The I-CAR AGM will be held in Melbourne on Thursday, 6th April, 2017 to coincide with the Collision Repair Expo. For the first time since the establishment of I-CAR in Australia, members will have the opportunity to meet the leaders of I-CAR USA, Canada and New Zealand at the AGM. The board of I-CAR Australia have expressed their desire for the members who are attending the Collision Repair Expo to attend the AGM and participate in the meeting, particularly in the discussion regarding the direction the organisation is taking both locally and internationally. During this AGM, there will be a request to submit nominations for the two vacant board positions that have occurred through the ongoing rotation of the board. The Board comprises representatives of the insurance industry, trade associations, OEMs, repairers, education, and equipment and product suppliers.
Editor: There will be many members of I-CAR attending the Collision Repair Expo – what a great opportunity to mix with your peers from around Australia and overseas. I will see you there.
The 2017 McLaren-Honda Formula 1 racing car was launched recently and fans were able to get their first glimpse of the MCL32’s new Tarocco Orange livery-a colour developed by AkzoNobel in conjunction with McLaren-Honda.
The company’s colour expertise has enabled the world championship winning Formula 1 team to maintain links to their 1960s roots and heritage while bringing a new image and sparkle. The new Tarocco Orange colour provided a striking contrast to matt black and gloss white finish when the new car was launched at the McLaren Thought Leadership Centre in Woking, UK.
“Our colour and coatings expertise shows up in many unexpected places, even in Formula 1,” said Peter Tomlinson, Managing Director of AkzoNobel’s Vehicle Refinishes business. “We share a passion with McLaren for creating efficient, high performance technology. McLaren-Honda Formula 1 team is known for their iconic livery and the new colour will add a new chapter to this, which we are proud to be part of.”
The two companies have been working closely together since 2008 when AkzoNobel first became official supplier of paint solutions to the McLaren-Honda Formula 1 team. McLaren-Honda will use the company’s premium Sikkens brand for its Formula 1 cars for the whole of the 2017 season, which starts in Melbourne, Australia, on March 26.
Jonathan Neale, COO of McLaren Technology Group added:“Since McLaren began its partnership with AkzoNobel, we’ve always been looking at ways to push paint technology to its furthest extent. We’ve already explored the practical limits of chrome finishing, reducing our carbon footprint and reducing curing times. Now, with the McLaren-Honda MCL32, we’re really leveraging AkzoNobel’s colour expertise and technology. The results are stunning.
“We’ve also made significant progress in reducing the average curing time of bodywork parts by more than half, and lowering the paint shop’s carbon footprint by up to 80 percent. We will continue working with AkzoNobel on further innovations as we investigate coating possibilities, both for now and for the future.”
The 2017 MCL32 will be driven by Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne.
The vehicle refinishing industry is poised for the next step in digital colour matching with the launch of AkzoNobel’s exciting new approach to vehicle refinishing, Colorvation, an initiative that will empower body shops to significantly increase efficiency and colour accuracy while boosting productivity and profitability.
The Colorvation approach introduces digital technology to the colour matching process. With easy-to-follow steps from start to finish, technicians and painters will feel more confident with the process as well as the results, while body shop owners will relish the savings in time and money.
“Colorvation is a unique, comprehensive and, most of all, user-friendly approach to vehicle refinishing that features the most advanced digital colour technology available,” said John Bermingham, General Manager of AkzoNobel Australia.
“When used in full, these innovative tools will bring measurable improvements for businesses in the form of greater accuracy, greater efficiency, and ultimately, greater profitability. We have embraced this digital transformation; we believe in it and we trust that body shops will receive instant benefits,” he said.
Automatchic Vision is a Wi-Fi enabled digital spectrophotometry system capable of correctly matching colour up to three times faster than via traditional methods. These measurements are sent directly to the mixing software on the PC where they can be further assessed before mixing takes place.
“Body shops across the country are already enjoying the benefits of Colorvation, and what people really seem to appreciate is that you don’t need years of experience to use it. You can pick it up quickly and easily and the positive impact is felt almost immediately,” said Joseph Lantieri, AkzoNobel Colour Process Specialist.
“Painters of all skill levels are enjoying the benefits of greater colour accuracy and the simplicity of the new digital colour retrieval process. This is a real game changer.”
