To help the industry be better prepared for repairing new vehicles, I-CAR has updated the Welding Training & Certification™: Steel Sectioning (SPS05). With the changes to vehicles happening daily from new materials, thinner materials, new technologies, and new repair procedures, collision repair technicians have had to update their skills to repair the new vehicles.
A new free publication from Honda features body repair information on their new models. The first two editions of Body Repair News are now available on Honda's Service Express website. The premier publication in the series focuses on new model body repair information for the 2014 Acura MDX and the second edition covers the 2013 Honda Accord. Subsequent Body Repair News editions will be created, or updated, for each new model and any minor model change where significant body design changes are made.
If you haven't been exposed to MIG brazing yet, it's likely that you will be in the not-too-distant future. More and more popular vehicles are requiring MIG brazing for attaching certain high-strength steel (HSS) parts when making collision repairs. An example of this is on the 2013 Honda Accord.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is requiring that all employees be trained, by December 1st of 2013, on the revision to its Hazard Communication Standard. The revision to the 1994 standard more closely aligns with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), an international approach to labeling and classifying hazardous products.
There's a lot of information in the field on making and testing GMA (MIG) welds, but not too much on dressing the welds after they're made on a vehicle. Any GMA (MIG) usually requires dressing the top surface of the weld.
If there is a sectioning procedure on a front lower rail, GMA (MIG) welding across a seam is the usual method for attaching the new joint. On at least two late model Porsche vehicles, however, there is a front lower rail sectioning procedure that uses no welds at all. The rails on the Panamera, since 2010, and the 911, since 2012, both have aluminum construction.
Blueprinting is a term often heard in the collision repair industry. Blueprinting means different things to different people, but blueprinting really is establishing a standard operating procedure (SOP) that allows for the discovery of all the damages before repairs begin. As part of the blueprinting process, all the parts should be identified right down to the blend panels and the clips that are needed. The correct repair information should be found along with any color matching that needs to be done. Following these steps and others, before repairs begin, will eliminate the problems that arise from finding additional damage during the repair process, which can interrupt and delay the repairs on that vehicle. Worse yet, is when the vehicle is repaired incorrectly because vehicle maker repair procedures were not followed.
One of the biggest challenges to implementing the blueprinting process may be the staff's perception of what will be involved. To be successful, those perceptions must be changed.
Another version of electric-assist vehicle technology is showing up in collision repair facilities. General Motors in 2012 introduced what it refers to as "light electrification" technology on select models. This system is called eAssist, and is available on some 2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal, and 2013 Chevrolet Malibu models (see Figure 1).
The challenges for vehicle makers to make vehicles safe and strong as well as lightweight have resulted in material variations. Many of today's steel-structured vehicles use steel in the range of 0.70 mm thickness for the outer panels, and a thicker, and in many cases higher strength, steel for the structure. This has resulted in I-CAR revising its Welding Training & Certification™: Steel GMA (MIG) Welding (WCS03)to more accurately reflect the thicknesses of steels being used.
Until recently, General Motors has generally specified butt joints with backings when sectioning parts of a uniside. However, an overlap joint is now being required for some uniside sectioning joints. This is being done to reduce the transfer of heat from GMA (MIG) welding into heat-sensitive high- and ultra-high-strength steel reinforcements. The concern with a butt joint with backing is that the backing piece does not extend to the pinchweld flange, and leaves the reinforcement exposed. As a result, a GMA (MIG) weld is made on the pinchweld flange area of the reinforcement (see Figure 1).
As BMW Groups' vehicle construction technology advances, so does the repair process required to fix them properly. Conventional welding, which has been used primarily in BMW Groups' repair processes in the past, is slowly becoming the secondary method to bonding and rivet bonding technology. BMW currently recommends primarily using bonding and rivet bonding to replace exterior body panels, structural parts, and sectioning specific locations in conjunction with VIN-specific repair procedures. Changes in recommended repair procedures affect all current production models. This does not mean that all models, and all parts, are affected though. Consulting VIN-specific repair procedures should always be the first step in the repair process. The same is true for Mini and for Rolls-Royce vehicles (see Figure 1).
A small motor oil spill incident at the I-CAR Tech Center in Appleton, Wisconsin in the spring of 2011 has raised our awareness of the many considerations involved with a material spill into the environment. What started as an accidental collision between a snowplow and a 55-gallon drum of waste oil on an adjoining property resulted in an experience we would never want to repeat.
Beginning with the 2009 model year Ford F-150, the cab body mount bolts are secured with a cage nut. The cage nut is held in position inside a cage nut retainer that is attached to the inside of a floor crossmember. The crossmember is attached to the underside of the floor pan, which creates an enclosure for the cage nut. The retainer has two nut retaining tabs, one on each opposing side of the nut that are folded against the nut to hold it in place (see Figure 1).
