| Most of us never would want to see the inside of an | | | | sanders to pull dust and dirt away from this part of |
| auto body repair shop. At the most we can often | | | | the shop. Modern body shops can remain very clean |
| smell the solvents being emitted by automotive body | | | | and dust free- indeed modern electronics , and even |
| vehicle repair shop as we drive by and wonder how | | | | the most modern hi tech electronics of hybrid |
| those people can make it through a work day never | | | | vehicles demand this. With the entire metal straight, |
| being precise and accurate in both matching the color | | | | it's on to the paint preparation area, commonly |
| of car panels and repairing auto, truck and S.U.V | | | | referred to as "paint prep". Quality shops will use dust |
| bodies after vehicle collisions. It is only by accident - | | | | extraction systems to remove the dust when |
| car accidents that most of us end up inside the | | | | sanding and spraying the paint primers. Infrared |
| premises of our local, dealer or a chain auto body | | | | lighting systems may be used to cure primer paint |
| shop. Most shops now bear little relation to the | | | | quickly and properly. These infrared lights can shorten |
| establishments you may remember as a child - dark | | | | the cure time from 24 hours remarkably to as little |
| and dusty surrounded by both piles of used and new | | | | as 20 minutes. All of these procedures both help you |
| car parts as well as a mean guard dog in the yard. | | | | to get a higher quality assured job and get you back |
| There may be a few of those still around but they | | | | on the road in a minimal time span. Painting the final |
| are a dying breed. Repairing cars now, especially with | | | | colors and clear coats is done in a paint booth. There |
| the electronics in today's vehicles, requires both skill, | | | | are many types and brands of paint booths, |
| education and training, sophisticated tools and an ultra | | | | however it is generally accepted the best are the |
| clean, modern shop. Modern body shops now seem | | | | "downdraft" units where fresh filtered air enters the |
| to be uniformly clean, well laid out and well lit. As well | | | | top of the booth and any underspray is pulled |
| many body shops are laid out in several distinct | | | | downward and out through grates in the floor. The |
| separate staging areas. Vehicles are estimated in one | | | | downdraft procedure of paint booths can produce |
| area, body work done in another, electronic repairs in | | | | the best and most consistent of paint finishes. In |
| yet another area, painted in a very separate area, | | | | addition a well trained operator can make a great |
| and finally detailed and presented to the customer in | | | | difference in final paint and appearance quality and |
| a display area. If the vehicle has major damage, then | | | | consistency. A dust free paint booth of any design is |
| it is moved to a disassembly area and onto a frame | | | | better than a dirty and dusty paint booth of the |
| machine. Unibody construction is utilized by most | | | | highest end. Before spending your money or |
| autos today. Unibody is a an automotive and | | | | committing yourself to the job or repairs it is always |
| mechanical body term which describes how sheet | | | | best to ask to examine several examples of the |
| metal is stamped, formed and welded together to | | | | shops work on several vehicles. In addition ask to |
| form the structural portion of the car or truck body. | | | | see finished examples of several different body |
| The purpose of the "frame machine" is not to | | | | types - cars, trucks, vans and SUVs. Look for |
| straighten the car frame now - rather it is to | | | | smooth finishes with minimal dust specs and colors |
| straighten the unibody construction of the vehicle. | | | | that match from panel to panel. These are the signs |
| Measuring the vehicle body for correct unibody | | | | of a quality paint job done by a skilled and |
| alignment is more than critical. As little as one | | | | professional painter. It goes without saying that a |
| millimeter error is all that is allowed by most car, | | | | professional paint shop will be proud of their faculties- |
| truck and S.U.V. manufacturers. Laser measuring | | | | the layout, equipment, training of their staff - and |
| systems are used by many body shops along with | | | | most of all their people. Such a shop should have no |
| the frame machine to ensure that everything is | | | | trouble, barring practical logistics, of allowing you a |
| straightened accurately to the decimal point. With the | | | | tour of their facilities. Indeed after all of their careful |
| unibody of the vehicle straight, the car, truck or | | | | efforts they should be most proud to give you a |
| S.U.V. moves to the metal work area where new | | | | tour and point out their strong points and capabilities |
| sheet metal is mounted and damages area | | | | as well as examples of their finished product. After all |
| straightened. This work is still done by skilled | | | | it's your vehicle that is being repaired - whether it is |
| technicians and tradesmen using hammers and dollies, | | | | your new S.U.V, car, truck, van or bus. |
| but even the work done by body shop technicians | | | | Vancouver Auto Finance Manitoba Job Shop |
| has been changed by modern technologies. Overhead | | | | Edmonton Auto Finance . |
| vacuum lines are connected to the grinders and | | | | |