Bodyworx 7#3

SPECIAL EDITION OF

CALIBRATION CONFUSION? SOLUTIONS INSIDE!

BODYWORX THE VOICE OF COLLISION REPAIR TECHS & PAINTERS

PROFESSIONAL

CLASS

AMID COVID

A PAINTER’S

NAIT shares its back-to-school basics

Pride

Southpointe Toyota’s Tim Hopwood

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CONTENTS SPECIAL EDITION OF

CALIBRATION CONFUSION? SOLUTIONS INSIDE!

BODYWORX

06

THE VOICE OF COLLISION REPAIR TECHS & PAINTERS

PROFESSIONAL

THE PERFECT MATCH

CLASS

AMID COVID

A PAINTER’S

NAIT shares its back-to-school basics

Pride

Southpointe Toyota’s Tim Hopwood

SAVE

THE jeep Jack Hume’s Korean-war era Jeep

+Plus COATINGS THROUGH THE AGES / BASF’S SHADES OF TOMORROW / APMA’S CAREER READY FUND Visit bodyworxmag.com Winter 2020 l $7.95 l Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632 l 86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

How Tim Hopwood fell into collision repair— and never looked back.

16

16

COLOURS FOR ALL ASF reveals its tenth B annual automotive colour collection

20 EDUCATIONAL EPIDEMIC

How NAIT has navigated hands-on education amidst the pandemic

33

30 REGULARS 04 PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Darryl Simmons

22 SKILLS

By Stefano Liessi

26 TRAINING

By Ben Hart

34 FINAL DETAIL

By Allison Rogers

30

THE WAY THE PAINT SPRAYS F rom resin, to e-coats to today’s top primers: how the automotive paint industry has changed through the years.

33 NOTHING BUT THE JEEP

Hawkesbury community comes together to restore its Legions Korean war-era Jeep

FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 3

>>>

BODYWORX

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

THE VOICE OF COLLISION REPAIR TECHS & PAINTERS

PROFESSIONAL

CLAIM YOUR STAKE Hold onto your dreams—this could one day be you

PUBLISHER Darryl Simmons publisher@collisionrepairmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Orest Tkaczuk | orest@mediamatters.ca EDITOR Allison Rogers | allison@mediamatters.ca

BY DARRYL SIMMONS

W

hat makes a technician tick in 2020?

According to SkillsTrader founder and CEO Fadi Smaidi, high-paying wages are no longer the ticket to securing top talent.

Instead, industry professionals, such as yourself, are seeking careers that will propel them toward their future career goals. And it’s

STAFF WRITERS

the level of appreciation for those behind-thescenes in the bodyshop, but also be abundantly clear about all the exciting paths a career in collision repair can lead you.

This issue’s cover star is a great example of the recruitment opportunities out there; prior to working in a dealership, Southpointe Toyota’s Tim Hopwood had never considered

If pay grades really lack the same weight they once had, everyone need to start promoting a ‘this could be YOU!’ mindset in the collision repair industry. After all, some of the industry’s top players began working in bodyshops just like you.

Julia Lloyd | julia@mediamatters.ca Kenzie Letman | kenzie@mediamatters.ca Max Reid | max@mediamatters.ca Maddy Kylie | maddy@mediamatters.ca Sophie Price | sophie@mediamatters.ca ART DIRECTOR Yvonne Corvers | yvonne@mediamatters.ca VP OF INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING Gloria Mann 647.998.5677 | gd.mann@rogers.com DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Ellen Smith 416.312.7446 | ellen@mediamatters.ca INDUSTRY RELATIONS ASSISTANT Wanja Mann (647) 998-5677 wanjamann1@gmail.com DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER Cassie Doyle | cassie@mediamatters.ca CONTRIBUTORS Aidan Labbossiere, Ben Hart, Stefano Liessi, SUBSCRIPTION One-year $25 / Student Discount is 10%

Bodyworx Professional ™ is published quarterly, and is

up to you to get that message out to owners and managers.

During the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) virtual event in October, Smaidi said the industry needs to get a whole lot better at recruiting top talent. With the average age of Canadian technicians closing in on 49-yearsold, the collision repair workforce will see a total revamp in the years to come.

To understand the audience pool of today, collision repair facilities need to refocus their recruitment efforts to narrow in on aspects of the job that will drive candidates closer to their respective goals. It’s time for you to speak up and show your enthusiasm by asking questions, by taking courses and by job shadowing your mentors. If your goal is to manage or own your own shop, let your manager know.

While wages still play a role, I’m sure you are seeking opportunities to propel yourself closer to your respective career goals. The industry, as a whole, needs to not only raise

a career in collision repair. But once he picked up the spray gun and mastered his technique, he couldn’t be stopped. Now, he’s a mentor for other painters and is on a path to great success.

If pay grades really lack the same weight they once had, everyone need to start promoting a ‘this could be YOU!’ mindset in the collision repair industry. After all, some of the industry’s top players began working in bodyshops just like you.

The readers of Bodyworx Professional— painters, technicians and the whole lot of behind-the-scenes workers—are what make this industry tick. Never forget how important your role is and shout it from the rooftops.

44 BODYWORXMAG.COM BODYWORXMAG.COM || BODYWORX BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL

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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“We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.”

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

ppgrefinish.com

>>> ON THE COVER

WHEN THE SPRAY

SUIT FITS Tim Hopwood fell into the industry—and found his perfect match

BY MAX REID

K

Tim Hopwood, a painter at Southpointe Toyota in Calgary, Alberta, fell into the collision repair industry at 20 years old. He hasn’t looked back since.

6 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

ids all over the world grow up dreaming about the cars they see in movies and on TV. James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5, Steve McQueen’s Mustang Fastback, Mad Max’s Interceptor; the cars that inspired so many to pick up a wrench or a spray gun and dream of one day getting the chance to work on their dream job.

But then for some, their twenties hit—and so does reality. They’ve got bills to pay. That’s how Tim Hopwood discovered his passion and found his way into the collision repair industry.

“I was 20 when they hired me, so I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, of course.

I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I saw the work and it seemed like each avenue available to me was more and more interesting.”

For Tim, it wasn’t a childlike wonderment for the cars on screen, but rather a measured appreciation for the craft of refinishing vehicles—the inexpressible satisfaction that comes from working with your hands and seeing the results speak for themselves.

“What originally attracted me to the job really was the hand skills. It’s true for all trades—if your workmanship is poor, you can tell by the time you’re done. So, I suppose what drives me day-to-day is learning and mastering the skills and being able to tell at the end of the day that the work is done well.”

Tim got his start at Southpointe Toyota in Calgary, back when they were just a dealership with no collision centre, learning the ropes of the industry as a detailer.

“I had been working at the dealership before the collision centre was opened, probably a year-and-a-half, maybe two years before. I started in the detail department as an automotive detailer. Became a detailer, sprayed undercoats and eventually started spraying box liners. Then, I was basically in the right

ON THE COVER

>>>

“We pretty much do everything in-house: full bodyshop, collision repair, detailing, window tinting, windshields. On the sales side, selling cars, servicing them—parts department, typical dealership, all that stuff.” − Trent Dayton, Manager

place at the right time at every moment and was able to get a position as an apprentice.

I’ve been on that track ever since,” said Tim. “Tim was an excellent employee of ours at the dealership,” said Southpointe Collision’s manager, Trent Dayton. “In the detail department, he always took pride in his work and went that extra mile on everything that he touched. When we opened the collision shop here six years ago we bought a building, did all the renovations and we started out with this one small paint booth and Tim was the guy that expressed interest in that, so we put in a box liner booth and started spraying our own internal box liners as well as used car spot repairs on bumpers.”

The incorporation of a collision repair business on top of the pre-existing Toyota dealership would prove to be a game-changer for Trent who was looking to set up a onestop-shop for his customers.

“Southpointe Toyota has been around now for about 10-and-a-half years. We opened the bodyshop, at a separate location down the street—about six years we’ve been running full now. We pretty much do everything in-house: full bodyshop, collision repair, detailing, window tinting, windshields. On the sales side, selling cars, servicing them— parts department, typical dealership, all that stuff.”

Trent continued, “Being attached to a Toyota dealership, it was pretty important for us to become a certified collision repair shop with Toyota. So, we’ve gone and done that. Throughout the years, we’ve also been certified with the likes of Nissan, Kia, Dodge FCA. Toyota’s are about 75 percent of our workload. Being a certified shop with Toyota is very important to us.”

It’s through these many opportunities provided at South Pointe that Tim was truly

Trent Dayton, (left) manager of Southpointe Collision, and Tim Hopwood.

FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 7

>>> ON THE COVER

able to thrive, picking up several different skills and lessons all along the way.

“The people around me thought enough of me to train me in whatever needed to be done. When I started as a box liner tech, we needed two technicians. We had one who was experienced—and I was not. So, he recommended and trained me to do that and then when we needed an apprentice, we had journeymen who knew what they were doing, and I did not, but they figured I was good enough to be trained,” said Tim. A technician with a genuine interest in picking up the skills and operating as part of the team is an enviable asset to a collision centre, and Trent knows that.

“In just four years, at his age, he’s become a journeyman—and we’ve only been open six years. I’m amazed almost daily at his skill level. Other painters have been around for more than ten years, and I could easily say that Tim is already at their level. It’s impressive; I’m amazed,” said Trent.

