VEHICLESECURITY
WARNING! PROTECT YOUR CAT- ALYTIC CONVERTERS
Teft-attacks on LCV’s have increased
dramatically since the start of the reces- sion and with the sudden increase in the price of metals, thieves have begun to target more than just the cargo areas. Catalytic converters contain rare metals including Palladium, Platinum and Rho- dium and represent an easy target to op- portunist thieves. Being easily accessible, this low-lying fruit can be quickly harvest- ed with the bare minimum of tools, leav- ing the van owners with a huge repair bill and possible loss of business. Many fleet-operators around the coun-
try have suffered such attacks and video evidence has proven that it can take thieves less than 60 seconds to remove a catalytic converter from a vehicle. A sin- gle theft-attack on a compound can eas-
ily result in over £50,000 worth of theft in one night, plus all the associated costs of having a fleet of vehicles off the road for a couple of days. Te first manufacturer to respond to
these attacks was Iveco UK Ltd. Tey worked closely with the UK’s leading vehi- cle security company, Armaplate UK Ltd, to design a quick and effective security solution in the form of the “ArmaCat”. Tis device envelopes the catalytic converter in a strong stainless-steel wrap which is then secured to the chassis with an equal- ly strong stainless-steel cable. Te device uses high security bolts, shear-nuts and locking channels making the thief’s tools virtually ineffective. Te unit was rigorously tested to en-
sure that the ultra-high temperatures of the catalytic-converter would not affect the security device and that the device itself would not alter the efficiency of the cat. Te cable is also fitted with a special high-temperature sleeve to prevent any chafing.
Tailored to suit Te huge success of the Iveco ArmaCat
seems to have pushed thieves to pastures new, resulting in other vehicles being targeted. Armaplate have just completed work on a range of new ArmaCats and each one is individually tailored to suit a particular vehicle and address its vulner- ability.
Armaplate’s Operations Director, Tom
McQuiggan, told us: “In recent years, the price for scrap metals has increased dra- matically and this in turn has led to an in- crease in thefts. Lead, copper, aluminium and steel need to be stolen in large quan- tities to make it worthwhile to the thieves, but catalytic-converters contain precious metals, all in a neat package which is eas- ily stolen and abundant in supply”. He continued: “Te initial response by
some, was to apply a security mark to the catalytic-converters, but that does noth- ing to stop the thieves stealing the cats – it merely prevents them from selling them to a reputable scrap merchant. Te truth is, most stolen cats are taken out of the UK and are scrapped in Eastern Europe where controls are far less stringent”. Armaplate are so confident in their
security device that they offer a Lifetime Guarantee with it and it is available for a wide range of vehicles including Mer- cedes, Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen. Tom McQuiggan pointed out: “Te Ar-
maCat is extremely simple to install, tak- ing around 15 minutes and is the perfect security solution for Locksmiths to offer to their customers, be they owner-drivers or fleet operators“.
For more information: 0845 838 0700
www.armaplate.com
VEHICLE SECURITY - MAKE THIS A PRIORITY
How secure is your vehicle when you are out on a job? Whatever trade or business you are in, your vehicle is usu- ally an essential tool for your livelihood and as such deserves a high level of pro- tection. We are only too aware that crime in-
creases in times of economic upheaval, as the latest statistics go to show. But vehi- cles have always been a target for villains, so it makes sense for locksmiths looking to diversify and expand their offering to customers by checking out a product that is proven to be efficient, effective and quick and simple to fit.
According to one company that spe-
cialises in van security, thieves are now actually stealing catalytic converters from vehicles, which are expensive pieces of kit that are “ready-packaged” and easy to ship out of the country, to certain coun- tries where demand is high, money is waiting – especially given the current sky-high price of the precious metals con- cerned - and no questions are asked. Clearly, a nice little earner for the in- creasing number of criminals out there.
Be part of it Not surprisingly, Armaplate’s services
48 • NOV/DEC 2011 •
WWW.KEYZINE.CO.UK
are much in demand via their agents and franchisees – and locksmiths UK wide would do well to consider this as part of the services they offer. “Keeping a vehicle on the road is key to
running many a business,”said Tom Mc- Quiggan, Armaplate’s Operations Direc- tor. “We believe there is great potential for enterprising locksmiths to work with us in preventing this kind of crime and enhanc- ing their own businesses with a tried and tested product.” Check out the website (
www.armaplate.
com) call them on 01204 468295 or email
sales@armaplate.com to find out more.
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