SCRS Repairer Roundtable Emphasizes OE Procedures

SCRS Repairer Roundtable Emphasizes OE Procedures

Panelists discussed what cars of the future will look like and what equipment body shops will need to repair them.

From left: SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg, I-CAR Industry Technical Support Manager Steve Marks, Chief Automotive Technologies Global Training Manager Ken Boylan and Reliable Automotive Equipment (RAE) President Dave Gruskos.

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) Repairer Roundtable, held April 8 in Atlanta shone a spotlight on training and safety and the increasing sophistication of vehicles.

The moderator of the event was SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg. Panelists included I-CAR Industry Technical Support Manager Steve Marks, Chief Automotive Technologies Global Training Manager Ken Boylan and Reliable Automotive Equipment (RAE) President Dave Gruskos.

Schulenburg began by focusing on training.

“What are some things shops should be considering as they’re looking at updating equipment, making sure they understand how it works and how to use it?” he asked the panel.

Safety, Marks explained, is one of the things that is toughest to get people excited about. “I think we always have to struggle just to keep up with very basic things like eye protection, wearing respirators, and things that should be accepted and owned by all.”

Marks added, “We need to not only be more careful about how we protect ourselves, but how we protect vehicles.”

The discussion flowed into how safety and quality interrelate with one another.

Chief’s Boylan expressed his concerns over the art of quality control. “We need to get better at what we’re doing.”

Gruskos of RAE agreed, explaining that “our whole industry has a challenge like we’ve never seen before, especially when you look at the demand the consumer now puts on us.”

Panelist and I-CAR Industry Technical Support Manager Steve Marks.

Boylan then discussed the increasing use of aluminum and the specific temperature range at which it should be heated and the fact that it absorbs twice the force of steel.

“A little ding in the past has now become a replacement, per manufacturer’s instructions,” he said.

Mark Allen, workshop equipment specialist at Audi of America, took exception to Boylan’s general statement about heating aluminum and clarified that Audi does not recommend heating or pulling aluminum. He pointed out that both methods will cause cracks and cannot be used on “aerospace aluminum.”

“If you have a question, pick up the phone and call the manufacturer,” Allen pleaded to the collision repairers in the room.

When the question of how to keep a shop clean and ready for vehicles constructed of a variety of substrates came up, there were more than enough suggestions from the panelists.

Marks said shops should get in the habit of blowing everything off and using their vacuums more, so residue and dust don’t collect.

“Have all the right equipment in the area – dedicated equipment so you don’t have concerns over contamination,” Gruskos said. “With mixed material vehicles, you really can’t have a lot of dust lying around.”

In regards to the equipment, Gruskos added, “Shops should be forced to use their fancy equipment. They bought this stuff and they don’t use it. Your toolbox isn’t a trophy, it is there to be used.”

Schulenburg then asked what the panelists thought the cars of the future will look like.

Gruskos believes in two years, the outer skin of cars will be 6000 series aluminum and will have boron inner pillars. The inner shell, he said, will be made of regular steel, while the front half will be aluminum.

“There will be a tremendous amount of riveting,” he said. “Skinning areas will be carbon fiber, and they’ll put in steel for the strength but carbon fiber for the lightness.”

Four to five years ahead, it will be all about nanotechnology, added Boylan. “Nano steels can reshape themselves to a blueprint.”

You May Also Like

ASA Calls on Oklahoma Legislature to Oppose Storage Bill

ASA believes limits imposed by the bill would force repairers to charge storage fees at a rate well below the fair market.

The Automotive Service Association (ASA) is calling on the Oklahoma Legislature to oppose Senate Bill (S.B.) 1741, which would establish the same caps on storage rates that were proposed in S.B. 1853, which ASA also opposed, while removing other provisions in S.B. 1853.

The proposed rates include:

Auto Care Connect Conference Keynote Speakers Announced

The Auto Care Association announced its final lineup of keynote speakers for the 2024 Auto Care Connect event May 5-8 in Chicago, Ill., at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Early-Bird Registration Opens for CIECA CONNEX Conference

CONNEX 2024: “The Intersection of Data & Mobility” will be held Sept. 24-25, 2024 at the MGM Grand Detroit hotel in Detroit, Mich.

Speakers Announced for 2024 HD Repair Forum

Speakers will hail from companies like Peterbilt, MHC Kenworth, Rivian and the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association.

Registration Now Open for 2024 UK Garage and Bodyshop Event

The UK Garage and Bodyshop Event is set to return for its second edition June 5-6 at the National Exhibit Center in Birmingham, England.

Other Posts

NABC Donates Recycled Ride to Deserving Las Vegas Family

The NABC, GEICO and Caliber Collision recently donated a refurbished 2019 Toyota Camry to a Las Vegas resident and his adopted family.

Dent Wizard Hires New Senior VP of Strategic Growth & Development

Adrian Gonzalez will be charged with driving growth through mergers and acquisitions.

CCC Report Analyzes Labor Pressures, Vehicle Complexity

Report shows advanced technology is contributing to costlier repairs, higher claims costs and longer cycle times.

Crash Champions Continues Steady Expansion Across Idaho

Crash Champions has announced the acquisition of Hoffman Auto Body in Boise, Idaho.