Perrys Motor Sales Ltd
Since a management buy-out in 2000, Perrys has steadily grown to become one of the UK's leading vehicle dealerships and now employs 1200 staff in 41 outlets nationwide. Considerable growth during 2002 / 2003, and acquisition of the Ford Franchise in Aylesbury, prompted Perrys Motor Sales Ltd to invest nearly £1 million in a new flagship bodyshop specified and equipped with highly efficient HPC compressed air equipment. Situated close to the Perrys multi-franchise dealership, the new 26,000² ft Aylesbury Accident Repair Centre opened in February this year and more than doubles the size of the previous facilities, formerly located at the Bicester Road site just around the corner.
"Without air, we're dead in the water"
To cater for the increased capacity, Perrys decided to equip the bodyshop with all-new facilities.
As John explained: "Without compressed air we're dead in the water. It is vital for the operation of all our equipment and to provide essential dust extraction. Perrys has used HPC compressors for many years in our previous facilities and they have never let us down. The new system is far more advanced in comparison, but the old system was a testament to HPC's reliability and quality".
The new air system
In order to maximise floor space flexibility, Perrys capitalised on the design of the previous shop by positioning their three new Junair spraybooth ovens against the wall, rather than installing them centrally. John commented "It's a big, open space which enables us to utilise it for any operation we need to carry out and means that we are not restricted by ovens in the middle". The centre's spacious design also features 50 workbays each equipped with air-lines and state of the art collision repair equipment, all supported by compressed air provided by the HPC compressed air system. The system comprises two 15kW Airtower 26 rotary screw compressors each providing 89.8 cfm FAD at 7.5bar, an 875 litre air receiver, water separators, an electronic condensate drain and air filtration. Modular in design, the compressors are mounted directly above refrigerant dryers, which provide a pressure dew point of +3°C to ensure dry air and eliminate potential problems with condensate build-up. With ultra low air resistance, the air distribution network was designed and supplied as part of a turnkey package and consists of an easy to install snap-lock piping system made of smooth-flow aluminium piping.
Reliability, backup and response
The V-belt driven compressors are equipped with CEMEP EFF1 / WIMES motors to ensure optimum efficiency and are controlled by interlinked SIGMA Control compressor management systems. The control system alternates on-load and off-load hours to ensure that both compressors are subjected to the same number of operating hours and, as there are two units with sufficient capacity reserve, back-up is always provided should one of the compressors need to be taken out of service for maintenance reasons. John Mills described the key advantages of the compressor installation as: "Reliability, back up and response. Air is available where and when you need it, in the quantity and quality you need it. The SIGMA Control tells you exactly what is happening and makes servicing and maintenance even more responsive".
"You buy cheap, you buy twice"
"Although HPC compressed air equipment is not the cheapest on the market, it is, in my view, the best," said John, "you get what you pay for; you buy cheap, you buy twice. We have a 5 year service contract with McLaren Air Systems, the local HPC Authorised Distributor, who carry out all maintenance work and we know that they are there for us should we need them at any time. The combination of HPC equipment and the service contract provides us with 5 years worry-free business, the whole package is perfect".
"Expansion into the new premises has far exceeded expectations"
In order to take full advantage of the increased space and the new facilities, five new employees were appointed prior to relocation of the bodyshop to the larger premises, which now employs a dedicated team of 28 staff. All work is carried out in-house by highly skilled motor vehicle technicians who are involved in every stage of the repair process. The centre currently repairs between 75-80 cars per week and will increase this number to the full capacity of 125 per week in the coming months: "To accommodate the associated demand for air, the compressor system operates 5 days a week, 9 hours a day and only stops at the weekend. The system has run faultlessly since being commissioned in February; things could not have been smoother." explained John.
With a catchment area covering a radius of 80 miles around Aylesbury, the new Accident Repair Centre works mainly with accident management companies, fleet managers and, to a lesser extent, insurance companies. Perrys are accredited with repair approvals from 9 manufacturers and, over the years, have won numerous awards, the most recent being 'Best Big Dealer 2004'.
John acknowledged the company's continued success by saying: "As a company we are going from strength to strength. This centre is the most up to date of its kind in the country and is our flagship repair facility. Expansion into the new premises has far exceeded expectations and can be attributed to our staff and the systems we have in place, of which HPC compressors are part".