While COVID-19 lockdowns may have put a

small bump in the road for Tim’s education, he still has big plans as he prepares to take his craft to the next level.

“Tim is working towards the platinum-class technician certification. My other painter in the shop and my prepper are both I-CAR platinum at this point. So, that would be Tim’s next stage, but we’re not sure when the next course will be coming up. They usually do them once a year but with this COVID stuff, you never know,” said Trent.

This passion for passing on skills and knowledge throughout the business has carried from Trent to Tim, and in turn, Tim has assumed the role of mentor around Southpointe.

“I’ve been very lucky at our shop, actually, a majority of our staff on the backside is very young and there’s not a lot of younger individuals coming into the industry very often,” said Trent.

“As we’ve grown, we have younger guys now coming in. Tim and I have had a few conversations about some of the newer employees that are coming in and are wanting us to sign onto

8 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

their apprenticeships and are already getting into their first and second years. He definitely takes them under his wing and recognizes what they are good at; Tim’s always taken a lot of pride in that.”

Tim is hoping to continue to instill in his co-workers the value of lessons learned and the mistakes made in the process of mastering a craft.

“Being on the other end now as a journeyman, the things that stand out to you are the people that have an interest; they want to learn, they ask the questions and when you give them an answer, they actually listen and learn and then apply it. Learn from the journeymen and show that you have learned.

“I feel, as an apprentice or pre-apprentice, that was my attitude; like, ‘Hey I see that work you’re doing is interesting, but it’s beyond my current skill level. How are you doing it? Why are you doing it?’ so on and so forth,” said Tim. “Then it’s just taking that information and applying it—it’s just an interest in the work and an open mind.”

ADVERTORIAL

HOW AN ACCIDENT LAUNCHED JEREMY JARABEK’S CAREER AT BOYD From Detailer to Mentor, and planning for his next challenge…

F

or most of us, an accident is not career launcher; however, when Jeremy was in grade 11 and was involved in an accident with his ’93 Civic, the Boyd facility out in Victoria BC wasn’t only the place where his vehicle was repaired, but it’s where he got his start in our industry as a Detailer. Jeremy’s first job was at McDonald’s, saving up to buy car and he couldn’t wait to get his driver’s license, this job was “ok”, but he wanted a job where he could work on his car – it’s this passion which has keep Jeremy in our realm for over 20 years.

When Jeremy completed High School, he continued to work at Boyd as he got accepted to an Apprenticeship program at Okanogan University College in Kelowna, B.C. For the next four years her worked beside the same Journeymen, which ended up being a benefit to him, as he was not only able to build upon his spectrum of skills – but build relationships with the mentors he was working with, as they were the ones who passed their knowledge down to him.

Jeremy had a lot of cars to work on, as there was a race track near the facility where he worked – with this volume of work coming his way, by the time he was

21, (a 2nd year Apprentice) he was able to buy his first home, which also had a “shop” in the backyard. As he was becoming financially stable, he was able to complete his “formal” education/ apprenticeship concurrently. Taking pride in his work and having great relationships with his mentors he was able to hone his skills, standing out from his classmates.

In his third year of being in the Auto Body Programme, Jeremy was asked to enter the Provincial Skills Competition – his skills landed him a second place finish.

People today talk about their “side hustle”, back then Jeremy was just looking for some extra cash, so he took a part-time job with a limo company to keep their fleet looking good pristine.

“If you want to learn how to work with bondo and block properly, do body work on limos” is advice Jeff would give anyone who wanted to improve their skills in this area. As life took him from the west coast to Edmonton, Alberta – he is currently the Head Body Technician at Boyd’s location on 103rd Avenue.

Jeremy preaches the usefulness of All Data, and its importance to the repair process.. “repair is not like it used to be, and young kids getting into the trade

DROP & GO

shouldn’t always listen to the ol’ guys – All Data is key to proper repair”. Jeremy not only looks to technology and modern tools to help him with his job, but he finds that Gavin MacKenzie, (Boyd’s Technical Trainer for Western Canada) is a huge support in the repair process and his own personal development.

Currently Jeremy has an Apprentice working with him, (Ryan) and urges him to take advantage of every learning opportunity he can, such as learning to work with Aluminum and other composite materials – as this is the trajectory our industry is headed in. Also Jeremy stresses that “practice” is key, and don’t be afraid to make a mistake, as you will need to learn how to “undo” your mistakes, and you can only do this with practice. He is sure to share his journey with the students he comes in contact with, and is honest with them, “this career takes commitment, and is hard work – low paying initially, but efficiency will make you money”. Jeremy’s commitment to this industry and his peers has not gone unnoticed, as in 2019 Boyd awarded him a Silver Star award and we anticipate this won’t be the last time we see him at the podium.

For more information visit us online: boydautobody.com

>>>

IN THE HEADLIGHTS

INDUSTRY ELECTRIC ENDOWMENT Ford of Canada and Unifor have reached a tentative agreement on a three-year national labour contract covering nearly 5,400 unionized employees in Canada. The tentative agreement will see Ford retool the Oakville assembly plant to build five new electric vehicle models, thanks to a $1.95 billion investment from the federal government, Unifor president Jerry Dias announced Tuesday morning. The plant will also assemble batteries, adding 300 new jobs.The first electric model will roll off the line in 2025, and the fifth will come in 2028. A new four-litre engine—to be used in Ford Mustangs and F-150—will also be built at the Windsor, Ontario engine plant, securing and potentially adding jobs at the plant, said Dias.

Ford was the first of the big three automakers to meet negotiations with Unifor.

PROCOLOUR LOOKING TO FIX ACROSS THE BORDER

DETAILING DISRUPTIONS

Fix Network World announced its plans to launch the ProColor Collision brand in the United States in September, citing “tremendous potential for the continued growth of the automotive aftermarket space in the United States, in particular the collision business.” Fix Network World CEO Steve Leal said the company “looks forward to growing the ProColor Collision brand by directly pursuing aggressive new strategies that leverage our global track record and benefit industry partners and customers in the U.S.” Leal and the company acquired ProColor Collision in 2019 as part of a 172-shop franchise deal with Uni-Select. Fix Network World announced on Tuesday which U.S. states the brand would be first launched in; California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

This year, AIA has included elements of the ‘new normal’ in its bi-annual outlook study, including disruptors like COVID-19, changing consumer preferences and emerging technologies and markets. AIA’s report predicts that kilometres driven in 2020 may slip to approximately 240 billion kilometres, down 30 percent from 2019 levels. This reduction is expected to impact the demand for routine automotive maintenance.

While, historically, demand for aftermarket products and services remain relatively resilient in recessionary environments, the aftermarket will need to make some adjustments to accommodate changing consumer preferences in the so-called ‘new normal.’ With new concepts like physical distancing, many industries have turned to list their services online. As a result, automotive consumers are also altering their shopping habits.

CALLING ON CANADA NIGHT Following the cancellation of Canada Night at AAPEX, the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance has announced that it will host a virtual Canada Night as part of its 2020 virtual Winter Shareholder Meeting, which is currently scheduled for Dec. 9 through Dec. 11. The Canada Night virtual cocktail reception will be open to all shareholder owners and channel partners north of the U.S. border.

Further details on the event will be announced when registration opens on Nov. 2. In addition to the virtual networking event, the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance’s Winter Shareholder Meeting will include updates for both shareholder owners and channel partners, numerous cocktail receptions and the anticipated announcement of the 2020 channel partner award winners.

In the wake of AAPEX and Canada Night cancelling in-person events for this year’s Industry Week, the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance will host a virtual Canada Night event during its annual Winter Shareholder Meeting.

10 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

CLEANING UP PPG has earned itself titles at the 2020 R&D 100 awards for its Clean Surface Technology, which the company says enables stain-resistant, easy-clean interior paint, and the company’s overspray-free application for faster automotive painting. PPG Clean Surface Technology is a combination of stain-resistant, soft-touch coatings originally developed to make premium electronic devices stain proof, as well as an automotive coatings technology that brings toughness and scratch resistance to car coatings. The R&D 100 Awards Committee and R&D World magazine honor the 100 most innovative technologies and services of the past year with the R&D 100 Awards. PPG has earned 29 R&D 100 Awards through the years.

STORM AREA X.O Ottawa’s AV industry is flush with cash following a $17 million government investment into their local testing facility. With this joint investment between Invest Ottawa and the federal government through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), staking $10 million and $7 million respectively, the city will be supporting a number of companies who are leading the way in AV development, as well as the facility itself. The newly named Area X.O., formerly the Ottawa L5 Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Test Facility, will receive a new, fully-equipped 5G mobile command centre with drones capable of deploying a standalone and secure 5G network anywhere. In addition, the facility will also be upgraded with new cybersecurity technology and an authentic railway crossing and mobile dummy test targets that enable precise and repeatable test scenarios between autonomous vehicles and vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

>>> FINAL DETAIL

IN THE HEADLIGHTS

TRAINING SPOT ME A WELDER?

