BODYWORK – CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE

Vehicle body shops today are organised like small industrial facilities, with smoothly-operated incoming and outgoing logistics flows. Manufacturer innovation has helped to deliver major productivity gains in 2019 without compromising on quality. Paintwork stations are more efficient than ever, whilst in the back office, the connectivity of information systems provides unprecedented services to both order principals and consumers.

The paintwork station comprises all the equipment in the paint lab, spraying and drying operations, and paint booths.

PAINTWORK: SPEED OF EXECUTION AND UNCOMPROMISING QUALITY

Energy savings

Saving money on energy bills is a particularly high priority for both paint booth manufacturers (booths with integrated infrared dryers, without heating a volume of air) and paint manufacturers (ultra-quick ingredient drying at low temperatures or in the open air). Employee health also receives special attention from major manufacturers (drastic reductions in harmful emissions). And sustainable development is equally factored into new products and bodywork materials. A wide array of innovations relating to energy saving, safety and sustainable development can be found at EQUIP AUTO 2019.

Laboratory

Some quite spectacular productivity gains have been achieved in recent times in paint laboratories. These have been generated by the connectivity of solutions to technical databases and time-savings achieved on preparation or spraying.

A few examples :

  • Scales connected to paint databases, updated daily (no more time wasted on looking for the right colour);
  • New-generation connected spectrophotometers (offering flexibility of use);
  • High-efficiency spraying systems (material consumption savings, high definition result);
  • Automated paint mixing. EQUIP AUTO 2019 will play host to the first automated paint mixing system (PPG Moonwalk).

Paintwork

Time savings are also critical in paintwork techniques with new painting products (non-sanding fillers, fast-drying mat primers and topcoats), generating up to 80% savings in paint times, without compromising on quality (one hour for the painting and drying of a new component compared with four to five hours using conventional methods). These time savings offer the prospect of introducing ground-breaking quick bodywork concepts or collision repairs without the intervention of the insurance company, which could then be made available to consumers and corporate customers alike Within the exhibition, EQUIP AUTO welcomes all exhibitors and the Bodywork and Paint Village, in the heart of Pavilion 1 and as far as the mezzanine floor leading to Pavilion 2.2.

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ADAS: A MATTER OF URGENCY IN BODYWORK

Bodywork and car glass specialists are the populations that are the most immediately exposed to ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) in vehicles.

Between 15 and 20% of claims in 2018 (across all insurers, excluding windows and windscreens) involved vehicles fitted with ADAS (Source: insurance companies).
Body shops are systematically required to:

  1. recalibrate ADAS.
  2. when it has to replace them, connect the ADAS with the electronic control unit, telecode ADAS and/or download functional updates;

Electronic maintenance has consequently become a part of regular workshop activity.

In 95% of cases, the bodywork professional will visit the dealer to carry out this operation as they are unable to find an alternative solution.

There is therefore an urgent and immediate need for equipment and training.