Collision Repair Industry – Plastics

Please note since mid-2016 after this article was published, Plastfix has been engaged as an exclusive service provider to one of the industry’s leading Collision Repair Groups. We do not offer any services or specialty tools to the industry mentioned in this article. For any further information, you can contact me at mario@plastfix.com. Regards

With the rapid rise of plastics being used by vehicle manufacturers in place of traditionally metal panels and bolt-on components, a solution to keep the collision repair industry in line with such development seems to be in urgent demand.

In addition, the industry is facing ongoing quality and supply issues from so-called bumper bar exchange providers. Being one myself many years ago I now can see the other side of the fence and the constant battles collision repairers are facing in this area on a daily basis. And last but not least, we have the elephant in the room. The lack of appropriate automotive plastic repair training programs available within the collision network to up-skill the current and future workforce. This last point has led to the current shortage of automotive plastic repair technicians and knowledge in plastic repairs across the industry.

During my 6 month Australia, NZ, and China tour in 2014 while researching and promoting Automotive Plastic Repairs, I constantly asked the question during group presentations: What is your plan with plastic repairs & training? The answer in most cases was a long version of nothing!

The most alarming aspect of this entire debate is why do so many plastic repairable automotive components get replaced with new ones even though it would be so much more viable to repair them. Is it the skill factor? Has it become culture? Are collision facilities forced into buying news parts due to the way insurance companies structure their charges ( mark up’s ) on such parts? In my view it’s a combination of all, each is guilty of playing some sort of role in this marry-go-round.

There is a well-known farm in NSW Australia, that has over 300,000 or more prestige plastic bumper bars, plastic guards, and headlights, most of which have between 1 or 2 hours of repairs on them. The 2 owners – brothers in their mid 60’s have been going around for the past 10 years and collect these plastic parts each day from various prestigious repair facilities in Sydney. For the last 6 years, they have also been sending 2 containers of such parts to Eastern Europe to be repaired and sold back into the European market. The interesting fact is that if these parts were metal panels, this farm would surely be close to empty.

For such a small investment in tools, equipment, and some training, collision repair facilities have the ability to turn this current automotive waste into some serious profit for their business. Though they do need insurance to provide an equal playing field so it is profitable to start repairing more plastic parts instead of replacing them with new ones. The pilot program proves this fact and highlights some other interesting beneficial aspects the industry would benefit from as a whole.

The Catalyst

After walking away from the industry in late 2012 that I had worked in since a 16-year-old, a phone call in 2014 led to an offer from a good friend who owned a busy collision repair center to train his staff in plastic repairs. He had been experiencing various quality and supply issues with a number of bumper exchange providers and was left with no option than to reach out in desperation. Initially, we had agreed on 1 day a week doing a couple of jobs and training his panel beaters and assessors, by the end of the month I was working 5 days a week and doing over 10 jobs a day. Within no time interest grew in what was happening in this facility from various industry sectors and I officially created a Pilot Program documenting daily activities and creating a photo library.

The Pilot Program

In 2014 the pilot program was set up and ran over 12 months in a high-profile Australian rapid repair facility that repaired on average 100 claims per week. The program focused on training post-trade panel beaters in conventional methods of automotive plastic repairs and establishing a plastic repair department within the existing operation of the facility.

The results delivered by the pilot program were beyond everyone’s expectations, no one even myself an optimist had anticipated it would have such a positive impact. The program not only saved the business money and time but skilled its staff in line with industry plastic repair trends……….but also reduced the carbon footprint of the business reducing the volume of Automotive Plastic Waste Generated by over 8o%.

Currently, a proportion of such automotive waste ends up in landfills or so-called repairable parts get stockpiled in warehouses or farms as pictured above in the hope these parts will be sold back into the supply chain one day!!!

Pilot Program Results

It’s important to note that the data generated by the pilot is based on the repair facility and its business operation, these figures will differ from business to business based on various factors.

Parts & Materials Repaired

Market Research

As vehicle manufacturers explore lightweight and more cost-effective composites to replace heavy more traditional materials used. The demand for the provision of training and complementary support services and consumables in plastic repairs is on a rapid trajectory.

We can all see it happening around us and the volume of components that are made of plastic is only gaining momentum. We are not talking about your internal trims, grills, or engine bay parts. Panel components that have traditionally been metal are now slowly being manufactured using lightweight composites such as plastic or carbon fibers.

