Bodyworx 6#3

SPECIAL EDITION OF

EDUCATIONAL SENSATION: BREAKING DOWN THE ROLE OF INDUSTRY EDUCATORS

BODYWORX THE VOICE OF COLLISION REPAIR TECHS & PAINTERS

PROFESSIONAL RIPENING REPAIRERS

TRENDS OF TOMORROW

Tropicana’s freshest crop take the industry by storm!

BASF’s colour oracles predict the look of tomorrow’s vehicles!

BODYWORK BEYOND BORDERS

TEAM CANADA’S MUHAMMAD AFZAL BRINGS HIS WORLD CLASS REPAIRING TALENTS TO WORLDSKILLS! +Plus

Entrepreneur Greta Cutulenco uses AI to revolutionize repairing; teens take over at Saskatchewan Polytechnic; Stephen Armstrong sheds light on the power of invisible rays; and much, much more!

Visit bodyworxmag.com Fall 2019 l $7.95 l Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632 l 86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

CONTENTS

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REPAIRS IN RUSSIA Brows sweat and tools fly inside an 80,000 square foot arena in Russia as Canadian repairers face off in front of three international judges.

There is a reason this semi-annual WorldSkills is dubbed ‘the Olympics of the Trades’!

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See what is new in the industry with news, training opportunities, emerging technologies, as well as some of the strangest headlines coming out of the auto sector!

16 COLOURS OF THE FUTURE Bold golds, deep reds and peppy blues? Explore the colour trends of tomorrow with BASF’s Colour Design team!

21 21 AI ESTIMATIONS Find out how one 28-yearold CEO is changing the industry by using AI-powered algorithms to improve the vehicle asembly process!

ON THE COVER WorldSkills Kazan 2019 shines a spotlight on Canadian repairers!

Photos by: Skills bCanada

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CONTENTS

24 24 FRESHLY SQUEEZED REPAIRER Tropicana Employement Centre graduate Sasha Schlatter reflects on the program that changed his life!

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30 IMPORTED GOODS Take a look into the BASF-sponsored summer program that brought 40 Japanese students to Kelowna, B.C. for the learning opportunity of a lifetime!

REGULARS

42 06 PUBLISHER’S PAGE

by Darryl Simmons

23 BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

by Ben Hart

38 PRIME TIME

by Justin Jimmo

46 FINAL DETAIL 42 WHAT IS NEW IN PRODUCTS See the latest in scanning diagnostics tools to give your business an edge, as well as the latest in alignment and measuring technology!

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by Allison Rogers

BODYWORX

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

THE VOICE OF COLLISION REPAIR TECHS & PAINTERS

PROFESSIONAL

HIP, HIP, HUZZAH! Three Cheers for the World Skills Competitors

BY DARRYL SIMMONS

I

f you’ve missed our digital coverage of the 2019 WorldSkills competition in Russia—prepare to be blown away. The event was an amazing demonstration of auto repair and refinishing techniques.

Beyond the excitement, the event received an immense amount of coverage in the popular press. People around the world were impressed by the professionalism of the competitors. In fact, the attention put another nail in the coffin of the out-of-date impressions of working in the collision industry.

It is about time. I hope it encourages the public to see that the rest of the auto repair sector to demonstrate the same level of professionalism.

After all, the job of an industry profession-

PUBLISHER Darryl Simmons 647.409.7070 publisher@collisionrepairmag.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Gideon Scanlon 905.370.0101 gideon@mediamatters.ca ASSOCIATE EDITOR Allison Rogers allison@mediamatters.ca

The general public knows that it is important to get their vehicles back into working order, but they don’t know how difficult it is.

This is a large part of the reasoning behind our overarching goal at Bodyworx Professional—celebrating the achievements of the individual tradespeople in this amazing industry.

When we provide you with content that makes you better prepared to overcome customer doubts, your business benefits and there is an incremental improvement in the general public’s assessment of repair professionals.

This is a positive feedback loop situation.

Your continued success benefits us, and our continued success benefits you.

Sure, all too often, we get trapped in the

STAFF WRITERS Elizabeth Sargeant elizabeth@mediamatters.ca Samuel Houpt samuel@mediamatters.ca GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jill Thacker jill@mediamatters.ca VP OF INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING Gloria Mann 647.998.5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Ellen Smith 416.312.7446 ellen@mediamatters.ca CONTRIBUTORS Ben Hart, Justin Jimmo, Stephen Armstrong

SUBSCRIPTION One-year $25 / Student Discount is 10%

Bodyworx Professional™ is published quartely, and is

THE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWS THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET THEIR VEHICLES BACK INTO WORKING ORDER, BUT THEY DON’T KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS. THIS IS A LARGE PART OF THE REASONING BEHIND OUR OVERARCHING GOAL AT BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL—TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL TRADESPEOPLE IN THIS AMAZING INDUSTRY.

al is to see customer vehicles returned to pre-accident condition in a timely and profitable manner.

While the general public is more than willing to credit doctors and lawyers with having a special expertise in their field, collision professionals don’t always given the same respect—how often have you hear someone say, “There’s no way it is going to cost me $4,000 to replace my bumper.”

But just as a repair professional would be ill-prepared diagnoser-of-ailments, a doctor made to repair a vehicle would—almost certainly—end up breaking the Hippocratic Oath. That’s not a criticism of doctors, it’s just that like in their own profession, repairing vehicles requires quite a bit of know-how.

weeds of the politics and processes—but that is why we are always so grateful for the many industry members who take the time to share their criticisms with us. For this support, we owe Canada’s collision community a big thank you.

Here at Bodyworx Professional, we will always continue to be to celebrate the achievements of this amazing industry—after all, your success is our own!

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dedicated to serving the professionals of the collision repair industry. It is published by Media Matters Inc. Material in Bodyworx Professional™ may not be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements made by its advertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions, statements appearing in this publication are those of the writers and editors themselves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions or endorsements by the publisher.

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Bodyworx Professional is published by Media Matters Inc., publishers of:

TRAINING

DIRECTORY

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ON THE COVER

BODYWORK

Adam Sebastian won a medallion for excellence for his welding techniques.

BEYOND BORDERS CATCHING UP WITH THE CANADIAN REPAIRERS IN KAZAN, RUSSIA

BY ALLISON ROGERS

W

ith more than 150,000 spectators, 1,700 competitors and 63 represented countries, this year’s ‘Olympics of the Trades’ certainly did not fall short of excitement. Students across the globe fought hard to strike gold in the semi-annual WorldSkills competition.

Seven Canadian competitors took to Kazan, Russia to compete for the glory of the Queen and country in seven different auto-related trades. The five-day competition saw students of the trades showcase their specific talents while going to head-to-head with international competitors under intense pressure. While some competitors focused on tasks such as bricklaying, hairdressing and even culinary skills, future collision repairers slogged tough tournaments to

show off their automotive expertise in a newly constructed 80,000 square foot arena—and their efforts paid off.

Muhammad Afzal, an autobody repairer, scored 677 points in the autobody repair segment of the competition, leaving competitors from Spain, South Africa, Indonesia and Kazakhstan in his dust. At just 21 years old, Muhammad is a Red-Seal certified journeyman and autobody technician at Edmonton, Alberta’s Modern Autobody. His car-enthusiast and repair tech father assured Muhammad’s upbringing was loaded with cars and, after high school, he attended the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology before starting his apprenticeship at Modern Autobody—that’s where everything changed.

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“When I started as an apprentice at Modern Autobody, there was a technician working there named Nathan Badry,” Muhammad told Bodyworx Professional. “He had competed at the national level for autobody repair and raved all about it, so that’s how it all started.”

Muhammad heard Nathan’s stories about national SkillsCanada competitions and decided to give it a try. He competed for the first time in 2016 before going on to win a bronze medal in 2017 and a silver in 2018.

His silver secured him a spot on Team Alberta at the 2018 national competition, where he tucked another silver under his belt, qualifying him for the national team headed to Russia.

It was the first time Muhammad had competed nationally—and he had walked away as one of

ON THE COVER

FINAL DETAIL

the country’s top skills competitors. Knowing the international competition in Kazan would be tough, he continued his training alongside Nathan, spending three days a week in the shop for six to eight hours at a time, working to perfect techniques and best practices.

Before long it was August 22, and Canadian competitors were revved up and ready to compete in Russia.

Autobody repair competitors took their posts, with Muhammad standing beside a beaten-up Ford Ecoline. Equipped with a Car-O-Liner frame rack and vision measuring system, as well as EVO 1, 2 and 3 jigs, contestants started their engines for five-days of continuous competition.

Three international judges scrutinized every move the contestants made as they measured, pulled and realigned their provided vehicles.

After measuring and realigning his small SUV, Muhammad was instructed to complete a series of tasks under the competition’s intense pressure.

“We then had to replace the left frame rail and the left strut tower,” he said. “After that, we had to splice the right frame rail, replace the left rear corner, repair a dent on the front right corner and two dents on the aluminum hut, and also perform a classic repair on the front bumper.”

Muhammad Afzal competed in autobody repair.

But, despite the fast-paced environment surrounding him, Muhammad kept his cool, narrowing in on each task to effectively and efficiently repair the vehicle. Autobody repairers saw 22 gruelling hours of competition but, for Muhammad, it was anything but stressful.

“The whole competition was so full of

excitement,” he said. “I wasn’t stressed out at all, I was just so happy to be there and to be competing on a global level.”