DESIGNING DREAMS

One lucky school could be the recipient of a brand new CTR7 Spot Welder, generously donated by CarO-Liner® as part of the Skills Canada Collision Repair Program, directed by SkillsCanada. Valued at approximately US$24,000, a spot welder of this calibre is expected to be a most welcome upgrade for eligible post-secondary colleges, polytechnic or technical institutes, creating an additional training opportunity for students enrolled in a collision repair technician program, according to Tuesday’s press release. Schools that do not win the prize will still be eligible to purchase one of ten spot welders at a significantly reduced rate, according to the press release. Registration for this giveaway is open until Nov. 30 with the winning school to be contacted on Dec. 14. Training and setup for the unit will be provided by Car-O-Liner®in early 2021.

Toyota’s Dream Car Art Contest, which over the past few years, has become so much more than a colourful visual arts talent competition. It has instead become a global platform for the world’s most imaginative kids to bring forward their world-changing ideas. And, not surprisingly, kids and youth from Canada have led the way–their innovations have been recognized at the global level. This year, children aged 15 and under are being asked to put on their thinking caps and design their “dream car.” Pencils, crayons and paintbrushes should be guided by your imagination to create images of dream cars of the future. Children are also being encouraged to explain the innovative ideas they’ve incorporated into their artwork. They’ll need to tell the judges what they’ve drawn and what it does.

This year’s contest launched on Oct. 5, 2020, and entries can be submitted until Jan. 8, 2021.

Artwork submissions can be created using any type of traditional medium–such as paint, markers and crayons. Digital art is not permitted.

Car-O-Liner has generously donated a CTR-7 welder to one lucky Canadian school, to be awarded via SkillsCanada.

ATTRACTING TOP TALENT During the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) virtual event, SkillsTrader founder and CEO Fadi Smaidi said today’s generation of collision repairers are often less concerned with pay and more concerned about finding a workplace that drives them closer to their goals.

“Understanding the audience pool is very important,” said Smaidi. “A lot of people in the newer generations are less concerned about traditional goals like buying a house, getting married or buying a car. Instead, individuals want to feel they are part of an organization Fadi Smaidi, CEO and that gets them where they want to be.” He said a big founder of SkillsTrader. part of recruitment will involve industry organizations like CCIF hosting events to inform potential recruits about opportunities within the industry. “The industry has a whole lot to do better at attracting new talent to the trade,” said Smaidi. “One part is the industry’s responsibility⁠—organizations like CCIF can help with events like this, highlighting the struggles and successes of our industry.”

Youth aged 15 and under can try their hand at automotive design for a chance to win some exciting prizes from Toyota.

SWIT STRONG The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA) is releasing an industry-driven National Strategy for Supporting Women in Trades (SWiT), to help increase the participation and retention of women in the field. The strategy has four clear and measurable action items intended to generate awareness, trigger policy change, recognize best practices and create skilled trade workplace environments where women’s representation is recognized and increasing. In 2018, women only represented 4.5 percent of apprentice registrations in construction, manufacturing and transportation, according to Statistics Canada. In the new SWiT strategy, the task force has made a national target to increase female participation in skilled trade careers to 15 percent by 2030.

The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA) is releasing an industry-driven National Strategy for Supporting Women in Trades (SWiT), to help increase the participation and retention of women in the field.

FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 11

>>>

IN THE HEADLIGHTS

TECH TRENDS ULTRASIM UPDATE

AUTEL ADAPTER

BASF has extended the application range of its Ultrasim simulation tool so that it may now calculate component concepts based on elastomers, especially Elastollan, BASF’s thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). “The simulation tool Ultrasim provides our customers with quick and reliable information about how BASF materials behave in their planned components, during production as well as at a later stage during service life. Customers who apply Ultrasim instead of constructing prototypes or carrying out tests can significantly shorten their development times. This simulation support is now also available for Elastollan,” said Achim Besser, team leader of material modelling in BASF’s performance materials division.

Autel U.S. has just released a CAN FD Adapter that connects to compatible Vehicle Communication Interfaces (VCIs) to enable its tablets to communicate via the CAN FD communications protocol and diagnose the vehicle. Vehicles currently using this faster CAN FD (CAN Flexible Data-Rate) protocol include many GM and Ford’s 2019 and 2020 vehicles. Autel U.S. says CAN FD is one of the newer communication protocols, noted for being faster, more reliable and more secure. Autel’s latest MaxiSYS tablet releases, the MaxiSYS Ultra, MaxiSYS 919 and MaxiSYS 909 do not need Can FD Adapter to communicate CAN FD-equipped vehicles as these new tablets come with enhanced VCIs that include many of the new protocols including CAN FD. Autel’s CAN FD Adapter can be purchased through any of its authorized distributors or retailers.

PROJECT ARROW HITS ITS TARGET

BASF has extended the application range of its Ultrasim simulation tool.

DIRECT CONTACT Mitchell 1’s new MessageCenter texting app that allows shop owners to text message customers directly, is now available in Canada.With MessageCenter auto repair shops can reach out to their customers right away with two-way text messaging directly from inside the Manager SE shop management system. This app eliminates roadblocks such as calls going to voicemail or emails that go to an address that the customer may not check on a daily-basis. The MessageCenter app is an optional add-on to the Manager SE system.Key features include:Text messaging directly from Manager SE work-in-progress, order revision or appointment editor screens; Unique, dedicated texting number (with area code) for each shop; Flexibility to send on-the-fly text messages or create and use custom templates; Conversations with customers (text threads) are saved for later review.

Mitchell’s new MessageCenter texting app that allows shop owners to text message customer directly in Canada.

12 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association (APMA) has announced the winning design for Project Arrow, the national zero-emission concept vehicle competition announced at CES earlier this year. A team from Carleton University’s School of Industrial Design and their concept design, “Traction,” have been selected for the competition. The rollout of Project Arrow’s “Traction” vehicle model will be carried out in four phases. Phase 1 was the competition and selection of the winning design. Phase 2 will take place over this fall and will see the release of the vehicle’s engineering specifications. Phase 3 will involve a virtual concept unveiling at some point in 2021, and Phase 4 will be the release and touring of a concept car design in 2022.

A team from Carleton University’s School of Industrial Design and their design concept ‘Traction’ has been named the winner of the Project Arrow design competition.

>>> FINAL DETAIL

IN THE HEADLIGHTS

TECH TRENDS BETTER GET WOODWORKING

SPRAYING WITH STATIC

The Government of Canada is currently trying to find innovative ways to profit off Canadian wood in a variety of different industries, such as automotive. Marco Mendicino, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship on behalf of Seamus O’Regan, minister of natural resources, announced a $1.2 million investment to GreenNano Technologies. The 1.2 million investment is going towards scaling up production of new lightweight wood-fibre-based composite material to create automotive parts using an innovative process. The project consists of combining wood pulp with polymers to create a special strong and lightweight thermoplastic with more uniform and improved properties compared to other products.

If the new product can be successfully applied in the automotive sector, it could have several consumer and commercial applications, including aerospace parts, pharmaceuticals, solar panels and cosmetics. The new material will be tested in production of lightweight cars at Ford Canada’s Power Engineering Research and Development Centre in Windsor, Ontario.

Toyota Motor Corporation has developed a new type of paint atomizer that uses static electricity instead of air—the first of its kind in the world. The new airless paint atomizer achieves more than 95 percent coating efficiency compared to conventional air paint atomizer where the efficiency of approx. 60 to 70 percent, according to Toyota’s press release. The move towards an airless paint atomizer in Toyota Group’s painting process was to help reduce their CO2 emissions by about seven percent. As well, the collection device at the bottom of the paint booth, the area where paint gets sprayed, can now be made more compact, and as a result, Toyota can make painting production lines more compact for the future. The tip of the paint atomizer features a rotating cylindrical head that optimized the amount of paint sprayed.

Toyota has developed a new paint atomizer that uses static electricity.

COLLISION FRANCHISE EXCELLENCE Learn more about the CARSTAR family at CARSTAR.ca FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 13

>>>

IN THE HEADLIGHTS

BELIEVE IT OR NOT HIGH-SPEED SNOOZE When autopilot for Tesla was first introduced people were excited about what it could mean for the future of cars. However, some people thought the future was now and on July 17 the RCMP received a call regarding a 2019 Tesla Model S speeding south on Highway 2, with the driver’s seat reclined all the way back. Police reported that both front seats were reclined, and both the driver and passenger seemed to be sound asleep. Tesla Model S sedans have autopilot functions such as, auto steer and “traffic-aware” cruise control and according to the police, the car had these functions activated. RCMP Sgt. Darrin Turnbull said the car was doing more than 140km/h when the speed limit on that stretch of highway is 110 km/h. Turnbull said that the RCMP believed the Tesla was operating on autopilot.

In early September, Alberta RCMP spotted Tesla travelling at more than 140km/h with both occupants fast asleep.

MEET TUSCON A Hyundai dealer in Brazil has become famous all over the world after they adopted a stray dog and brought him into the dealership as a canine car consultant. The manager of Prime Hyundai, Emerson Mariano, found the dog and started feeding him, giving him water and providing him shelter. The dog stuck around, and the staff became fond of him. The manager then adopted him permanently.

The dog has been named Tucson after Hyundai’s small crossover. Tucson is about a year old and since being adopted has been taken to the vet for all his necessary shots.

He now owns many accessories as part of the Prime Hyundai family, such as tires, a tuxedo and his own employee badge. He likes to spend his days at the dealership in his very own doghouse.

