The Necessary Equipment
If your shop were simply painting used cars,
you could do an adequate job with a bare minimum of equipment.
A paint gun, a random orbit sander and a masking machine would
get most of the work done. If you intend to do productive collision
repair, however, much more equipment is necessary.
Electrical Troubleshooting
Whether you’re working on a vehicle just involved in a collision or repairing one with a reoccurring electrical problem, a familiarity with strategy-based diagnostic flow charts
is critical.
Measuring Basics
The more user dependent the measuring system, the greater the chances of error. For this reason, so-called "simp,tapes and gauges – aren’t simple to use properly.
Purchasing Power
Before you hand over the cash, rattle off your credit card account number or sign the bottom of a check, be sure you can justify the expense of that new piece of equipment.
Advanced Measuring: Part Two
3-D measuring systems can provide the accuracy
necessary to repair today’s vehicles – provided that techs are
trained to accurately operate them.
S-TRSW Comes of Age
Modern body shop repair techniques have come a long way from straightening a frame with floor pots and pullers and banging away on dented fenders. These days, it’s a matter
of pulling substructures to exacting measurements with the use of high-tech frame machines and of attaching new body parts to
the straightened substructure.
What A Tangled Web We Weave: Re-Installing Electrical Components and Wiring
Now that all the metal repair and refinishing has been completed, it’s time to start thinking about reinstalling all the electrical components and wiring removed before and during
the repairs, right?
The Two Faces of Japan
From ancient Shinto temples to modern-day skyscrapers, the Japanese relish technology, yet revere tradition. But with Japan’s collision repair industry changing with the times,
will the Japanese people also deviate from tradition to fight for their industry’s autonomy?
From Wreck to Right
It’s a dark stormy night. You realize that you’ve strayed from the main paved road and are now traveling down a gravel one. The road is soft. Your vehicle isn’t handling well. It’s raining so hard that the car’s windshield wipers can’t keep up, and the ditches on both sides of the road are very
Aftermarket Crash Parts vs. OE
Some people view the aftermarket crash parts vs. OE parts debate as a war, with the sides being the collision repair industry (wearing the armor of the OEMs) battling the insurance
industry (sporting aftermarket armor).