For many, WorldSkills is more than a contest. With many of the contestants returning home to continue studying or working in their skilled trades, the competition provides a FALL 2019 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 9

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ON THE COVER

In between the competition, Team Canada had some fun.

They strengthened their teamwork skills with games like tug-o-war, with Muhammad excitedly leading the pack.

unique training opportunity for the nation’s most passionate skilled workers.

“I think the biggest takeaway I have is that practice makes perfect,” he said. “Some of the people I was competing against were really, really skilled. I also learned that organization plays a key role, whether you’re repairing cars or competing.”

Muhammad wasn’t the only Canadian that cleaned up in Kazan—it was Friesen season in the car painting segment, with Fix Auto London North West’s Maggie Friesen racking up a whopping 670 points. Jack Dupuis conjured national pride by scoring a silver medal and the “best of the nation” award for his skills in heavy vehicle technology, while Adam Sebastian’s welding talents won him a medallion for excellence.

Pascal Doiron was another top tech in Kazan, also snagging a medallion for excellence for his work in automotive technology.

Now working out of J.P.’s Garage in Dieppe, New Brunswick, Pascal also raved about his experience in Kazan.

“The experience was amazing,” he said.

“To be able to meet tradespeople from all over the world was indescribable.”

Like autobody repairers, WorldSkills’ automotive technology competitors endured nearly 20 hours and four full days of competition, spending roughly two hours at each of the nine 10 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

ON THE COVER

FINAL DETAIL

Jack Dupuis of Val-Alain, Quebec showed off his heavy vehicle tech skills.

Muhammad underwent 22 hours of competition.

Jack Dupuis scored silver for his skills in heavy vehicle technology.

stations before moving on to the next task.

“There was a suspension alignment station, engine mechanical testing, compression and leak down tests and a few body electrical stations,” Pascal said. “We had to find and correct the faults while following all applicable industry standards.”

Pascal also gathered his own nuggets of wisdom during the competition.

“I now understand how to 100 percent prove the issue I am claiming,” he said. “Learning that skill is really applicable in this industry because it can save you a lot of time and frustration from jumping to conclusions and potentially making the wrong call.”

With all the glitz and glamour of WorldSkills dissipated until the next semi-annual competition in 2021, Team Canada’s skilled students want others to have the same incredible experiences as them.

“I’m very happy with the results I achieved,” Pascal said. “I just wish that WorldSkills would be more publicized because you hardly ever hear about SkillsCanada at all. There are so many others that could have the same amazing experiences.”

Provincial and national SkillsCanada competitions take place every spring, while global competitions occur biannually. The 2021 WorldSkills competition will be held in Shanghai, China. For more information on SkillsCanada competitions, visit their website at skillscompetencescanada.com.

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IN THE HEADLIGHTS

INDUSTRY SUSTAINABILITY SCANDAL Current CEO of Volkswagen Herbert Diess and chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch were recently charged with market manipulation in Germany over allegations that they failed to inform company investors about the 2015 diesel-emissions scandal early on. On March 14, 2019, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

filed a complaint against the automaker, alleging that it defrauded investors by selling bonds and asset-backed securities while knowingly making misleading statements to government regulators, underwriters and consumers as to the quality of its vehicles.

UPS AND DOWNS

THREE’S COMPANY

On the back of a prolonged slump for auto sales in Canada, AutoCanada’s stocks plunged to a 52-week low in the final week of September.

On October 1, 2018 AutoCanada’s stocks closed at $13.49. On September 27, 2019, the company’s stocks closed at $7.97. The company’s shares have dropped 26 percent in 2019, with slumping sales casting a shadow over the industry and having a negative impact on the stock. In August, the nation’s auto sales fell 0.1 percent, marking the 18th consecutive month of losses in the industry.

After experiencing months of parts delays, Toyota Canada said it is making progress toward restoring its normal service levels. The automaker has reportedly added a third overnight shift at one of its parts distribution centres in an effort to speed up the delivery process. It said it has been working around the clock and on weekends to ship parts in record volumes in an attempt to accommodate delays. David Shum, team lead of corporate communications at Toyota Canada told Bodyworx Professional the company has been doing everything it can to return to our normal service levels as quickly as possible. It has added a third, overnight shift at a local parts distribution centre, so the team has been working around the clock, and on weekends to catch up, and the automaker says it is definitely seeing significant progress. However, it may still be several days before the parts meet their destinations. Toyota has been shipping parts in record volumes, said Shum. He said the parts are making their way through the system, but this takes some time, so it may still be a few days before some of them reach their destinations. Toyota customers have been experiencing delays for the OEM parts since late August.

TOP FIXES Fix Network has acquired Uni-Select’s Carrossier ProColor business. Steve Leal, president and CEO of Fix Network said the addition of ProColor will see Fix’s network grow to over 450 collision repair facilities across the country; making us the largest collision repair services provider in the Canadian market. Following the acquisition of the Speedy Auto Service and Minute Muffler & Brake in 2016 and the global NOVUS Glass brand in 2017, ProColor is the next step in the execution of Leal’s vision to create a global force in the automotive aftermarket industry.

ProColor is an iconic Quebec-based brand that Fix Network intends to retain and add to their expanding network. The company is enthusiastic in welcoming the ProColor team to its network and is looking forward to serving customers with quality collision repair services through Fix Network’s combined scale and expertise.

With this acquisition, Fix Auto is officially the largest collision repair services provider in the country.

The vehicles were found to be producing 40 percent more emissions outside of testing.

DEALER DISTRIBUTION Porsche Canada has opened its first national parts distribution centre, offering overnight delivery to its 19 Canadian dealers. Located in the Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, the new distribution centre is strategically located near many of Ontario’s major 400-series highways. The 100,000 square-foot facility is also located a mere 17km from Pearson International Airport and 65km from Hamilton’s John C. Munro airport. Operations at the centre began on October 1. Porsche will use both ground and air delivery to ship parts to Canada’s dealers. The company is using a two-shift delivery model operated by German logistics company DB Schenker. A small ceremony was held for the first part picked and shipped from the new centre. The first shipment to leave the Greater Toronto Area was destined for Quebec, which is home to four Porsche stores.

VOLVO SHOOTS FOR THE STARS Polestar, Volvo’s electric vehicle start-up brand, chose Toronto, Ontario to debut its newest vehicle, the Polestar 2. Now on display at Union Station in Toronto, as well as at the city’s Billy Bishop airport, the Polestar 2 is an all-electric five-door liftback. The displays were followed by an invitation-only networking event with interested customers. The Polestar 2 is a mainstream model that mimics the much more exotic characteristics of its predecessor, the Polestar 1 PHEV. The company has pre-sold The Polestar 2 is currently on display in Toronto, Ontario.

500 units.

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IN THE HEADLIGHTS

FINAL DETAIL

TECH TRENDS KEEP IT AIRY

E-ESTIMATIONS

In the wake of Honda’s new passenger airbag, Hyundai has announced its own new-age development in front-seat safety. The automaker has added a third airbag to its model, designed to inflate between the passenger and the driver in the event of a collision that sets off both front airbags. The added bag is stored in the driver’s seat. If the driver’s airbag and the passenger’s airbag go off at the same time, the bag inflates and absorbs the force of an impact.

It is designed to protect occupants from hitting each other in the moments after the bags have inflated, preventing any secondary injuries. According to the company, research is now progressing into the next phase. It aims to answer questions such as what happens in the immediate aftermath of the third airbag’s inflation and how to best protect occupants from later injuries that may occur. Hyundai also says the new design is 500 grams (1.1 pounds) lighter than other automakers’ airbags.

Being smaller, the bag is designed to be more readily adaptable to a variety of seat configurations. The news comes not long after Hyundai announced its development on a different, multi-collision airbag system in January. The brand’s centre airbag system echoes other automakers’ efforts, such as GM’s centre airbag, which was unveiled in 2013.

Mitchell International has announced the release of its Mitchell Intelligent Estimating system, able to “predict and pre-populate all possible proportions of an estimate” remotely from photographs. According to Mitchell, the system uses Google’s computer vision and cloud processing power and allows appraisers to further complete, review and approve a pre-written estimate. The company says its solution generates detailed auto physical damage estimates, including parts, operations and labour details—all based on photos transmitted by a policyholder, repair facility or appraiser. The system will be up for sale beginning in the first quarter of 2020. The system uses an open platform, meaning clients may swap in different software to perform the image analysis instead of using Mitchell’s first-party tech, according to Mitchell’s senior vice president of sales and services, Jack Rozint. Rozint has acknowledged that many companies are working on image analysis systems. While Mitchell said it feels it would be too “hubris” to assume its system is the ultimate solution, it says it is certainly working toward that goal.

AUTO AIRBNB

Hyundai aims to introduce the new technology next year in unannounced vehicles.

The concept of lodging-for-hire has made its way to the automotive manufacturing industry in an innovative way that may benefit small businesses. Techniplas Prime, a subsidiary of Techniplas LLC, is an e-manufacturing platform that caters to the automotive industry. The platform uses a concept similar to that of popular lodging rental site Airbnb by leveraging the idle 3D printing abilities of small manufacturers to automotive manufacturers. It allows customers to order parts electronically according to their specifications and have them built by local factories with unused capacities. George Votis founded Techniplas LLC in 2010.