Tuscon, the first-ever canine car consultant and Employee-of-the-Month.

UNDER THE SEA Back in 2019, a carrier cargo ship called MV Golden Ray capsized while carrying 4,200 Hyundai vehicles, and due to a string of setbacks, those vehicles are still trapped today. While there were no casualties, the ship, which is 106 ft wide and has a capacity of 20,995 deadweight tons, is a hard project to dismantle. Preparations were made to go to the site of the ship and start to carefully scrape it for parts. This however, was put on pause due to COVID-19. The group that oversaw dismantling the ship had 10 responders test positive for COVID-19, which then required the other 50 responders to quarantine. The other problem the group ran into was as hurricane season approached, further setbacks quickly arose, and the project was put on hold most likely until October. In terms of the dismantling process, the team will use a VB-10,000 twin-hull heavy-lift vessel, which will then use two 69-metre tall gantry cranes to cut the ship into eight large sections that will then be lifted onto a barge and transported to a recycling facility in Louisiana.

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In early September, Alberta RCMP spotted Tesla travelling at more than 140km/h with both occupants fast asleep.

>>> FINAL DETAIL

IN THE HEADLIGHTS

BELIEVE IT OR NOT ALONG FOR THE RIDE The Dog Sack invention started to appear in 1935, making its debut in the June 1935 issue of popular mechanics. The idea behind the invention was to keep the car clean while allowing the dog some fresh air. The original article says: “When you take your dog along for a ride but prefer to not have them inside the car, they can ride safely and comfortably in this sack, which is carried on the running board. The bottom of the sack is clamped to the running board and the top is fastened to the lower part of an open window with hooks, covered with rubber tubing to prevent marking the car.� Thankfully, this invention was never added to any car models.

GAS-GRABBING GETAWAY A driver being pursued by Los Angeles police stopped to get gas amid the chase, even grabbing the cash discount in the process. While police reportedly struggled to keep up, the suspect pulled into a gas station, stepped out of his car, run inside to pay the cashier and pump gas before speeding off. With a full tank, the driver continued his getaway by traveling through cities on the outskirts of Los Angeles, later merging onto a nearby freeway. He disappeared into a parking garage not long after, and whether the driver was ultimately caught is unclear.

Automate your HD estimate To learn more, call 1-844-AUDATEX or email sales.canada@audatex.ca

FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 15

>>>

PAINT

THE SHADES OF TOMORROW BASF unveils its tenth annual automotive colour collection

BY AIDAN LABBOSSIERE

D

ark Seltzer. Hiatus Grey. Social Camouflage.

These are the shades of the future, according to BASF’s tenth annual Automotive Colour collection.

The colours in the collection serve as inspiration to automotive designers for vehicles that will be on the road in three to five years.

The global collection, CODE-X, showcases, “everything from new, reimagined whites, to the darkest of jet blacks” while reimagining all the colours in between.

The global key colours—warm beige, greyish green, and coarse grey—may sound typical,

but the BASF coatings division by Zeitguised integrates textures and shades that modernize the look of these vehicles to help model the trends and values of society. In a year such as this, marked with unpredictability, “this collection represents the blend of the physical and digital worlds to stay hopeful and positive while coping with change,” said BASF. North America’s key colours include Dark Seltzer, a medium dark grey, with a surprising texture and uncertain hue. BASF said the key colour signals the new normal: “nothing is mundane; everything has an important story.”

Further, Redolent Red evokes not only a

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strong alliteration, but also strength with its reddish-brown hue coupled with modern functionality.

The final colour in the North American scheme is Abstraction Blue; primary, simple and elegant to suit any texture, this colour’s versatility is in tune with how we envision adapting to the societal climate.

This design is inspired by humanity’s unwillingness to accept failure, using our innate ability to problem solve, fueled by our fascination with the unknown. Technology and design merge with a symbiotic combination of texture and hue, taking a bolder, more interactive approach.

PAINT

“This collection represents the blend of the physical and digital worlds to stay hopeful and positive while coping with change.”

– BASF Moving toward the Eastern hemisphere, warm beige acts a key colour for the Europe, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) regions.

BASF’s shade Pundits Solution appears neutral while featuring a gold sparkle effect which brings warmth and positions the shade as uniquely different and distinctively younger.

EMEA’s key colour is coupled with Hiatus Grey, a coarse and metallic texture suggesting technological ideation, and Intron Green, a haptical mint-like green that features an explosion of texture.

The younger generation of people in the EMEA region are faced with change, and are now given the opportunity to reflect with clarity and do things differently by blazing a new trail for themselves. “[The EMEA Region colours] want to have a radical impact without screaming that it is radical. They want to adapt society to them, which speaks to how we consume,” wrote BASF in its report.

Asia Pacific’s key colours reflect a positive flexible attitude for change, action, and the future. They are warm and emotional colours.

They are not black or white, but more blurred and floating, like human emotion said BASF. Social Camouflage, Asia Pacific’s key colour, aims to speak on how technology meets nature in the nuanced grey-ish green colour, but also within society.

“Not really light or dark, it is a coloured neutral with floating effects that can be smoky, depending on the angle. The cool colour represents flexible values and behaviors that will change the world in a positive manner” BASF explains.

The accent colours paired with the key Social Camouflage are Dream Fighter, and Unknown Metal. The first is a subdued and comfortable intermediate orange with hints of pink and copper, while the second is a grey-influenced purplish colour that is basic, yet fascinating.

>>>

Social Camouflage, Asia Pacific’s key colour, aims to speak on how technology meets nature in the nuanced grey-ish green colour, but also within society.

BASF says its shade Pundits Solution appears neutral while featuring a gold sparkle effect which brings warmth and positions the shade as uniquely different and distinctively younger.

North America’s key colours include Dark Seltzer, a medium dark grey, with a surprising texture and uncertain hue. BASF said the key colour signals the new normal: “nothing is mundane; everything has an important story.”

FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 17

>>>

TECHNOLOGY

& Q A

UNDERSTANDING ADAS

U

The ins and outs of ADAS calibration

nderstanding today’s advanced-driver assistance systems (ADAS) is critical in collision repair operations. The team of John Marlowe and Giuliano Bernabei, founders of ADAS calibration centre Level 5 Drive in Burlington, Ontario, have made it their mission to provide the automotive aftermarket with valuable ADAS knowledge while helping streamline calibrations.

ADAS are the fastest-growing segments in automotive electronics, and Marlowe predicts that the coming years will see virtually every car manufacturer feature ADAS in its vehicles. A recent survey from the U.S.-based Equipment and Tools Institute found that 38 percent of new car dealer shops are not equipped to manage the repair and diagnosis of ADAS and passive safety systems.

Luckily, Marlowe and Bernabei are here to help. The pair sat down with Collision Repair to help give the industry a better picture of when calibrations are required, the critical performance of those operations and what shops need to be offering in-house.

Q: If there is nothing on the dash, does that mean that you don’t need a recalibration?

John Marlowe: Absolutely not—that is a huge misunderstanding.

Very often these systems are out of calibration, even without a dash light indicating so.

The systems will set a light if the sensor has been unplugged, and if the system has been physically impacted or damaged you are also likely to get a dash light. In some cases, the sensor can determine when it’s so far off the mark that it can’t be functional—it can set a diagnostic trouble code for that.

There are a lot of instances where you have a vehicle going down the road with a misaligned sensor and, when there’s a vehicle 25 feet in front of it it’s detecting it fine. Once you get on

the highway and are travelling at high speeds, it may not detect a vehicle in the time required to properly slow down using the adaptive cruise control. There are tons of examples for situations like that, and these are the stories that cause people to lose confidence in their ADAS systems.

Q: What is the average time it takes to do a calibration on a vehicle?

JM: It takes Giuliano and I about 90 minutes, but it really depends on the facility’s capabilities.

In imagining what they go through trying to maintain their cycle times, trying to keep everything on the level it needs to be on—I can’t see anyone completing calibrations faster than we do.

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Q: How much space do you require for in-house calibrations?

JM: It really depends on the calibration that you’re doing and what type of vehicle it is. For example, in some Mercedes products, if you have a place to park the car that’s flat and level, you can put the fiducial board right against the front bumper, so you don’t need a great deal of room for some of these things.

Other jobs, for example, some Honda products, you need 30 metres in front of the vehicle as well as significant difference on the sides.

You need to be adaptable to many different requirements and have ample space if you’re going to do them in-house.

TECHNOLOGY

Q: Have you ever encountered difficulty while trying to calibrate a system once an aftermarket sheet metal part, bumper or glass has been installed?

JM:Yes, we have. The manufacturers are not saying something that’s untrue when they state that you can’t calibrate with aftermarket parts.

Even on a repaired bumper where the blind spot detection might be on the corner—which it usually is—if the mill buildup is too great it won’t read through that. So, you must go back and put another bumper on it—an OEM bumper to be able to calibrate it properly.

Our ideal would be to not calibrate vehicles with aftermarket parts on them, but the reality is that they’re going to go somewhere else if we don’t do them. At least we can ensure that the process was followed correctly.

Q: Do systems have to be recalibrated after a repair, wholly replaced or R&I’d?

JM: In most cases, we would strongly recommend that you consider a calibration.

If you’re looking at a sensor that is now uncovered, there are so many variables you can introduce. Did it get touched while the protective part was off, like a bumper cover for example.

