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More than 200 applicants from all over Germany once again tried for the crown of the best car glazier this year. It is already a good tradition to choose the “Champion”, the “Best of Belron”. Belron? Bob? CARGLASS?
Belron is the CARGLASS parent company and BoB is the abbreviation for “Best of Belron“. In 15 countries, the country's “BoB” is chosen in a preliminary round. Every two years - in Lisbon in May 2016 - these 15 national champions compete for the title of “Best of Belron”. Before that happens, the “Best Vehicle Glass Fitter in Germany” had to be found last week. 15 finalists found themselves in the Duisburg Landscape Park. A competition that evaluates quality, performance and service talent. From the windshield with stone chips (glass cosmetics or stone chip repair) to the replacement of a side window to the replacement of the windshield. The disciplines in BoB 2015 are very familiar to the car glass fitters. They are the experts when it comes to auto glass. The tension among the participants was still noticeable. 15 participants. 15 potential winners. And you can feel that in the concentration of the fitters. Nobody takes their work lightly here. Winning and fighting for the international title in Lisbon in 2016 was the mission of all participants.
Fracture of the side window in slow motion
But before anything can be repaired, something has to break first, like this side window:
Best of Belron 2015 - Break of the side window in slow motion from Habegger on Vimeo.
Carglass repairs, Carglass replaces
Glass crumbs next to the vehicle, shards and splinters in the vehicle. In addition to pure manual skills, the “Best of Belron” fitter also has to prove himself in tasks as banal as cleaning the vehicle. As a car owner, who wants to come into contact with broken glass? The car glass experts from CARGLASS demonstrate their own skills on the assembly line, 15 vehicles are in the hall, the craft is carried out with precision 15 times.
Glass splinters and high-tech, hand in hand
But who thinks, one Auto glass installer It would always be easy, he's wrong. Of course, the vacuum cleaner is part of the tool if there are splinters of glass. But the future of the automobile has long since begun and even if we don't drive autonomously yet, there are countless assistance systems that are built into the vehicle. Some of them directly on the windshield. Sensors and cameras that keep an eye on the traffic in front of the vehicle. Replacing such a windshield is work for experts. In addition to pure craftsmanship, car glass fitters must guarantee the safety and functionality of the electronic assistants. Brand new this year is the adjustment of the “camera” in the “customer vehicle”.
15 black C-Classes from the rental company SIXT had to be used as “customer vehicles”. All vehicles are equipped with an apron camera below the interior mirror. CARGLASS has developed a testing system together with HELLA Gutmann. With the help of the software and the test boards, minimal deviations in the camera can be adjusted.
Best of Belron - Only one can win
But even in this ninth “BoB”, only one of the 15 car glass fitters was able to take home the title. And only one person could be crowned “master of the discs”. The person from Lehrte was able to compete in the disciplines “Glass Cosmetics”, Replacing Side Windows and Replacing Windshields in the Duisburg Landscape Park in 2015 Sebastian Ernst to convince!
Sebastian Ernst will now - after having had his branch in the Hanover region properly celebrate him - take responsibility and represent the German CARGLASS fitters in Lisbon in May 2016.
We wish you today: Good luck!
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About Carglass
Carglass in Germany specializes in the repair and installation of vehicle glass. In Germany, Carglass employs around 2.200 people, of which around 1.500 are specially trained Carglass fitters. More than 300 employees work in the head office in Cologne, over 200 employees work in the customer contact center (call center). The company processes around 1,2 million customer contacts per year and helps motorists throughout Germany, either in one of the 330 service centers or on the go with more than 380 mobile units.