december2021 - 18

ADAS
The human side of assistance-guided repairs
Performing static calibrations in-house and what you need to consider.
By Dave Hobbs
I
f you're delaying getting into servicing
ADAS (advanced driver assist
systems), don't delay too long.
Government safety agencies like
the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) and every
vehicle manufacturer agree that
ADAS saves lives and reduces collision
damage. This means they're
here to stay and will continue to
become more commonplace than
ever in your bays. Many advanced
(and profitable) repair shops are
maneuvering their way through the
complicated maze of ADAS sensor
diagnostics and calibrations. But
this will not be a simple or inexpensive
endeavor. ADAS service joins a
long list of other complicated technology
challenges we've faced
and conquered over the years in
our wrenching careers. Today we'll
focus on the " human " side of ADAS -
static calibrations.
CALIBRATING SENSORS - THE
'HUMAN' SIDE OF ADAS
If every ADAS-equipped vehicle could
calibrate itself as well as it robotically
performs its advanced driver-assist duties,
those of us contemplating working on
these vehicles could breathe a big sigh of
relief. There is an overwhelming number
of complicated calibration procedures and
tools to juggle. There are two main types
of ADAS sensor calibration procedures:
* Static - vehicle parked/
system learning
* Dynamic - vehicle driven/
system learning
In most cases, both types of calibrations
will require an enhanced OEM
level aftermarket scan tool or true factory
(dealer) scan tool. Some manufacturers
require either static or dynamic calibrations,
while others require both. Static
calibrations (typically in your bay) require
the most equipment, shop floor space,
and time. If you are just beginning to do
your research on what type and brand
of static calibration equipment fits your
needs (and budget) I must advise you of
two big factors:
First, the equipment is costly. Whether
you opt for a collection of pure OEM
tools (as used by the dealers) or a choice
from a growing list of aftermarket providers,
plan on spending tens of thousands of
dollars if you desire to calibrate multiple
vehicle brands. But please keep in perspective
that diagnosing pre-OBD vehicle
drivability problems was best accomplished
via a big box engine analyzer 35
years ago. The Sun machine my father
purchased (and I used) in the 1980s cost
more than $27,000. We made the ROI in
a reasonable timeframe. With inflation
factored in, that same investment would
be around $87,000 today. That's more
than enough to handle your ADAS equipment
needs with money to spare. Variations
and choices are abundant in ADAS
camera/radar static calibration equipment.
The choices can be broken down
into several categories and subcategories
starting with OEM and aftermarket.
* OEM/dealer equipment: OEMs
mostly use a geometry-based target
placement process using common
carpentry tools such as a plumb bob
to find the exact center of the front
(and back) of the vehicle. This allows
a technician to locate and mark the
vehicle's geometric center. Lines are
then drawn on the shop floor (i.e.,
chalk lines/tape/markers) along
18 Professional Distributor I December 2021 I VehicleServicePros.com
with various angles to set the camera
static calibration target(s) and
radar sensor reflector (mounted on
stands) at precise position/distances
in relation to the vehicle. A factory
scan tool is then connected to issue
bi-directional requests to the ADAS
sensor being calibrated. The scan
tool tells it to lock on to that target to
finish the static calibration process.
Laser measurement instruments may
be employed to speed up this timeconsuming
process.
* Aftermarket - Stand-Alone target
frame: An aluminum " frame " with
arms to mount targets, lasers, and
tape measures is set in place in front
of the sensor being calibrated. As with
OEM's static calibration equipment,
the position of the visual (camera)
target(s) and/or reflector (radar) target
must be precise. Wheel-mounted
heads (with clamping brackets
resembling chassis alignment heads)
in conjunction with tape measures/
lasers may speed up the process of
finding the center of the vehicle. This
is required to geometrically place the
calibration targets in the precise location
in front of the vehicle. This emulates
the vehicle manufacturer's target
placement position but can often take
less time to accomplish compared to
some OEM methods.
* Aftermarket - Target Frame with
chassis alignment equipment integration:
Because ADAS calibration
procedures require the vehicle to be
on a level surface, alignment racks
(which must keep the vehicle perfectly
level anyway) have recently become
a handy piece of equipment to add
ADAS calibration tools to. Several
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
december2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of december2021
