New tachograph testing: Continental gets workshops into shape with knowledge, test equipment and more
- VDO DSRC meter for checking the DSRC interface available from October
- Software update makes VDO workshop tablet DTCO 4.0 ready
- New workshop card: Qualification training courses start in the fall of 2018
- Workshops will be prepared for all new requirements with the DTCO 4.0 service pack
Villingen-Schwenningen, July 2018. New rules for digital tachographs (DTCO) will be coming into force in the middle of next year. Technology company Continental draws users’ attention to the changes for workshops in DTCO testing technology associated with regulation (EU) No. 165/2014 and the implementing regulation (EU) 2016/799.The first trucks with the new technology will already be appearing in the workshops at the beginning of 2019. Continental is therefore incorporating new test equipment and service offerings into its range of VDO-branded products. “Workshops can get everything for tachograph testing from us and in doing so benefit from our many years of expertise in original equipment and service,” says Michael Gut, program manager for tachograph services. “We will get the workshops into shape for the new tachograph legislation.”
There is no getting around a modern test computer
The basis for inspecting a smart digital tachograph is a modern test computer. The test equipment for the new legislation requires digital computer-guided testing technology. “Anyone still working with older test equipment for the first generation of digital tachographs should invest in new devices soon in order to become familiar with handling digital technology,” advises Michael Gut. With the VDO Workshop Tablet it is easy. Using self-explanatory test sequences, the wireless tablet PC guides you safely, step-by-step, through all functions – old and new – of the §57b test procedure. Workshops can save up to 20% working time per service with this guidance. The paperwork hassle is also done away with. Thanks to the robust touchscreen, data can be quickly and easily entered, processed and later printed out wirelessly. The software for the forthcoming test and diagnostic technologies for the DTCO 4.0 will be available from the fall. Workshops will be able to obtain it by means of an update.
New test equipment: VDO DSRC Meter and GNSS Repeater
Continental has developed the VDO DSRC meter to prove correct operation of the DSRC interface – an antenna on the windshield, by means of which the smart digital tachograph transmits data from the moving vehicle to the monitoring authorities’ receiving equipment. Workshops use this digital reader to check that remote monitoring is possible. For this purpose, the VDO DSRC meter is positioned opposite the front of the truck and connected to the VDO Workshop Tablet via Bluetooth. The unit then automatically tests that the antenna in the vehicle is working. The VDO Workshop Tablet evaluates the protocol and, in the event of discrepancies, gives recommended actions, for example to change the antenna in the vehicle. As an option, Continental offers a stand for mounting the VDO DSRC meter or accessories for panel mounting. Workshops will be able to order the unit from October.
In future, it will also be mandatory to test the satellite receiver (GNSS) built into the DTCO 4.0, by means of which the vehicle position can be established. Continental recommends the associated GNSS repeater to workshops which carry out tests indoors on a test rig and therefore may need to amplify the signal. As a certified supplier, the company also offers lead seals for sealing the likewise new speed transducer.
Qualify in good time
However, Continental supplies not only the device technologies, but also provides workshops with the necessary know-how for the legally prescribed periodic testing. In Germany and other European countries, Continental has set itself the goal of qualifying workshops for tachograph testing.The first training courses for preparing workshop personnel for the requirements of the future tests will start in the fall of 2018. The new test steps for the DTCO 4.0 will be taught in a one-day seminar. The content of the statutory refresher courses will likewise be expanded to include the new DTCO 4.0. Regular participation in the refresher courses is also a prerequisite for receiving the new workshop card for the smart digital tachographs. Training courses can be booked directly via the VDO Academy booking portal at www.vdo-academy.de.
Take out a service contract and benefit from comprehensive services
Continental also offers workshops the comprehensive “DTCO 4.0 ready” service pack for all devices associated with the smart digital tachograph. Interested companies can obtain the service from Continental. “Our objective is to support workshops in their everyday work to the best of our ability. Subscribers to DTCO 4.0 ready will benefit from a full service,” explains Michael Gut. Among other things, the package includes the updates for the VDO Workshop Tablet, which are necessary as a result of the new test equipment, as well as regular training courses, a service hotline, a replacement unit service and calibration of the test equipment.
Presentation at the IAA Commercial Vehicles
Continental is presenting its test equipment and service offerings for the new tachograph testing at the IAA Commercial Vehicles from September 20 to 27 in Hanover for the first time. At the exhibition stand in hall 17, booth B11/A06, workshops can find out about the new offers and changes.