In only a couple of years, the advancements have moved at such a pace that we are not only looking at just your bumper bar being plastic, but also parts as guards, ( X5 BMW ) bonnets, ( Beetle, Peugeot ) tailgates,( Landrover, X-Trail ) doors and mag wheels, headlight bases, rad supports with some experts predicting chassis components will follow and be made up from some sort of plastic structure.

Repair or Replace – Plastic Parts

With more plastic components being introduced through the manufacturing process, a large sector of the collision repair industry is experiencing a culture of replacement rather than repair.

This could be justified on low-value parts, however, when we start to explore the medium and high-value components that are being replaced rather than repaired due to the repairer not having the skills to repair the particular part, the industry and environment is facing some significant concerns.

Another alarming factor is the number of nonconventional automotive plastic repair methods and materials used in the current market. Many of these are self-taught methods developed over the years by individuals and then we have the commercially driven solutions that include using various bonding agents, metal soldering, or straight out putty filler.

One of the alarming figures was the volume of old repairs using various nonconventional plastic repair methods that had to be re-repaired during the 12-month program. These previous repairs that had given way ( cracked ) due to the force of the new impacted usually in a totally separate area to the previous repair. The end cost at times had to be absorbed by the customer, collision repairer, or insurance company. Though a total waste of resources for everyone.

Fast Forward Today

INTRODUCING PLASTFIX

Institute of Automotive Plastic Repairs

Plastfix offers a new fresh approach in Automotive Plastic Repairs, delivering the collision repair industry the latest training, tools, materials, and solutions in automotive plastics.

With our head office in Sydney Australia and the first authorized Plastfix Licensees already being set up in Perth, we are in the process of developing a model to feature various other satellite Plastfix licensee facilities across the world. We aim to pioneer the space of Automotive Plastic Repairs in the years to come as the leading Institute of Automotive Plastic Repairs.

We have brought together the industry’s leading professionals, technology, innovation, and solutions in automotive plastic repairs. As an industry innovator, we plan to actively invest time and resources into researching the best possible ways to do this.

Conventional Plastic Repair Methods

It’s a proven fact the most quality efficient method to repair any damaged plastic part to a pre-collision state is heat and spike for nonpenetrating tear impacts or plastic fuse welding with a plastic rod to replace ( fuse weld together ) the missing plastic or channeled tears. Both these methods are then finished via a file finish process and then sanded in preparation for paint.

Having skilled staff to be able to repair plastic the conventional way will deliver multiple benefits to today’s collision repair centers and key stakeholders. Apart from producing better quality repairs and reducing repair costs, it also reduces individual businesses’ liability on future rectifications on past repairs.

 

Our Team

Our panel of experts is some of the most experienced professionals in their field within the collision repair industry, they offer extended representation from I-CAR, 3M, Automotive Training Board, 3D Auto Space, AAPR, and Innovation Group. My experience as a Master Automotive Repair Technician and founder of the Plastfix solution offering over 20 years in front line automotive plastic repairs and recycling and now adding the 3D Printing portfolio.

For the last 24 years, I have been instrumental in innovating many aspects of automotive plastic repair methodologies, training programs, repair tools, and recycling solutions of automotive plastic.

I encourage expressions of interest from anyone who is passionate and is involved within any related area of Automotive Plastics & Collision Repairs.

See the full list of the Plastfix panel of industry professionals:

My email: mario@plastfix.com

Training Programs

The core of the Plastfix model is our revolutionary training modules. We offer to the industry the most advanced automotive plastic repair courses delivered through a practical process of hands-on training. The courses are developed to maximize the level of skill and provide relevant information delivered to industry participants.

Plastfix offers our customers the Skill and Training, that’s our IP and core, business model. We don’t promote any fancy machines that cost thousands of dollars or products that are commercially driven unless they fall under our category of conventional repairs. A simple fuse welding Gun, a Nozzle, our handspike, and some plastic rod and your set. All up a few hundred dollars to get you started and the training of course. I can assure anyone that within 3 days I can have any post-trade panel beater repairing plastics like a professional. It’s been done, not ones though over the past 12 months multiple times during our R&D phase.

Our courses are tailored for all types of personnel involved within the collision repair process of plastics from estimators through to repairers.

Each plays a vital role in how the specific vehicle is repaired and if components can be replaced or repaired based on the estimators’ knowledge in plastics and their staffs’ skill level in repairing the damaged components.

