Bosch is raising the standard for fast and accurate wheel alignment with the new FWA 9000, which provides contact-free wheel alignment.

The new equipment is safe and easy to use and offers touchless technology which allows workshops to measure wheel alignment within seconds, without the operator leaving the vehicle. Assessing all four wheels simultaneously, the FWA 9000 provides quick values for camber and tow, and eliminates setup time thanks to the absence of tyre clamps. By not requiring the time consuming installation of wheel brackets or plates, the equipment eliminates measurement errors due to poor set up and means not unnecessary damage to wheels and rims.

The FWA9000 has proved highly successful in UK field trials with Bosch Car Service, opening up many new business opportunities.

The Touchless system bases its assessment on the position of the tyre and the chassis of the vehicle. The FWA 9000 recognises the movement a vehicle as it approaches the unit’s turntable pads, and starts initial measurement automatically. Thousands of reference points, generated by laser, are projected on the side of the vehicle, while two stereo cameras per measurement head provide a highly accurate 3D reference model of each wheel. Providing measurements for camber, individual toe, total toe, setback, caster and geometric driving axis values in a few seconds, the system can be controlled remotely so the operator need not leave the vehicle.

New software developed for the FWA 9000 combines intuitive graphics and an easy to understand GUI (Graphical User Interface) while the system’s database includes benchmark reference data for more than 30,000 vehicle types, from approximately 130 manufacturers in 16 languages, and allows a complete review and evaluation of the results.

The FWA 9000 can be easily integrated to work with Bosch four post lifts, automatically adjusting to different wheelbases and track widths without the need to relocate lifting points.

Allowing garages to maximise their return on investment in alignment technology, the speed and flexibility of the new Bosch FWA 900 means that it can easily be incorporated in a garage’s workflow,  for example assessing vehicles as they enter the workshop. This provides an ideal route to engaging with customers and increasing business opportunities.