September 2017

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“Welding – Probably needs a little help in our industry” An I-CAR instructor from 3M shares stories from field

Along with corrosion protection, welding errors are one of the most frequently uncovered issues during a post-repair inspection, 3M advanced technical specialist and 23-year I-CAR instructor and weld tester Shawn Collins warned shops this summer in a quality control class.

Collins, who also surprise-audited shops for VeriFacts for four years, regaled the class with some anecdotes about flawed welds and examples of errors uncovered by reinspection firm Collision Safety Consultants. He recalled inspecting shops at VeriFacts and discovering welds covered with body filler — a red flag the shop was concealing something. “If the weld was done right, it just shouldn’t be there,” Collins said. “Seam sealer applied unusually quickly after the weld seemed like another red flag”, he added.

Another issue he encountered during those audits was half-moon welds — “many, many, many of them.” A panel meant to receive 30 welds might have half of them not completely filled, Collins said. The technician would have to be coached, “‘That’s like not putting all the bolts back on the vehicle,’” he said. “Welding – probably needs a little help in our industry,” Collins said.

Talking to a shop ahead of Collins’ I-CAR weld testing, an owner might declare his team to be great welders, Collins recalled. “Five hours later, a technician is ‘struggling badly’ and the shop owner had no idea of the skills gap”, he said. However, a shop’s welding difficulties might be actually solved fairly painlessly. “A lot of that’s related to eyesight,” Collins said of such welding struggles, echoing an analysis we’ve heard from both one of Collins’ I-CAR colleagues and SCRS educator Toby Chess. Collins said he carries “cheaters” glasses and gives them out at weld tests. Once the welder dons them, their “world just changes,” Collins said.

Collins also suggested shops minimise welding issues by using spot welding instead of MIG welding, calling the former “much better” for the vehicle. Of course, all of this depends on OEM directions. But Collins observed that some automakers recommend the technique over MIG welding, spot welding eliminates the MIG welding learning curve and often sealant and adhesive can be added in the spot-weld joint as well, when appropriate. (General Motors, for example, recently informed the industry that it would be more frequently requiring squeeze-type resistance spot welding, in some cases combined with impact-resistant adhesive.)

“I know they’re not cheap, but I think it’s a necessary piece of equipment,” said Collins. Sometimes, shops get tripped up by trying to mimic the joining done at the factory, not realizing that the OEM wants the aftermarket to use a different attachment technique, according to Collins. Something spot-welded at the factory might need to be bonded by the aftermarket, he said. “We’re seeing that more and more often,” Collins said of different joining techniques, and shops shouldn’t assume they can “reverse-engineer” the factory.

This article is courtesy of John Huetter and Repairer Driven News. Check out their website at http://www.repairerdrivennews.com where you will find so much more information.

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UK Competition Authority Proposes LKQ Subsidiary Sells Locations to Satisfy Competition Concerns

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the United Kingdom yesterday detailed concerns it has with LKQ Corporation subsidiary, Euro Car Parts’ October 2016 acquisition of competitor Andrew Page.

Both companies sell car parts and components to independent repair facilities and to larger national or multi-regional customers, including repair centre chains, vehicle fleets and roadside assistance companies.

A group of independent panel members at the CMA has investigated the merger. The group identified 10 local areas in England where the two companies were close competitors and where the merger could result in reduced competition for local customers, leading to higher prices or a lower quality of service. The group did not consider that national or multi-regional customers would be adversely affected by the merger.
“Andrew Page was in administration and would have closed down if a purchaser had not been found. The only two other purchasers would have bought a much smaller number of depots. We think that in most markets the merger will not further reduce competition compared to the alternative,” said Professor Alasdair Smith, Inquiry Chair. “However, in 10 local areas we are concerned that a reduction in competition could lead to higher prices and a lower quality of service.”

The report is the result of the in-depth inquiry the CMA announced earlier in the year and announced that it would refer the deal for an in-depth investigation unless Euro Car Parts offered acceptable ways of addressing competition concerns.

This article courtesy of Russell Thrall III, publisher CollisionWeek. Check out their website at: www.collisionweek.com.

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Volkswagen forced to come clean on voluntary recall

Global vehicle giant Volkswagen has been ordered to publish a nation-wide notice about information concerning the class actions related to the global “dieselgate” emissions scandal that is estimated to have impacted around 100,000 motorists across Australia.

The Federal Court has ordered that the notices be displayed on the VW, Audi and Skoda corporate websites and Australian Facebook pages, in what is believed to be first instance of Facebook being used in a federal consumer class action. Abridged versions of these notices are also to be published in major state and national newspapers from next week, clarifying key issues relating to the voluntary recall being undertaken by the manufacturers.

