubtedly face unprecedented change, at a pace not seen in the last 20 years.

"A main driving force behind this change is the increasing speed of technological advances in vehicles and, in particular, the need for calibration services to be carried out in workshop conditions to ensure advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) continue to work as intended.

“More than 10% of vehicles are already fitted with ADAS and this is set to grow to 40% of all vehicles on UK roads by 2020.

"Most of these systems work through cameras mounted on the windscreens so, if a replacement is needed, it is essential that the calibration work is carried out at the same time.

“The ADAS diagnostic equipment used by National Windscreens tells the vehicle to initiate the calibration process specified by that vehicle’s manufacturer.

"Once the ECU in the vehicle has successfully completed the calibration it informs the diagnostic equipment so that the National Windscreens technician can certify the successful calibration.

"Using the vehicle OEM systems in this way means each vehicle is calibrated exactly according to the manufacturer’s requirements.

“National Windscreens has fully committed to maintaining a truly national network of 108 fitting and calibration centres.

"This year alone it has invested more than £1 million in training and equipment for ADAS calibration and opened three new centres with the expanded facilities needed to meet the rapidly growing demand for these services.

“According to manufacturers, ADAS camera calibration is best done in workshop conditions."

 

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