Onspot of North America, Inc., is celebrating its 25th year in business. The manufacturer supplies its automatic tire chain systems through over 200 OEMs as a factory-installed option and through more than 1,400 dealers throughout North America. Models are available for most vehicles from pick-up trucks to tractor-trailers.
Earlier in 2012, Onspot announced the expansion of its 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in North Vernon, Ind. At the location, the company purchased an adjacent 3-acre parcel with a 7,400-square-foot building for use as a storage warehouse, freeing up space to add two CNC machines in the factory.
The Onspot Automatic Tire Chain System offers the traction of a single set of conventional snow chains at the flip of a switch without having to stop the vehicle. The system operates at speeds from 2 to 35 MPH in forward or reverse. Designed for use on ice and snow, the system is DOT-approved in all 50 states and for use in states with chain control regulations.
The Onspot system is controlled by an electric switch in the cab that provides 12 volts to an air solenoid mounted on the vehicle’s frame rail. Compressed air to the solenoid is supplied from either the vehicle’s onboard air system or a 12-volt compressor kit for vehicles without air brakes. When the solenoid opens, compressed air enters the air cylinder and lowers the chainwheel so it contacts the inside of the tire. Friction between the tire and the rubber covered chainwheel causes the chainwheel to rotate, creating enough centrifugal force to flail out six lengths of chain spaced at 60-degree intervals, ensuring there are always two chains between the tire and road surface.
