Toronto, Ontario — According to Mitchell International’s MPower, automotive paint and refinishing manufacturers could be facing the next wave of industry disruption in 2020, which is said to include increases in labour hours, parts replacements and material costs.
According to Mitchell’s report, the average number of refinishing labour hours has increased by 1.75 percent in recent years, from 9.26 hours in 2017 to 9.43 hours in 2019. The company says refinishing operations are tied to ‘repair vs. replace’ decisions made on estimates and, as more parts are being replaced, more refinish hours will be required due to the cutting in of jambs, the painting of panel undersides and the necessary blend operations.
Consequently, the costs of paint and related materials have increased by 4.79 percent. In 2017, the average cost of paint and materials per job stood at $310.04; in 2019, the price of paint per job was $324.91.
In addition to the increases in replaced parts and paint costs, Mitchell says a wider array of manufacturers are offering vehicles with three-stage coatings. Since 2015, the percentage of repairable vehicles with three-stage coatings operations written on the appraisal has nearly doubled, from 3.55 percent in 2015 to 6.5 percent in 2019.
Three-stage coatings may not be the limit, either—in 2017, Acura introduced its Andaro treatment process, which goes beyond three stages, adding an additional step to the process in the form of a tinted clearcoat.
Other OEMs are looking for finish-protecting methods as well—Land Rover recently announced its full vehicle plastic wrap, Satin Protective Film, which will be included on the 2020 Land Rover Defender. The automaker even claims the film has self-healing qualities that allow minor damage to be repaired through the use of heat.
Land Rover is the first manufacturer to offer a production vehicle with a full plastic wrap coating.
