News

Saving time means more throughput and more profit

Polishing car 30 mins after paint

Surf-ACE Compounds used 30mins after baking paint with phenomenal results - and saving time to boot (or any other body panel you intend to polish!)

Málningarvörur Iceland has a body shop customer that spray paints and then compounds their work just 30 mins after baking - with great results

The body shop in Reykjavík asked the Icelandic distributor of Surf-ACE compounds and polishes if they could give them an on-site demo of the latest Surf-ACE compounds to find out if they could achieve the results they were seeking.

Brand ambassador Shaun Finney took the time out of a busy European trip to complete the demo for them.

The body shop painted a repair using their usual paint system and proceeded to bake it in their booth using their normal timings.

30 minutes after the vehicle exited the booth, Shaun proceeded to compound the painted area using Surf-ACE P-12 Xtra followed by P-40 Xtra. (both used with appropriate Surf-ACE pads)

The results were, according to the body shop staff, were outstanding.

How was it done? P-12 Xtra and P-40 Xtra, used with the correct mops and techniques, don’t generate enormous amounts of heat, yet the special DRA™ micro-precision oxides provide enough “cut” to complete the job. Naturally, operator experience also helps – so with a few hints and tips and a couple of practice runs, the guys at the Reykjavík body shop now are conversant with the newly acquired methods.

Everyone is pleased, the managers can now book-in more work, the body-shop guys get through more work with less time hanging about waiting… and the Icelandic Distributor gets to prove a point about how good Surf-ACE Compounds and Polishes are.

Everyone wins!

To view the full range of Surf-ACE products click this link to take you to the online brochure

SEMA - Post Show Report

SEMA 2023 a snapshot of the show
SEMA Show… it’s impressive. 1.2million square feet of indoor exhibition space, hundreds of fabulous cars, thousands of people.

It’s easy for an exhibitor to get lost in the meleé. But we didn’t – our product offering stood out, and we were rewarded with lots of interest from both trade and end user visitors.

As a British company (with all the connotations of quality that description imbues) Concept and its brands generated enormous interest at the USA show.

Concept brands Surf-ACE® and Zirconite® each had separate booths in different halls at the 2023 show, both were big hits with attendees. Surf-ACE showcased their DRA™ Compounds - total paint rectification solutions for use in automotive, marine, aviation and industry sectors.

Zirconite featured their whole range of automotive exterior and interior protection coatings from quartz and ceramic right through to graphene infused.

With SEMA having a world-wide audience, both brands also used the opportunity to promote importer/distributors profit opportunities in areas of the globe they were not already represented.

Although a long way to travel for just a few days, the Concept troops soldiered on in Las Vegas and presented the brands in the best possible light - which resulted in lots of serious enquiries from interested parties.

The brands will be exhibiting in the USA again in February where new and exciting products will be showcased at Mobile Tech Expo, Florida… it’s a hard life!

Welcome to the Concept Training School…

Concept Training School attendees

Pictured(left to right): Darren McGucken - RT Autoparts Cookstown, Chris Guinane - Autobits Autostore – Armagh, Shaun Finney - Concept Chemicals Trainer and Technical Demonstrator, Aidan Bannon - Motorstore – Glengormley, Matt Maguire - Parts 2000 - Newtonards

Technical Training and Product Knowledge Tailored for your Team!,
Our Northern Ireland importer/distributor, Parts 2000, contacted us recently with a request for some of their trade customers to visit the Concept Training School and be introduced to (and actively try and test) a range of Concept products, gaining real product knowledge and technical knowhow they can pass on to their customers.

Matt of Parts 2000 arranged the details and asked for hands-on training for a few specific products including Zirconite ZG-365 Carbon-infused Ceramic Coating, Xpert-60 Tyre Crème, Clay-2-Go (as a prep for ZG-365) and Tyre and Plastic to highlight some of the products used. All 4 Concept brands (Concept, Surf-ACE, Zirconite and XPERT-60) were covered over the 2 days, including the USPs and key features of all the core products within the brands – that’s an awful lot of information!

All the guys said that hands-on experience and the knowledge they gained of the products they sell will prove invaluable in helping and advising end-users, both with choice and hints and tips on actual use.

If you want to take advantage of opportunities offered by The Concept Chemicals Training School contact your brand representative for more details or call Concept on +44 (0)161 335 0214

Tractors Shiny, Shiny... Showroom Shiny ! ! !

