Lead chemist in the development of new industry-standard automotive refrigerant R1234yf Mario Nappa has been awarded the 2015 Winthrop-Sears Medal for entrepreneurial achievement. Dr Nappa, who worked with Wire & Gas 2015 keynote speaker Barbara Minor on the R1234yf project, already has quite a collection awards for technical achievement, invention and engineering excellence to go … Continue reading R1234yf boffin wins Chemists’ Club medal
The Motor Trades Association of Queensland (MTAQ) has launched a ‘pre-vocational’ nine-week course designed to give youngsters aspiring to an automotive career the basic knowledge, technical and life skills to boost their confidence and ready them for the job market. A five-week practical element includes safe work practices, the use and maintenance of tools and … Continue reading MTAQ’s Auto Initiation training program
The Antarctic ozone hole reached 28.2 million square kilometres in October this year, the third largest observed after 2000 and 2006, according to NASA data. However rather than being a result of huge ozone depletion in the last 12 months, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) says we are not seeing a reversal of the good … Continue reading Ozone hole one of the biggest ever – but don’t worry
Of nine refrigerant samples from eight brands of R134a refrigerant sold for automotive use in the Chinese city of Guanzshou in Guangdong province, four were found to contain unacceptable levels of contaminants such as chlorine, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and water. In another Guangdong province city, Zhuhai, 900 cylinders of fake refrigerant plus associated packaging, documentation … Continue reading More fake refrigerant in China
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Airconditioning and Heating (AIRAH) is searching for a new CEO as current leader Phil Wilkinson steps down. Part and parcel of VASA’s extensive activities within the air conditioning industry includes associating and interaction with AIRAH through our membership of Refrigerants Australia, Refrigerant Reclaim Australia, the Australian Refrigeration Council and our … Continue reading AIRAH CEO Phil Wilkinson steps down
AN AUSTRALIAN workshop is facing a negligence claim for retrofitting a vehicle air conditioning system with hydrocarbon refrigerants, following an incident that injured passengers and caused property damage. Documents obtained by SightGlass eNews reveal that a law firm is claiming expenses related to the costs of vehicle repairs and personal injury from the workshop, based … Continue reading HC retrofit workshop faces negligence action
TWO significant documents to our industry have been published in recent weeks, the Review of the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Programme options paper and theAnalysis of Work Health and Safety Data for the Use of Synthetic Greenhouse Gases and Substitutes in the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry. Core to the Ozone Review options … Continue reading Ozone Review options paper, alternative refrigerant safety study published
THE first meeting with industry over a review of the legislation controlling hydrocarbon refrigerants in Queensland took place on September 15 in Brisbane. There are no terms of reference for the review and the general impression is that the aim of the review is to reduce, rather than strengthen, regulation governing hydrocarbon refrigerants. VASA and … Continue reading QLD HC review update
THE Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) says the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal has “driven home” the organisation’s message that “car makers will tell us only what they want us to know – and will only tell us when it suits them”. Describing the secrecy of in-car electronics as “black box”, AAAA executive director Stuart Charity … Continue reading VW scandal: AAAA calls for more in-car electronics transparency
THE October MACS Service Report, provided as a VASA member benefit, contains a full run-down of the new SAE J3030 standard for recovery/recycle/recharge machines that can work with both R134a and R1234yf refrigerants, or initially built to work with R134a convertible to exclusively R1234yf usage. Using an R134a machine built to SAE J2788 standards for … Continue reading Latest MACS bulletin a must-read