PEOPLE PROBLEMS New technology specifically designed for avoiding pedestrian collisions often proves ineffective in real-world conditions, Customers will be able to order parts electronically and have according to a recent study conducted them 3D printed by local factories. by the American Automobile Association (AAA). In closed-street tests conducted by AAA, cars that came equipped with automated emergency braking systems struck adult dummy pedestrian targets crossing the road a startling 60 percent of the time. The vehicles were travelling around 32km/h when tested with the adult dummies. Researchers made the tests more challenging by swapping full-sized dummies for child ones, as well as testing at night or driving at higher speeds. In the second round of tests, the braking system’s performance deteriorated even further. The tests involved real-world situations, like a vehicle turning right into the path of a crossing pedestrian. In this scenario, AAA’s testing found that the emergency braking systems failed to react at all.

On average, nearly 6,000 pedestrians lose their lives each year, accounting for 16 percent of all traffic deaths, a percentage that has steadily grown since 2010.

BUGGING OUT Teaming with German specialist firm eClassics, Volkswagen is giving owners of classic VW Bugs a chance to future-proof their ride. By replacing the Beetle’s air-cooled flat-four cylinder engine with the electric VW eUp! engine, the new eBeetle becomes fully electric. Converting classic Bugs into EVs may not be new, but a complete electric VW powertrain is. By removing the engine and adding the eUp!’s 36.8 kilowatts per hour battery, the Bug gets bulkier. A gas-powered Beetle weighs about 800kg (1764lbs); the eBeetle is much heftier with a curb weight of 1,300kg (2,866lbs). Interested Bug owners will have to contact eClassics for a quote, as fitting the powertrain requires the vehicle to be sent overseas to Germany.

Volkswagen has launched an all-electric powertrain designed to convert classic Beetles into EVs. FALL 2019 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 13

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IN THE HEADLIGHTS

TRAINING AND EDUCATION TECH CHECK

TECHS GOT TALENT

With new automotive technologies taking the repair industry by storm, the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA) has announced a webinar discussing how emerging auto technology will impact small- and medium-sized aftermarket businesses. The free webinar will take place from 2 p.m to 3 p.m EST on October 23 and will feature Roger Francis, director of energy, environment and transportation policy for the Conference Board of Canada.

He will present a “compelling story” of how small- and midsized businesses in the aftermarket industry can navigate the future of auto tech. The webinar is intended to be interactive and highly encourages audience participation, with the second half-hour detected AIA Canada is hosting a free webinar on October 23, where it will discuss to answering any participant emerging automotive technologies and the impact they have on the collision repair industry. questions.

After the latest MazTech service skills competition in September, Adam Bochek has been named Canada’s top Mazda technician. The competition’s tasks range from engine testing, diagnosis of faults and performing repairs on vehicles and car components. With just 20 minutes to complete each job, the winner secures a spot on Canada’s team for the MazTech international competition. Bochek, of Stoney Creek, Ontario, was the first to step away from his vehicle, scoring top marks against nine other Canadian technicians in finding, diagnosing and repairing several problems on a 2019 Mazda CX-3. Among the vehicle’s listed issues: no ignition power, ignition only responding if the remote is near the push button, vehicle cranks but will not start, rough sounding engine, and front wipers not settling when parked.

LUEHR THE CURE

TRICK OF THE TRADES

The latest addition to Dave Luehr’s Elite Bodyshop Solutions series premiered September 26 and is featuring industry leader and senior consultant at Accountable Estimating, Roger Cada. “Why Stakeholders in Collision Repair Must Work Together to Ensure Safe Repairs” is the newest feature to Bodyshop Solutions Webinar and is a highly anticipated addition to the series. With a focus on the power of estimating and the changes in assessment methodology in the auto shop, this next installment in the series will take a look at the estimating process as a whole and how it can affect all aspects of the business. Elite Bodyshop Solutions has been covering a wide range of issues in the industry since 2014, premiering the first webinar episode in 2018. The company is hosting its first conference next month. Earlier this year, Luehr told Bodyworx Professional that he speaks to shops all over the world to try and bring the most modern thinking and development processes home with him. He is passionated about educating people about how the best shops in the world operate. Repairers can sign up for the webinar for free or watch it on the Elite Bodyshop site after the premiere. For more information on Elite Bodyshop Solutions, visit elitebodyshopsolutions.com.

The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA) announced the creation of a new task force responsible for developing a national strategy for women in trades. The team is drawn from CAF-FCA members from across Canada, some of whom are apprentices, tradeswomen, representatives from women’s organizations, labour groups, employers, educators and jurisdictional apprenticeship authorities. The creation of the task force has been pursued by the CAF-FCA since its 2019 national conference. The group will inform specific strategy content and establish a national target to increase participation and retention of females in skilled trades careers. CAF-FCA is a non-profit organization that connects Canada’s apprenticeship community.

HIGH FIVES FOR KIDS With Canadian classes back in session, the Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada announced that its successful scholarship program is now part of the AIA High Fives for Kids Foundation activities. For more than 30 years, the scholarship program has offered hundreds of thousands of dollars to support students pursuing careers in the automotive aftermarket. While making a difference in the lives of the recipients, the program also helped shape the future of the sector. For more information about the scholarships offered by AIA, please visitaiahighfivesforkids.ca.

AIA’s has merged its scholarship program with its High Fives for Kids Foundation.

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IN THE HEADLIGHTS

FINAL DETAIL

BELIEVE IT OR NOT HERO WITH A HAIRDRYER

CASH COWS

American hero Patti Forest Baumgartner of Montana is an honorary state trooper—and she earned that title by sitting in her driveway wielding a hairdryer at passing cars. As a grandmother who wants a safe environment for her grandkids to visit, Baumgartner felt she had to take action against the steady stream of speeders in the area. She said the cars forget to slow down, and there are lots of

locals complaining about traffic speeds. So, Baumgartner placed a lawn chair at the end of her driveway, grabbed a beverage to sip on and pointed a hairdryer toward oncoming traffic.

Her goal? That passing motorists will mistake the hair device for a radar gun and slow down.

A state trooper caught wind of her story and tracked her down to offer her honorary state trooper status.

TRY, TRY AGAIN

ALL TURNED AROUND

Connecticut police scored a two-for-one deal thanks to a 64-year-old American woman. After a witness saw the woman hit a parked car, officers arrived at the scene and conducted field sobriety tests. The woman ultimately failed and was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. t was just a few hours later when authorities saw her walk out of a liquor store and attempt to drive away.

An American man has made a name for himself thanks to his backwards-facing Chevrolet—and he’s convinced local authorities and insurers to declare his pickup completely street legal. At first glance, the truck appears normal.

But a quick glance through a window shows that the man’s truck is not your standard Chevy. The body of the Chevy is mounted on the chassis in reverse and the interior is flipped 180 degrees. The steering wheel, pedals, seats, dash and instrumentation have

AUTO ARTS AND CRAFTS After their insurance stickers expired, a British Columbia local came up with a crafty solution in an attempt to evade authorities. After receiving a tip from a local citizen, RCMP officers found a suspicious van parked in an undisclosed area of Port Coquitlam, B.C. When attending officers took a closer look, it became clear that the licence plates were fully intact, but the vehicle’s insurance stickers were drawn on with a black Sharpie marker. Authoritiessaid they have seen some innovative ways to evade insurance, but this method takes the cake. The driver’s creativity was not rewarded, however—his vehicle was seized and towed by authorities. When investigated, RCMP found several drivers were associated with the vehicle—had it been stopped in transit, the driver would have faced serious consequences.

Frank Stronach, the founder of automobile parts supplier Magna International, approached Prince Edward County, Ontario’s agricultural advisory committee to pitch a 10,000 sq. ft. beef processing facility. Stronach has explained that he began the company as a one-man operation, using a small rented garage as an office. Since then, Magna has become a 175,000 employee-strong company with annual revenues of $50 billion and factories in 30 countries worldwide.

Stronach said he has made a great contribution to the automobile industry, but he’s “always been a farmer” at heart.

all been swapped and fitted to the vehicle’s back end, allowing the driver to look out over the truck’s bed as he drives.

RAMEN ON THE ROAD A driver who treated herself to a high-speed buffet last November has appeared in court. Corrine Jackson was travelling 60 km/h while “shovelling” food into her mouth, wielding chopsticks and a bowl of spinach when authorities pulled her over. She was found guilty of driving without due care and attention and made an attempt to fight the charges.

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A BIT OF COLOUR

CHROMATIC SHIFT BASF PRESENTS 2019-2020’S AUTOMOTIVE COLOUR TRENDS

BY ALLISON ROGERS

B

ASF’s Colour Design team has presented its new colours and colour concepts for the automotive industry. The ninth edition of the global Automotive Color Trends is characterized by the commitment to actively shaping the future and shows what colours will meet the zeitgeist of tomorrow. While it may be a few years before the shades are ready to make an official debut on the roads, BASF’S Glasurit team is currently working hard to provide high-quality refinish solutions that will be ready-to-go at the start of OEM production.

By analyzing tech trends and societal changes, the designers at BASF’s Coatings division translated its findings into a collection of future colour inspirations for automotive surfaces. Four design studios from North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific worked within this collaboration. The focus on these regions creates a profound understanding of the related markets and its colour drivers.

The global colour trends mirror the positive

commitment towards connecting digital advancements with human needs. The increasing digitalization in our world shows the acceptance of computer-based support. A decisive rethinking of the Earth’s natural resources is moulding new product landscapes and consumption patterns.

The collection’s combination of multi-levelled chroma and multiple hues are designed to capture the open-minded attitudes to technological advances. Today, digital support is seen as a natural part of life and its influence on the world continues to grow. For BASF, the colouration of future mobility takes on a warmer, more approachable look. The new silver-toned hue reveals atypical automotive colour positions like yellowish off-tones and complex goldish metals, which are meant to mirror social efforts toward digitization.