Did it get knocked while it was being installed?

One-tenth of one degree is what we’re dealing with in some cases and it’s not a lot.

The rule of thumb is, if you’re looking at a sensor, you’re probably going to want to calibrate it.

Q: Do you think there should be specific compulsory certifications for technicians who are calibrating ADAS? JM: Ultimately, yes, I think it needs to be its own class—its very own segment of the industry.

We should have some method of identifying people who possess the skills to be able to do this. Certainly, I think we need to have a fresh-start segment for ADAS calibrations that may extend into other electronic options on the vehicle.

Q: What’s incoming for ADAS tech?

JM:There’s been a lot more focus on stereoscopic measuring on the front cameras, so they have new capabilities that move us a little closer

to level three driving when the camera itself can measure more accurately.

What’s new with ADAS is the cars that it’s on. The big news is the number of vehicles it is present on now. We’re not far from every car manufacturer having it—we’re probably less than three years from that.

Q: Is offering calibration services worth it?

JM:It really depends on each facility’s situation. If you’re looking to offer calibration

>>>

services as an add-on to your existing collision repair business, there are success stories out there.

There’s a lot of thought you’re going to need to put into it. Your facility must be absolutely set for it. You can’t make compromises—it can’t be, ‘meh, sort of, pretty good’. You must have the correct facility to be able to do it and must have a technician that is willing and able to follow the processes correctly and document the way that we need to.

This is a generic list of some circumstances that will require ADAS calibration. The OEM documentation is our gold standard, but there are a number of conditions that also require consideration. The short version is, if you can’t state with 100% certainty that the vehicle’s ADAS equipment is correctly calibrated and will perform under ALL expected conditions, then you need to have it calibrated. A test drive is not a diagnostic.

• • • •

Rear camera unplugged T/gate adjusted or repaired DTC or not performing properly Required by OEM statement

• • • • • •

Rear bumper cover removed Rear impact 1/4 panel deformed near BSM DTC or not performing properly Required by OEM statement Sensor uplugged

• • • • • • •

Windshield removed Camera bracket impacted or bent Camera unplugged Wheel alignment performed DTC or not performing properly Directed by OEM statement Frame/unibody damage

• • • • •

Door removed or adjusted Mirror removed or unplugged Pillar/door frame damaged DTC or not performing properly Directed by OEM statement

• Front bumper cover or grille removed • Wheel alignment performed • Front impact • Frame/unibody damage • DTC or not performing properly • Directed by OEM statement • Sensor unplugged

FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 19

>>> SCHOOL PROFILE

APPRENTICES FORGE AHEAD NAIT navigates hands-on learning in unprecedented times

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) has been able to continue in-class teaching for 27 of its 28 apprenticeship programs, including its Auto Body Apprenticeship program.

BY JULIA LLOYD

A

mid the pandemic, many students have been forced to take education into their own hands, pursuing courses from home via the internet—but students of skilled trades don’t have the luxury of remote learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a massive shift in the realms of education as university and college students across Canada study from the shelter of their own homes. But when the assignment rubric calls for a bumper replacement or structural repair—what’s an autobody repair student to do?

Fortunately, for students at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), the trades college has been able to continue in-class teaching for 27 of its 28 apprenticeship programs.

Ryan Pomedli, an instructor for NAIT’s autobody apprenticeship program and a veteran in the autobody industry, said the college has added several protocols to prevent any COVID outbreaks.

“We have a lot of equipment we already wear so some of this stuff isn’t so much changing completely, but changing how often we do it,”

explained Pomedli. “For example, in the shop we always required students to wear safety footwear and glasses and then, whenever they are standing there wearing an N-95 mask or if they are using a rotating tool, they use a face shield—but now students are wearing their masks all the time.”

Pomedli says students must always wear a face shield. During lunch time, the instructors are expected to disinfect the shop, and, at the end of the day, instructors complete a more thorough cleaning.

Due to COVID, the program has been restructured to meet the needs of social distancing guidelines by having the least number of students on campus at any given time. Normally, the program would be comprised of a half day of theory and half day in the shop. Now, with the COVID protocols, students complete three weeks straight of theory online and three weeks inside the bodyshop.

“We’re seeing roughly 62 percent less people on all our campuses combined from years previous,” said NAIT’s media relations specialist, Nicole Graham.“The autobody apprenticeship

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program is now being organized by introducing staggered groups of students.”

The first group of students will start theory and, once they move on to the shop portion of the semester, the second group of students start their three weeks of theory and so on, until the first semester of the program concludes.

The main challenge for the students is “trying to work in the shop with your mask on, wearing your safety glasses and everything.

It’s always fogging up and all that, it’s kind of tough,” autobody student Hateem Ibrahim said.

Autobody Instructor Cecile Bukmeier believes the main challenge for both students and teachers is the transition to blended learning.

But for Pomedli, the biggest challenge is the lack of raw communication he has with his students.

“One of the biggest challenges, and it doesn’t matter if we are doing online theory or in the shop, is the inability to read facial expressions.

For example, online some people have their cameras on but it’s so small you can’t read any facial expressions, and with the masks in the

SCHOOL PROFILE

Normally, NAIT’s program would be comprised of a half day of theory and half day in the shop.

Now, with COVID protocols

During class, NAIT students and instructors are always required to wear both face masks and shields.

shop, you can’t read their facial expressions there either,” explained Pomedli. “When I’m typically doing theory, I can gage the entire class’s comprehension without asking but rather through engagement, but now it’s a little harder.

My main communication in theory is the little thumbs up icon in the chat.”

Pomedli is a NAIT auto body apprentice graduate and after years of success in the autobody industry, he decided to come back and teach at NAIT. Pomedli is currently the longest

serving instructor in the auto body program and was involved with Skills Canada Competitions for several the years, competing in Worlds in Montreal 1999.

For him, the greatest benefit to industry is its tight-knit community, however, with COVID protocols, that communication is lacking, and connections are not being built.

“It is a bit harder to get to know somebody when all you ever do is see them in a chatroom, or socially distancing at lunch you’re sitting at

>>>

individual tables, it makes it hard for them to really get to know one another. Like when you’re in the office you can go over to the stalls over whoever might be able to answer the questions and you pick their brain a little bit but now it’s one of those things where we have to do a conference call and they are busy.”

But he stays optimistic for the future that things will go back to what the apprentice program looked like before the pandemic.

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FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 21

>>> LET’S TALK TRAINING

THE ART OF DELAYED GRATIFICATION Refinishing the automobile with pride

BY STEFANO LIESSI

W

ay back, during a time where people paid with cheques and wrote letters of correspondence on birch bark, I used to go shopping for groceries with my mother. As a child, I hated this task, so my buy-in was the acquisition of a magazine at the checkout. A Hot Rod or Car Craft magazine—some of which I still retain to this day.

Yes, I was going to paint cars when I got older.

This was a certainty, as there was absolutely nothing cooler than the flames, scallops, stripes, and candies that graced the cover of these publications monthly. This is what I wanted to do for a living, a career, to have my work on the cover of a magazine, custom painting.

Much has changed over the years in our industry. Who would have thought that the candies of yester-year could be the actual factory finish on a vehicle that you buy brand-new, and who would have thought that the pearls and metallics would have the depth and shine out the door that they do.

If one thinks back real hard, the lacquer and single stage metallics of yester-year had the depth of a tablecloth.

Now if you haven’t guessed it by now, my beginnings in refinish are dated to times when the flash off of a coat of paint was timed by having a cigarette outside the booth, mainly on the multiple “overall” or “complete” refinishes we would do. It was not uncommon to do a full paint job on a vehicle that was a family grocery getter.

My father had his ’75 Olds’ Delta 88 refinished and patched up three times over its lifespan, with each time coming home with a surface texture, and depth, that resembled citrus fruit. This, however, was deemed acceptable to the masses.

My training back then was live and on the floor. Started with prepping using lacquer primer and putty, sanding with a jitter bug sander sporting P180 on the hand numbing, chrome eating, window scratching, air-driven mechanical wonder. Masking all the trim, handles, chrome, and even the name plates—yes

The expense of learning back then was minimal.

Today, the skill and technical knowledge far exceeds that of “tinting by eye”. We need let down panels, we need spray out cards, we need to be 100 percent informed on what the manual and SOP from the paint manufacturer say. name plates, my favorite being the“Park Avenue” or “Buick Electra” script, so lovingly created by the General and shared with AMC. Masking tape, no fine line, not even quarter inch at the time. Let us not forget the wonders of lacquer finish that GM flogged to the very end, not to mention the dispersion lacquer used on the Grand Nationals….

Sand it down with P400, spray some primer hoping it wouldn’t wrinkle, then bake it under the lights only to have it re-flow and come out looking like deep wet black paint, lets sand all over again. Then off into the crossflow booth with puddles of water on the floor from wetting it down to keep the dust down from the prep-

22 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

pers sanding just inches away from the filters.

There it was, in all its glory, the “North American Land Yacht” in all its prepped beauty, ready for a coat of high-end, single stage acrylic enamel.

The test of a good painter back then was if you could spray a single stage metallic light blue without the trademark visual of tiger stripes and clouds (modeling or blotchiness).

Also, could you get the center of that hood as wet and shiny as the sides, without leaning into the wet finish on the fender.