Concept PBR Special is a favourite

One of our distributors passed on an unusual query to us a few days ago. They basically said “Can you visit these chaps whose business is tractors and agricultural machinery – the cleaning and conditioning stuff they use to prep the machines for delivery isn’t working for them…”

We visited this prestigious Agricultural Machinery Dealer – based in the NW of England to demo Concept products and see how we could solve their problems and give them the best results!

The Dealer sells both new and used machinery – the new machinery gets a full PDI and final detail and the used machinery (especially tractors) gets cleaned and valeted before being put up for sale. These are expensive vehicles and need to look absolutely tip top!

Now, these things aren’t small family cars – they’re big. Really big, super dirty and dusty so a few things were critical to the business:

Performance and ease-of-use. The products they were searching for had to be quick and easy to apply and use. They also had to really work – if we suggested a plastic dressing it had to “dress the plastic!” Polishes had to polish and cleaners had to clean.

Economy. Any product that they were going to use has to deliver top notch results and be economic in use. As we said before, these things are big!

After looking at the vehicles, and the multitude of materials they are made from, we offered a range of products (some dual -purpose) that could do the job and provide the ease-of use and superb finish they were looking for – showroom shiny!

Products ranged from Mastercleaner Plus+ (a multi-function “total” cleaner for all interior and exterior hard surfaces, right through to Panache – the ultimate interior trim speed detailer.

P.B.R. Special appeared to be a favourite – not surprising when you look at the amount of rubber and plastic on a tractor!

At the end of the demonstration the Dealer was totally on board with the products and said the results were outstanding! Another win for Concept!!!!!

Products demonstrated included:
Panache speed detailer, PBR Special, Infinity Nano Polish, Squeaky glass cleaner, Master Cleaner+, Drive tyre dressing, Profile Wash & Wax, Delta Force 2000 high performance TFR

Tractor and Concept products demonstrated and used

How to make your compounding/polishing pads last longer.

Surf-ACE Pad ready to swap out to increase longevity

Excess heat, that’s the enemy of compounding and polishing pads.

Excess heat soaks into the foam pads and makes them “soft” – compromising the integrity of the cell structure and shortening their life.

Same goes for lambswool and microwool mops – except this time, excess heat flattens the fibre structure reducing cutting power.

The answer is to not overwork your pads and mops so they get too hot. Simple!

To get more life out of Surf-ACE pads, swap them out after approximately 10 mins of polishing time (or every two panels). This allows pads to cool down extending their useful life.

Obviously if you are just prepping one small panel, you might get it completed in 10 minutes. But it’s great advice when needing to compound or polish a whole vehicle.

It goes without saying that keeping pads clean and removing excess product is best practice to ensure optimum cutting performance.

Now, you might consider this to be a crafty ruse to sell you more pads.
But think about it… pads and mops will last longer, so you won’t need to buy as many!

Surf-ACE
Surf-ACE... giving you Xtra!

Zirconite Aftercare Range

The Zirconite Aftercare range of products

A complete range of aftercare products with the same superb quality as Zirconite Coatings.

From wheel cleaner to leather care, Zirconite aftercare products help maintain the quality of finish you expect.

Now the enthusiast detailer who wants to use the “Choice of the Professionals” can have access to a range of industry leading, quality products, with full confidence in a programme that delivers professional performance for excellence: speed, ease of use, versatility, durability and quality of finish.

Zirconite products have been designed to work under the pressure of time to deliver results 1st time, every time!

Acclaimed around the world and chosen by motor manufacturers, vehicle import centres, major P.D.I. preparation centres, car valeting and detailing companies, franchise car dealers, bodyshops, and major Formula 1 racing teams the Zirconite aftercare range is available to the detailer … ‘who is in the know’!

In the cleaning, polishing and detailing world of Zirconite, speed, performance and total image count for everything.

Check out the whole aftercare range on the dedicated Zirconite website: https://www.zirconitecoatings.com/aftercare/

It’s that time of year again… SEMA here we come!

Concept Chemicals brands at the SEMA 2022 show

Sema Show 2023

The SEMA trade show (Specialty Equipment Market Association) in Las Vegas is over 2 million square feet of exhibition space, features and attractions. It covers all aspects of automotive products and services from simple accessories and performance styling right through to chassis and “crate” engines – and absolutely everything in between.