The positive vibe of the collection indicates the upcoming changes in societal conventions in the Europe, Middle East, Africa region, where peculiar and unique colour shifts like violet metallic

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may soon become more common on the road.

One of the aspects encouraging the optimism around current social change is the increasing importance of originality for traditional design concepts. To reflect uniqueness, BASF has added a twist on classic hues like beige and gold by including complex metallic shifts in its new range.

Another aspect of life in Europe, the Middle East and African regions are the exploration of human needs where autonomous driving and mobility is concerned. A selection of colours in the range are characterized by an artificial look that deletes flashy effects but adds functionality. The semi-matte approach is BASF’s attempt to praise the pursuit of more progressive ideas.

BASF’s full predictions for upcoming automotive colour trends presents 65 different colours. While most of the predictions feature yellow-hued silvers, bold golds, deep reds or peppy blues, each is equipped with its own complex shifts and levels of chroma, so it is

A BIT OF COLOUR

FINAL DETAIL

In a step away from the classics, BASF reveals a unique violet metallic shade.

Go for gold with complex metal colour shifts.

A new silver hue, with yellow and gold off-tones and complex metals.

certain there is a shade for everyone.

Every year BASF’s coatings division takes its findings and predictions of upcoming societal change and translates it into a collection that is predicted to influence the future of automotive

Beige gets an upgrade with added complex metal colour positions.

colours. The company undergoes intensive research into future trends, which is used for the development of surface, texture and colour positions. As a result, the designers present global trends and developments within

various global regions.

The newly designed colours will not be available to OEMs for at least three years, but BASF assures that its Glasurit team is already hard at work on the refinishing solutions.

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CAREER PROFILE

Cole Higgins graduated from BCIT in 2013, acquiring an apprenticeship with BMW shorty after.

BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY BCIT’S SCHOOL OF TRANSPORTATION OFFERS SEVERAL ROADS TO BECOMING A REPAIRER

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he British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is one of British Columbia’s largest post-secondary institutions, with more than 48,000 students enrolled annually. First established in 1964, the school now boasts five main campuses and a number of satellite locations around the province.

Located at the Burnaby campus, BCIT’s School of Transportation

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offers a number of programs for students interested in pursuing a career on the practical side of bodywork. Along with intriguing parttime courses in vehicle restoration, BCIT offers two “foundation” programs--one for automotive refinishing and another for motor vehicle body repair--in addition to an apprenticeship-track program for the motor vehicle side.

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BCIT’s Burnaby campus offers several automotive programs.

The Motor Vehicle Body Repair Technician Foundation program consists of 32 weeks of full-time studies. The course teaches theory and related information, along with hands-on shop practice, assignments and a two-week work practicum at an autobody repair shop halfway through the program. Upon successful completion of the program, students receive full credit for Level 1 technical training requirements in the provincial motor vehicle body repair apprenticeship.

Securing employment in a collision repair facility would be the next step for a student pursuing an apprenticeship. Accruing the necessary work hours and an official sponsor is the ticket to completing Level Two training (five weeks) and Level Three training (six weeks). Between work and school, and apprenticeship typically takes about four years to complete.

The Automotive Refinishing Technician Foundation program is a 26-week course of study designed to prepare students with the theoretical understanding and practical skills needed to use a spray gun, paint vehicles, and maintain records of materials used in accordance with federal, provincial and Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) regulations.

The Vehicle Restoration program is a part-time course of study consisting of five courses covering sheet metal fabrication, welding, surface prep, refinishing and an advanced project course. In addition to learning from the instructors’ years of experience, students are invited and encouraged to share their own experiences with classmates in an interactive setting. A statement from BCIT says the courses will be of particular interest to professionals, classic car restorers, customizers, kit builders and specialty car builders.

For more information about BCIT and its programs, visit bcit.ca/ transportation/motive/courses.html.

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APPLYING AI

FINAL DETAIL

AI APP MEET GRETA CUTULENCO, THE 28-YEAR-OLD CEO USING AI TO CHANGE THE INDUSTRY

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certa Analytical Solutions is taking a different approach to artificial intelligence.

The Kitchener-based company uses AI to create testing algorithms from manufacturer-collected data to scan and pinpoint any software glitches in parts–before they roll off the assembly line. The process strives to combat warranty claims, recalls, and reduced profit while boosting product quality.

With a goal of eliminating scrap and rework early in the assembly line, cut costs in the supply chain and improve overall vehicle quality, Acerta aims to lead the evolution of machine intelligence in Canada.

Bodyworx Professional spoke to Greta Cutulenco, Acerta’s 28-year-old CEO and co-founder, to ask her about the company’s use of AI and how it is affecting the auto repair industry.

Bodyworx Professional: How does Acerta use AI technology compared to the rest of the industry and why?

Greta Cutulenco: Acerta is leveraging AI to help automakers get their products to market faster and with fewer defects. We do this by using machine learning to detect the earliest indicators of future product failures based on production, on-road and end-of-line (EOL) testing data.

Many companies have been trying to extract value from all the manufacturing data they are collecting with AI, but Acerta is unique, as we focus on the automotive industry. We have an extensive history of working with datasets from transmissions, axles, gearboxes, engines, and other automotive systems, that gives our machine learning models an edge in automotive applications compared with generic AI solutions.

And our models are getting better every day: we’re constantly updating and optimizing our model performance.

BW: What makes Acerta's technology such a game-changer in your estimation?

GC: Nowadays, cars are basically big computers on wheels, and whether you’re driving them or making them, they generate a lot

of data. All of the added complexity means there are more ways than ever for a vehicle or assembly to fail, but the volume of data involved makes identifying root causes difficult and time-consuming.

I see Acerta supporting the entire automotive product lifecycle, using AI to find insights in that huge volume of production and on-road data.

Our models can help engineers and technicians predict when a vehicle or assembly will fail and, more importantly, why. On the factory floor, that means better end-of-line testing and higher production efficiencies. On the road, it means fewer breakdowns and better vehicle servicing.

BW: What should collision repair facilities be doing to make themselves ready for AI? GC: The first thing everyone needs to do to “get ready” for AI is learn: educate yourself about what artificial intelligence is and what it isn’t, what it can and can’t do. There’s so much hype around the concept of AI that it’s starting to feel like an empty buzzword, but there’s a difference between companies who actually understand AI and use it and those that just want to have the keyword on their website.

Learn the difference so you know who to trust.

More specifically for collision repair facilities,

start with a use case. Find a problem that can’t be solved in the traditional way and then see if AI can help you solve it either quicker, cheaper, or in a more scalable way. If you start the other way around and try to apply it to everything, you’re going to be disappointed.

BW: What impact will this have on their business?

GC: The proliferation of mechatronic systems in vehicles has made diagnostics, servicing and repairs more complex than ever before, but collision repair facilities can meet that challenge by augmenting their technicians’ knowledge and skills with AI and machine learning. Most technicians can’t diagnose modern vehicle failures without computational assistance, even if that’s something as basic as diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) collected via the onboard diagnostics (ODB) port.

AI can catch failures that might not be flagged by DTCs, but even when a technician has identified the problem, the complexity of modern vehicle systems means that outright replacement is often preferable to repair, despite the potentially higher costs in parts and labour.

With AI, technicians can use vehicle data not only to detect and diagnose more failures but also generate recommendations for repairs.

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CAREER PROFILE

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BEHIND CLOSED DOORS THE ROLE OF AN INSTRUCTOR

BY BEN HART

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tudents across the country attend post-secondary technical training through a pre-employment (direct entry) course or an apprenticeship program.

I instruct autobody tech apprentices as they come for their four periods (blocks/levels) of training. My classes run Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., but I will typically be at the school from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Some readers are likely curious as to what an instructor’s tasks are outside classroom hours. What about the time during the school year between classes when the instructor doesn’t have students?

I view my position as two-tiered: I am a subject matter expert or SJE, although the term “expert” merely contributes to the dated hierarchy of traditional learning models. On the other hand--perhaps even more importantly--I am also an adult educator.

Professional development is crucial to ensure constant evolution and adaptability in today’s fast-paced industry. Continually updating my knowledge of new vehicle technology, maintaining I-CAR training and being involved in the collision industry is paramount, but time-consuming. The other area I focus time on is studying andragogy -- the theories of adult education -- and pursuing additional training in this field. I am a student too.

A typical day of teaching, lesson planning, lab preparation, marking, administrative duties meetings and so on easily consumes the time before and after class. Ensuring the syllabus is followed on schedule adds to the responsibility an educator has for learners’ education. An educator only needs to be a

few steps ahead of the student but will feel much more comfortable as that gap increases creating a bigger safety net.

Lesson planning and lab preparation are multifaceted. These tasks can be anywhere from simply preparing literature from a textbook, to providing a lab with prepared materials and equipment. In the collision industry, the learner should work on cars at some point in

I believe is the pinnacle of what we provide.

Regardless of what tasks I perform before, during or after class, the purpose must be to benefit the student somehow.

For example, if I spend my time training with I-CAR, will that trickle down to providing a better education for the students?

If I continue to pursue a higher degree in education, will I become a better educator?

“REGARDLESS OF WHAT TASKS I PERFORM BEFORE, DURING OR AFTER CLASS, THE PURPOSE MUST BE TO BENEFIT THE STUDENT SOMEHOW.”

addition to labs. The instructor is responsible for locating damaged vehicles that will provide the necessary learning value for the students.

