Why it’s important
The way cars, trucks, and SUVs are made has drastically changed over the past decade. The materials that are being used have made a colossal impact on the collision repair industry. And, sad to say, this shift has even forced some automotive body shops out of business.
Car manufacturers are under a lot of pressure from both consumers AND the government to improve things like safety, power, increasing MPG ranges, and so on. To achieve this, automotive engineers have actively sought out more exotic metals and materials like high strength steel, carbon fiber, and aluminum.
Take, for instance, a Porsche Carrera GT. The body is composed mostly of carbon fiber. This polymer offers an extremely high strength-to-weight ratio, giving this beast of a roadster a high rigidity, high passenger safety, and very low weight. Carbon fiber isn’t a metal, however. It’s tightly woven strands of carbon compressed together with a certain epoxy to create composite parts. High strength, low weight, making for a great component for automobile frames.
The materials and construction practices, however, do come with their drawbacks. Any old shop can’t just pull and hammer a car back into shape any more. Some carbon fiber frames need to be cut in specific points using expensive tools to replace the damaged frame components. Aluminum, for instance, requires the use of a “clean room” where repairs aren’t contaminated by work done to steel cars as the two metals do NOT mix well and cause corrosion. A lot of shops aren’t equipped to handle these sort of tasks.
Here at Rob’s, we understand what it means to have the job done right, with the right tools, the right training, and the right materials. It has been our pride to have our collision centers to complete the OEM certification programs for both Audi AND Porsche. We are able to provide these high-quality machines with the same tools, procedures, and materials that the actual OEM manufacturer is able to.