Unless specifically recommended by the vehicle maker, parts with a tensile strength over 600 MPa should only be replaced at factory seams. This is just one of the "best practices" identified at a Repairability Summit hosted by I-CAR. Summit attendees consisted of subject matter experts from vehicle makers, tool and equipment makers, collision repair facilities, insurance companies, and the American Iron and Steel Institute.
I-CAR has been emphasizing the importance of three-dimensional measuring since its founding in 1979, but is it really required to repair a vehicle? After all, three-dimensional measuring systems are considerably more expensive compared to the much more affordable tape measure or tram gauge (see Figure 1).
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MIG Brazing What Is It, Why Should I Use It?
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Why MIG Brazing? It is widely known that GMA (MIG) welded; fully galvanized steel will lose some of its properties, including corrosion protection, due to the heat created during welding.…
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2015 Ford F-150 Outer Box Side Replacement Options
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The method for replacing the outer box side on the 2015 Ford F-150 has been a popular area of discussion, and many people are asking, "What are my options and…
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Restraints Wiring Repairs
May 23, 2016
Over the past few months, we've been sharing OEM position statements on restraints wiring repairs. Now we're bringing them all together in one place for easy reference.
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I-CAR Best Practice: Recycled Outer Quarter Panels w/Rolled Hem Flanges
July 21, 2017
Periodically, I-CAR Repairability Summits are held to bring together collision industry stakeholders and subject matter experts to develop collision repair processes and best practices for repair of late-model, collision damaged…
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Typical Calibration Requirements for Blind Spot Sensors
October 19, 2016
Technicians should be aware of what’s required to keep advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) running safely after a collision. Whether that be aiming a camera, which can cause a system…
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Toyota/Lexus/Scion Position Statement: Pre- and Post-Repair System Scanning
July 28, 2016
As the industry continues to ask, are pre- and post-repair scans necessary, Toyota/Lexus/Scion provides their answer.
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Mazda I-ELOOP Overview
January 27, 2014
Beginning model year 2014, Mazda has introduced a regenerative engine braking system called i-ELOOP, short for "Intelligent Energy Loop." In this system, a capacitor is used to store electrical energy…
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Typical Calibration Requirements for Park Assist Sensors
October 31, 2016
Technicians should be aware of what’s required to keep advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) running safely after a collision. Whether that be aiming a camera, which can cause a system…
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Typical Calibration Requirements for Forward Radar Sensors
October 12, 2016
Technicians should be aware of what’s required to keep advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) running safely after a collision. Whether that be aiming a camera, which can cause a system…
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2012 Ford Focus Active Grille Shutters
January 01, 2014
When making collision repairs to the 2012 Ford Focus, be aware that the vehicle may be equipped with an active grille shutter system (see Figure 1). This motorized system is…
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Spot And Plug Weld Nugget Size: Honda/Acura
December 04, 2019
Did you know that many OEMs specify nugget size for spot and plug welds? This information is typically found within vehicle-specific repair procedures or can be found under general welding…
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Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: 2019 Lincoln Nautilus
December 03, 2019
While many have noticed that advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are showing up on vehicles, there still is confusion on what is required of these systems after a collision occurs.…
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Sectioning And Partial Part Replacement: 2019 Subaru Ascent
December 02, 2019
One of the top technical inquiries received at Ask I-CAR is, “Is there a sectioning or partial replacement procedure available?” To help answer this question, RTS has an OEM Partial…
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Repairer Driven News: Replacing Factory Spot Welds
November 27, 2019
Repairer Driven News released an article focusing on factory spot welds and how OEM repair procedures may differ from how it was assembled at the factory. It touches on how…
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Repairer Driven News: Honda Body Repair Manual Perspective
November 27, 2019
The article released by Repairer Driven News (RDN) states that Honda body repair manuals and procedures are “written from the perspective of a body in white”. This means that other…
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Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: 2019 Nissan Murano
November 27, 2019
While many have noticed that advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are showing up on vehicles, there still is confusion on what is required of these systems after a collision occurs.…
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Repairer Driven News: Toyota Occupant Classification System Calibration
November 26, 2019
Repairer Driven News released an article that provides insight on Toyota occupant classification systems (OCS). It covers what the systems do, why it is important to calibrate them, and when…
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What’s In A Steering Column: Haptic Feedback
November 25, 2019
As vehicles are becoming more advanced, we are finding technology where it never was before. Sometimes it is in plain sight, such as infotainment systems, GPS, and a head-up display.…
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Identifying The Correct Body Repair Manual (BRM): Nissan/INFINITI
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Vehicle makers may group their body repair manuals (BRM) in several different ways. Sometimes the BRMs will be grouped by a year range, some are listed as VIN specific, and…
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Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: 2019 Lexus RX
November 21, 2019
While many have noticed that advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are showing up on vehicles, there still is confusion on what is required of these systems after a collision occurs.…
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