Are you ready to give your business the digital advantage?
To find out how Colorvation can give your business the edge, contact one of our digital colour experts today, and visit www.colorvation.com.
Visit the AkzoNobel booth at the Collision Repair Expo Booth Number AB24
The Association has timed its annual conference to coincide with the event. Said CRA general manager Neil Pritchard; “This Expo is to my mind more beneficial to collision repairers in our part of the world than either SEMA or NACE, which are both held the US. While the two US events are worth attending for the experience, the Expo has far more relevance for local repairers. The organisers are to be congratulated on the number of exhibitors and the high standard of seminars that they have organized.”
As well as the CRA contingent there will be many other New Zealand repairers and suppliers, all keen to see the latest and greatest as they try to keep their businesses relevant in this rapidly changing industry. Added incentives to visit Melbourne are the International I-CAR meeting, the Collision Repairer Lifetime Achievement Awards Breakfast, and of course the nightlife and shopping in this diverse cosmopolitan city.
Editor: It will be great to welcome our peers from New Zealand to the Expo. The CRA are holding their annual conference in conjunction with the Expo which is a tremendous endorsement of the Expo and I am sure appreciated by the organizers.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) announced it is investing $1 billion during the next five years in Argo AI, an artificial intelligence company, to develop a virtual driver system for the automaker’s autonomous vehicle coming in 2021 – and for potential license to other companies.
Founded by former Google and Uber leaders, Argo AI is bringing together some of the most experienced roboticists and engineers working in autonomy from inside and outside of Ford. The team of experts in robotics and artificial intelligence is led by Argo AI founders Bryan Salesky, company CEO, and Peter Rander, company COO. Both are alumni of Carnegie Mellon National Robotics Engineering Center and former leaders on the self-driving car teams of Google and Uber, respectively.
“The next decade will be defined by the automation of the automobile, and autonomous vehicles will have as significant an impact on society as Ford’s moving assembly line did 100 years ago,” said Ford President and CEO Mark Fields. “As Ford expands to be an auto and a mobility company, we believe that investing in Argo AI will create significant value for our shareholders by strengthening Ford’s leadership in bringing self-driving vehicles to market in the near term and by creating technology that could be licensed to others in the future.”
The current team developing Ford’s virtual driver system – the machine-learning software that acts as the brain of autonomous vehicles – will be combined with the robotics talent and expertise of Argo AI. This innovative partnership will work to deliver the virtual driver system for Ford’s SAE level 4 self-driving vehicles.
Ford will continue to lead on development of its purpose-built autonomous vehicle hardware platform, as well as on systems integration, manufacturing, exterior and interior design, and regulatory policy management.
Argo AI will join forces with Ford’s autonomous vehicle software development effort to strengthen the commercialization of self-driving vehicles. Argo AI’s agility and Ford’s scale uniquely combine the benefits of a technology startup with the experience and discipline of the automaker’s industry-leading autonomous vehicle development program.
“We are at an inflection point in using artificial intelligence in a wide range of applications, and the successful deployment of self-driving cars will fundamentally change how people and goods move,” said Salesky. “We are energized by Ford’s commitment and vision for the future of mobility, and we believe this partnership will enable self-driving cars to be commercialized and deployed at scale to extend affordable mobility to all.”
Editor: This article courtesy of our publishing partner CollisionWeek. To subscribe to CollisionWeek go to: https://www.collisionweek.com/
The next-generation Hyundai Accent has expanded its advanced high-strength steel content to 54.5 percent of the subcompact car, up from 41.5 percent, Hyundai announced as it revealed the car at the Toronto Auto Show.
The car will go on sale globally in the third quarter of the year. Nearly 80,000 were sold in 2016.
Hyundai can produce the steel itself, which might explain the large amount in the existing vehicle.
“The application of Advanced High-Strength Steel improves collision performance without adding unnecessary weight, which helps reduce fuel consumption and deliver better driving feel,” the OEM wrote in a news release. Hyundai said it also boosted torsional rigidity by 32 percent from the 2017 Accent through 98.5 meters of structural adhesive, contributing to the better ride.
