Twenty-five years and 25,000 Underhood air compressors sold.
VMAC, headquartered in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, is celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Underhood air compressors.
The first Underhood 70 air compressor (see image above) was shipped in the autumn of 1997 with subsequent sales over the years reaching 25,000 for Ford, RAM, GMC, Chevrolet, International, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter service vehicles.
“Underhood is an integral part of VMAC’s history and an example of disruptive innovation,” stated Tod Gilbert, VMAC’s President. “The release of Underhood marked the start of VMAC’s journey to become one of the only true rotary screw air compressor manufacturers in North America. The core compressor components are designed and optimized for the mobile air industry resulting in the lightest and most powerful compressors for their size.”
“Twenty-five years later, no other air compressor manufacturer has been able to develop an industrial air compressor that is installed within the vehicle’s engine compartment,” he continued. “That capability is unique to the Underhood system, which is still designed, engineered, tested, assembled, and shipped from VMAC’s facility in Nanaimo.”
VMAC’s design process includes working closely with the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to engineer each Underhood system for a specific vehicle make and model. VMAC’s long-term partnerships with the OEMs ensure that each Underhood system fits perfectly and works optimally while keeping the vehicle’s OEM warranty intact.
“We can design these systems and adapt to OEM model year changes because of our ability to manufacture the entire Underhood air compressor system in-house,” said Stuart Coker, the company’s Director of Operations. “VMAC controls the manufacturing process at our facility, beginning with prototype molds in our foundry and continuing through to machining and assembly.”
After 25 years, VMAC’s Underhood product line includes systems for the most popular service trucks and vans, delivering up to 40, 70, and 140 CFM at 100 percent duty cycle. Underhood air compressors are chosen by major North American fleet customers who need to save space, reduce truck GVW, and minimize maintenance without compromising air power.
In addition to Underhood air compressors, VMAC also designs and manufactures direct-transmission mounted air compressors and multipower systems, diesel, gas, and hydraulic driven air compressors, and multi-function power systems.
Company information available at www.vmacair.com.