Think about the last investment you made that gave your operation a notable boost. There’s a terrific chance you’re dwelling on a welder, frame rack or paint booth. The reason for that is simple. Businesspeople often tend to equate their greatest ROI with their most expensive purchases. The truth is more modest investments can produce results that are just as significant, if not more so.
The greatest bulk of work performed during most repairs comes down to a series of relatively small tasks performed using hand tools or moderately priced equipment. Upgrades here can provide substantial benefits, especially if you buy wisely and then make the most of your latest investments.
Here’s a look at some of the more affordable, innovative repair tools available to shops in 2017 with tips on how you can make wise buying choices for your shop.
Bond breaker
The latest generation of adhesives provide bonding strength that rivals, sometimes surpassing, the bonds created by welding. Structural adhesives go even farther, providing toughness and durability once thought impossible for a liquid compound.
That same strength can pose significant repair challenges when these bonds need to be removed during a repair or replacement. They’re typically broken up using torches or heat guns that must operate at temperatures high enough to damage nearby parts and nearby bonds.
Chief’s Vulcan Adhesive Debonding Unit (ADU) is engineered to avoid this problem using infrared radiation technology. The infrared heat builds quickly, in as little as 20 seconds, to a temperature capable of releasing the first layer of glue underneath a bond. Neighboring parts are thus spared potentially damaging high temperatures. With the first layer of adhesive broken, shops can then separate part materials with less risk of damage to either piece.
Chief says the Vulcan ADU doesn’t use an electromagnetic field and is safe to use on any vehicle surface, even carbon fiber and aluminum. The company also notes that the remaining epoxy stays smooth and hard, not sticky, leaving behind a clean work surface.
Product features include:
- Accurate temperature control, with focus on one panel layer
- Color touch screen
- Calibration abilities to address issues when measuring different color paint and reflectivity
- Ability to remove labels and molding.
The Vulcan ADU comes in at considerably more than the other products in this article, just under $10,000, so it may not be for every shop — yet. Repairers who take in dealer work or see a lot of late-model vehicles need a solution for handling structural adhesives. The cost of the Vulcan ADU can be a wise tradeoff considering the expense of replacing parts that were damaged during a botched repair, which, of course, comes directly out of your pocket.
Clean cuts
Ever wonder why auto service students are quick to choose engines over body work or why so many collision techs opt out of the industry for other careers? One big reason is that collision repair tasks frequently involve hard, dirty work that taxes muscles, tendons, spines and the resolve of workers. Any time shops can purchase a tool that reduces any of this wear and tear, they’re looking at a potential good buy.
That’s what the folks at Malco are hoping repairers find in their new TurboShear air tool. The TurboShear provides pneumatic, double-cut performance designed to eliminate the physical stress associated with many cutting operations.
The TurboShear’s blades are built to slice a narrow spiral scrap from the tool path to produce a clean, straight edge on both sides of a cut. Malco says they can navigate up to 90 degrees outside profiles of metal roofing panels or metal ductwork, and are tough enough to cut through seams. The blades are engineered to allow cutting from either end of a part. The company also notes the blades can be easily disengaged from the cutting path or quickly re-engaged to continue cutting.
The 2600 RPM (2600 TR/Min) model TSMDA TurboShear Air Tool is compatible with existing air supplies with pricing comparable to traditional shears.
Sanding systems
Sometimes a new piece of equipment is so basic and responds to such a widespread issue one wonders why it wasn’t built years earlier. The Total Automotive Sanding System, from 3M and Festool Automotive Systems, might just fall into this class.
Sanding typically involves using multiple products, several different grits of paper and a vacuum to help clean up the work area. Techs and paint preps typically waste time and energy locating the materials they need, then carrying them to a work area before bringing them back and performing a final cleaning that often falls short since so much debris has been released into the shop environment. This debris can wreak havoc on finishes, costing shops additional money for rework, along with its toll on the health of employees.
The Total Automotive Sanding System is intended to combat all these ills with a mobile workstation system incorporating a dust extraction unit. The station is accessorized with a selection of the latest Festool and 3M tools and products—sanders, sanding discs, safety spectacles, earplugs, etc.--organized in storage areas and drawers for easy access. The systems can be rolled into any work area with sufficient space, giving workers convenient access to everything needed for safe sanding operations.
Five different models are available: Pneumatic and Electric Body Repair, Pneumatic and Electric Paint Prep, and Paint Finishing. Each is engineered to optimize dust removal (protecting both employee health and product finishes), job organization and workplace efficiency. Benefits like that can build a strong case for making a Total Automotive Sanding System a smart addition to any shop.
Choose wisely
With hundreds of new products hitting the collision repair market each year, spotting the best buys for any shop can be difficult. Even though many of these items can run between $10-$100 or are priced to recoup their investment within a year, no shop can afford to simply throw money at every innovation in the hope of striking gold — or just bronze — with a few. There are a few strategies that can help repairers spot the investments that really make their mark:
- Speak with vendors. Don’t be shy when it comes to asking sales reps for recommendations. While some might feel inclined to push a new item, or a particularly expensive one, most want to keep your business with suggestions that have great potential to pay off. When possible, ask for samples or demonstrations.
- Stay media savvy. Industry shows are ground zero for new product releases. Even if you can’t spare time to attend, media coverage — including news stories, features and videos — can provide a detailed look at the products creating the greatest buzz. From there, do your homework with additional research into product reviews and specifications to determine what new items can truly deliver for your business.
- Involve employees. Workers tend to stick with tools and products that have proven their worth. They also can be reluctant, especially in the era of turbo-charged waste and cost cutting, to request upgraded equipment. These attitudes can cheat them and your business out of opportunistic investments that benefit everyone. Encourage employees to look into innovations that increase productivity and make their work lives easier. Some shops provide annual equipment budgets to workers as part of this task. Consider offering a bonus for purchase suggestions that prove their worth, and ask employees to focus on modest investments. Point out that even a $10 or $20 buy can offer significant advantages.
The lesson here: Not every investment has to provide earth-shaking results. Together, regular upgrades, no matter how small, can produce big-time returns that could be turning up the fortunes at your business.
