Rarely does it happen that a vehicle owner, manufacturer, mechanic, or service dealer makes a profession of loyalty to a car part—much less to one hidden under a vehicle’s frame. But a brand of leafsprings developed by Roberts Automotive and Industrial Parts Manufacturing Corporation (Roberts AIPMC) has set an entire industry abuzz as it received nods of acclaim and approval from a rapidly growing clientele both in the Philippines and abroad.
Tiger Leaf springs was launched by Roberts AIPMC in 1994 under the same German brand that served Europe for over 120 years. Since then, Tiger has not only established itself as the country’s leading line of leaf springs; it has also expanded to include conventional multi-leaf to parabolic (mono-leaf) types, each built to outlast the lifespan of a vehicle. Stamped with cutting-edge technology, strengthened by a world-class manufacturing process, designed with rock-solid durability and heavy-duty power, these leaf springs deliver the kind of enhanced performance suspension that customers are looking for, as well as a reliable, comfortable ride no matter how rough the road, or how heavy the load.
Leaf springs, or molye in Tagalog, serve as one of the most commonly used vehicle suspension technologies today. Taking the form of slender, arc-shaped spring steels, typically attached between the frame and axle of a car, these parts help spread load more widely over the vehicle’s chassis—thus ensuring steering stability, easy handling, and maximum passenger comfort.
While leaf springs are meant to bend, flatten, extend, then return to their original shape, some easily falter under the weight of an overloaded vehicle; others deteriorate quickly after weeks, months, years of use; still others buckle simply under the stress of tough terrains and rough roads. In each case, the affected system parts pop, squeak, bounce, or clunk—exhibiting all the sounds and symptoms of poor, faulty suspension.
Roberts AIPMC distinguishes itself from the competition by making sure that none of the above happens, and by making Tiger Leaf springs as strong and as durable as possible. The process begins at the company’s state-of-the-art 1,300-sqm. manufacturing plant at the Canlubang Industrial
Estate in Cabuyao, Laguna, where each Tiger Leaf spring is manufactured from imported raw materials and developed to meet the international standards of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
Fatigue tests determine the durability, elasticity, and fatigue life of leaf spring assemblies; hardness tests, meanwhile, ensure that the leaves have been properly manipulated by the heat treatment process and hardened for maximum strength. Shot peening, a process in which steel shots are propelled at the tension side of each leaf, is also performed to increase the fatigue life of the springs and smoothen the surface of the leaves. And to verify that all the component parts, materials, and base fixings are fit for the application and vehicle for which the leaf springs are designed, load tests are performed. Throughout all these processes and tests, Roberts AIPMC conducts rigid quality control inspections, which are always guided by the company’s ISO 9001:2008-certified quality management system. Tiger Leaf springs are further backed up by excellent after-sales services, delivered by a specialized support group formed to respond to the various needs of Roberts AIPMC customers.
It is thus hardly a surprise that Tiger is the only leaf springs brand trusted by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, Toyota Motors, Isuzu Philippines Corporation, Nissan/Universal Motors Corporation (manufacturer and distributor of Nissan light utility vehicles) and Pilipinas Hino, among many others in Roberts AIPMC’s list of OEM clients. More and more individual vehicle owners, mechanics, and service dealers are also recognizing the value-driven performance of world-class Tiger Leaf Springs.
Tiger Leaf springs are currently manufactured at a rate of approximately 600 tons a month. The rare loyalty that the brand has won, however, makes Tiger primed for even bigger growth: something that, judging by the way its leaf springs work, Roberts AIPMC will also be more than equipped to handle. For more information about Tiger Leaf springs, visit www.roberts.com.ph.
Reference: Arvin Ligon
AMPR Publicity and Communications Inc.
706.1971
