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Hunter Engineering Company leads the automotive under-car service equipment industry with
a longstanding tradition of introducing revolutionary ideas. These ideas have evolved into a wide
range of vehicle service equipment....including state-of-the-art computerized wheel alignment
systems...lift Racks....wheel balancers... ....tire changers ...quick check inspection
systems.........and brake lathes. Hunter products are approved and used by vehicle
manufacturers, auto dealerships, tire manufacturers, and under-car service facilities around the
world. While Hunter Engineering holds global prominence
in the automotive under-car service industry today, the success of the company traces back
to a more modest, but no less revolutionary beginning.
In the 1930's, Lee Hunter Jr., a young architectural student, often faced the frustration of a
dead car battery. To lessen the hassle and inconvenience of this common problem, Hunter
was determined to design a device that would reduce the charging time of a battery from
days... to hours. And in 1936, Hunter introduced the "KwikKurrent" -- the very first quick-charge
battery charger. After the serving in the war, Lee Hunter founded
Hunter Engineering Company and introduced another invention, the "Tune-In".... the first
on-the-car wheel balancer.
After the serving in the war, Lee Hunter introduced another invention, the "Tune-In".... the first
on-the-car wheel balancer. More innovative equipment soon followed with
Hunter Engineering's launch into the field of wheel alignment. This endeavor produced
many patents and industry precedents, such as the first simplified light beam alignment
system, the first computerized dynamic wheel aligner, and the thrust line principle, which
is the foundation of modern four-wheel alignment. Today, Hunter Alignment Systems include many
patented features that simplify the technician's job, speed alignment service, and help explain
needed service to the vehicle owner. Award winning WinAlign Software automatically
calculates alignment angles, selects correct shims and bushing settings, and even shows
which tools and kits are required to complete each alignment. Instructional videos, photos,
animations, and illustrations display inspection and adjustment instructions of the specific
vehicle being aligned. And internet based tools provide access to download, exchange,
and explain alignment service information through the web.
Hunter's digital imaging alignment sensors speed the alignment process even further.
The patented digital camera system monitors passive targets at each wheel and presents
live measurements for Picture Perfect Alignment. No metal contact with the wheel. No Calibration,
electronics, cables, or batteries are required with the patented wheel targets.
Starting with Lee Hunter's Tune-In on-the-car wheel balancer of the 1940s, Hunter Engineering
has continued to pioneer innovations in the balancing equipment market. Modern Hunter
balancers utilize computerized digital signal processors to deliver unprecedented speed,
accuracy, and reliability. The Road Force Balancing system of today extends far beyond
the traditional functions of a wheel balancer by incorporating a patented load roller to
perform a simulated road test on the wheel assembly, to detect vibration and tire pull
conditions. The Road Force System's patented Force Matching feature matches the stiffest
area on the tire with the lowest spot on the rim to cancel vibration caused by radial force
variation and provide the smoothest possible ride. The Road Force system also offers the
patented and award winning StraightTrak feature, which detects the lateral forces in the tires
that cause pulls and drifts and calculates a tire arrangement plan to best correct the
problem. Hunter's state-of-the-art equipment requires
state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. Production of Hunter equipment occurs at four
separate plants....three in the state of Mississippi....and one in Bridgeton, Missouri.
The Durant, Mississippi plant manufactures lift racks, air jacks, automotive and heavy
duty brake testers. The fabrication plant in Raymond, Mississippi constructs alignment
consoles, wheel balancers, and brake lathes. The electronics plant, also in Raymond, utilizes
advanced manufacturing procedures to create sophisticated electronic assemblies for many
Hunter products. Unlike most manufacturers, all printed circuit
board design and assembly is performed in-house. This allows Hunter to create new product faster,
be more responsive with updates, and maintain superior quality control. Alignment systems...
Wheel balancers... lift consoles.....imaging....and conventional alignment sensors.... all rely
on Hunter designed and assembled circuit boards. The Bridgeton, Missouri plant handles assembly,
calibration, and final testing of both electronic on-the-car and digital imaging alignment sensors.
Bridgeton personnel also install the latest Hunter alignment software onto alignment systems
PC's. Hunter's 26 acre Bridgeton headquarters houses
the departments of engineering, customer service, accounting, advertising, human resources,
and both domestic and international sales and marketing. The Research and Training Center
contains several fully equipped training and testing service bays and training classrooms.
Hunter Engineering also operates over 30 regional training centers throughout the U.S. that
offer new and experienced technicians a variety of under-car service courses. All training
classes include classroom and hands-on sessions taught by ASE Certified instructors. The Bridgeton
heavy-duty truck training center is a specialized facility for research, product development,
and technician training, serving customers in the heavy duty truck industry. This facility
includes two 50 foot service bays with pit racks and a 100 foot tractor trailer lane
equipped with Hunter's heavy duty brake and side-slip testers.
The engineering department designs and develops all aspects of Hunter products... in-house
at the Bridgeton location. The department is made up of mechanical...electrical....and
computer science engineers, with an average tenure of over 11 years.
With this reserve of creativity, it's easy to understand why Hunter owns so many patents.
More than 200 to date.....100 of which represent inventions from the current group of engineers.
Hunter averages 7 to 10 new patents every year. Continually innovating to produce more
efficient and productive products for Hunter's customers is the heritage of the engineering
department. Hunter fields the largest sales and service
force in the undercar service equipment business. All Hunter sales representatives are well
trained in current product application and are specialists in helping service facilities
to become more productive and profitable. Over 300 Hunter Service Representatives in
North America install new equipment, provide on-site training, and perform warranty service
and maintenance for the life of Hunter products. Each service representative undergoes over
two months of rigorous service training before being sent into the field. Plus, all service
representatives maintain an extensive parts inventory for one-stop service and are supported
by the Hunter Super Service Center, which provides next-day availability for over 3,000
equipment parts. Since the 1950's, Hunter has maintained a
growing presence in the international market by supporting franchised distributors and
service technicians in more than 70 countries around the world. Hunter also operates a wholly
owned subsidiary office in Germany to offer international-based automakers the same supplier
relationship opportunities that exist in the U.S. Hunter Engineering's dedication to improve
undercar automotive service is evident by the numerous approvals from vehicle and tire
manufacturers and industry recognition awards collected from many organizations involved
in the automotive industry. But perhaps our greatest honor was the induction
of Lee Hunter. into the Automotive Hall of Fame for making a dramatic impact on the development
of the automotive industry by introducing historically significant change in products,
processes, and concepts. The same energy and spirit that inspired a
young Lee Hunter Jr. to find a better....and a faster way remains the mission of Hunter
Engineering. And as automotive technology advances, Hunter Engineering will stay on
the cutting edge, producing revolutionary service equipment from revolutionary ideas.