The American Council of Frame and Alignment Specialists (ACOFAS) recently held a two-day training clinic for both frame technicians and insurance adjusters in Akron OH. This clinic was hosted by Akron Wheel and Frame and its owners, the James Roark family.
Bill Henry, ACOFAS administrator, opened the session with a welcome and a reminder of the dangers of frame straightening and the importance of working safely. Michael Kramer, president of National Truck and Heavy Equipment Claims Council (NTHECC), discussed what the insurance industry is looking for regarding frame straightening and quality workmanship. Mike Hamilton of Truckalign in Altoona WI followed with a session on proper work safety procedures and ways to assure equipment is in proper working condition. Tony Porretta of Porretta's Frame and Alignment in Philadelphia PA then discussed terminology used in frame straightening. Fred Badurie of Beeline Co, Bettendorf, IA, then presented a slide presentation on frame conditions and the tooling and equipment needed to correct the conditions.
After the opening session participants took part in actually straightening the frame of a dump trailer and the dump box, a Sterling tractor that had been in a head-on collision, and a Mack quad dump truck that had tipped over.
The next ACOFAS training clinics will be on “Recreational Vehicle Suspension and Steering Enhancements” during March 2007 in Elk River MN and “ABS and ABS-6 Braking Systems and Their Effect on Steering and Front End Alignment” during May 2007 in Huntington IN.
For more information, access www.acofas.com.