With safety as a number one priority for repairers, ensuring every workshop system is efficient and reliable is essential in creating and keeping a loyal customer base.
Welding is often an overlooked department in repairs. With new types of steel being developed for automotive, ensuring repairers are up to date with the latest techniques is paramount to the safety of clients, and of the workshop.
Maintaining and upskilling workshop owners and workers is something I-CAR Australia has specialised experience in.
Image: I-CAR
I-CAR Australia’s senior trainer, Geoff Mitchell manages the welding certification programmes and says his role is to “keep the standard where it needs to be.”
I-CAR Australia has a number of trainers that they send all around Australia in an attempt to make keeping up to date with training a realistic task for busy workshops.
Geoff outlined how much the welding industry has changed in the thirty years he has been involved in the industry.
“The industry used to be solely transformer welding machines where everything was guesswork and you didn’t know what amps you were putting in or what voltage you were using,” Geoff says.
“Now, with the new equipment that’s out there, like the inverter synergic, where you can tune the machine to get just the amount of heat you need. The equipment is drastically different from even ten years ago.”
With the evolving equipment and technology however, the industry training has not kept up with the rapid change.
“When people first turn up and see the machines, they get scared,” Geoff says.
“That’s a big part of what we do at I-CAR, we are here to train people and teach them how to use the new inverter synergic equipment.”
Different types of steel
Geoff highlighted how training is paramount in the industry due to the different types of steels used in vehicles.
“The majority of people out there have only ever been trained to weld mild steel,” Geoff says.
“The vehicles these days are made from unique steels, so we have advanced high strength steel, dual phase steel, trip steel. It is not a mild steel, it has such different metallurgical structures.”
All about safety
Workshops aim to prioritise safety in every facet of the workshop. Understanding the different types of steel in order to be able to weld properly, is something that repairers cannot afford to get wrong.
“We’re putting somebody’s family inside this car that’s been repaired. And with that, if you’ve got welds that are sitting on top of the joint, or even overheated. You’re going to change how that vehicle reacts in the next accident,” Geoff says.
A delayed, or inaccurate airbag deployment is also at risk with faulty welding techniques.
“The welds will either be too weak and delay the airbag deployment, or it will be too strong and set it off too quickly,” Geoff says.
“Or, if the welding is weak, the car starts pulling apart where the welds are, and there will be a delay in airbag timing.”
“Nobody wants to hit an airbag while in the wrong deployment stage.”
Geoff highlighted how it is challenging to get some people in the industry to be on board with learning a new way of performing their craft.
“We get people who have been welding for 20-30 years come in and question the programme from the start,” Geoff says.
“We stress that we will show you a better and safer way of welding for everyone involved.”
“As welding is more technical now, we show that with new steels and new equipment the techniques need to change.”
“The guys go away with a complete new understanding which is great to see.”
During I-CAR programmes, the trainers demonstrate how the metallurgical structure of steel used in automotive has changed.
“We are all here for one reason, and that is the occupant in that car needs to be able to rely on the car from a vehicle manufacturer point of view,” Geoff says.
“The OEMs have built that car for it to withstand impact to a certain point.”
“It’s up to us as the repair industry to repair that car, but also be mindful of people that are going to be driving it next time around.”
Welding for the next decade
The direction of the welding industry, according to I-CAR experts, will continue to be a high tech space that will need continuous attention and training.
“Welding is not going anywhere because cars are made out of steel,” Geoff says.
“People have said that things will be rivet bonded more so than welded. However, the structural parts of the cars are still going to be welded.”
“It is always going to be in our industry.”
“But as our steel changes, so do the welding techniques.”
I-CAR training centres are located in Brisbane and Melbourne and are fitted out with state-of-the-art equipment. “We also offer training at locations in other capital cities,” Geoff says.
I-CAR welding programmes
I-CAR Australia has an array of welding programmes on offer for repairers. These include:
Introduction to Weld Basics (WTS01) – this 2-day programme caters for everybody in the industry
Steel GMA Welding Testing & Certification (WCSA3).
Aluminium GMA Welding Testing & Certification (WCA03) (steel certification required)
Steel Sectioning Training & Certification (ST105L03) – advanced welding programme.
For more information go to I-Car for details on courses and accreditation