The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently identified online sales of a potentially unsafe refrigerant promoted for use in automotive air-conditioners. VASA’s North American counterpart MACS Worldwide is spreading the word with a safety alert on its website. While the product (branded “Cool Penguin F-12”) appears to be marketed as CFC-12, some of the cans contain a mixture of … Continue reading Dangerous fake ‘F-12’ refrigerant sold online in US
A petition calling for restrictions to be lifted from the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in Queensland, submitted to the state Parliament by One Nation MP for Mirani Stephen Andrews in August, has been given short shrift by Queensland Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Dr Anthony Lynham. The petition, which gathered 588 signatures, made … Continue reading Claims Made in Pro-HC Petition Debunked by Queensland Minister
VASA director Mark Mitchell, who is part-owner and director of Unicla International, has written a book chronicling and celebrating the compressor manufacturer’s fascinating story and achievements to date. Pre-release copies of the book, titled Unicla and the Midnight Technician, have been well-received by global industry figures including MACS Worldwide president Elvis Hoffpauir, MACPartners Europe president Michael … Continue reading High Praise for Mark Mitchell’s History Book About Compressor Manufacturer Unicla
Grants of up to $5000 are currently available to women working in the Australian automotive sector to support their participation in one of three professional development programs. The grants have been provisioned for use by women right across the country, with a specific focus on the automotive sector, but must be allocated by the end … Continue reading Last 2020 Women’s Leadership Development Scholarships Now Available
THE announcement of a 10-year new car warranty by Mitsubishi Motors Australia has courted controversy because it is conditional on customers exclusively servicing their vehicles at Mitsubishi dealerships, else the warranty duration is reduced to five years. Announced before Mitsubishi had obtained full approval from the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC), the proposed warranty … Continue reading Conditional 10 Year Mitsubishi Warranty Raises Ire of Australian Auto Repair and Parts Industry
Uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic and its significant impact on Victoria has forced the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) to reschedule its Australian Auto Aftermarket and Collision Repair Expo to 7 – 9 April, 2022 instead of the originally publicised date of 29 April to 1 May, 2021. The event’s longstanding venue, the Melbourne Convention … Continue reading Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo rescheduled to April 2022
MACPartners Europe, the continental cousin of VASA, has launched a new website to support the automotive air-conditioning industry in Europe that provides a centralised portal for webinars and technical bulletins and an opportunity to connect with members of the community, to help strengthen and unite the automotive air-conditioning industry as a whole. Founded in June 2004 by … Continue reading VASA’s European Counterpart Launches New Website, Resource to Support Auto-AC industry
Biosignatures have long played a part in the search for other life in our universe. These signatures are chemical elements or substances, such as methane detected in the atmosphere of a planet, that are naturally produced by living organisms. However, scientists at the Massachusetts-based Centre for Astrophysics and the University of Rochester are collaborating on … Continue reading CFCs could reveal life on other planets
Authorities clamp down on illegal import and cylinder usage A refrigeration specialist based in Victoria has been fined $A12,600 for importing HCFCs without the required permissions. The company, which imports, builds and supplies air-conditioning systems, was also fined for the use of illegal disposable refrigerant cylinders – a storage method that has been banned since … Continue reading Victorian company hit with HCFC fine
FROM January 2021, Australia will start a two-year transition to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals Revision 7 (GHS 7). Changes to hazard classes between GHS 3 and GHS 7 include the addition of Flammable Gas Category 1A and 1B. These replace Flammable Gas Category 1 and allow for distinction between … Continue reading Transition to latest GHS 7 chemical ID system starts in 2021