The Plastfix training ensures that members have the knowledge to be able to confidently assess if a component is able to be repaired and what method of repair would be best suited. These are offered through a face-to-face program and soon to become online/mobile accessible.

Accreditation – Plastfix & I-CAR

We offer the highest level of industry accreditation as an alliance partner with I-CAR Australia. All training is Plastfix and I-CAR recognized. We are actively building relationships with the extended I-CAR Global family exploring relations to offer our training in regions where I-CAR has an established footprint. We are also very active in engaging key industry stakeholders and government bodies working together towards a better educated and skilled workforce in our current and future industry.

The training is simple and Collision owners can see a return on their investment within the day, with repairers having to perform complex repairs after the 3-day training.

What our Clients Are Saying

 

Plastfix Training Mission

3 Stage Training Plan

Stage 1: Up-skill the post-trade collision repair workforce to be able to repair plastic components using the Plastfix conventional method.

Stage 2: Expand our partnership with I-CAR Australia across the world which is recognized internationally as a highly respected provider of post trades training.

Stage 3: Provide our training curriculum to be incorporated into the Automotive Collision Repair Training Package as a compulsory addition for all future collision repair technicians.

Become a Licensee – Plastfix Satellite Hubs

Plastfix offers the Collision repair industry not only to get their staff upskilled in plastic repairs though a chance to become a satellite hub and deliver their local region the list of Plastfix specialty solutions. We have a number of Collision Repair Centres in Australia and New Zealand on the way to becoming a Plastfix Certified Repair Centre including our first Plastfix Licensee located in Perth.

Peter Wilkinson & Co is one of the longest-serving prestige collision repairers in Perth who has set the standard in delivering the industry and customers quality vehicle repairs over 53 years. We plan the Perth HUB to be live next week and offer the Perth collision repair market a range of repairs, training, and supply services.

Speciality Tools & Equipment

Apart from distributing exclusively a number of specialty tools, machines, equipment, and materials Plastfix develops and manufactures our own range of such specialty tools and equipment. Our patent-pending Heat and Spike hand tool and our all-in-one Space Station are just a couple of our exciting new ranges that will better assist plastic repair technicians and make the repair process more efficient and reliable. I could not believe that such a hand tool was not available in the market to buy strengthening my view that this lost skill, Plastfix has now re-birthed was nearly gone and buried.

The Environment

One of the big winners of the Plastfix solution is the environment. Currently, there are 1000’s tonnes per month of bumper bars, headlights, and other automotive plastic waste that end up in landfills and are dumped within parklands or stored on farmlands as above.

Adopting the Plastfix process within your business will drastically reduce the flow of such waste as more plastic parts are repaired rather than thrown out and replaced. Sustainability was one of the key standouts during the 12-month pilot program reducing overall automotive plastic waste generated by over 80% and general waste by 50%. or more

Currently, a large proportion of Automotive waste being collected from Collision Repair Centres is mismanaged either ending up in landfills, stockpiled in farms, or shipped overseas for resale. Yes, there are responsible recyclers as well.

Plastfix is working on a number of solutions in the sustainability space with key partners that will offer collision repair facilities and insurance companies an end service for all their automotive plastic waste. We aim to be able to offer a financial and sustainable return for processing such waste through a regulated system transparent to all key stakeholders. This online and mobile app-driven platform will provide the perfect launchpad for the industry and business to head towards a goal of Carbon Neutral Trading

Let’s Talk, Plastfix set to expand!

I look forward to hearing from anyone who has an opinion on this matter, no doubt there will be those who challenge the solution and facts, and I respect that. Plastfix is dedicated to working with the collision repair industry on exploring and pioneering this exciting space of Automotive Plastic Repairs. We aim for our research and training programs to one day assist the industry in developing a new breed of collision repair technicians.

We currently have over 30 of our own Certified Automotive Plastic Repair Technicians at customers’ sites ( Collision Repair Shops ) servicing the Australian industry with over 2000 repairs per month and are in the planning stages of setting up our New Zealand venture set to trade in late 2017. Talks are underway for a USA Plastfix set up planned for roll out mid to late 2018 followed by other regions like China, UK, and UAE via Dubai. If you have an interest in the Plastfix model and want to explore how it can benefit your business/group/network feel free to reach out.

Mario Dimovski: CEO

Master Automotive Plastic Repair Technician

Contact:

Mob: +61 4166 99 044 Email: mario@plastfix.com