Since my program teaches modern collision repair, I look for vehicles that are newer— ideally, less than eight years old—and have damage that coincides what is taught in the course outline. These are the type of repairs that most learners will be performing in the industry. Some schools use donated vehicles that will never go back on the road; other schools will repair vehicles for customers, or a combination of both. In any scenario, most schools spend a great deal of effort sourcing these vehicles for the learners.

My school fosters a student culture that

If I network within the industry, am I going to bring something back of value for my learners? If the answer is yes, then the time I spent was worthwhile.

I love this industry. I hope and strive every day to impart a positive experience for my students that will be reciprocal.

Ben Hart is a Red Seal autobody technician and refinisher with nearly two decades of experience in the industry. For the past two years, he has instructed apprenticeship programs at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). He previously worked as a foreman at a dealership bodyshop.

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THE ROAD AHEAD

FRESHLY SQUEEZED REPAIRERS TROPICANA’S LATEST GRADUATES GET A HEAD START ON A BRIGHT FUTURE

BY SAM HOUPT

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here are a number of ways to enter the field of automotive trades. You could be born into it through a family business, maybe stumble into the industry by accident, or, in Sasha Schlatter’s case, you can reach out and grab the opportunity when it presents itself to you.

The Torontonian was working at Home Depot–in his view, a dead-end job. He was not completely separated from the world of trades as the job had him working on engines and tool repairs. On the side, Sasha was taking night classes at Humber Youth Employment for motorcycle maintenance. He did not actually own a motorcycle, but the thought of getting one and saving on repairs and maintenance by getting his hands dirty appealed to him.

It was February this year that Sasha caught wind of an interesting opportunity. His night class teacher mentioned a course that was soon starting at the Tropicana Employment Centre in North York, Toronto. It was a course in collision repair. Something about the proposition clicked with him–it was his brother who was always the auto-buff, but it would

be Sasha who would be taking his first steps toward a career in the auto repair industry.

He applied to the program the same day he discovered it, which, as it happens, was the second-last day Tropicana was accepting applications. Sasha was not fully eligible for the program–he was missing a drivers licence of G2 ranking or higher, and thought that was the end of his automotive industry pursuits.

But his efforts paid off when all the work he was doing at Home Depot, in conjunction with his night classes, was brought to the program director, Suad Dualeh’s attention.

The licence requirement was waived, and Sasha would soon be beginning his journey into the repair industry.

The Auto Body and Collision Damage Repair training program is in its 10th operating year at the Tropicana Employment Centre. The program selects 20 students each year, who, over the course of five months, embark on a crash course to raise their knowledge and marketability towards the collision repair industry.

Though only a few enrolled students had prior experience in the industry with the rest of the class flying blind, Sasha learned quickly

“IT’S REALLY NICE TO HAVE A TASK THAT YOU FULLY SEE THE WAY THROUGH, AND KNOW IT WAS YOU THAT GOT ALL THIS WORK DONE. ONCE YOU’RE FINISHED, YOU CAN TAKE A STEP BACK AND ADMIRED YOUR WORK. YOU FEEL PROUD. IT REMINDS ME OF ART CLASS!”

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THE ROAD AHEAD

FINAL DETAIL

Tropicana’s latest crop of graduates celebrated their awards night on September 27.

due to his time at his night classes. ”When I first went in, I knew literally nothing about it,” Sasha told Bodyworx Professional.

“The night classes helped out. Although they focused more so on engines and electrical work rather than repairing, it helped build a complete picture of the work involved.”

His aptitude in collision repair would be a vital asset in the months to come. To achieve his first level requirements, Sasha, along with the other 19 pre-apprentices needed to complete a co-op placement at the end of the five months. In order to prepare, they began the employment centre’s two-phase process.

The students first go through seven weeks of academic training in a community centre, where they work on grade improvements, WHIMIS training and even resume writing. Sasha described the process as very reading-heavy.

His time at the community centre was filled with assignments and paperwork in order to improve high school-level English and math.

After their studies are completed, the students then move through 12 weeks of technical training, this time located at Centennial College's Ashtonbee Campus. This is when the program takes a tactile turn: for three months, students gain hands-on experience with welding, refurbishing and polishing–all the necessary skills needed to make themselves more marketable to the industry.

Both steps of Tropicana’s auto body program prepare students for a job fair following the five month process. At this point, students have the applicable knowledge, skills, and carefully crafted resumes prepared to approach employers for co-op opportunities. Big-name auto groups are often in attendance, with this year’s fair featuring Assured Automotive and CSN Brimell Toyota/ Drive Auto Group, with CARSTAR conducting one-on-one meetings at its facilities.

Sasha recalled touring the job fair at Centen- receives his Level 1, he will need to find nial's Progress Campus Event Centre. He said full-time work. Luckily, TTC hires internally, he found it a great way to network and touch meaning that Sasha is now on a priority list base with potential superiors within the repair for job offers within the company. Once Sasha industry while getting to know them. Sasha felt it is officially hired at TTC or elsewhere, he can was a good chance for the employers to feel out choose whether he wants to pursue earning the range of people coming out of the program. his Level 2 and eventually become a fully Sasha’s work culminated with yet another licenced technician, something he’s already opportunity–TTC offered to bring him on board heavily considering pursuing. to complete his Level 1 in a three-month paid Sasha said that there is not nearly enough co-op opportunity within one of its facilities. buzz over Tropicana’s program–a program that The surreal feeling did not fully hit Sasha until presented him with a life-changing opportunity. he saw his future workplace. ”When I talked to other people about Tropi”When we actually took a tour of the facility cana’s program, they never knew it existed,” he that I’m currently working at, I fell in love,” said said. “It’s really unfortunate that it was flying Sasha. “We were driving by a while ago with under the radar–I just found out about it by family and I remember my mom telling me, chance and it’s really been a blessing.” ‘it looks like a dungeon!’”

Today, Sasha Schlatter is enjoying learning to polish TTC vehicles, a job he says he finds rewarding due to a gratifying sense of accomplishment when he finishes a project through his own efforts alone.

“It’s really nice to have a task that you fully see the way through, and know it was you that got all this work done,” said Sasha.

“Once you’re finished, you can take a step back and admired your work. You feel proud. It reminds me of art class!”

On the topic of art–Sasha said he wants his next focus at the facility to be Sasha Schlatter was offered a paid co-op with TTC shortly after on painting before his co-op he graduated from Tropicana’s collision repair program. term is over. Once Sasha FALL 2019 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 25

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TRAINING TIME

Fix University, Fix Network’s new training facility is in Milton, Ontario.

ALL THE FIXINGS THE DOORS TO FIX AUTO’S NEW TRAINING FACILITY HAVE OPENED

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ust hours after announcing Fix Auto Network had become Canada’s largest repair network, the company officially opened its multi-faceted training facility.

Fix Auto president Steve Leal officially opened Fix University on September 30 in Milton, Ontario. The cutting-edge facility will specialize in training network personnel and students in glass replacement, collision repair and mechanical repair serving Fix Auto, NOVUS Glass, and Speedy Auto Service.

“This is an investment in our future,” Leal told guests assembled for the grand opening. “We are committed to keeping our members well trained and ahead in the industry.”

Fix U was opened just hours after Fix Network’s

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acquisition of Carrossier Procolor. In an exclusive interview with Bodyworx Professional Leal said the acquisition of Carrossier ProColor and the new training facility’s opening are part of a broader strategy for Fix. In an exclusive interview with Bodyworx Professional, Leal said the acquisition of Carrossier ProColor and the opening of Fix University were part of a broader strategy for Fix. "As a company, we always strive to be pioneering," says Leal. "We saw the opportunity to be a complete solution for our auto insurers."

The seemingly strategic timing of the two events was, however, unexpected.

"It was entirely unplanned!" said Daryll O’Keefe, Fix Network regional vice president for Ontario and Manitoba.

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Fix Network representatives cut the ribbon to the new multi-faceted training facility.

Fix Network’s regional vice president for Ontario and Manitoba attended Fix U’s grand opening.

The facility will train students and industry personnel in glass replacement, collision repair and mechanical repair serving Fix Auto, NOVUS Glass, and Speedy Auto Service.

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CAREER PATHS

Onwards and Upwards Possible First Steps

HIGH SCHOOL CO-OP

A part-time placement opportunity is usually offered to high school students wanting to learn about a career in autobody repair, automotive paint and refinishing and damage analysis. At the programs, students are assigned mentors to teach them, and they perform light duties during their assigned work term. This is a great way to get a “taste� of a career in this field, and discover if you have a knack for it that you are willing to nurture.

REGISTERED AUTOBODY REPAIR APPRENTICE

On average, a four-year contract between the provincial trades licensing body, the collision repair centre and the apprentice will provide the mandated skills-training and learning opportunities for the apprentice to qualify for certification. Apprentices are also required to complete a four to eight-week college course for every level of their apprenticeship, and should complete the program with a thorough understanding of working in an autobody repair facility.

Possible Second Steps

Licenced Autobody Collision and Damage Repairer

This individual is responsible for repair planning, structural repairs, and refinishing. These tasks require extensive skill and knowledge, and thus these individuals need to be extremely well trained. They may specialize in various OEM steel structural and aluminum structural certifications. Doing so can open job opportunities immensely.

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Licensed Autobody Repairer The licensed autobody repairer is responsible for repair planning, non-structural repairs, and refinishing.They can capably handle almost all needed tasks, with an exception of structural repair.