And just as you thought it was all over, there was that fly that would find its way into the fresh surface of that beautiful Olympic pool sized hood only to succumb to the fumes and

LET’S TALK TRAINING

perish during it’s two foot marathon attempt at the back stroke.

Next, we would push it into the drying room to wait patiently for the cycle of time it took for the heat lamps to dry the finish to that satiny hazed glow known to many as a single stage metallic.

Remember the“spot repair”back then, mixing cocktails with a smoke in your mouth, dipping the stir stick into the can knowing that if all else fails for colour, just add some green, fixes everything. Tinting by eye, little bit of this, little bit of that, cocktail the reducers and (if it had any) hardener, using RM with Ditzler, or DuPont, if things were out of stock—good enough to rock and roll!

Do you have a clear picture of what once was?

You young ladies and gentlemen of the trade are fortunate enough not to experience that remarkable wonder in time, coupled with the transition of plastics and two stage products?

Oh, what a time it was.

Fast forward to today. Beautiful colour pallets with tri-stage, quad stage, pearls, and matte finishes. I spent decades on getting that “wet look” out of the booth…and now people want matte, go figure. However, that aside, matte finishes present their own set of challenges.

So why the trip down memory lane? Times are changing, training and development are changing. Back in the day, we didn’t have paint manufacturer-based training, our suppliers dropped off product and chatted with us, showed us the new goods, the rest we figured out.

The expense of learning back then was minimal. Today, the skill and technical knowledge far exceeds that of “tinting by eye”. We need let down panels, we need spray out cards, we need to be 100 percent informed on what the manual and SOP from the paint manufacturer say.

This all comes at a cost, not to mention the cost of materials. At more than $400 for a gallon of hardener, you no longer can “cocktail something”. Over my years I was able to hone my craft quite well. I could lay a “splash” with the best of them, never made a magazine cover, but did do many a show finish.

The point here is, that was then and this is now. With the refinish role what it is, and the actual fact you only get one shot at it each time (redo’s will destroy your profit margin), and you can’t “bury” it (never could really, defies scientific logic) it is very wise as a business to be aware of the cost involved with each colour, as they vary considerably across the rainbow.

Be fully aware of the actual time required for your painter and prepper to get that vehicle through the cycle. If you’re forgetting the tri or quad extra, let down panel time, dee nib and finesse—remember the fly… they are still out there—then you are doing a disservice to your staff and business.

In my opinion, and you are entitled to my opinion, delayed gratification of a fine refinish job is one of the best forms of advertising out there for your shop. If you want to spend money on advertising, spend it on your paint department. What better place than an actual subliminal rolling billboard backed by a vocal presenter, your satisfied customer.

>>>

Times are changing, training and development are changing.

Back in the day, we didn’t have paint manufactured based training, our suppliers dropped off product and chatted with us, showed us the new goods, the rest we figured out.

As a Red Seal technician and the founder of Canadian Collision Specialist, Stefano enhances his experience with 12 years of I-CAR instructing coupled with high school teaching to bring you training that encompasses all learning types. Having experienced the corporate side of the industry, along with management and ownership, Stefanos focus is, getting it right the first time with proper repairs, equitably, for all the people involved in the collision industry.

A paint booth of yester-year.

Coatings that once had the depth of a tablecloth have transformed into beautiful colour pallets with tri-stage, quad-stage, pearls and mattes.

FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 23

>>>

PAINTER’S CORNER

THE DEDICATED PAINTER 37 years and nearly 40,000 cars later

BY SOPHIE PRICE

P

assion will get you far in this trade.

If you’re skeptical, Vince Figliomeni can prove it.

Vince has been a painter at Ken Shaw Lexus Toyota Collision for 37 years. In that time, the dedicated painter has returned approximately 38,480 vehicles to their pre-accident glory.

Vince first joined the automotive industry in his home country of Italy, where he got his start at working alongside his cousin in a local bodyshop. After arriving in Canada, armed with limited English and an outpouring

“Spraying cars is the easy part.”

– Vince Figliomeni of passion for the trade, Vince’s wife assisted in his job search, which ended at Ken Shaw Lexus Toyota.

He began as a prepper in 1983, and after roughly a year his manager suggested he make the leap to painter.

“I was so nervous to start because I knew it was a dealership and I had never worked in that large of a setting,” said Vince. “It was a big place, but I took a chance,” he said.

Vince says that at first, he was “more scared than enthusiastic,” but his confidence grew as his colleagues applauded his work and his managers took note of his skill.

“Guys would actually look into my job and they were kind of impressed and would say ‘oh my god his paint job is pretty good,’” laughed Vince. “It was a real motivator.”

As the facility’s only painter, Vince saw his skill grow alongside experience, but Ken Shaw Lexus Toyota has also supported him for training over the years to further improve his skills.

To this day, Vince is still the main painter at Ken Shaw Lexus Toyota Collision with only one other person assisting him on the odd occasions.

Vince is an advocate for the trade and says painting cars isn’t as simple as it sounds.

“Spraying cars is the easy part. Then you have to have knowledge of the preparation and how to make sure it is done properly; you have to know some bodywork, and there’s a ton of work involved tinting colours. Sometimes colours aren’t always matching properly so you always have to double and triple-check to make sure you put the right colour on the car”.

After staying at Ken Shaw for 37 years, Vince can’t imagine himself working anywhere else.

“They treat people well,” he says. “Not

24 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

Vince is also the most senior employee at Ken Shaw Toyota. Danny Jamal, general manager at Ken Shaw Lexus Toyota says the other employees call him “Papa Vince” and turn to him for any advice in the bodyshop, or elsewhere.

PAINTER’S CORNER

>>>

Vince Figliomeni, the senior painter at Ken Shaw Lexus Toyota Collision, has painted approximately 38,000 cars in his 37-year career.

Vince’s work is of such a high caliber; Danny Jamal says he’s never seen a customer come back to complain.

“His work is as quality as the day it comes out of the factory. He is flawless, like perfection.

We wish we could genetically clone him.” – Danny Jamal, general manager, Ken Shaw Toyota just me but the rest of the employees here. I know they’ll always make sure I have the right equipment, and we have everything we need.”

Vince’s commitment to his work is very clear, he takes pride in what he does and works hard to please his employers.

“I am prouder of what I do when there’s appreciation, and I am sure it goes both ways.

Them seeing that I do well for them and me being happy with the way they treat me—it’s what motivates me.”

Vince is also one of the longest-standing employees at Ken Shaw Lexus Toyota Collision.

Danny Jamal, general manager at Ken Shaw says the other employees call him “Papa

Vince” and turn to him for any advice in the bodyshop, or elsewhere.

“He has been around longer than all of us, he’s smarter than all of us and he has more wisdom than all of us. So, we all come to him for help and advice” says Jamal.

Vince says that the most important thing to him is admitting when you are wrong or when you make a mistake and trying to learn from it. He makes it very clear that every day is still a challenge, from the new colours constantly being released to learning how to properly spray those colours can take time and effort. Still, he takes each problem as a challenge and says the constantly

25 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

changing environment helps to challenge and motivate him.

When asked about his proudest moment Vince says he feels proudest when his superiors are with happy with his job.

“When they tell me ‘good job Vince’. I feel great about that.”

Not only has Vince painted roughly 38,480 cars in his career but he has a receipt for every single car he has ever painted at Ken Shaw Lexus Toyota.

Jamal speaks very highly of Vince.

“He’s a great guy. He always comes to work happy and productive and ready to work. He is very professional with the other employees, management and owners.”

The general manager says it’s rare for the facility to see a vehicle come back with a paint issue. In his own 11 years at the company, he can’t remember the last time a vehicle came back with a paint problem.

“His work is as quality as the day it comes out of the factory. He is flawless, like perfection.” adds Jamal. “We wish we could genetically clone him.”

FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 25

>>>

TRAINING

OE REPAIR INFORMATION Are we doing enough?

BY BEN HART

H

ere we are in 2020; an industry that has endured many challenges as we have progressed over the last decade.

I’d like to think that we are all performing better and safer repairs today; though, I am constantly hearing similar rhetoric from numerous shops, vendors, insurance companies and training providers (myself included) about “OE procedures,” “following OE repair information” etc.

Every respectable shop in 2020 has access to repair information and has technicians on staff who have completed some level training, post Red-Seal certification. Some shops eclipse this with full I-CAR Gold status, and perhaps OE training, including direct access to OE repair sites. On the surface, this looks like we have come a long way, and I am very proud of our industry for these accolades.

When digging deeper, one should ask, ‘are these accomplishments merely rubber stamps or are they meaningful?’ It is wonderful to have all this training, information and equipment, but what really counts is whether we are utilizing them to their fullest potential, or not. OE repair programs often require stringent criteria and audits, but no one is checking every job and every individual task to ensure this. The onus is still on the shop and each staff member to

ensure that the repairs have been completed with strict adherence to OE guidelines.

Unfortunately for a busy production environment, researching, comprehending, then executing all of the required procedures takes a lot of time which equates to added costs.

The folks over at CollisionHub.com (in the U.S.) have some excellent training and research available on this topic.

As I tour shops, I have been impressed with the levels that some owners take to ensure the criteria is met. Some shops have dedicated staff to research procedures, others ensure all estimators and technicians have computers with easy access and quality control points to ensure all criteria is met.

