In 2000, a group of enterprising entrepreneurs founded SMS Autoline Equipments Pvt. Ltd. with the primary objective of marketing and maintenance of hi-tech auto diagnostic equipments. It has a marketing and service division at its registered office in Chennai headed by Mr. A.T.K. Muthu Murugan, Mr. K. Sivakumar and Mr. Sundara Ganesh. Its sales network covers Mumbai, Delhi, Guwahati, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Coimbatore and Hyderabad.
SMS Autoline currently markets a complete range of garage equipment like 3D & CCD wheel aligner, wheel balancer, tyre changer, gas analyzer, smoke meter, diagnostic tester, AC recharging unit, tyre tread measurement system, spot, and MIG welding and plasma cutters. In 2011-2012, it clocked a turnover of Rs. 11 crores.
The company imports high quality equipment such as CBUs from Germany, Italy, Korea and the UK and supports locally with its strong back-up service. The products marketed and maintained by the company are engine analyser, gas analyser and smoke meter manufactured by Crypton Ltd. and scan tools manufactured by Omitec, both of the UK. These are state-of-the-art machines with proven usage of over 18 years in the Indian market. Also marketed are wheel aligners and wheel balancers manufactured by Space srl of Italy.
In the commercial vehicle segment, SMS Autoline markets two specific products, ART 98BTH00 and ART 86BTH00, which are equipped with eight CCD sensors and six CCD sensors respectively. These products are developed using simpler but modern technology to grant better reliability and less down-time for the end user. They provide significantly higher income production through superior efficiency and much faster operating times without any loss of accuracy.
The other brands in the SMS product range are handy tools from Gunson, diesel equipment from Diesel Tune, battery testing products from Traction, and tyre tread measurement system from RL Automotive, all of which are UK based; scan tools from Hanatech (Korea), two-post lifts and injector cleaner & tester from Launch of China; and chassis dynamometer from Sport Devices, and engine data acquisition system from TFX Engine Technology, both of the US.
SMS Autoline is among the major product suppliers to Ashok Leyland, AL-Nissan and Hindustan Motors. It not only supplies wheel analyzers, wheel balancers and tyre changers to Ashok Leyland’s plants, service stations and dealer points, but is also the sole supplier of diagnostic testers to all Ashok Leyland group companies.
Recently, it has supplied equipment to Daimler’s training centre in India and is eyeing the company dealers as well. The company has bagged a few orders from the Rajasthan Government which has just come out with its policy to encourage automobile dealers to set up vehicle fitness centres in the State.
In addition to marketing other products like automatic paint booth, two-post lifts, hydraulic lifts and service hoist, the company is currently in the process of expanding its product line and thereby become a one-stop solution provider in the automobile garage industry in the country.