I-CAR hosted a "Repairability Summit" at the I-CAR Tech Centre in Appleton, Wis., with members from several vehicle manufacturers, national insurance providers, collision repairers and other auto collision industry experts. Members of the inter-industry discussed best practices and procedures as they relate to vehicle repairs and training requirements, specifically focusing on best practices for repairing high- strength steels, which are becoming the norm on many of today's vehicles.

The continual changes in high-strength steels make aligning industry segment best practices more beneficial than ever to collision industry professionals. Attendees at the Summit discussed specific procedures including anchoring, measuring, straightening, and complete and partial part replacement, as well as advanced joining techniques that will potentially become the standard for future collision repairs.

The repair procedures and information discussed during the Summit will help lay the foundation for a new I-CAR training course that is currently being developed for the inter-industry. More information on this course will be forthcoming.

Jason Bartanen, I-CAR Technical Director said, “Developing an effective repair plan is essential to achieving a complete and safe repair and helps ensure that five star crash ratings are not compromised. Having consistent methodologies for identifying and analyzing damage and repair methods across the industry segments will enable I-CAR to provide individuals with training that is necessary and critical for today's collision repairs.

I-CAR was pleased to have this opportunity to have open dialogue and is looking forward to continued discussions with industry experts on this important, evolving topic.”