This makes me wonder if the researcher role will become commonplace. Someone to research and interpret repair information for the technicians and estimators while also ensuring the correct parts, materials, fasters, tools, equipment and training can be met to complete the repair. I also understand that some shops aren’t there (yet?).

All I ask of industry is to take a moment of meta-cognitive reflection to see how has your knowledge, skills and attitude towards modern technology evolved over the last decade and how will it continue to progress? Then ask yourself, “am I doing enough?”

All I ask of industry is to take a moment of meta-cognitive reflection to see how has your knowledge, skills and attitude towards modern technology evolved over the last decade and how will it continue to progress?

Then ask yourself, “am I doing enough?”

Ben Hart is a Red Seal certified autobody technician and refinisher with more than two decades of experience in the industry. For the past two years he has instructed apprenticeship programs at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. He can be reached at ben.hart@sait.ca.

26 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

FUNDING

>>>

CAREER READY Employers with apprentices and co-op students can take advantage of the APMA’s Career Ready Fund

BY MADDY KYLIE

T

o help connect students with careers in the auto sector, the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) is working with post-secondary institutions to help connect 669 students, apprentices and recent graduates with jobs and careers in the automotive supply sector.

By participating in the program, known as the Career Ready Fund, participants will gain practical on-the-job experience that will help launch their careers in the automotive sector. Employers will have the opportunity to provide productive dialog between academic institutions and industry. This program will

give companies line of sight to new talent that will bring fresh ideas and perspective to the workplace.

Businesses will receive $3000 per placement, and $5000 per placement if the participant has a disability. A single placement lasts 10 weeks to four months, and participants may qualify for up to three placements in a calendar year.

To qualify for the Career Ready Fund: • Original Equipment Manufacturers and Manufacturers must have a minimum of 50% business revenue come from the automotive sector.

• Advanced Manufacturers must have a minimum of 30% business revenue come from the automotive sector.

• Participants must be hired after April 1, 2020 and before January 21, 2021.

• Placements must be full-time and located in Ontario.

For more information on Career Ready Fund and for the application form, visit https:// apma.ca/career-ready/.

FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 27

>>> TRAINING

EXTENDING EDUCATION Axalta extends participating in I-CAR Sustaining Partner program

BY SOPHIE PRICE

A

xalta has announced that they have extended its participation in I-CAR’s Sustaining Partner Program in North America to include Canada, effective July 1, 2020.

With Axalta involved in this program it allows refinishing students more accessible and affordable training, either virtual or in-person.

This program is available at Axalta’s Learning and Development Centers, participants can earn a Platinum I-CAR credit at no charge from the accreditor.

This program is meant to deliver relevant education and solutions to the industry, assisting technicians with future employment

opportunities and giving them the knowledge to provide customers with safe and skillful repairs.

“We are deeply committed to collision repair education. By expanding our partnership through I-CAR’s Sustaining Partner Program, we can now extend our prolific I-CAR credited course offering to customers in Canada and make it easier for them to earn I-CAR credits,” said Troy Weaver, vice president of Axalta, Global Refinish. “This no-cost training program helps our customers keep their I-CAR recognition valid to continue repairing vehicles with the safety and repair knowledge they need to be successful.”

“I-CAR Canada is very pleased to partner with Axalta through the Sustaining Par tner Program,” said Andrew Shepherd, Executive Director of I-CAR Canada.

“Our industry is international in so many ways, from vehicle technology and repair methods to supply chain and human r e s o u r c e c h a l l e n g e s , t h a t i t m a ke s sense to offer Nor th American training solutions.”

Participation in the new Sustaining Partner Program allows Axalta’s customers to continue training using their own refinish brands while earning I-CAR Canada credits to meet their personal training goals.

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TRAINING

>>>

DIGGING IN Ground-breaking ceremony kicks off new automotive innovation hub in Oro-Medonte

BY MADDY KYLIE

O

akleigh Developments took a huge symbolic step forward in getting the Oro Station Automotive Innovation Park off the ground, alongside Premier Doug Ford on August 20, 2020.

Ford, Geoff Campbell, managing partner of Oakleigh Developments and other local dignitaries gathered at the park’s location in Oro-Medonte Township to put the first shovels in the ground on the project.

The Oro Station has been in the works for more than a decade; however, it was officially approved in November 2019 when it was granted a minister’s zoning order, and the mid-August ground-breaking ceremony was the first step in kicking off the massive project.

The facility will feature more than 500,000 square feet of industrial space and a 4.2 km test track with dynamic driving areas. It will be located adjacent to Lake Simcoe Regional Airport in Oro-Medonte.

The multi-use facility that joins an automotive business park with a motorsport road

course and testing facilities will be home to engineering, education, design, supply and manufacturing businesses all centred around the art and joy of the automobile.

The Oro Station is also partnered with Georgian College. In February 2019, Georgian College announced that, through its partnership with the township of Oro-Medonte, it will be working using the hub for automotive research, engineering and development.

“The automotive industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace and this partnership is an incredible opportunity for Georgian, the ABSC and our students to be part of shaping its future,” said Kevin Weaver, vice president of academics at Georgian College. “We look forward to exploring the various community and industry collaborations, and working closely with Oro Station through future programming, training and research to meet the innovation needs of the industry and local employers.”

The hub is expected to create 700 full-time jobs within Simcoe County, representing 50

percent of the forecasted employment growth in Oro-Medonte to 2031.

The site’s buildings are expected to open in 2021.

Geoff Campbell, managing partner of Oakleigh Developments, Premier Doug Ford and other local dignitaries gathered in Oro-Medonte Township to hold a ground-breaking ceremony for the Oro Station.

The Oro Station’s design layout created by Driven International.

FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 29

>>>

HISTORY

FROM RESIN TO GLORY Automotive coatings through the ages

BY SOPHIE PRICE

I

n the beginning, the only paint available for automobiles was based on natural linseed oil resin.

Since then, we have come a long way from the oil resin—cured through oxidative crosslinking, which required large amounts of time for the paint to dry fully. We have found solutions to the production bottleneck, and it all traces back to the first-ever automotive paint coating, invented by DuPont Company in the 1920s.

Duco Paint, which was invented by DuPont Company significantly reduced the amount of time it took for the paint to dry going from taking days to simply hours. To speed the process up even more DuPont chemists found that if they obtained a low viscosity resin at around 15 percent solids, it could be sprayed on as a coating. This makes the paint a lacquer and allows it to dry through solvent evaporation in only 2 hours. This also improved appearance,

toughness, durability and allowed for multiple colours. Although the paint was highly productive the final coat required polishing to achieve high gloss.

In the 1930s paint chemists began to wonder whether they could find a binder system for paint that could provide both productivity and the preferred appearance of a natural oil resin. From this came the first alkyd paint system. This was the first “polymer” made for coatings, as it was synthesized using three monomers: phthalic anhydride, glycerol, and linoleic acid.

Alkyd chemistry continues as a mainstay of current coating technology.

DuPont Company invented the first automotive paint coating in the 1920s.

1950S Automotive coatings saw further growth by the 1950s. Rohm and Haas Co. had just developed a new synthetic polymer as a glass replacement based on poly methyl methacrylate, and the industry began to investigate whether that technology could be used in coatings. This would go on to be the first all man-made resin technology to be used in automotive coatings.

Thermoplastic acrylic resin technology would then go on to dominate the automotive topcoat

market in automotive coatings for two decades.

This coating however, needed to be sprayed on at relatively low solids of about 20 percent. This meant that multiple coats of the topcoat had to be applied to reach the desired film build of about two mils.

It did, however, provide an excellent binder system for the newest pigment colourant technology-metallic pigments. The metallic pigments provided brilliant, shiny car colours

The 1950s saw Rohm and Haas Co. develop a new synthetic polymer that would go in to become the first all-man-made resin technology in automotive coatings.

30 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

that enhanced the car body. To achieve the best visual effects the pigments must align parallel to the painted surface. The rheological profile of an acrylic lacquer paint is perfect to obtain this effect: a low initial viscosity to allow the metallic flakes to lay flat, and a fast rise in viscosity to keep the flakes in place.

This technology had such a strong advantage that by the 1960s General Motors painted almost every car with acrylic lacquer topcoats.

Automotive coatings saw further growth by the 1950s. Rohm and Haas Co. had just developed a new synthetic polymer as a glass replacement based on poly methyl methacrylate, and the industry began to investigate whether that technology could be used in coatings.

HISTORY

1970S Up to the 1970s, one of the biggest issues in the automotive painting landscape was the rusting of the automotive body. In the ’70s, coating advancement finally solved this issue.

It was electrodeposition primers, commonly known as “e-coat” that solved the problem. The first automotive electrocoat was developed by Dr. George Brewer at Ford in 1957, however there were drawbacks in the technology at the time and it wasn’t until 1973 when PPG industries introduced the first cathodic e-coat system from automotive bodies that it was used. These coatings essentially stopped the automotive body from rusting making it one of the biggest breakthroughs in automotive coatings technology.

These coatings are applied in a unique way by totally submerging the assembled car body in a large tank that contains the waterborne e-coat and then the coat is applied through cathodic electrodeposition. The coating chemistry is

waterborne enamel based on epoxy, an amino alcohol adduct, and blocked isocyanate, which all crosslink on baking to form an epoxy-urethane resin system.