“In addition to the high-strength chassis, the Accent features several improvements to the front side members and inner side sill to improve collision protection,” Hyundai wrote. “The front crumple zones have been increased, front side air bags have been upgraded, and reinforcements have been made to improve the car’s performance in small overlap crashes.”
Advanced high-strength steel typically starts at around 590 megapascals, and OEMs typically place restrictions on the light, strong metal’s straightening, sectioning and heat exposure — if they don’t declare the parts replace-only from the start, particularly at higher tensile strengths.
Hyundai, unfortunately, is the only major OEM without repair procedures available in the U.S., which makes things a little trickier in terms of knowing what constitutes a correct structural repair. However, shops can seek guidance from Hyundai’s technical website, and “Ask I-CAR” for advice on the metal and Hyundai vehicles in general. For example:
“If vehicle maker procedures or recommendations are not available, DO NOT SECTION,” I-CAR wrote regarding Hyundai sectioning. “There are some vehicle makers, such as Hyundai, that do not provide any recommendations to the United States with regard to sectioning. However, these vehicle makers still use all the same construction technology as those that provide recommendations, such as high-strength steel, tailor-rolled blanks, etc. Because of this, a best practice is to replace the parts at factory seams. Making assumptions when no recommendations exist can cause parts to deform in a manner not intended by the vehicle maker engineers.”
A repairer can also at least make sure to have on hand the kind of training foundation and equipment Hyundai requires of certified shops.
Other Accent highlights:
A standard backup camera, required on all vehicles as of May 1, 2018.
Snazzier technology — which likely means more diagnostic and calibration considerations — on trims than small-car rivals, Hyundai claims: “Most trims in the Accent will feature technologies that go beyond the subcompact competition in terms of driver confidence and convenience,” Hyundai wrote. “For example, the Accent also offers a proximity key with push button start, so drivers never need to take out a key from their pocket or purse in order to start the car.”
Some of these trims include what Hyundai says is a “segment first” option of autobraking, which relies on cues from front-facing radar.
The Accent is a subcompact, budget car — only the 2017 sport edition cracked $17,000 — and it’s still more than 50 percent advanced high-strength steel and likely to be tricked out with advanced safety technology. That’s a remarkable symbol of how far vehicles have come and how much skill collision repair now requires.
Editor: This article was reproduced from Repairer Driven News, one of our publishing partners. To access a lot more information such as this go to their website at: http://www.repairerdrivennews.com
David Lingham, Head of Business for Fix Auto World, announced the appointment of Carl Brabander as Vice President of Marketing for Fix Auto World, effective immediately.
Since his appointment in 2014 to the role of Vice President of Marketing for Fix Auto Canada, Brabander ushered in new retail brand standards and a marketing strategy that has tripled brand awareness and firmly established Fix Auto as the number one Canadian brand in collision repair. He played an increasingly dual role, also leading Fix Auto’s global marketing strategy.
“The speed at which Fix Auto is growing around the world demands strong marketing and operational leadership,” said Lingham. “Carl brings the strategic marketing component to help ensure the success of our existing networks, as well as our entries into new markets.”
With the recent appointment of Alexandra Zalec as Vice President of Marketing for Fix Auto Canada, Brabander will now fully dedicate himself to leading marketing strategy for global master franchisor Fix Auto World.
“Fix Auto represents innovation and success to independent collision repairers worldwide,” said Brabander “and we intend to build and continue to lead as we grow our networks and expand into new markets.”
The Future Leader presentations to Dusti-Lee Franchi and Virginia Cleghorn took place at the IAG office in Perth, WA on Friday 17th February 2017.
The MC for the event was Stephen Palmer of IAG and guests included Marie Donato (MTAWA), Peter McMahon and Wayne Phipps (Car Craft), Fiona Johnson (WorldSkills), Eddie Fitzgerald (Stokes and Renk Car Craft O’Connor, Van Lam (Fletchers Malaga Smash Repairs) and Toni Franchi (Dusti-Lee’s mother). There were also many of the IAG assessing team in the room to see the presentation.
Both Dusti-Lee and Virginia were medallists in the WA WorldSkills Australia competition last year (Virginia won Gold) and also in the WorldSkills Australia National Competition in Melbourne where Dusti-Lee took out the Gold Medal. Dusti-Lee will now represent Australia at the WorldSkills International competition in Abu Dhabi later this year.
