ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 16

I

Meet MACS member
Dr. Mark Quarto

f you attended the MACS 2017 Training Event and Trade Show
and were fortunate enough to be at the Keynote Luncheon sponsored by Mahle Service Solutions, you were treated to a stellar presentation on the future of mobile A/C systems by Dr. Mark
Quarto. Response to Dr. Quarto's program has been so favorable we
thought you would like to know more about him and his views on the
future of mobile A/C system service.
We asked Dr. Quarto to summarize his career path up to his current industry involvement. "At present, I am the Chief Technical Officer of FutureTech Auto and the founder of Quarto Technical Services.
Our company develops tools, equipment, training, and provides tech
support to OEM and aftermarket companies that are involved in vehicle electrification and the associated systems. My past experiences
have included most sectors of the automotive profession that span
from automotive technician through development engineering positions for electric, hybrid, plug-in, and fuel cell vehicles for General
Motors Co. It has been a wonderful career and I still learn so much
with every project. The absolute best experience to date has been
time spent as a working automotive technician and training automotive technicians - it's rewarding and fun. Each time that I develop
software, hardware, or systems on a project - the very first issues that
come to mind are how my decisions will impact technicians and how
I can make systems easier for them to use for maximum diagnostic impact. I view my years in the automotive field as a journey of
constant learning and growing - and I don't see retirement anytime
soon."
Everyone has business challenges, and we asked Dr. Quarto what
he considers his greatest one to date. "The largest challenge for me is
working with other engineers that do not have field experience before
becoming an engineer. In fact, I have been involved in many very
heated discussions on how to approach a design or solve a problem
with individuals that had never "pulled a wrench" for a living or as
a "weekend tech." Having no point of reference, except for theory,
severely limits the possibilities for solid solutions, especially for controls and diagnostic systems. The best engineers that I had the privilege of working with on projects were those individuals that had spent
time as technicians (automotive, electronic, etc.) before they became
engineers. If you have experience as a technician before becoming
an engineer, it provides a much different perspective on how to design
circuits, components, and systems. It also provides a huge advantage
when instructing technicians because there is an understanding of
their challenges on the job. Quite honestly, when an engineer thinks
of a solution as a technician and not an engineer, the solutions are
typically much more comprehensive for the long term."
We urged Dr. Quarto to look into his crystal ball and give us an
idea where automotive technology is going in the next five years.
"The next five years are going to see exponential growth in vehicle
electrification products - especially in the plug-in, extended range
electric, and battery electric vehicle space. There will be tremendous
opportunities for shops that embrace this technology now. - espe-

16

ACTION * April 2017

cially for those that want to start in the hybrid electric vehicle space.
If they wait until five years from now, the window for significant
profitability and brand awareness will begin to narrow. For shops
to ensure that their brand is recognized by customers with hybrid,
plug-in, and electrics, it will take time to build customer awareness.
One area in particular that has concerned me with the advancement
of vehicle electrification is that, technicians will need to be less reliant
on "pattern failure diagnostics" and they will need to rely more on
understanding technology. This is due to the speed at which the technology is changing. The Chevrolet Volt is on its 4th Generation of
battery pack and 2nd Generation of electric transmission. The Nissan
Leaf has already seen significant changes in its power electronics and
battery systems. There are at least six different lithium battery technologies in the market with more on the way. Power electronics are
changing almost as quickly. There are many other products that have
been released in the past five years that have radically changed the
technologies but technicians wouldn't know it unless the information
was provided to them. In my opinion, technicians will need to learn
the underlying technologies of vehicle electrification (such as electric powertrains, battery pack systems, regenerative braking, 3-phase
systems, etc.) before they learn a specific product (Prius, Volt, Leaf
etc.). Trying to learn a product before understanding the technologies
results in a longer learning time horizon and it will be much less effective. I found that this new technology knowledge and comprehension
worked very well for the technicians on my teams at GM. It reduced
the learning curve, and there was much less heartburn."
"There are so many services to offer customers who drive advanced technology vehicles that a shop could enter the service market
at just about any level, from basic maintenance all the way to full
powertrain and battery pack services. I recommend technicians begin learning about the high voltage systems, especially the powertrain
and power electronics. Understanding "how" the systems operate is
the first step in a competent diagnostic approach. Without knowing
how these systems operate and their failure modes makes it very difficult to acquire confidence that is necessary to build great diagnostic
skills. Make sure to select a professional (qualified) training supplier
and start soon!" ❆



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - April 2017

Outlook
Service Port
Leonard's Law
Virtual View
Member Profile
Auto and light truck service clinics
By the Numbers
Review of heavy duty/off road vehicle tech
Marketing panel
Industry News
Association News
New Products
Last Watch
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Cover1
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Cover2
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 3
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 4
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 5
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Outlook
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 7
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Service Port
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 9
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Leonard's Law
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 11
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Virtual View
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 13
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Member Profile
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 15
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 16
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 17
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Auto and light truck service clinics
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 19
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - By the Numbers
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 21
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 22
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 23
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 24
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 25
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 26
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 27
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 28
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 29
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Review of heavy duty/off road vehicle tech
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 31
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 32
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 33
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Marketing panel
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 35
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 36
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Industry News
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 38
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Association News
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 40
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 41
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 42
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 43
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - New Products
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - 45
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Last Watch
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Cover3
ACtion Magazine - April 2017 - Cover4
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