During the slippery winter months, collision repairers can be at their busiest. While the primary goal may be to return the customer’s vehicle to them as quickly as possible, the quality of the repair is critical – the customer’s initial satisfaction at a prompt turnaround time changes to dissatisfaction when the metal parts begin to rust.
The Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) requires all of its sheet metal parts, such as hoods and fenders, to be galvanized, even if the corresponding car company brand is not.
Galvanization is the process of applying a layer of zinc over the sheet steel. The zinc coating protects the metal beneath it from corrosion and rust. Even if the zinc coating is scratched, the steel will continue to be protected by the remaining zinc. For replacement parts, the presence (or absence) of galvanization is significant because galvanization dramatically improves corrosion resistance, and subsequently, the life expectancy of parts.
“Using a CAPA Certified sheet metal part is the only easy way to tell if a sheet metal part is made of galvanized material,” said Debbie Klouser, CAPA’s director of operations. “The yellow CAPA seal is your assurance that the part has been tested for galvanization as a part of the CAPA certification process.”
For more information, contact [email protected].