Maurice Blackburn is representing thousands of affected Australian Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda motorists and had requested Court orders that the notices be issued, in part to better inform those unwittingly caught up in the global diesel emissions scandal.

In handing down judgment on the issue, presiding Judge, Justice Lindsay Foster, remarked that it was “necessary to put the record straight” on suggestions from Volkswagen that the Australian vehicle approval authority, the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (DIRD) had said the voluntary recall work would have no impact on performance, fuel economy or service intervals of affected vehicles, when they hadn’t.

Class action Principal at Maurice Blackburn running the case, Jason Geisker, said ever since the emissions scandal broke these car giants have attempted to gloss over their failings and only ever provided a one-sided story to motorists.

“A real issue needing clarification for VW, Audi and Skoda customers relates to controversial suggestions about the impact of the proposed voluntary ‘fix’ on the performance, fuel economy and service requirements of the vehicles – these class actions will determine whether these claims are accurate or not,” Mr Geisker said.

“We think it is important for affected motorists to understand that any suggestion that Australian authorities have confirmed that the voluntary recall has no impact on these vehicles is simply not true.

“These notices will help ensure that affected motorists are better informed about the issues being decided by the Court through our class actions arising out of the diesel emissions scandal, including the controversies surrounding the voluntary recall.”

Key aspects of the notices that will appear on the car manufacturer websites and pushed out to their social media accounts include: The Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda software update does not simply remove the test mode. The software update will affect the manner in which the engine runs. It will:
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  • Change the fuel injection settings, the number, timing and fuel quantity of injections used
  • Increase the production of particulate matter (soot), which likely will lead to more frequent regeneration of the diesel particulate filter
  • Increase the fuel injection pressure
  • Increase the extent of exhaust gas recirculation into the engine
  • In the case of Audi Q5 vehicles equipped with an SCR system, change its operation resulting in the use of a larger amount of AdBlue

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Further details will include telling customers that:
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  • Having the recall work done is not compulsory. Your consent is required before any recall work is done. Contrary to what we know some VW customers have been told, people are still entitled to access servicing, repairs or spare parts for their vehicle whether or not they’ve chosen to have the recall work done
  • In addition, there is no impact on existing warranties for those that have decided not to have the recall work performed on their vehicles and not getting the recall work is not a waiver of any of your rights in our class action or otherwise

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Lead plaintiff representing Audi owners affected by the scandal, Robyn Richardson, welcomed the moves to make the manufacturing giant accountable in Australia.

“This type of corporate misconduct has been executed on a massive scale and the continuing contempt that has been shown towards resolving this fairly with Australian motorists is nothing short of repugnant from one of the world’s largest companies,” Ms Richardson said.

“Anyone who has been sold a dud on a false promise by this company should be interested in holding them to account by being a part of this action.”

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Auto Transformers open day raises funds for the Leukaemia Foundation

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[column width=”50″ last=”true”]For the third consecutive year, Auto Transformers hosted an open day at their Para Hills West, facility in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

Mark Williams, Managing Director of Lowbake caught up with Andrew Mitchell, owner of Auto Transformers during their annual fundraiser for the Leukaemia Foundation.

Andrew Mitchell’s passion for cars and in particular “restos”, lead him to start Auto Transformers in a “small shed” in Salisbury South almost 10 years ago.[/column]

He quickly outgrew the site, relocated, moved again and is now settled in the current site at Parra Hills West with 2,300m2 of floor space on an 8,000m2 site. Andrew now runs a business with 17 staff including mechanics, panel beaters and spray painters and has his work evenly split between restoration work and insurance work. He is particularly proud to be a Shannons Specialist Repairer.

Andrew became intimately aware of the impact of leukaemia when his close friend and current landlord lost his son to the disease a number of years ago. Three years ago, Andrew decided to do his bit by having an Open Day at Auto Transformers to raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation. There were over 200 cars and bikes on display and over 1,000 people came through the doors, donating a gold coin for the cause. In addition to the cars and bikes, there were a number of trade booths, including Shannons and a special appearance and stunt riding display by TJ Stuntz who volunteered to be at the event and flew in from Melbourne just for the occasion. There were also a great many items donated by suppliers, which were auctioned off throughout the day. The entire day was a great success as Andrew and his team raised almost $6,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation.

