When any vehicle is brought into your shop, it should be measured upfront, throughout the repair and after all pulling is completed. This provides a comprehensive overview of all collision damage at every stage of the repair process, helping you to compile an accurate estimate and plan the repair, efficiently complete the repair, and confirm that the vehicle has been returned to OEM specifications.
All this measuring may sound like a lot to handle, but it does not have to cause delays. In fact, the right measuring tools can actually boost shop productivity. Advanced measuring systems decrease the time each vehicle spends on the frame rack, freeing up resources for other jobs and boosting profits.
What should you look for in a measuring system? Since the measuring methods you use will impact every repair, your shop’s overall productivity will depend on the speed and capabilities of the system you choose. Before we explore all the benefits of the latest advanced measuring systems, let’s take a look at traditional methods and their limitations.
The old way is slow.
If your shop is currently using mechanical measuring tapes, tram gauges and centerline gauges, this process may sound familiar:
Step 1: Measure
Step 2: Compile estimate
Step 3: Pull
Step 4: Measure
Step 5: Pull
Step 6: Measure
Step 7: Pull
Step 8: Attempt to align suspension on alignment rack
Step 9: Return to frame rack for more pulling and measuring
Step 10: Repeat steps 4-8 until vehicle is straight and suspension can be aligned
This exhausting procedure takes place every day in collision shops, and it causes untold lost profits. Not only do technicians have to re-measure the vehicle after every pull, but they also have to crisscross each damaged section to find out where the vehicle is out of square. All the back-and-forth measuring between pulls wastes the technician’s time and ties up the frame rack.
The old way is inaccurate.
Manual measuring is not only slow, it also relies heavily on the operator. He or she must place the measuring tools at each reference point correctly, and then accurately read the measurements every time. Consistency is key, and it is easy for the technician to be off by up to a few millimeters with each measurement.
In the past, any slight inaccuracies remaining after measuring and pulling could be remedied by adjusting the vehicle’s suspension accordingly. Cars and trucks today, though, have very limited suspension control point adjustment ranges. The vehicle must be returned precisely to OEM specifications, or else the suspension cannot be aligned properly.
The old way is inefficient.
Frame rack time is one of the most limited resources in a collision repair shop. Most facilities only have one rack, and bottlenecks can delay jobs for days.
For maximum efficiency, each vehicle should spend as little time as possible on the frame rack. This is difficult to manage with traditional measuring methods, since the vehicle has to be loaded onto the rack during the estimating process, and it often remains there for measuring between each pull.
As vehicles evolved, so did measuring. The first attempts to build a better measuring system were improvements on traditional mechanical methods, but challenges remained.
Electronic point-to-point systems were developed to speed up the measuring process by automatically recording each measurement so the technician did not have to walk back and forth from the workstation to the frame rack. Although this decreased the time it took to record each individual measurement, the vehicle still had to be manually measured after every pull.
In the early 1990s, the first multipoint computerized measuring systems were introduced. These systems used laser scanners to read targets that were placed at multiple reference points on the vehicle. While the first laser-and-target systems provided consistent accuracy that was not possible with traditional point-to-point systems, they were large and unwieldy. Plus, early laser scanners were more than four feet long, which made it challenging to use them to fully measure some vehicles.
Other computerized measuring systems have been developed using ultrasound or photographic technology. These systems have their own pluses and minuses. An ultrasound system is capable of measuring up to 12 reference points at once, but its long microphone receiver bar is cumbersome and must be physically connected to each target. Photographic systems do not require any targets, but the technician has to photograph the vehicle after every pull and re-measure it using digital reference points, which is time-consuming.
For years, collision repair shops have been forced to make compromises when it comes to measuring systems. Large multi-point laser and ultrasound systems are accurate, but can be inconvenient to set up. Electronic point-to-point tools are simple to use, but are inefficient and less accurate.
An ideal measuring method would be compact and easy to use. It would also eliminate the risk of operator error, minimize frame rack time and reduce the pulling process to just three steps: measure, pull, done. Does such a method exist? Yes, and it is called Live Mapping™.
A Live Mapping system uses a compact, lightweight laser scanner to read target locations. The laser scanner and targets can remain in place as the vehicle is pulled, enabling the technician to monitor dimensional changes as they occur.
The fundamentals of Live Mapping can be better understood by dissecting each word in its name:
Live
A Live Mapping system’s laser scanner continuously measures the mounted targets, even as the vehicle is pulled back into shape. It transmits readings to the Live Mapping workstation, where the measurements can be compared to OEM specs using vehicle repair data. That way, the technician can track how far and in which direction(s) to pull.
Since the laser scanner measures continuously, no walking back and forth or manual readings are required, and there are no delays in the pulling process. The technician just sets the scanner and targets at the beginning of the repair and then leaves everything in place. The Live Mapping system shows dimensional changes as the vehicle is pulled, so the technician knows exactly when and where to stop pulling. That way, there’s less risk that pulling will inflict more damage, and the vehicle will never need to be sent back from the alignment rack for more adjustments.
Mapping
Traditional mechanical measuring systems and some computerized measuring systems are only capable of reading one reference point at a time. That’s why a Live Mapping system’s multipoint capabilities are referred to as “mapping.” Instead of relying on the technician to interpret the data after measuring each individual point, the Live Mapping system provides a three-dimensional map of the entire frame at once. This makes it easier to repair vehicles with diamond or twist damage, and also allows the technician to see front and rear damage simultaneously.
By monitoring up to 45 points on a vehicle simultaneously, Live Mapping ensures no damage is missed, which is important because modern cars and trucks are designed to transfer collision forces around the passenger compartment. It is essential to measure all sections of the vehicle, even those that were not directly affected by the collision. Live Mapping makes this process quick and easy.
A Live Mapping system that is capable of multi-point measuring even in out-of-level situations makes it possible to write estimates using a simple two-post lift, freeing up the frame rack for repairs.
Now is the time to hang up those traditional mechanical measuring tools and less-efficient computerized measuring systems for good. The tight suspension tolerances and advanced impact-absorbing designs of today’s vehicles require more measuring, and the best way to fit more measuring into your shop’s already busy schedule is to go with a fast Live Mapping system. With Live Mapping, your estimators and technicians will be able to do their jobs more efficiently, your customers will be happier and your shop will process more vehicles each day.
