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A quest to improve-upon his work tools leads an Arizona collision repairer to invent his own |
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Monday, 04 June 2007 |
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| DLF Engineering owner Dennis Fjell kneels to demonstrate the use of the Vector-Track to technician David Crestin. The Vector-Track tests rear-tire tracking in a matter of minutes. |
In the case of Dennis Fjell, body pain is the mother of all
invention. A back problem that plagued him for years and a case of
bicep tendonitis led him to improve upon the awkward, heavy tools he
used daily in collision repair. He wanted tools that were lightweight
and more efficient. This led to a number of inventions over the years.
All of them created to ease on-the-job discomfort and increase his
workflow.
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| The Vector-Track |
While all of his inventions were useful, there was only one that stood out in terms of industry marketability — the Vector-Track. This tool is a gauge to test rear axle tracking without moving the automobile from the frame rack. It works on pickups, SUVs, or any other vehicle with a conventional or one-piece rear differential. It can also be used on trailers.
With the Vector-Track, Fjell saw the potential to make an innovative contribution to the industry. While his other inventions were useful, they were not cost-effective in regards to marketing and competing with larger manufacturers. He saw a definite need for the Vector-Track.
“Nobody made one, so I made one myself,” Fjell said. “The first one I made worked really well, so I made an improved version.”
You can call it an inspiration or you can call it a gut feeling, but Fjell said the motivation to market his product was, “just a wild hair.” That wild hair has led him out of semi-retirement into a developing business prospect that he has invested extensive time and money in. After numerous prototypes and many reworks to create the most effective Vector-Track, Fjell is eager to connect with distributors and sell this tool to body shops. The Vector-Track retails for $349. Fjell’s daughter put her computer degree to good use and designed the logo and also created a website for the company.
The biggest benefit of using this tool is that there is no disruption to the workflow. The technician is able to test in his own work area, rather than remove the car from the frame rack and move it to a 4-wheel alignment rack.
“This way he can check his work right there on the spot while he’s working on the car. Then he knows it’s correct before he finishes,” Fjell said.
Fjell’s tool far exceeds industry standards of the past. The alternative is to take physical measurements by hand, with tape measures or aluminum bars. Another option is to drive the car over hand-drawn marks sketched in chalk on concrete. The car is driven over the marks, which are then examined to test the tracking. On the other end of the extreme is an expensive option in which the car has to be transferred to a 4-wheel alignment rack, and those racks are a big investment.
The Vector-Track can be used with the front wheels removed from the vehicle, or even with the front suspension removed. On most vehicles with rear disc brakes, it can be used it with all four wheels removed. Furthermore, you can use it in a work bay with or without a rack or hoist. Testing time with Vector-Track usually takes only two to five minutes.
Fjell began doing bodywork in 1972, and ten years later he became a frame specialist. He focused on unibody and truck frames, and worked almost entirely on framework.
“That’s pretty heavy work,” he recalled. “A lot of heavy lifting. So my back bothered me a lot. It all started with the fishhook used by framers. My bad disks were always irritated.”
So, he modified the standard fishhook tool and created a lightweight version manufactured with high-strength industrial steel. With this material the fishhooks were very easy to lift by hand, yet retained their strength.
With his mind constantly devising ways to improve upon things, it wasn’t long before his next invention, a chain binder, came into play. Because of his bicep tendonitis, he invented this device to tighten the chain using an air ratchet, rather than muscle power.
“I went so far as to do a patent search on it, but after doing the patent search I still decided that it was too risky to put all the money in to develop it,” Fjell said. “The market was already flooded with the other ones. It’s pretty difficult to invade the market if you don’t have a marketing company. I thought had a good living at the time and I didn’t want to risk it.”
Other notable inventions include a unibody clamping system, which Fjell fashioned from a used, clamping system. He dismantled and modified it to add hydraulic rams.
DLF Engineering
PO Box 1258
Queen Creek, AZ 85242
www.vector-track.com
(480) 332-0052
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