In addition to this Open Day, Andrew shows his commitment to the car community in Adelaide by opening his workshop to other clubs who use the facility for a variety of shows, events and charity fundraisers. Later this year Lowbake will install a new booth, further reflecting Andrew’s commitment to, and confidence in, the industry.

The Auto Transformers Open day is run to support the Aussie Muscle Car Run which has been raising funds for the Leukaemia Foundation since 2011. This year, Andrew is supporting Car 73 in the Run which starts on 29th October and covers almost 2,000km from Eastern Creek to Adelaide across three states!

To support the Aussie Muscle Car Run and donate to the Leukaemia Foundation go to http://www.leukaemia.org.au/events/2017-aussie-muscle-car-run.

Editor: We wish to thank Mark for the report and congratulate Andrew on the success of the Open Day, his commitment to the car community and his support of this most worthy of causes.

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New vehicle technology and electrification creates demand for lightweighting

[column width=”50″ first=”true”] [/column] [column width=”50″ last=”true”] A shift towards greater electrification combined with other safety and technology demands will force BMW to further lightweight its vehicles. “We see really significant weight increases coming to the cars”, BMW head of lightweight design and vehicle weight Florian Schek said at the Center for Automotive Research’s Management briefing seminars. Schek’s forecasts might apply to other global OEMs as well, which means that it’s not just BMW-certified shops who ought to pay attention. [/column]

For example, Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover have announced plans to convert all of their vehicles to mild or plug-in hybrids or go completely electric, and Schek said it was pretty clear that the internal combustion was “not the future” given global regulations. “It might be the end of the powertrains as we know them,” said Schek.

Regulators worldwide are forcing the change to greater electrification, but Schek said BMW research also saw consumers thawing to the idea of plug-in hybrids and battery-only vehicles. In 2016, 17 percent of US customers preferred the idea of a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) for their next purchase, up from 6 percent in 2014. Once a US consumer buys a PHEV or full-battery-electric vehicle, they are more inclined to buy another, according to BMW’s research.

Unlike a traditional “mild hybrid”, like the Toyota Prius, plug-in hybrids, like the Prius Prime, have an externally chargeable battery useful for a couple dozen miles but also an internal combustion engine. The idea is that a consumer could run a day of errands in-town without ever using any fuel but still have the traditional engine for distance driving. Schek predicted that by 2025, 15-25 percent of all BMW sales would be either plug-in hybrid or fully electric vehicles. The company recently announced an architecture flexible enough to offer PHEV or completely electric powertrains on every brand and model series. Unfortunately, these alternative powertrains and other 21st century automotive demands can add enough weight to exceed the parameters set for the architecture.

“Lightweighting is crucial to BMW, especially since we need the benefits to meet our product characteristics,” Schek said, although the fruits of this lightweighting might not be as obvious based on kerb weight alone. BMW has resigned itself to a future of “no lighter cars anymore” where the OEM works hard on lightweighting a vehicle body just to offset the new mass introduced by another piece of technology. For example, he said the next-generation 7-Series and 5-Series were about as optimized as the cars could get. “The development will add weight and we cannot compensate completely,” Schek said.

This article courtesy of John Huetter of Repairer Driven Education (RDE). Check out their website at; http://www.repairerdrivennews.com/ for this and many other informative and educational article on the collision repair industry.

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Capricorn launches Cap TV member communications

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Australasia’s largest automotive parts cooperative, Capricorn, has launched a new and highly informative communications channel to its 17,000 plus Australian and New Zealand based Members.

It’s called CapTV and it enables Capricorn to connect with its Members via the engaging medium of video.[/column]

Designed to engage, inspire and educate, CapTV showcases the many advantages to which Capricorn Members are entitled, profiling business services that can provide significant benefits to them.

Freely available online, CapTV combines a professionally presented “Welcome to Capricorn” video with a “Take 2” series of informational videos that have been presented by actual Capricorn Members in a natural and unscripted format. The CapTV “Take 2” series asks Capricorn Members to spend two minutes of their time to learn more about their Capricorn membership from other Members just like them.

The initial Take 2 series of CapTV video topics include:

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  • Making the most of your membership
  • Capricorn Risk Services
  • Capricorn Trade Account and Reward Program
  • Capricorn Preferred Suppliers and the Purple Pages Guide
  • Capricorn Travel and Events

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According to Capricorn Group CEO, Greg Wall, CapTV adds yet another dimension to its commitment to ensure that Members are up to date on everything relating to their Capricorn Membership. “The importance of regular and informative communication can never be understated for any organisation, but it is particularly important for a cooperative like Capricorn that exists purely for the benefit of its Members,” Mr Wall stated.

