The design of modern cars and trucks has changed. As a result, the auto body repair process has also changed. Now more than ever, vehicle repairs should be modeled after OEM specifications in order to maintain the integrity of the vehicle’s design. By repairing to OEM specs, collision forces will be properly absorbed and directed around the passenger compartment to keep drivers safe when they’re back on the road.
But to efficiently return a vehicle to OEM specs, technicians must have a comprehensive understanding of how the vehicle was designed and built. They must also know how to use the tools needed for modern-day collision repair to properly measure, hold and align the vehicle to get it back to its original condition.
Multipoint measuring: Understanding hidden damages
Measuring is a key part of the repair process and one that shouldn’t be skipped. Gone are the days of a quick visual inspection to determine vehicle damage. Because today’s vehicles are designed to absorb collision forces across the entire vehicle, the damage is likely to be hidden well beyond the point of impact and what the naked eye can see. The only way to find and document damage is to measure the vehicle using a multipoint system. Multipoint systems measure the whole vehicle at once so the estimator understands what damage has occurred and can plan the repair accordingly.
Measuring technology has come a long way, and now technicians can quickly place a vehicle on the lift and accurately map the damage in a few minutes. Measuring technology allows technicians to monitor the repair process from multiple points on the vehicle. This helps ensure no movement goes on beyond the repair area as pulls to straighten the vehicle are made. By taking the time to properly measure along the way, technicians can help avoid costly repair mistakes.
Structural holds: Returning the vehicle to OEM specification
Along with proper measuring techniques, technicians must understand how a collision can impact the structural integrity of a vehicle so they know how to properly place holds on the vehicle during the repair process.
Proper structural holding is important so the vehicle does not shift out of place while repairs are being made. This allows the technician to hold a part being replaced in the correct location for welding and bonding. Knowing how to best apply additional holds on a vehicle to spread out the amount of pressure at each hold location helps reduce the chance of causing additional damage during the repair process and makes it easier to return a vehicle to OEM specifications.
Alignment and ADAS calibration: Getting the vehicle back on the road safely
Once the vehicle is pulled back to OEM specifications and the technician has determined that the vehicle is structurally aligned, one final step—and one that is often overlooked—is to ensure ADAS features are properly calibrated.
Another reason measuring at the beginning of the repair process is important is because it not only helps identify hidden structural damage but can help uncover problems with the vehicle’s ADAS sensors. Knowing where these sensors are and if they are damaged before doing structural repairs will save a lot of time and money on the back end. A tech never wants to be in the situation of thinking the repairs are completed only to discover that ADAS sensors are off and the vehicle must be torn down again.
ADAS calibrations are a critical part of the repair process. If these sensors aren’t properly calibrated, they won’t work. This puts the safety of the driver in jeopardy and opens the shop to risk.
Training and repair planning lead to greater shop productivity and profitability
Modern structural repair requires advanced training on the systems and equipment necessary for collision repair. Yesterday’s tools and processes won’t work today. Many technicians don’t understand that each time a vehicle repair is made they should be analyzing and following OEM repair procedures. Due to the complexity of modern automobiles, procedures needed to repair them can change significantly from one model year to the next.
By measuring before, during and after repairs, technicians can report and print the exact condition of the vehicle and are able to provide evidence of both the damage and the quality of the repairs.
As vehicle manufacturers continue to incorporate aluminum and ultralight, high-strength steels into the structure of their vehicles, collision repair facilities need to keep their repair processes current to ensure repairs are made correctly.
Taking the time to properly plan repairs can help eliminate inefficiencies and enable better planning of the shop’s workflow. This, in turn, can lead to quicker turns for repairs, greater shop productivity and profitability, and, most importantly, improved customer satisfaction.