CAREER PATHS

FINAL DETAIL

CHARTING CAREERS IN COLLISION Unlike many other industries, collision repair has many executives whose careers started not with degrees, but with practical experience on the shop floor. No matter where your career begins in this industry, whether it starts with prepping cars for paint or washing them after a repair, there is a wide world of opportunity ahead to suit your interests and aspirations.

For those with the ambition and drive to keep up with this fast-paced industry, whether they enter it from the business side or through the shop floor, the promise of a rewarding career is almost assured. Here is a look at some of the first steps someone can take in building their career.

DETAILER AND LOT CO-ORDINATOR (CAR JOCKEY)

PARTS CLERK

license and the ability to operate both standard and automatic

inventory for production. On the job training should be provided.

This is a labour intensive intensive job(s) that require a driver’s

The parts clerk is an administrative position. This person is responsible for ordering and receiving parts, as well as maintaining

transmission. On the job should be training provided.

Licensed Automotive Painter

Licensed Automotive Service Technician

This person is devoted to refinishing and painting vehi-

Responsible for diagnostic troubleshooting and mechanical repairs,

cle components. On top of these tasks, they are usually

the licensed automotive service technician is vital to those first few

responsible for matching colours, removing exterior trim and

steps of getting a repair done—determining what is damaged, the

hardware, mixing paints and preparing surfaces for painting.

repairs needed and the costs and time necessary to do so.

The above positions may lead to more senior positions, administration, management, corporate or ownership roles. Stay tuned for upcoming issues of Bodyworx Professional magazine to get the details.

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TRAINING TIME Each student received their own fender to paint and take back home to Japan.

’ROUND THE WORLD REFINISHERS

BASF provided students with the necessary materials for testing their newly learned advanced and custom paint techniques.

BASF’S PASSION FOR EDUCATION BRINGS OPPORTUNITY TO JAPANESE TECH STUDENTS

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his summer, young automotive refinishing students from Nagoya, Japan’s Toyota Technical College were given an opportunity to perfect their refinishing skills in a special immersion-style study program.

Approximately 40 students from Toyota Technical College (TTCN) in Nagoya, Japan attended Okanagan College in Kelowna to work one-on-one with industry experts and advance their auto body and refinishing skills.

Over the course of the four-week program the students were provided with R-M Onyx paint and other required materials, along with detailed instruction on advanced and custom paint techniques.

While in Canada, the students were given the opportunity to live with local families,

giving them an opportunity to work on their English skills and gain a first-hand experience in Canadian culture. Each student even received their own fender to paint and take back home to Japan with them, decorating them with vibrant colours and individually unique designs.

BASF has been a long-time supporter of the program, providing all the required materials and paint for the students to learn and get creative with. Company representatives Tim Brilz and Michael Kukura participate in the program every year, helping students master application methods that they might not have the opportunity to learn in their home country.

It also allows them to mentor students while preparing them for the job market once they

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graduate from their program at TTCN. BASF’s summer program is so popular that, five years ago, BASF had to add an additional two days of custom painting to the end of the four weeks to ensure each student gets the proper attention.

“BASF is honoured to have been provided with the opportunity by instructor John Euloth and Okanogan College to work with the Toyota students over the past several years,” said Trista Anger, regional business manager for BASF Refinish Canada. “This annual event presents an extremely unique opportunity for not only refinish training but also cultural exchange and interaction. We look forward to many years of continued support and success for the program.”

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CAR CAMP

SUMMER SKILLS IN SASKATCHEWAN SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC OFFERS CAMPERS A TASTE OF THE TRADES

Campers were given an opportunity to test auto body repair equipment themselves, checking oil, changing tires and even learning how to jumpstart a dead battery.

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n general, camp-going teens have a deeply ingrained fear of mask-wearers holding sharp or heavy objects, but this is not true of the attendees of Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s summer program.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic is Saskatchewan’s primary post-secondary tech and skills training institute. But when school’s out for the summer, teens take to the campus for a

hands-on experience in the trades.

This past July, campers between the ages of 13 and 15 took part in a week-long program that introduced them to the basics of several professions in the skilled trades, with a heavy focus on welding and other autobody work.

Campers were given an opportunity to test auto body repair equipment themselves, checking oil, changing tires and even learning how

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to jumpstart a dead battery. Led by industry experts—college faculty, students and alumni—the campers got a taste of what working in the trades is like while being moulded into future repairers themselves.

Campers at Saskatchewan Polytechnic can also brush up on their culinary skills, learn how to weld, or try their hand out at basic carpentry.

Many of the campers entered the week with

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little to no prior knowledge or experience working in the trades. By the end of the week, several campers were reported to be considering careers in the auto industry.

“The students really got their hands dirty learning the basics of vehicle maintenance,” said a representative from the camp. “It was so much fun!”

Saskatchewan Polytechnic also offered a girls-only version of the trades camp, giving young girls between ages 13 and 15 a chance to cultivate their interests in automotive repair, as well as welding and carpentry, in a non-judgemental and more focused environment. The camps are designed to dispel myths around females pursuing trades careers.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic offers weeklong trades-oriented summer camps every year. For more information on next year’s offered sessions, visit saskpolytech.ca.

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PAINT AND REFINISHING

ULTRA VIOLET ADVANTAGE ULTRA VIOLET TECH IN COLLISION REPAIR COMES OF AGE

BY STEPHEN ARMSTRONG

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sk an automotive collision repair shop owner about how to increase their productivity and chances are you will hear about the need to reduce pre-paint wait times. After using body filler on a repair, a technician might apply a glaze, followed by a urethane-based primer that must dry fully before painting. Each laborious step can add hours of drying time to the repair timeline, limiting how many vehicles the shop can repair.

The opportunity cost in terms of lost revenue and profitability is significant.

Now, however, advanced UV technology is taking the waiting out of the process and delivering near-instant curing of all three prepaint steps: body filler, glazing and priming.

By doing so, auto collision shops can process one to two more vehicles each week. Unlike the less efficient UV curing lighting stands of the past decade, the new technology involves powerful handheld UV devices that cover larger areas and cure within seconds.

The time saved with near-instant UV curing directly translates to increased vehicle capacity. Without having to expand a collision repair shop at a cost of up to $150,000 for an additional bay, operators can leverage the latest UV curing technology to increase the number of cars they repair by up to 50 percent.

Managing the Pre-Paint Process Historically shops have managed pre-paint steps in one of two ways – either simply wait for the pre-paint steps to dry completely or push the process by moving ahead with painting before a complete dry in order to repair more cars.

When an operator decides to shortcut the pre-paint process, they risk incurring shrinkage which is when blemishes such as pin holes appear on a paint’s surface. What appears at first to be a perfect coat can be marred a month or two later by shrinkage caused by insufficient drying. This leads to customer complaints, risk to a shop’s reputation with customers and insurance companies, and costly resprays.

The decision to wait out or push the prepaint process stems from the limitations of the UV curing systems previously available to collision repair shops. UV light stands must be physically moved around the repair area as the drying scope of a light stand is quite small–about the size of a man’s hand.

Achieving consistent curing is difficult as a technician must both accurately place the stand to cover the entire repair as well as judge how long it remains in each location.

Prior generations of mobile UV systems present other issues. Because of their bulk and

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“UV CURING SYSTEMS THAT DRY IN SECONDS ELIMINATE PRE-PAINT WAIT TIMES AND INCONSISTENCIES IN PRIMER APPLICATION TO INCREASE COLLISION REPAIR SHOP CAPACITY, QUALITY AND PROFITABILITY” —STEPHEN ARMSTRONG

weight, the units are difficult for an operator to hold in place for the three to five minutes of curing and there is no indicator that the cure was completed. If a spot is missed or insufficiently cured, it can be a huge problem

PAINT AND REFINISHING

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when the operator goes to sand the surface.

Whether a mobile unit or a light stand, past UV systems have been underpowered. Most units provide up to 250 mw/cm2 of UV light.

While stronger than the 10 mw/cm2 that is available when curing a car outdoors in the sun, this level is not high enough to complete a vehicle quickly and thoroughly.

Solving the Wait Time Advancements in UV curing systems have recently resulted in a new mobile solution for collision repair shops that delivers near-instant curing to enable operators to complete their pre-paint steps without costly delays.

Kemperle, a 53-location family-run collision repair distributor based in Amityville, NY supplies collision repair shops along the East Coast from New England to Miami. Recently, the company found an advanced UV system from SPDI UV that could eliminate the pre-paint wait time.

“It’s been like creating time for our customers,” said Brian Gear, territory manager at Kemperle and a 33-year veteran of the collision repair industry commenting on the UV Fastlane system. “What they really like about it is that it keeps the technician’s hands on the car throughout the entire repair process because of the near-instant curing. This leads to higher quality and faster throughput.”

With the Fastlane system, an operator waves a mobile wand over the repair surface, just as they would to spray paint. The body filler, glaze or primer dries within seconds. In addition to being designed for comfortable use, the wand delivers 2400 watts of curing power to a depth of up to 12 Mil on a single pass based on a high intensity irradiator. This compares to the majority of UV lights which have at most 400 watts.

The UV Fastlane curing system was developed

by SPDI UV, a Delray Beach, Florida based UV technology company founded in 1992. The company holds a patent for handheld UV curing in the automotive collision industry.

“With the near instant UV curing, it is now possible to do same-day repairs and add one more car a day of throughput. If you assume an average repair order of $2,500, a collision repair shop can significantly increase their profitability and pay back the entire cost of the UV system within weeks.”

