Ready for the challenges of aluminum repair?

Aug. 4, 2016

Vehicle OEMs continue to look for ways to light weight vehicles as a way to meet increasingly stringent emissions and fuel economy standards. Toward this end, the use of aluminum in automobiles and commercial vehicles has been accelerating.

The reason being, say officials at the Aluminum Association (www.aluminum.org), is that aluminum “offers the fastest, safest, most environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to increase performance, boost fuel economy and reduce emissions while maintaining or improving safety and durability.”

Aluminum alloys designed for automobiles weigh half as much as traditional mild steel and absorb twice as much energy during accidents.

MARKET SHARE

“With the growth in aluminum-intensive vehicle design comes a subsequent rise in the repair market,” notes Michael DeCata, president and chief executive officer, Lawson Products (www.lawsonproducts.com), an industrial distributor of maintenance and repair products.

Now is the time for vehicle collision repair facilities to be prepared to repair increasingly complex aluminum and mixed-material vehicles, he says. That requires specific training and dedicated tools and equipment for complete, safe and quality repairs.

“Early movers with a high-quality approach and clean, safe shops, are already carving out market share in aluminum repair,” Matt Brown, vice president, field sales, Lawson Products, adds. “They’ll benefit from word of mouth advertising.”

The company recently launched Kent Automotive Aluminum Repair Solutions (www.kent-automotive.com) – a single-source for aluminum repair materials, offering a full line of OEM-quality, specialized products, expertise and education for collision centers and auto body repair shops in the U.S. and Canada.

FIVE STAGES

DeCata and Brown say aluminum repair can be broken down into five basic stages. 

- Disassembly. Remove OEM-applied coatings and seam sealers with mechanical abrasives and chemical products to reveal bare aluminum in the damaged area.

- Preparation. Properly condition the aluminum surface by thoroughly cleaning it with chemical and abrasive products.

- Fastening. Use crash-tested adhesives, OEM-style specialty rivets and seam sealers to ensure proper rivet bonding and match OEM-quality for aluminum panel replacement.

- Finishing. Restore OEM-quality protection with specialty finishing products.

- Corrosion Protection. Prevent galvanic corrosion by insulating and isolating aluminum body panels from steel fasteners and steel surfaces. Restore the vehicle back to OEM standards when following the procedures needed to meet OEM requirements.

About the Author

David A. Kolman | Contributor - Fleet Maintenance