This year two of Concept’s brands Surf-ACE and Zirconite are both appearing at the show from
Tue, 31 Oct 2023 – Fri, 3 Nov 2023, each with a separate stand in the appropriate halls.

Surf-ACE will be exhibiting at Booth 12763
And Zirconite at Booth 51271

Come and visit! SEMA is not just for American visitors, trade attendees (of over 161,000 last year) from around world seek out new and exciting and profitable products for their own markets.

Zirconite will be exhibiting the whole range of surface protection coatings and aftercare on offer, including the ZG-365 Graphene Infused Coating, created in the spiritual home of graphene – Manchester.

Surf-ACE Compounds are the star of the show on Booth 12763 and includes the renowned XTRA range featuring DRA™ technology – now in handy 250ml pack sizes.

Whether you are looking for coatings or compounds to expand your portfolio of fabulous products SEMA is definitely worth the visit.

Unusual uses for Concept products: Surfboard finishing!

Polishing a surfboards with Surf-ACE P-12-Xtra

The Concept brands distributor in South Africa got an unusual call recently. The caller asked them if they had anything that could suitably finish surfboards?

After a few technical questions in regard to paint techniques and finishes it was suggested, by the distributor technical support team, that they try Surf-ACE Compounds – in fact, our distributor volunteered to provide a full demo to back up their claim that the perfect products were available in the Surf-ACE range.

To back up a little – the surfboards are first painted then clear lacquered. Naturally, surfboards require an extremely smooth finish to work at their best, so they are first wet sanded with varying grades of grit paper which leaves plenty of (albeit fine) scratches.

The next thing our distributor showed the customer is how well Surf-ACE P-12 XTRA removed these scratches with minimal effort. The results were great – but there’s even more!

To “final finish” the boards Surf-ACE P-20 all-in-one compound (a special non-stock line and manufactured to full batch quantities only) was used straight after P1-12 Xtra, providing a glass-smooth, mirror like finish that both enhances board performance and desirability.

After the demonstration the company immediately placed and order for Surf-ACE – they were that impressed with the results.

Final polishing a surfboard with Surf-ACE compounds

Concept Chemicals Masters the USA!

Zirconite and Surf-ACE products making inroads in the USA

Starting in January 2022 Concept Chemicals attended various trade shows in the USA to test the market for its products.

Bringing two of its’ brands, Zirconite and Surf-ACE, to SEMA as the first Trade Show, was a great opener and created major interest in the market.

America is a big, big place and just one incredible show wasn’t going to do it for the Concept brands. Did you know that there are 11 states that are bigger than Great Britain – for example Texas is 2.7 times bigger than England Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland put together!!

So, Concept attended more and more shows across various parts of the country bringing the news to a wider audience.

Now, just over a year later, Concept has now set up fantastic importer ZIRCONITE AMERICA and is getting rave reviews about the products on sale in the USA.

ZIRCONITE - Being designed, formulated and manufactured in Britain, American end-users really appreciate the level of quality that goes into every product.

Have you seen this new Surf-ACE Compound 100gm trial pack?

Surf-ACE trial pack contains P-12 Xtra and P-40 XTRA

Yes, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again…
Surf-ACE Compounds are the ultimate paint rectification combination whether your sector is automotive, marine, aero or industry.

Now, unless you use a Surf-ACE Compound, how will you know?

Don’t just trust us and the fabulous customer feedback we get. Try them yourself.

We’ve packaged two “trial-size” (100gm) bottles of Surf-ACE Compounds so you can get your hands on the product and see for yourself.

P-12 XTRA is a heavy-cut compound that quickly and easily removes paintwork/gelcoat imperfections and heavy oxidisation in the shortest time, delivering a unique depth of gloss and mirror like finish.

P-40XTRA Ultra-fine finishing glaze is engineered for final finish polishing to remove holograms, swirls and light defects.

Now, whether you compound cars, boats, planes or furniture, you have no excuse to see for yourself how fabulous Surf-ACE compound really are.

Ask your distributor for a trial pack – If you don’t know or have a distributor contact us here and we’ll let you know where your nearest one is.

Surf-ACE sample box showing contents and leaflet

Read the data sheets for P-12 Xtra compound here and for P-40 Xtra here

Order code for the trial pack: #70000EU

Pages