Electrodeposition is known for delivering one of the most effective coatings for corrosion protection. Today, almost all cars use e-coat technology as the foundation of their coating system. E-coat provides excellent corrosion protection, but it does have two flaws: inadequate appearance and poor photostability. The solution to these issues is new enamel automotive primers that were developed in the 1980s.

>>>

Up to the 1970s, one of the biggest issues in the automotive painting landscape was the rusting of the automotive body.

In the ’70s, coating advancement finally solved this issue.

It was electrodeposition primers, commonly known as “e-coat” that solved the problem.

1980S In the 1980s, primer surfaces were created to be applied to cured e-coats to give a smoother surface for improved topcoat appearance. They also provide opacity to protect e-coat primers from UV degradation.

These primer surfaces also often provide better impact resistance to help reduce stone chipping of the coating. The combination of electrocoat plus primer-surfacer provides a total automotive primer system with impressive corrosion protection and a great surface for a top coating.

This then led to basecoats and clearcoat topcoats which also had their drawbacks, such as their weak exterior durability. It would only take one to two years of exposure for the coatings to begin to degrade and waxing would be needed to bring back the shine.

By now, consumers were expecting their cars to last at least five years.

This is also when the Environmental Protection Agency began to promulgate new volatile organic compound (VOC) regulations that limited the amount of solvent that an automotive facility could emit into the atmosphere.

The high VOC content and weak durability of acrylic lacquer coatings were no longer accept-

able in the automotive marketplace. Instead, a two-layer system was created that consisted of a base coat that contained the pigments to provide the beautiful colour effects and then a clear polymer coating layer that protected the basecoat.

Both the basecoat and clearcoat were enamels, based on hydroxyl-functional acrylic resins crosslinked using melamine, a crystalline compound made by heating cyanamide and used in making plastics. This had advantages as it reduced solvent content was achieved given the lower molecular weight of the hydroxyl-functional acrylic resins and low-viscosity melamine crosslinker.

It also allowed the coating to

cure to a high crosslink density on baking to provide better properties, and the unique base coat layer allowed the use of even more effective pigments by colour stylists.

Finally, the clear coat layer was formulated to provide both better appearance and the ultimate in protection for the coating system below. It was these basecoat/clearcoat systems that were able to achieve a balance of properties for the automotive coating system that provided stunning visual appearance as well as long term durability.

FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 31

>>>

HISTORY

1990S The use of waterborne basecoats began in the 1990s. These coats came from water-reducible acrylics and polyesters to acrylic latexes, to polyurethane dispersions, but the common point is the use of water.

The idea behind using waterborne technology is to accomplish lower VOCs and reduce the environmental footprint of the coating pro-

cess. However, those are not the only benefits; waterborne coatings can also provide improved appearance and metallic effects.

During the 1990s many automotive coatings, using new cross-linking chemistries, were invented.

Clearcoats specifically have been a focus for these new chemistries in addition to the

original acrylic resin/melamine systems, there are now acrylic/silane/melamine, acid/epoxy, carbamate/melamine, and acrylic/isocyanate systems. Important new properties for clear coats can be achieved with these new cross-linking chemistries, improved appearance and durability, better acid etch resistance, and scratch and mar resistance.

In the 2000s, the industry’s main focus shifted toward efficiency.

2000S At the turn of the millennium, the main focus of automotive coatings became efficiency.

In the average automotive assembly plant, the painting process could take up at least half of the space in the facility, account for approximately 40 percent of the capital cost of the assembly plant, use 80 percent of the energy, and produce a large majority of the CO2 and VOC emissions.

After being asked by OEM manufacturers to attempt to reduce this footprint and cut the cost of applying the coating system, paint formulations developed coatings that could be applied more efficiently, in fewer steps, and with a lower energy requirement.

The average process for a waterborne primer, waterborne basecoat, and solvent borne clear coat system involves two oven bakes and a heated flash, all of which require time and energy. Compared to the 3-Wet process where solvent borne primer, solvent borne basecoat, and solvent borne clear coat are applied one after the other, and a single bake occurs

after all three layers of coating have been applied.

This 3-Wet application method reduces the footprint of the coatings line, shortens the time of the painting process, and saves energy costs.

All removing the stand-alone primer booth and oven, which creates significant savings without wrecking the quality.

The way we paint cars over the years has definitely changed dramatically going from time consuming short lasting paint jobs, to time effective long lasting paint jobs that not only make our cars look great but help protect against damage that can be done to a car from hail, salt, rain etc.

From resin, to e-coats and today’s top primers, we’ve come a long way in automotive coatings over the years. And, if one thing is for certain, the automotive industry never stands still.

The next five decades could see even further advancements, and this magazine can’t wait to see where we go next.

32 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

From resin, to e-coats and today’s top primers, we’ve come a long way in automotive coatings over the years.

RESTORATION

>>>

Hawkesbury Royal Canadian Legion member Jack Hume restores Korean War-era jeep with help from community.

The 1953 Korean War-era jeep prior to restoration.

JEEP THERAPY The Hawkesbury Legion’s Korean War-era Jeep gets a makeover

(Below) The brass plaque the Hawkesbury Royal Canadian Legion made to thank those who contributed in the ‘Save the Jeep” restoration project.

BY MADDY KYLIE

T

he Hawkesbury Royal Canadian Legion’s Korean War-era Jeep got some much-needed TLC this summer and is now rocking its fresh new look on the Legion’s front lawn.

After sitting outside of the Legion for more than a decade, the 1953 Jeep was beginning to deteriorate from exposure to the elements. So, long-time Legion member and experienced antique vehicle restorer Jack Hume decided he would take the matter into his own hands and fix the Jeep himself.

Hume got started on the project by creating a “Save the Jeep” ad, requesting help from community members—and the response was overwhelming. Five local businesses provided free parts and supplies to help make the restoration possible.

“It was really a community effort,” said Hume.

“Without their support, I’m not sure that I would have been able to do it.”

After more than 200 hours of Hume’s free

labour, the newly restored Jeep was put back in its rightful place on August 13 and was a mustsee when the Legion reopened on September 9.

“Had the Jeep sat there another couple of years we would have had to take it to the junkyard,” said Hume.

Hume decided to restore the Jeep mainly because of its rapid degradation, but also because of his tremendous respect for Canadian war veterans.

“I have a soft spot in my heart for those who served, and several of our veterans at the Legion served in Korea. So, I know it means a lot to them to see it sitting there.”

The work that was done to the jeep was exclusively done to the body, although Hume is both an experienced mechanic and machinist, he decided to leave the motor as is.

“The motor is still fixable, but people have stolen a lot of parts off it over the years. The generator was stolen, the master cylinder was taken, numerous, numerous parts, and the

Legion doesn’t have the money to restore the motor. So, it is primarily just an attraction in front of our legion.”

The Hawkesbury Legion made a brass plaque to honour those who helped make the “Save the Jeep Project” possible. The plaque lists Hume, Michel Lamoureux, who assisted with the bodywork, and Michel Lenoir who donated the Jeep, as well as the project’s sponsors, Bertrand Paint and Welding Supplies, Sylmar Auto Ville, Vitrie Gauthier Glass, Willy’s Acres, and the Design Workshop.

FALL 2020 | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL 33

>>>

FINAL DETAIL

INTO THE ELECTRIC ERA The future is electrifying⁠—join in!

BY ALLISON ROGERS

Y

ou may find it hard to find a shred of optimism in 2020—but there are countless reasons to be excited about the automotive landscape that lays before Canada. The electric era is officially upon us.

In case you’ve missed it, Unifor recently secured a deal that will see Ford’s Oakville, Ontario, plant build five new electric vehicle

mere years away from electric vehicle repairs claiming a huge stake in most collision centres. Collision repairers will be destined to encounter a myriad of new concepts; lightweight materials, high-voltage batteries, ever-increasing technology and so much more.

With th a t c o me s a b evy o f o th e r consequences—the cost of repairs will

If the tale plays out as planned, we’re mere years away from electric vehicle repairs claiming a huge stake in most collision centres.

models from 2025 to 2028, in addition to batteries for the new models.

Alongside the announcement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed that Canada must be a global leader in zeroemissions manufacturing, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he will “always” have the backs of Canada’s auto workers. With a near $2 billion investment coming from the government, Canada has officially claimed its place on Electric Avenue.

In the same vein, Quebec has unveiled plans to cease gas-powered car sales by 2035—five years earlier than the proposal put forth by British Columbia.

If the tale plays out as planned, we’re

continue rising as vehicles become more complex, as will the length of repairs as batteries need to be de-energized and removed, even before a brief panel beating.

Training will be absolutely crucial as Canada makes its proposed shift toward zeroemissions vehicles.

The challenges brought on by the pandemic persist, even as new hurdles arise. Luckily, this industry excels in overcoming new challenges.

As a technician, painter, apprentice or student of the autobody trade, you need to remember why you are here, and that you’ll always be needed. A whole new world lays before you and, if you’re hungry for knowledge, you’ll be bound to succeed.

34 BODYWORXMAG.COM | BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL

Allison Rogers is the editor of Bodyworx Professional. She can be reached at allison@mediamatters.ca, or 905-370-0101.

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