The UV light field is designed to be larger than the normal spray path so that non-UV light does not dilute the impact. This enables greater texture and consistency in application and avoids

delamination and failure issues downstream because of a lack of absolute uniformity.

For added confidence, the company developed 2 methods to indicate to the user when the substrate is fully cured. For primer, there are visualizer strips that can be put directly on the masking tape defining the perimeter of the area to be painted. When the primer is fully cured, the strips will turn from yellow to green. For filler, the UV body filler will actually change colors from green to gray when fully cured. This takes the guesswork in application and the risk of shrinkage occurring later.

From a collision repair operator’s perspective, the advancements in UV curing technology can be transformative. Car Star Body Shop,

are dry,” said Moore. We are now completing three to four RVs a week and are on track to do five. That’s real money for us.”

a 15-bay facility in Troy, Ohio that specializes in RVs has seen this first hand. “We used to have our RVs sit until the next day waiting for the primer to dry. Now we complete the cure in half an hour,” said Bill Moore, production manager. “The Fastlane technology has changed my business completely as a result.”

The benefits of instant UV curing actually start with the application of the UV primer itself. No mixing is required and what is not used on a day’s operations can be used in the future with no degradation in quality. This compares to a usable life of only about 45 minutes for a urethane-based primer. This means unless a shop mixes the absolute right amount, a lot of traditional primer gets wasted with additional time required cleaning spray guns, cleaning cups and mixing more primer.

And when an UV primer is applied there is less waste as it uses 40 percent less material enabling it to be applied in a thinner coat. A lot of urethane primer can end up in the air because it is not made of 100 percent solids.

“There is absolutely no shrinkage to worry about after we primed. Once you are dry, you

during dry times, will lower a shop’s score risking a valuable source of insurance referrals.

Repair shops can also be responsible for a customer’s rental car charges after the amount of time the insurance company will pay. Delays in drying and curing can dilute the profitability of a repair order when a shop incurs this expense.

Automotive collision repair shops can put the era of UV light stands, guesswork in making and applying the right amount of primer, and pre-paint downtimes in their rear-view mirror.

Adds Gear, “after my customers have tried the new near instant UV curing systems, they tell me that they have been doing it wrong all these years. The reduction in wait times is that significant to their workflows.”

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Additional Operational Impact While increasing the number of vehicles that can be repaired without adding bays is the biggest win for collision repair shops, there are additional benefits to completing pre-paint dry times more quickly. Any time a car is not being actively worked on in a shop will impact an insurance company’s evaluation. Known as ‘Touch Time’, the metric divides the number of hours to repair a car by the number of days in the shop. The longer a car sits in a shop without it being actively worked on, such as

Stephen Armstrong is a California-based writer who has researched and written about industrial technologies, healthcare, automotive and international trade for the past 15 years. This piece was written with the support of UV Fast Lane.

FALL 2019 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 3535

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EVENTS

TROPICANA’S

NEWEST GRADUATES EMPLOYMENT CENTRE’S FRESH FACES FOR THE INDUSTRY

BY SAM HOUPT

T

he auto body and collision damage repair training program is in its 10th operating year at Tropicana Employment Centre as current students gear up to start their placements.

Since 2010, the program has invited Centennial

College students to take a pre-apprenticeship Level 1 class to gain on-site experience first-hand.

The employment centre selects 20 students each year, who then embark on a two-phase plan.

Students first go through seven weeks of academic study, which includes WHMIS training

36 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

and resume writing, then through a 12-week technical training program at Centennial College's Ashtonbee Campus, where they receive hands-on experience welding, refurbishing, polishing—all the necessary skills needed to make themselves more marketable to the industry.

EVENTS

FINAL DETAIL

Students build their skills in all aspects of collision repair throughout a 12 week hands-on course.

That marketability paid off: One August weekend marked a job fair opportunity for this year's current students at Centennial's Progress Campus Event Centre where four students were hired on the spot by industry representatives such as TTC, Assured Automotive and CSN Brimell Toyota/Drive Auto Group. CARSTAR was not in attendance, but have been meeting one-on-one with students at their facilities. Two of the students were also offered a 12-week placement with TTC. Once graduates receive their Level 1 through their placements, their future employers can sponsor them for Level 2 onwards.

Graduation was held on Sept. 27th at the college.

FALL 2019 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 37

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REFINISH ZONE

PRIME TIME NEVER WONDER WHICH PRIMER YOU SHOULD USE AGAIN

BY JUSTIN JIMMO

P

rimers are an unavoidable aspect of working in the collision repair industry, so it’s vital to know how to use them well.

The most basic function of a primer is to protect and ensure proper bond to the surface you will be applying paint to, and the primer that will best perform this task depends on many different factors.

Educating yourself on what primer is best suited to your specific

needs can go a long way in increasing workflow and improving shop profitability. Using the wrong primer in the wrong way can result in lower quality final products, due to adhesive issues. There are several different primers you will come across in the collision repair industry.

In this “how to” series, we will take a look some of the most common primers, when they should be used, and how.

Primer Surfacer A primer surfacer is used to provide some filling during a repair. It may be applied over body fillers, or used to rebuild any area of paint where levelling is required.

Used to provide some filling during a repair, primer surfacers can be applied over body fillers or rebuild any area of paint where levelling is involved.

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To properly use a primer surfacer, it will require sanding after its application, before layering on a coat of paint.

Generally, this breed of primer is urethane based, and can in some instances be applied directly to metal or plastic.

REFINISH ZONE

FINAL DETAIL

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Non-Sanding Primer/Sealer This primer is similar to a primer surfacer, but does not need to be sanded and is applied at the time of painting.

Non-sanding primer/sealer does provide some filling, and commonly, this primer is coated on top of new OEM parts or over repairs to provide better holdout.

E-Coat E-coat is a factory coating found on new panels.

It is applied by dipping electrically charged parts into a paint vat. E-coat is extremely thin, which means paint cannot be applied directly over it.

Instead, non-sanding primer or primer surface must be used in conjunction with the E-coat, and applied on top of it.

Epoxy Primer A durable primer that can be used in a variety of ways, including beneath a urethane primer to provide additional corrosion protection, as a primer surface, or as a non-sanding primer.

This primer will take longer to dry than a urethane based primer, but has many handy features that make up for this. It can be applied directly to metal, has good sanding characteristics and provides superior holdout.

Epoxy Primer, pictured above, can be used in a variety of ways and includes a handful of helpful features.

FALL 2019 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 3939

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REFINISH ZONE

Etch Primer This primer is an acidic-based coating designed to be applied on bare metal.

It contains no filling properties, and is specifically designed to prepare bare metal to be coated with another primer or paint product.

Etch primers are an acidic-based coating, designed to be applied on bare metal.

Plastic Primer/ Adhesion Promoter The purpose of this primer is to prepare a plastic part to be coated with another primer or paint product.

UV Primer With the recent advancements in UV lamp technology, UV curing primer is becoming a more popular choice in high production shops. UV primer is a very high building product that can be completely cured and ready to sand in seconds. Activated by exposing the coating to a UV light source, this primer will be more transparent in order to allow for light to penetrate though it.

UV primers, pictured above, are becoming an increasingly popular choice in high production shops, due to recent advancements in UV lamp technology.

40 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

REFINISH ZONE

FINAL DETAIL

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Extras You may also encounter additional specialty primers, such as waterborne or polyester primers. In some cases, these primers can be a great solution.

Avoid You generally want to avoid one-part aerosol primers that claim to provide filling characteristics. Primers of this sort lack the required strength to do the job well. If using one-part aerosol primers, you may also encounter compatibility issues with the paint applied over it.

One-part aerosol primers lack the required strength to do their job well, and should be avoided.

FALL 2019 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 4141

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PRODUCTS

MEASURING & ALIGNMENT SPANESI 106EXT FRAME STRAIGHTENING BENCH SPANESI The Spanesi 106EXT Frame Straightening Bench is the perfect piece of equipment for structural repairs to light duty, medium duty and commercial vehicles. This bench touts a lifting capacity of up to 11,000 lbs., lifting height of over 1m, and a long 6m platform designed specifically for vehicles with longer wheelbases. Spanesi’s Universal Jig system comes included with the 106EXT and provides fixturing capacity for up to 14 fixturing locations placed along the 106EXT’s 7 crossmembers. The Universal Jig system is currently the only system in the world that allows upward jig thrusting and downward pulling movements at each fixture location.

spanesi.com

SPANESI TOUCH ELECTRONIC MEASURING SYSTEM SPANESI The Spanesi Touch electronic measuring system is the measuring system for modern collision repair facilities. With its simple and intuitive interface, the Touch system provides the ability to measure a vehicle on any lift, frame rack, bench or on the ground. Technicians can expertly diagnose structural, suspension and cosmetic damage within minutes. Measurement data includes under-hood, underbody and body-side openings for expert vehicle analysis. During the repair process, the Touch provides live pulling information, showing the technician straightening operations results in real time. Proper documentation is made simple, user can generate graphical and tabular pre- and postrepair documentation to verify the vehicle’s dimensions have been restored to OEM specifications.

spanesi.com

ACCUVISION-3D MEASURING SYSTEM ARSLAN AUTOMOTIVE Arslan Automotive’s AccuVision-3D Measuring System has a dual use of estimating and repairing. This easy-to-use measuring system allows the user to simply point and measure the upper and lower body in one report. The tool features a new generation UV camera and pointer LEDs. It can also measure in any light condition irrespective of brightness or darkness of the environment—indoors, outdoors, no levelling needed, no calibrations, no lasers, no arms, no extensions, no magnets, no adaptors, no Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth, no moving parts. The user can place the car on a lift bench or floor unevenly and the software will have no problem doing the job in good time. The AccuVision-3D Measuring system only works with Mitchell data.

arslanauto.com, accuvision-3d.com

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PRODUCTS

FINAL DETAIL

GAS-CHARGED LIFT SUPPORTS STRONGARM StrongArm is the automotive aftermarket industry’s largest supplier of gas-charged lift supports. Introducing a new power lift gate segment to their product line, StrongArm says this advancement shows the company’s “commitment to new product development.” The line is designed to service several different vehicle models and accommodate to their loyal customers.

