Hugo Burgers, director EMEA at WARN, was recently in South Africa visiting Control Instruments-Automotive, the sole WARN distributor for Southern Africa. He explained that the new WARN Zeon winch range represents the future direction of all winch technology.
“WARN’s new Zeon incorporates a totally new design of innovative technology,” he said. In terms of advanced features, Mr Burgers said the Zeon is the first fully IP68 rated winch. “There are other winches on the market that claim an IP68 rating but are not completely waterproof.”
“It is easy to waterproof the winch’s motor, but not the rotating parts and more specifically the drum. Features such as a double lip spring-loaded seal fully waterproofs the Zeon’s drum. This was first developed by WARN for the US military and introduced in a smaller version for the leisure market.”
The Zeon drum is made of aluminum. The size has been increased from 2,5 inch to 3,15 inches. The larger drum lowers wear and tear on the cable and the overall design incorporates more space for the anchor attachment to the drum.
Previously, a set screw was used to hold the steel cable in place. This new anchor attachment improves safety and reduces the risk of the cable breaking off from the drum which can cause a dangerous whip-lash effect.
The aluminum housing also provides better heat dissipation from the motor. This enables the winch motor to operate at a lower temperature, enabling the motor’s run time to be extended. In addition, the lower operating temperature better accommodates WARN’s Spydura synthetic rope.
Mr Burgers said the Zeon is also more corrosion and erosion proof compared to other winches. Combined with better heat dissipation, the run time is longer and steadier, giving a more robust and reliable unit.
The control pack houses the contactor which essentially contains the electrical parts. Because the winch is IP68 rated, the control pack can be installed in any position on the vehicle and can be moved to a different position if needed.
The thicker drum also means almost no maintenance is needed on the winch and therefore does not need to be opened.
“Our relationship with Control Instruments-Automotive has strengthened over the years. South Africa continues to be a key market where WARN obtains much of its feedback for future product development, analysing how the products perform in the harsh African environment,” said Mr Burgers.
About WARN and Control Instruments-Automotive
Warn Industries is the world’s most recognised brand in off-road products. Warn manufactures a full range of off-road equipment and accessories that enhance the performance of four-wheel-drive vehicles. WARN, a US-based winch manufacturer, has developed a new ZEON range of winches based in part from market feedback from South Africa.
Control Instruments-Automotive, established in 1948, manufactures and distributes premium-branded automotive parts and associated products to the automotive aftermarket in sub-Saharan Africa.
Brand names owned or exclusively represented by CI-Automotive in sub-Saharan Africa include HDP, Gabriel, VDO, Echlin, Autocom, Acsa-Mag, Mag Brakes, VisionX, Warn, Hi-Lift, Eurocable, Conti-tech and Truck-Lite.
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From left: Leonard Chester, product manager - Vehicle Accessories, Control Instruments-Automotive; Hugo Burgers, director EMEA for WARN; and Kevin Rogers, general manager of CI-Automotive