Q&A with RBL Products’ Lipson

April 29, 2015
Ron Lipson, president of RBL Products, talks with ABRN about how aluminum and other market trends are driving the products his company is bringing to the collision industry.
Ron Lipson, president of RBL Products, talks with ABRN about how aluminum and other market trends are driving the products his company is bringing to the collision industry.

ABRN: How important is proper cleaning of the vehicle to the estimate and repair process?

RL: A vehicle must be clean when you are estimating the damage. If you miss something, it could come out of the shop’s pocket. When a vehicle is repaired, not only the area you are working on should be clean but the entire vehicle as well.

ABRN: Aluminum is becoming more and more common in the industry. Does this require different cleaning treatment from what technicians are accustomed to?

RL: Aluminum is an alloy that has been in use for over 20 years now. Many vehicle body parts, such as hoods and fenders, were and are made out of aluminum to reduce the weight and eliminate the possibility of corrosion.  Just in the last year, Ford Motor Company took a huge leap by creating an entire vehicle out of aluminum. The 2015 Ford F-150’s body panels are all made out of aluminum. This allows Ford to take 700 lbs. of weight out of each truck. The results are better gas mileage. When it comes to the proper preparation, aluminum must be pre-treated, just like it is when they are manufacturing the vehicle. The prep is quite simple. After the aluminum in properly cleaned (wax and grease type product), it has to be to wiped down with a pre-treatment product. These products are pre-saturated with a conversion coating that sets up in a few seconds and promotes adhesion and eliminates any chance of corrosion. RBL Products #5001, 5002, 5003, 5004, and 5005 Pre-treatment wipes and markers are very similar to the OEM conversion coating process that is on every aluminum body.

ABRN: Besides aluminum, are there any new market trends driving the potential of new products from RBL?

RL: One of the market trends we see dictating our industry is the need to move to safer (low VOC) and cleaner products. We see this trend on both the paint side with regard to waterborne technology and pre-cleaning materials that are water based (zero VOC).

ABRN: How can shops prolong the life of their spray booths and increase paint job quality?

RL: Spray booths should be treated with the same respect as an operating room in a hospital. The cleaner the spray booth, the better the paint job. When a paint job comes out of a spray booth, you want it to be as dirt free as possible. RBL Products offers a complete line of spray booth protective films. From the floor to the walls and lights, RBL has the right product for proper booth maintenance.

ABRN: Do shops need any training when using RBL products?

RL: For proper training when using our different products we offer instructions on our website with many product “ how to” video’s. in addition, our sales people in the field are very helpful.     

Lipson started RBL Products in 1991 with one product — Automask. To date, the company has grown to feature more than 200 products with distribution throughout the US and Canada. RBL Products has built its reputation by offering the PBE industry unique, one-of-a-kind products. Most recently, RBL introduced into the market the PPFS (Professional Paint Finishing System). The system allows for removal of all surface defects in paint within seconds.

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