Various speakers congratulated Dusti-Lee and Virginia on their remarkable achievements with Peter McMahon, General Manager of Car Craft Accident Repair Centres presenting the actual awards.
Eddie Fitzgerald and Van Lam, the owners of the businesses where Dusti-Lee and Virginia are employed were there to support and applaud their employees.
The Future Leader awards have now been made to 31 worthy young people in our industry and the National Collision Repairer would like to acknowledge the continued support of IAG for the Future Leader award program.
BASF has launched Glasurit® Vision360™ Advanced Bodyshop Solutions in the Asia Pacific region. The Glasurit Vision360 program offers a set of innovative service modules designed to improve the processes and overall performance of bodyshops that use the comprehensive Glasurit portfolio of paint systems for refinishing vehicles.
“Bodyshops are modernising very quickly and management standards are rising. We are seeing bodyshop owners looking for professional management tools that will help them drive efficiency and productivity in their shops,” said Chris Titmarsh, Vice President, BASF Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions, Asia Pacific. “Glasurit Vision360 offers a systematic and hands on approach to help bodyshop owners understand the options they have to grow their operations into successful, sustainable and profitable businesses.”
The Glasurit Vision360 program has been designed with flexibility, allowing bodyshop owners to choose the modules that are relevant to their business objectives. Each module gives solutions and ideas that promote industry best practices to help carve out a competitive edge, examining the shop’s efficiency, productivity, performance and branding.
The program encompasses 11 holistic and specific bodyshop operational analyses, corrective measures and coaching programs, supported by seminars for consistency and sustainability. The standard suite, consisting of seven essential operations and facility solutions in process, quality and working conditions, are designed to help achieve operational excellence. The advanced suite of four modules focuses on consultation and education, looking at business key performance indicators (KPIs), operational improvement packages and system solutions with the goal to achieve industry excellence.
The modules are each led by Glasurit’s strong team of Vision360 specialists and experts both in the region and in each country where the program is offered. Every team member brings years of industry experience and business success.
For Australia, the full Vision360 Advanced Suite service modules are now available, including:
Vision360 CONSULT
Vision360 SELECT
Vision360 ADVANCE
Vision360 PROFICIENCY
In addition, 7 more service modules selected from the Vision360 Standard Suite are also ready to help customers achieve their business goals, they are:
Vision360 Bodyshop Audit
Vision360 Paint Check
Vision360 Shop Design
Vision360 Operational Excellence
Vision360 Colour Management
Vision360 Rapid Repair Shop
Vision360 Warranty
As part of the regional Vision360 launch, a pilot program was set up with key customers looking to master business success and make changes to current working practices.
“We were very eager to assess our overall business performance with Glasurit Vision360 ADVANCE concept. It offers dynamic KPI monitoring and analysis tools which show us how our business has been shaping up against KPI performance,” said Graham McAully, Owner, McAully Smash, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. “The Vision360 approach is both highly practical and proactive and highlights why and how KPIs can potentially turn into a dangerous situation. With the help of experienced Vision360 consultants, we will be able to reduce our total costs and increase efficiency.” McAully Smash, an independent bodyshop, is currently piloting the Vision360 Advance module to monitor business performance, and will apply further program modules in the coming months.
Like the 2015 F-150, the next-generation 2018 Ford Expedition will have an aluminum body-in-white and panels over a “redesigned high-strength steel frame,” Ford announced Tuesday.
The full-size SUV weighs 300 pounds less than the existing Expedition, which sold 59,835 units last year — up 44.4 percent.
“In addition, an all-new high-strength, aluminum-alloy body and redesigned high-strength steel frame form the foundation for Expedition’s rugged off-road and strong towing capabilities,” Ford wrote in a news release. “Thanks to the use of advanced materials, the all-new Expedition saves up to 300 pounds, and the team reinvested that weight savings everywhere it counts to give customers more technology and convenience features than ever before.”
Few other details were provided about the Expedition or its metallurgy — though thankfully, Ford does not refer to anything as “military-grade” this time. Ford SUV spokeswoman Becky Sanch wrote in an email that the OEM wasn’t yet sharing more information about the high-strength steel it used, such as how much of it was ultra-high-strength steel above 780 megapascals.