“The introduction of CapTV complements our CapChat email newsletter and our monthly Ignition Member magazine, representing a new step in ensuring that Capricorn Members have access to all of the information that they need about their membership and how to gain the most benefits from it,” Mr Wall added.

CapTV can also be viewed by non-Members to learn more about how Capricorn makes it so much easier for thousands of automotive aftermarket businesses across Australia and New Zealand.

Visit capricorn.coop/captv to view the informative episodes or to join Capricorn, email join@capricorn.coop or visit Capricorn online at www.capricorn.coop.

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3M and Chip Foose celebrate the 3M PPS World Cup

[column width=”30″ first=”true”] [/column] [column width=”70″ last=”true”] Last month the 3M Collision Repair Solutions Team held a unique celebration of classic car culture as part of the 2017 Woodward Dream Cruise Week.

The 3M PPS World Cup saw 10 leading automotive painters from around the world gather in Detroit, Michigan to demonstrate their skills with the latest 3M solutions for vehicle painting. The painters then unveiled their designs on miniature hoods during the Woodward Dream Cruise, a cruising event that attracts over 40,000 cars and 1.5 million car lovers, annually.

Legendary automotive designer Chip Foose joined in the celebration, noting that the designs created by the painters showed amazing creativity and high standards. ‘Each one has a unique style and design, which reflects their take on classic car culture as well as their hometown heritage,’ said Foose.
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“These are all beautiful creations, and I look forward to seeing their work on a full vehicle in the future.” Painters from the United States, Canada, Mexico and Germany were joined in Detroit by Australia’s own Carmine De Maria, from C.A.D. Custom in Tullamarine, Victoria. ‘This has been an unbelievable, once in a lifetime experience for me,’ said Carmine. ‘The ten of us have bonded over our passion for cars and quality painting and have had the chance to learn from each other, using the very best of products and come up with designs we are all proud of. I can’t thank 3M enough for this opportunity – all of the painters will remain friends and continue to help and inspire each other throughout our careers.’

3M Collision Repair Solutions Business Manager Andrew King was pleased to have Carmine represent Australia at the event, observing the importance 3M places in supporting the growth and development of the industry on a local level. ‘By connecting with professionals in our industry we gain excellent insights into how they work and what their pain points are,’ he said. ‘We then use this understanding to continue innovating and creating solutions for painters which make their work both easier and more enjoyable’.

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Axalta coats field goal posts for Philidelphia Eagles

[column width=”50″ first=”true”]  [/column] [column width=”50″ last=”true”] Axalta Coating Systems , a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, has given the field goal posts at Lincoln Financial Field, home to the Philadelphia Eagles, a new look for the start of the football season with its premier industrial coating. Alesta® Polyester Architectural AE Gloss RAL 1016 in Sulfur Yellow has been selected as the colour and product of choice due to its high-performance coverage, durability, and functionality.[/column]

“We recently re-evaluated our overall procedure because we found ourselves having to repaint the field goal posts multiple times during the year,” said Tony Leonard, Director of Grounds, Philadelphia Eagles. “We went to our partner Axalta Coating Systems to find a solution that would provide us with the durability we need. Thanks to their innovation and expertise in the field, Axalta’s reliable coating will allow our field goal posts to withstand the weather elements and maintain NFL specifications.”

The broad range of Alesta architectural grade polyesters includes a variety of finishes and effects, which give a game-winning appearance while covering surface imperfections and providing excellent outdoor durability. Alesta AR 300 Polyester coatings meet and exceed AAMA 2603 standards and carry up to a 10-year UV resistance warranty. They are manufactured and individually tested in accordance with ISO9000 quality system to ensure excellent performance and colour consistency.

“In addition to providing high-performance industrial coatings, as a Philadelphia-based company Axalta has a strong partnership with the Philadelphia Eagles through the Axalta All-Pro Teacher program, the Axalta Tunnel Club and a variety of other ongoing community activities,” said Michael Cash, President, Industrial Coatings. “Coating the Eagles’ goal posts is meaningful to our relationship with the Eagles, as well as our relationship with the great city of Philadelphia.”

In addition to Lincoln Financial Field, Axalta coats goal posts for high schools, universities, and other NFL stadiums, all of which must stand up to harsh outdoor elements and abrasion.

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2018 Nissan Armada Platinum rearview mirror

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[column width=”50″ last=”true”]Nissan announced it would offer an “Intelligent Rear-View Mirror” which can offer both a typical reflection and an LCD display from a rear-facing camera.

