Taking the Pain Out of Glass
These days, automotive glass serves a bigger purpose than simply keeping bugs out of a driver’s teeth. Some passenger-side airbags depend on the windshield to act as an integral part of the system. With such a critical repair at hand, proper glass replacement is of the utmost importance — but isn’t nearly as complex as you might think.
The Heat Is On: Infrared Equipment
Since the average body shop paints an entire vehicle just 10 percent of the time, it makes sense to focus your energy — and that of your curing system — on only the areas refinished. How? Infrared equipment can be applied just where and when you need it, helping to increase your shop’s efficiency
More Than a Metal Box: Today’s Spraybooths have Evolved into More than Simple Square Boxes
Because all the high-tech options can be hard to choose from, it’s important to know which ones best suit your shop and your budget. If you spend wisely now, you can avoid paying dearly — in redos and unexpected bills — later.
Purchasing Profile
As a shop owner, you know where you’re spending your money (at least you’d better), but have you ever wondered how other shop owners are spending theirs? Do they spend about the same amount of money on equipment, parts and supplies as you? Are they buying fewer aftermarket (A/M) crash parts since the State Farm
Bedlining Your Pockets
As pickup trucks continue to grow more popular, so does consumer demand for bedliners. In fact, the spray-on bedliner aftermarket hit $90 million ’98. But how much of that $90 mil went into your bank account?
What Kind of Repairs Do You Want to Do?
The only way to achieve consistent, quality repairs is to establish clearly defined goals and communicate them to your staff
Industrializing Your Shop
My article in the November 1999 issue of BodyShop Business discussed the factors involved in the industrialization of our industry. It focused primarily on the evolution of the repair process, the human factors and the breakdown of repair tasks. Going a step further, this article focuses on the "plant" or shop requirements. Keep in mind that plant requirements include products and equipment, since they go hand-in-hand with maximum efficiency.
Auto Repair at Autobahn Speeds
Germans are known for their engineering prowess, which is reflected in the vehicles they produce — Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, Volkswagen — and the speed limits they post. And though Germans’ love for their automobiles has lessened and insurers love of meddling has grown, collision repairers are still finding business profitable.
Paint Department Smarts: The Right Tools and Knowledge
It’s not easy for painters to get the training they need. But that doesn’t mean you should settle for “average” techs. Nurture the Einstein in them by equipping them with the right tools and enlightening them with knowledge.
Go Ahead, Make My Spray! HVLP Spray-gun Technology
HVLP spray-gun technology has come a long way since Grandma’s vacuum cleaner with a spray-gun attachment. Despite all the advances, though, you won’t shoot to thrill unless you pick your guns wisely and adjust them correctly.