BETAG Innovations and Flat Line SSI team up for one-day training sessions
By Alex Dugas Richmond Hill, Ontario — October 3, 2017 — Aluminum is showing up in more and more automobiles, and technicians must be prepared to deal with it. That was part of the impetus behind a recent training event put on by BETAG Innovations and Flat Line SSI. Ralph Meichtry of BETAG and Flat Line […]
Report: Future of lightweighting may mean more plastic
Wilmington, Delaware — September 4, 2017 — Plastic may be on its way up and multi-material construction may be less popular in the future, according to a survey conducted by Ward’s Auto. The seventh annual Ward’s Automotive Trends survey suggests that automakers are moving forward with numerous strategies to reduce vehicle weights and improve fuel […]
PDR Canada creates paintless dent repair tools for aluminum
By Barett Poley Edmonton Alberta — April 23, 2017 — PDR Canada is breaking ground with a new product for paintless dent repair (PDR) on aluminum. The tools use a special coating that doesn’t damage aluminum. The thought of an aluminum-compatible PDR device had been floating around the company for quite some time, according to […]
Hydro and Austin AI to develop automotive aluminum sorting tech
Austin, Texas — January 4, 2017 — Hydro and Austin AI (AAI) have signed a cooperative agreement to develop an advanced technology to sort automotive aluminium alloys. This could be a step towards more efficient recycling of manufacturing scraps and vehicles. Hydro, based out of Norway, is an aluminum producer and technology company. Austin AI […]
Pfaff Autoworks to host Industry Open House
Toronto, Ontario — October 24, 2016 — It sounds like a double-win: Pfaff Autoworks and Collision Industry Information Assistance (CIIA) are teaming up to give you a chance to win free OEM training while receiving the latest industry information. Pfaff Autoworks, located in Toronto, has announced it will hold an Industry Open House featuring an […]
Interactive Aluminum: Constellium highlights the metal’s potential for automotive
Amsterdam, Netherlands — October 6, 2016 — We’re likely to see more aluminum in the automotive field in the future, especially considering the ongoing push towards lightweighting. A new interactive produced by Constellium highlights the various ways the metal can be used throughout a vehicle’s structure. The interactive shows a sedan that can be rotated […]
Alcoa unveils new aluminum joining breakthrough
Detroit, Michigan — September 26, 2016 — Alcoa has developed a new method for joining aluminum to a wide range of other materials, including steels, magnesium and composites. Alcoa is one of the largest aluminum producers in the world and has a vested interest in lowering barriers to use in aluminum in the automotive sector. […]
Friday Fun: Wrangler might go aluminum, the upcoming lithium shortage and a ‘salt water’ powered car
By Jeff Sanford Toronto, Ontario — September 22, 2016 — This week we look into the aging and retiring pool of insurance adjusters, a leaked memo suggests the Jeep Wrangler will be getting more aluminum and Tesla needs a lot of lithium. It’s worth noting that “a lot” in this context actually means “literally all […]
Will titanium be the next material revolution?
By Mike Davey Richland, Washington — August 23, 2016 — The quest for strong, lightweight materials never ends. The collision repair industry is on top of aluminum and high-strength steels of various grades. Carbon fibre is widely anticipated to be next revolution, but recent reports indicate that titanium may start showing up in production […]
Automotive aluminum recycling over 90 percent
Detroit, Michigan — August 10, 2016 — New research from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s (WPI) Center for Resource Recovery and Recycling confirms an overall recycling rate of 91 percent for automotive aluminum. The peer-reviewed study, funded by the Aluminum Association, examines how much aluminum used in the light-duty automotive sector is recovered and recycled from […]