StrongArm says they are determined to ensure that customers are positioned to service the rapidly changing vehicle market with their high-quality products.

Reaching both North American and Australian companies, StrongArm’s products reach across seas to provide quality service to their customers.

strongarm-struts.com

ECLIPSE PLUS ELECTRONIC MEASURING SYSTEM WEDGE CLAMP The Eclipse Plus Electronic Measuring System combines a polar laser scanner with portable Live Targets and Intelligent Stems positioned by the body technician at strategically marked frame or body points. Each sweep of the laser precisely locates each of the targets, says the company. The Live Targets then transmit the measurements to the computer and the integrated database of manufacturer specifications. As the pulling progresses, the Live Targets’ verification lights change to indicate severity of damage at each point on the vehicle – red, yellow or green depending on nearness to manufacturer specifications. Once all the lights are green, the frame is restored to its proper dimensions.

wedgeclamp.com

EZE TIE DOWN SYSTEM CHAINLESS ANCHORING SYSTEM WEDGE CLAMP Small, medium or large, Wedge Clamp Systems has three ways to anchor vehicles, all designed for use with embedded or floor surface-mounted rails.

The EZE Tie-Down System (shown here) is for light pulls and panel pulls – ideal, the company says, for jobs like quick pulls on radiator supports, sheet metal alignments or door posts. For medium-size jobs, Wedge Clamp’s Chainless Anchoring System uses four lightweight aluminum anchor stands to lock the vehicle for pulling or straightening. And finally for SUVs and full-size trucks, Wedge Clamp’s Full Frame Anchoring System features a unique, patented universal 2-axis swivel clamp the company says adapts to virtually all vehicle frame configurations for faster setup using fewer adapters and parts. It can be used in combination with the company’s EZELift hydraulic hoist.

wedgeclamp.com

FALL 2019 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 43

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PRODUCTS

SCANNING ALLDATA DIAGNOSTICS BUILT-IN ALLDATA AllData Diagnostics Built-in can turn any tablet into a professional scanning tool. Saving time for technicians, and saving money for your business, AllData Diagnostics is able to retrieve and clear P, B, C, and U codes with a free hardware connection device and software updates. Repairers also get access to unlimited pre- and post-scans to ensure all repaired vehicles are OEM approved as well as get access to graphically displays PIDs live sensor data from PCM, TCM, SRS, and more. The AllData Diagnostics Built-in provides easy access to OEM repair information and according to AllData, “since codes link directly to relevant AllData articles and color wiring diagrams, there’s no punching out to a separate browser – a huge timesaver for technicians.”

alldata.com

ASTECH DIAGNOSTIC ASTECH The asTech diagnostic device is able to connect to a vehicle’s computer, provide information to an off-site master auto technician. The technician will diagnose, and resolve electronic and computer-related trouble codes as a result from collision, providing auto repair facilities with a detailed report featuring repair procedures recommended by OEMs. Perfect for auto repair facilities who want to save time, guarantee completion dates, improve shop efficiency, the asTech remote diagnostic device uses OEM factory scans to detect and resolve interior issues. According to asTech the “need for immediate attention after a collision has never been more important.” The asTech diagnostic device makes the process incredibly simple.

astech.com

MITCHELL DIAGNOSTICS MITCHELL According to Mitchell, its Diagnostics system is designed to break the repair process down into a three-step system. First, users connect the remote diagnostic scanner, second, they await the results of the diagnostic analysis, and third, they follow the included repair procedures. The tool’s comprehensive reports are also designed to simplify the estimation approval process by providing insurers with an independent, verified and timely report.

mitchell.com

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#WOMEN@ASSURED N

Initiative Creates Opportunity

ot so long ago, the only place you would find a woman working in a repair facility was at the front desk answering the phone and greeting customers. Over the past few years, we have seen movements, such as Me Too and Time’s Up, created to bring attention to gender equality issues in the workplace and in society. We should be proud, as an organization, to be ahead of this curve—giving a chance to all those who seek an opportunity and have a passion for our industry. Here are the stories of Samantha, Phyllis and Nicole who accepted a challenge and now play an integral role within our network.

Samantha has been with us for four years, originally she studied accounting and was working in this field, but it didn’t “feel right”. She wanted to be around people, and be part of a team in action. Two of her family members, Joe and Danny, were working for Assured and an opportunity as a detailer came up—she saw them doing well, and decided to change her career path.

Detailing cars led to prepping vehicles which evolved into her being a quality control lead— but she had an eye on a production role. Tony, her manager at Scarborough Centre, saw the potential and passion in her and today she works beside Peter, manager of Scarborough North, as their production manager. Samantha

comes to work each day wanting her team to “look good,” she helps them ensure the best end result is achieved--for the client and Assured.

Working at our Newmarket location since 2015, Nicole originally studied criminology and wanted to be a corrections officer. With a hiring freeze standing in the way of her goal, she needed to provide for her family, so she decided to join Assured in an admin role.

Nicole managed this role, and any other task which was thrown her way. Six months later

she was offered a CSR role, then started to support her team in an accounting and file closing capacity. At this point, Nicole realized she was not viewed as someone just to answer the phone, but valued as a thinker and given daily challenges resolve. One of her biggest achievements is when the operations team asked her to create a module to share with others on how to manage AR files—and present this at a training session. She is currently a

repair planner, learning as much as she can to prepare her for her next role.

Before Phyllis worked for us, she worked at a competing repair facility. When people came knocking at her door looking for work, if she didn’t have an opening for them, she actually referred these people to us. Finally, in November of 2011, she took the path which she spoke of so many times before and joined the team at Assured Markham as a CSR. Shortly after, she supported our Vaughan location in repair planning—with the operations team recognizing her talent and abilities, Phyllis was awarded her own store to manage. To her, being rewarded on merit and being respected as an equal makes our company stand out. Now she is managing our newest location in Bradford—a location with a 35-year history in that community. Her advice to anyone wanting to join our industry, “Take the time to listen & learn and does your passion align with ours--success will come if these attributes are in your daily routine.”

The common thread with these three is that they are continuously learning and evolving.

Our CEO, Des D’Silva has said, “The success of yesterday is not going to take us where we need to go tomorrow.” Samantha, Nicole and Phyllis are just a handful of the many who recognize the importance of this statement and are working towards tomorrow.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: ASSUREDAUTO.CA ADVERTORIAL

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FINAL DETAIL

THE BIG, BAD WORLD OF CAREERS It isn’t as scary as you may think

BY ALLISON ROGERS

F

or most, school is a daily ritual in the early years of our lives. Six hours in a classroom, five days a week, absorbing every little bit of information like a sponge—or, at least, that’s the idea.

The average person lives that routine year after year and, for those who pursue further education, the number of years only grows.

Learning may be empowering, but the com-

The reality is that, whatever students may choose to believe, educators really do prepare you for the big, bad world out there. But it’s up to the student to use the information bestowed upon them to get a leg up in their careers—and that’s exactly what the people featured in this issue are doing.

As someone who didn’t leave school too long ago, I find myself inspired by people

with her company’s innovative approach to artificial intelligence and how it serves the collision repair industry. Her company started as a research project between her and her co-founders when they noticed the lack of AI use in quality control and product improvements. The team’s solution? Solve the lack of part-scanning AI by creating a platform for it.

“THE REALITY IS THAT, WHATEVER STUDENTS MAY CHOOSE TO BELIEVE, EDUCATORS REALLY DO PREPARE YOU FOR THE BIG, BAD WORLD OUT THERE. BUT IT’S UP TO THE STUDENT TO USE THE INFORMATION BESTOWED UPON THEM TO GET A LEG UP IN THEIR CAREERS—AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THE PEOPLE FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE ARE DOING.”

bination of a young mind and a fixed routine can be a recipe for resentment. And if you’ve been in school your whole life, well, that can be a difficult routine to shatter upon leaving the education stream.

The world after school may seem scary, with everyone around yelling to get a job and make a name for yourself. But when you crack open a magazine that highlights young people and the waves they are making in their respective industries—like this issue of Bodyworx Professional—the world of careers seems a little less daunting and a lot more exciting.

like Pascal Doiron and Muhammad Afzal, who are fresh out of college and automotive apprenticeships and are already off to the collision repair races. Three years ago, neither of them had even heard of SkillsCanada competitions—but something told them to go for it. And three years of education and training later, Pascal and Muhammad have both proven their automotive talents on an international stage—and they are only in their early twenties.

Take Acerta Analytical Solutions, as well.

CEO and co-founder Greta Cutulenco is just 28 years old and has already made waves

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So, yes, it may be a scary world out there but, as long as you know how to utilize your passion and your training, you’re not unprepared. The early years of your life and education have led up to a career—all you have to do is go out there and take it.

Allison Rogers is a staff writer at Media Matters and the associate editor of this issue of Bodyworx Professional.

She can be reached at 905-370-0101 or allison@mediamatters.ca.

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