When it comes to repairing aluminum, the lightweight metal is no more demanding than working with steel, it’s just different,” says Geoff Preston of Dent Fix Equipment (www.dentfix888.com) – a manufacturer and importer of the body shop equipment. Aluminum behaves differently than steel, adds Adam Smith of BTB Auto Glass and Body Shop Tools (www.btbtools.com) – a manufacturer of tools for the auto glass replacement, collision repair and other industries. “Steel has a memory. It will tend to want to go back to where it was, whereas aluminum doesn’t.”
FORD F-150
Aluminum body work has become more prevalent since Ford released its aluminum-bodied 2015 F-150. Aluminum body work was performed prior to the 2015 F-150’s release, but only on certain high-end vehicles and specific hoods and tailgates.
“The transition from steel to aluminum is happening, and the fleet departments who recognize this will be in a position to be prepared to repair it,” Dent Fix’s Preston says, noting more and more manufacturers are following Ford by utilizing aluminum panels in production vehicles. “Judging by the overall success of Ford’s efforts to prepare the repair industry and the high F-150 truck sales, it is very likely more vehicles in the industry will follow the F-150’s transition.”
Working on aluminum “is becoming a must,” BTB’s Smith agrees. “It was a bit of a ‘Should we? Should we not?’ I don’t think that’s a choice anymore.”
According to Dent Fix’s Preston, manufacturers are shedding the perception that aluminum panels are weak like soda cans. “The relatively thin aluminum panels have a surprising amount of rigidity and resistance to dents.”
INVESTMENT
The biggest challenge faced by body shop technicians is making the initial investment in the proper equipment to perform aluminum body service.
“Jaguar and Aston Martin and those sorts of companies have been using aluminum for quite a number of years,” BTB’s Smith explains. “But your average body shop might not see too many Jags or BMWs or Aston Martins, so they didn’t have to worry about equipment. Now that your most-sold vehicle in the country has aluminum on it, they’re going to have to tool up or potentially lose business.”
“The first thing to consider when purchasing aluminum tools is contamination,” Dent Fix’s Preston says. “Most shops have steel and aluminum work happening in a shared space. This means there are air-borne steel contaminates that could contaminate the aluminum panel through a process called galvanic corrosion.
“To avoid this, most care manufacturers require their authorized shops install an aluminum dust collecting system and fume extraction,” he continues. “They usually also recommend an aluminum dedicated work room or area with a special curtain.”
TOOLS
Additionally, cross contamination can occur if tools are used on steel and then aluminum.
“To prevent this, aluminum specific tools must be purchased,” Preston says. “They usually have a red mark to indicate aluminum-only use.”
Most of the commonly used aluminum repair tools are related to pulling dents. Aluminum-specific body shop tools, which are contained in Dent Fix’s Aluspot Aluminum Repair Station, include:
- Inline pneumatic paint remover with stainless steel brush, stainless steel shoe handle and tooth brush.
- Digital set temperature heat gun and infrared temperature gauge.
- Capacitor discharge welder with a self-contained weld gun with ground.
- Alu-magnesium stud pins and Alu-silicon stud pins.
- Hand T-puller, squeeze puller, lever puller and bridge puller.
- Body file with 340mm blade and stud cutter.
- Pick/finishing hammer, curved pein/finishing hammer, reverse-curve hammer, 22mm soft face hammer and 35mm dead blow hammer.
- Bolster-head nylon chisel, round-head nylon chisel, double-end nylon dolly, utility dolly, double-end dolly, thin-toe dolly, heel dolly and curved dolly.
- Dust cover.
Additionally, BTB’s Smith suggests having the following tools for aluminum work:
- Proper glass removal tools
- Self-piercing rivet (SPR) gun
- Frame adapters for holding and measuring aluminum
Dent Fix’s Preston adds there are health and safety concerns regarding aluminum and steel dust particles, so protective eyewear is encouraged.
MORE TO COME
The need for aluminum-specific tools will continue to increase as aluminum bodies gain popularity.
“It’s coming sooner than most people think,” Dent Fix’s Preston says. “It has long been a desired building material for the super car world for its lightweight properties, which increase performance numbers.
“Heavy vehicles like trucks can drop a lot of weight to improve fuel mileage. Fleets are always looking for ways to decrease fuel costs,” he adds, noting that hybrid and electric vehicles used in some fleets utilize aluminum as well. “As manufacturing costs go down, aluminum panels should become the go-to source for manufacturers looking to drop weight.”
