As automakers use more aluminum in new vehicles, collision repairers are faced with significant investment and training challenges to properly equip techs to fix these new vehicles. The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is aware of these challenges and is addressing the increasing use of aluminum in vehicle construction.
Established in 1982 with the goal of uniting a then-fragmented industry under the phrase of “working together is the most important work we do,” the SCRS and its 40 affiliate associations has since grown to encompass 6,000 collision repair businesses and 58,500 specialized professionals who work with vehicle owners and insurance companies to fix collision-damaged cars and trucks.
Q: How would you describe the pace and the scope of aluminum being used on today’s vehicles?
A: While there are some examples of mainstream automakers using aluminum to construct exterior body parts, the use of the weight-saving material in structural parts has traditionally been confined to vehicles that necessitate repairers to receive levels of certification from the automaker after investing in required training and equipment. Because of this, “today’s” current vehicle lineup hadn’t presented massive demand for the industry at-large to embrace aluminum repair technology prior to the announcement from Ford about the overhaul of the F-150; although it did generate a need for repairers to understand makes, models and locations where the material was used and to recognize technical limitations in those more specialized scenarios.
Q: What is your assessment of the ability and readiness of the repair industry to properly repair, weld and replace aluminum body parts?
A: In speaking with our members, those who have already immersed themselves in aluminum repair will have some brand-specific preparations to make as vehicles come out. But they have built a business model that accommodates those changing requirements. For them, the biggest challenge is likely to be presented as the competitive landscape shifts from a more niche service to one that a much larger portion of the industry is seeking to become specialized in.
SCRS has always been a grassroots organization that represents the voice of the repairer, and as we look at our constituency I believe the vast majority of repairers have a fairly significant transition that will need to take place to evolve with the changing vehicle fleet.
For many, it will mean some level of facility adaptation to quarantine the aluminum repairs from the steel repairs, and likely means additional investment in equipment such as a Pulse MIG Welder dedicated for aluminum, separate hand and power tools dedicated to aluminum, dedicated self-piercing rivet (SPR) guns, dedicated dent extraction tools, a dedicated aluminum dust extraction system with wet mix technology, and potentially dedicated bench frame equipment depending on types of aluminum bodied vehicles that are prevalent in the marketplace.
Some of these pieces of equipment may have crossover for multiple different car brands, and some items (such as the SPR gun) may require different brands of the equipment to meet requirements from different OEMs. Further, it isn’t feasible for a shop to simply transition to just aluminum, because even OEMs developing all-aluminum models are going to continue to produce steel-based vehicles where they can, thus requiring the repair industry to essentially dually equip to repair both substrates.
In addition, for repairers who are making their first foray into the world of aluminum repair, there is also a great deal of general training and brand/model specific training that is necessary to properly approach these vehicles. This is an entirely different repair and material, and while it is opening doors for innovation in architecture and design by the OEMs, and translating to daily savings for the consumer in the way of weight reduction – which means decreased fuel consumption – it is going to further emphasize the need for adherence to repair procedures and equipment/facility/training capabilities on behalf of the repairer.
It also means that the insurance industry is going to have to understand that this investment can’t be absorbed by the repair industry and it isn’t the repairer’s responsibility to fund vehicle shifts to meet CAFE standard requirements. The investments associated with this type of work will drive the need for a return that can only be addressed via the repair pricing.
Q: How would you evaluate the industry’s response to ensuring that repairers are prepared to repair the aluminum components that are currently coming into their shops and will continue to increase?
A: I think there has been a lot of work by automakers, equipment manufacturers, associations like SCRS, and training organizations like I-CAR, to gear up for what will be a significant and necessary shift in the industry.
The introduction of mass-produced fully aluminum vehicles is honestly as significant to the repair industry as the introduction of the unibody was. Manufacturers are embracing messaging that focuses on “repairability” because the advancements they have made with this forthcoming vehicle are really remarkable and they are clearly proud of the ingenuity that has gone into the design and the innovative approach to how the vehicle is constructed.
That said, from the repairer viewpoint, “repairability” can be misunderstood, and we are already facing examples where the insurance industry’s perception is that more “repairable” means easier, and easier means cheaper and quicker repairs.
Based on our industry’s existing experience with aluminum, and our insight into the design changes ahead of us, the reality is these vehicles are designed with relatively intuitive repair procedures and structural designs that seem to lessen the invasive nature of repair and have the potential to reduce the length of the repair process.
But the material can also change the repair approach, where some parts that could be repaired or pulled in a steel substrate would necessitate replacement in an aluminum substrate. This alone requires a really comprehensive understanding of the repair process, the engineering behind the vehicle construction and the training to apply the procedural outline from the manufacturer. The unfortunate reality is those who invest the bare minimum – or below minimum – face the potential of being less prepared for the innate differences in the repairs.
There are obvious advantages to the consumer, automaker and insurer so long as there is also an active recognition of the significant investment into manpower and production capacity that is required on behalf of the repairer to manage a fleet of multiple substrates, requiring specialized equipment and training. It is a logical conclusion that it is, and will remain, reasonable and customary for repairers to recover on their investment through specialized rates for labor or other surcharges for key investments in compliance to the manufacturer recommendations and/or certifications.
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