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Advanced High-Strength Steel Structures

Collision Repair Update

Steve Marks

Industry Technical Support Manager

I-CAR Tech Center

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Who Is I-CAR?

Inter-Industry Conference On Auto Collision Repair

• Not-For-Profit

• Develop and Deliver Collision Repair Training

• Conduct MIG Weld Coaching and Certifications

• Skills Training - Welding, Measuring, Sectioning

• Train Technicians, Insurance Claims Personnel

• OEM-Specific Contract Training Also Available

• Curriculum Used In 600+ Technical Schools

• 100,000+ Students Taught Annually

• Recommend Following OEM Procedures

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Good News! – Bad News!

The GOOD NEWS is that latest lightweight vehicle structures are :

• A key element in saving lives and reducing injuries in

collisions

• Lower mass to help achieve CAFÉ targets and mitigate the

weight gain from amenities the consumer demands

The BAD NEWS is that latest lightweight vehicle structures are :

• Creating challenges for the collision repair industry

• Perceived by some to be throw-away if collision damaged

• Perceived to be a major contributor to a rise in total losses

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Factors Influencing Total Losses

Increased total losses are not totally attributed to lightweight structures

Other key factors affecting the economics of vehicle repairability include:

• Increasing number of airbags and passive restraint components deploying

• Damage to interior components from passive restraint deployment

• Complex mechanical and electronic systems that are damaged from collision

needing replacement and recalibration, or code clearing following repairs

• High return on salvage

• Replacement part and sub-part availability issues

• Cost of rental cars, finding additional damage after repairs have started, and

the industry seeking a higher level of customer satisfaction

Although these all are areas where improvements can be made, Today we will

focus on repairability of lightweight structures

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Advanced Structure Collision Repair Goals

Quality structural repairs will ensure:

• Steel strength and properties are maintained

• Original performance and durability is restored

• Original level of crash protection is restored

• Passive restraint performance is restored

Requires OEM Collision Repair Information

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OEM Collision Repair Procedures

• OEM repair procedures becoming more available

• Collision Industry initially slow to embrace OEM procedures

• I-CAR promotes OEM procedures in all courses

• Collision industry stakeholders referring to OEM repair procedures

as the repair “standard” to produce “correct repair”

• Reduce subjective repair decisions

• Available on OEM websites and through other providers

• Some gaps in availability and content

• I-CAR assisting with accessing OEM information - Not a data base

• I-CAR working with OEMs as a linking pin to the collision industry

for questions not addressed in “manuals”

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OEM Collision Procedure Benefits

• Quality repair restores original integrity, performance, and

durability

• Improved brand perception/customer loyalty to OEM

• Helps maintain post-repair resale value

• Preserve brand quality for future owners as “pre-owned” vehicle

• Improved repairability can improve insurance ratings

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Advanced Vehicle Structural Repair

• UHSS reinforcements typically not sectioned - replaced at factory seams

• Section outer panels to access inner reinforcement seams

• Spot weld when two-sided access possible

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• OEM trend is requiring structural part replacement at factory seams

• Reinforcement seams not accessible without removing quarter panel and A-

pillar

• Becoming common issue for all lightweight material structures

• High total loss potential with side impact

Lightweight Vehicle Structural Repair Issues

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• UHSS B-Pillar reinforcement “kinked”

• Requires replacement to restore original “Shape and State”

• Outer panel must be removed to access the inner reinforcement factory seams

• Complete uniside replacement requires I/P removal and is very labor intensive

• Some OEMs have no collision repair information available in the US

Lightweight Vehicle Structural Repair

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• Requires OEM collision repair procedures for ALL vehicles

• More sectioning options for outer uniside to provide access to

inner reinforcement joints

• Allow sub-assembly replacement at factory seams when possible

• More service part options for uniside panels – Partial panels

• Avoid large one-piece UHSS reinforcements with no sectioning

• Determine optimum joining methods for collision repair

• Develop sectioning process for UHSS parts to reduce intrusion

Investigate sectioning using “cold” joining methods using

adhesives and mechanical fasteners to preserve steel strength

and OEM corrosion protection

Considerations For Improved Repairability

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State Of The Collision Industry

• Adopting the use of OEM procedures

• Upgrading equipment and utilities

• Obtaining training and weld certification

• Becoming capable of:

- Spot welding

- MIG brazing

- Weld bonding/sealing

- Rivet bonding

• Blueprinting to increase efficiency and accuracy of “Estimates”

• Replacing rather than straightening damaged panels when in doubt

Courtesy ProSpot

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Repairability Technical Support - RTS

• Beta site now

• Full scale launch date TBD

• RTS.I-CAR.COM

• Assist with accessing

collision information

• NOT building a database of

subscription-only materials

• Information IS available but

not always easily found

• Tech Inquiries searchable

• Tech Briefs

• Partial part replacement

search

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OEM Linking Pin

• Actively engage with OEMs – more meetings with Service

Technical Teams

• Encourage all OEMs to make repair procedures available

• Encourage OEM uniformity of repair information when possible

• Escalate & Resolve technical inquiries received through RTS

• Drive OEM procedures back into I-CAR curriculum

Plus…

• Provide OEMs feedback on repair procedure enhancements

based on I-CAR scan of Industry feedback (from Technical

Support, Summits, ISACs, CIC, stakeholder discussions, etc.)

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I-CAR Repairability Summits

• Ongoing meetings to discuss and resolve repairability issues with

advanced automotive structure materials and design

• Steel Industry, Insurance, Repairers, Trainers, Researchers

• Determine the information needs of the collision repair industry

• Meeting tomorrow May 15th at SMDI in Southfield

• Focus group identifying the most common structural repairability

issues

w w w . a u t o s t e e l . o r g Courtesy Of Chrysler Group LLC

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AISI Repairability Research Phase 1 - 2

The study led to the GM (and Ford)

matrix:

Courtesy of AISI and General Motors

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Latest Auto Steel Partnership Research

• Testing higher strength steels than in previous study

• Statement Of Work currently being developed

• Testing likely to include MIG welding, MIG brazing, and

spot welding done with collision repair equipment

• Gathering information from engineering and repair

sources to identify and prioritize repair issues

• Possible research on alternative joining methods that

may allow higher strength steels to be sectioned rather

than replacing at factory seams

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Collision Repair Resources for OEM Engineering

• Society Of Automotive Engineering

• SAE J2376 - New Vehicle Collision Repair Information

• Information requirements for collision repair

• Available from SAE at www.standards.sae.org

• I-CAR can also provide insight on collision industry

requirements

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Questions?

THANK YOU!

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North American

Light Vehicle Metallic Material Trends

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PRESENTATIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE MAY 16