This feature, similar to one GM offers on certain trims on the 2017 Cadillac CT6, will be standard on the Platinum Armada. Although the variant doesn’t come cheap and the entire Armada line only sold 14,035 last year, it’s still yet another piece of technology of which a repairer should be aware.[/column]
That screen/mirror combo and what might be an additional camera required to use it will increase severity, and their existence likely means more calibration will be necessary. Switching from a low-tech mirror to the LCD display has many benefits besides giving Nissan bragging rights for being an “exclusive in the full-size non-luxury SUV segment.” It allows a driver better visibility in situations where the typical rear view is obstructed by a headrest, tall passenger or objects carried in the back of the SUV, it compensates for glare and low light and it shows more of the view behind the car. These kinds of benefits make a good case for granting automakers’ request for exemptions from traditional mirror rules.

“Not since a magic mirror of children’s fables has a mirror seemed to have such special powers as the new I-RVM,” Nissan product planning Vice President Michael Bunce said in a statement. “It provides a clear, expanded field of view under a wide range of conditions – giving the driver the best possible view of the rear flanks no matter how tall the passengers in the back seat or how many balloons you have to take to that party.”

It’s unclear where the kind of conventional rearview camera systems required as of the 2018 model year fit into the equation on the Platinum Armadas. If another camera is required, then that would obviously add additional severity from both the tech’s replacement cost as well as the labor necessary to calibrate it.

“Nissan’s new I-RVM utilizes a high-performance, narrow-angle camera and a specially shaped LCD monitor, with a unique aspect ratio of approximately 4:1, versus conventional monitors’ 4:3 or 16:9,” the OEM wrote in a news release. “Matching a standard wide-angle camera lens to this monitor could not be done since the images from the camera, when adjusted to the special monitor size, produced a low-resolution image with insufficient picture quality. To overcome this challenge, a narrow-angle camera was developed so that picture quality would not be sacrificed when formatted for the specially designed monitor.”

The system also works while the Armada is in drive, something the traditional Rear-View Monitor doesn’t appear to do. According to Nissan, the new system can be activated on the fly without creating complications. “When the LCD monitor and mirror are used in unison, the transparency of the monitor and the reflection in the mirror can create an image overlap – a dual layered effect – making it difficult to get a clean view,” Nissan wrote. “But with I-RVM, Nissan applied a special technology to the structural design of the LCD monitor and the mirror, enabling it to function without any image overlaps.”

This article courtesy of John Huetter of Repairer Driven Education (RDE). Check out their website at; http://www.repairerdrivennews.com/ for this and many other informative and educational article on the collision repair industry.

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TRICOR JOINS THE PRECISION AUTOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT OFFERING

[column width=”40″ first=”true”] [/column] [column width=”60″ last=”true”] Precision Automotive Equipment now offers its customers a total one stop, turn-key solution for the complete fit-out of automotive workshops following the acquisition of the renowned Tricor lubrication equipment business.

The outstanding quality Tricor lubrication equipment range includes bulk oil tanks, waste oil equipment accompanied by oil, grease and compressed air lines and workshop benches.[/column]

All of these products can be designed to suit a vast range of workshop layouts, from the largest dealer workshops to the smallest independent repair and service centres.

Precision Automotive Equipment also provides highly experienced Tricor engineers for specialised equipment design and installation services in-house, to ensure the most professional, efficient and accessible results for any automotive workshop.

Tricor Engineering’s expertise is the result of almost two decades of designing highly productive workshop layouts for optimum lubrication and compressed air management to best suit specialist repairer and service centre requirements.

So along with providing all workshop equipment requirements, Precision Automotive Equipment now offers car dealers, service stations, truck stops, motorcycle repairers, heavy duty vehicle repairers and independent repairers with the total package when it comes to complete turn-key solutions for workshop fit outs.

As is always the case with Precision Automotive Equipment, the premium quality Tricor lubrication equipment range is supported by dedicated national after sales service and support. This ensures that the quality experience continues well after the investment in a new or existing automotive workshop has been made.

According to Precision Automotive Equipment General Manager Rod Wilkinson, the Tricor lubricant equipment range is renowned for its quality along with the option to custom manufacture products to individual customer requirements in Victoria.

“The quality of the Tricor equipment range really places it up there with the best available. This combined with the complete workshop equipment product ranges that we supply really makes Precison Automotive Equipment Australia’s one stop shop for complete turn-key work shop fit out solutions,” Mr Wilkinson stated.

To find out more about Precision Automotive Equipment and the company’s premier Tricor lubricant equipment range, call 1300 366 252.