SKIPPING SURPLUS: TIGER LEAF SPRING

Engineered to deliver maximum strength and durability, RAIPMC's OEM-quality Tiger leaf springs offer the best value for money

MANILA, Philippines  March 2012—Out with the old, in with the new—at least when it comes to replacement auto parts.

                That's the expert advice given by Michael Gonzalez, General Manager of Roberts Automotive and Industrial Parts Manufacturing Corporation (RAIPMC). Recognizing the tendency of car owners to opt for surplus items whenever a part needs replacing, he is quick to caution that “cheap and used” do not often deliver the same bottomline value as “brand new.”

    "The savings that one supposedly makes by buying surplus products may all be illusory," Gonzalez asserts. "There is nothing practical about a second-hand auto part of unknown origin, with no warranty, and with no indication of how much is left of the product life cycle."

                To help steer car owners into making genuinely value-driven decisions, Roberts AIPMC is thus working continuously to supply a diverse range of high-quality and cost-effective automotive products. This includes the company's Tiger leaf springs brand, which was launched in 1994 and has since been established as the only locally manufactured leaf spring trusted by original equipment manufacturers (OEM) like Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, Toyota Motors, Isuzu Philippines Corporation, Columbian Motors, Nissan/Universal Motors Corporation (manufacturer and distributor of Nissan light utility vehicles), and Pilipinas Hino.

             
    But Tiger isn't just for the big industry names, Gonzalez points out. It's also for individual vehicle owners who may sometimes express reluctance at spending a little extra on a brand new replacement part, but won't hesitate to seize every opportunity to get the best possible value for their money.

    

        Tiger represents one such opportunity. Unlike surplus or substandard leaf springs (or molye in Tagalog)—which may sag, break, or crack under heavy duty and extreme driving conditions—Tiger leaf springs are engineered to deliver maximum strength and durability, while helping spread passenger or cargo load more widely and effectively over the vehicle's chassis. All this, then, contributes to enhanced steering stability, better handling, and improved passenger comfort.

    According to Gonzalez, the immediate positive impact that a new Tiger leaf spring assembly makes on a vehicle's suspension system is what sets the brand apart from the competition. He adds, "Our company always strives to meet international manufacturing standards, and it's good to know that our efforts translate directly into a better, smoother road experience for our clients."

              

                         

          
           RAIPMC's product catalog for Tiger includes conventional and parabolic types, and covers all kinds of automotive applications—for cars, buses, shuttles, jeepneys, tricycles, cargo trucks, tankers, mixers, delivery vans, pickups, utility vehicles, and more. By following an ISO 9001:2008-certified quality management system, and by subjecting each Tiger to a series of extensive load, hardness, and durability tests, the company is consistently able to develop OEM-quality leaf springs at a rate of approximately 600 tons per month.

                Of course, at RAIPMC's 1,300-sqm. manufacturing plant in Cabuyao Laguna, quality tops quantity at all times. It is this example that Gonzales hopes more car owners will soon follow. "When it comes to leaf springs, or some other priority component of the car," he says, "don't go for what's cheaper. Go for what's better."

For more details about Roberts Automotive and Industrial Parts Manufacturing Corp. (RAIPMC), visit www.roberts.com.ph.