COLLISION REPAIR REACHED OUT TO STEFANO LIESSI, TRAINING AND CURRICULUM COORDINATOR COLOR COMPASS UNIVERSITY FOR INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Collision Repair magazine: How have vehicle materials changed over the past ten years and how does this affect how they are repaired?
Stefano Liessi: In the past ten years, we have seen a mix of materials and applications, so much so that no two OEMs are alike. We can attribute this to many factors; technological advancements from engineering, political influence, cost factors, advancements in safety research and the data that supports it.
When we look at all these influences, we learn there is a reason for the changes in design and applications of these materials. With the advancements comes changes to repair processes. We can no longer repair each vehicle the same as the last, or the same as in the past. One vehicle may use aluminum components and from here, we must research if that component can be repaired, and if so, how? What are the steps if another vehicle has aluminum components but they are graphed to steel components, is the aluminum repairable? If so, how? What kind of steel is it? Can I pull something straight or does it have to be ‘jiggled’? Can I use adhesive? And the list of factors grows like a tree with multiple branches. And this only scratches the surface.
CRM: What are the challenges of repairing newer vehicle materials such as lightweight materials and recent structural changes?
SL: The challenges become very specific to the vehicle in front of you, so much that the age, make, model, sometimes even the sub model will impact the process. As the use of lightweight materials and design changes become more prevalent, we see the process change in when and how we repair or replace, what is the method used for fastening, and so on. Once you have completed some of these processes and had some training on them, they are not so daunting and are less challenging. However, the challenge is not only the process, but understanding the processes and why they must be adhered to. In my opinion, it is the knowledge of ‘why’ that poses the true challenge. Taking a technician that has been on the bench 10 years or 20 years, or even an apprentice, and handing them the repair procedures to a modern-day vehicle is comparable to putting me in an operating room with a textbook and saying, “have at it.”
How do we take someone with a Red Seal designation that requires a total of [in Alberta] 26 weeks of in-class college studies, alongside in-shop mentoring over four years, to comprehend the cognitive thought process of an engineer with [at this level of OE design] a Masters that equates to up to eight years of university studies in areas of physics and mechanical applications that we have only barely scratched the surface of? The challenge is to train and get technicians to think and understand in unison.
CRM: How has the increase in technological systems within vehicles affected how they are repaired?
SL: Precision and accuracy are paramount to the success of any repair today. There was a time when “close enough” was sufficient for many, not that I agree with this thought process; however, we become a product of our environment. The use of ‘shims’ was common even at the OEM level and today this has become obsolete in our manufacturing process. We have escalated to a level of proficiency and accuracy that requires repairs to be within the vehicle tolerance; for many OEs this is within +/-1mm. The design and manufacturing of vehicles is all done with numbers, this is why we measure and the only way you know it needs to be measured is to measure it. Measuring a vehicle should be mandatory on any repair as this not only verifies the vehicle is true to spec for the advanced driver assistance systems to function correctly, but it also ensures your repairs are meeting the requirements for OE certification.
Old school logic is no longer applicable to today’s repairs. The thought process, application of procedures and due diligence is at a whole new level and requires a crew of people that understands this. The application of our practical wisdom, ethics, knowledge and skill set has never been in greater demand as it is now.
