So you’ve pranged your beloved vehicle and it’s off to the body shop for some repairs. Ever wonder what an auto body repairer does? They turn our bumps into beauty again so that we can be on our way with a shiny, smooth car body. A technician will repair, restore, replace and refinish car bodies, windscreens, frames and glass. They will patch up your old faithful and get her motoring again.
An auto body repairer will look at a damage report and then produce a estimated cost and make a plan for the work to be done. The bashed up bits will be removed and these could include items like grills, bumpers, trim, doors and bonnets. The frame and chassis will be realigned to sort out structural damage. A panel beater will then hammer out dents or fix them up and take care of all body damage. For Car Body Repairs Swansea, visit http://www.lmvrepairs.co.uk/.
Replacement parts will be fixed or welded onto the vehicle and windows will be replaced if needed. The repaired surfaces will then be sanded down to make them nice and smooth before the paint shop get to work, covering up the repairs.
Repairs can be made on almost all minor everyday collision and there are many tools available to achieve this work. Pneumatic tools are employed to remove parts such as bumpers, door panels and so are metal-cutting guns and plasma cutters. Hydraulic jacks can be used for realigning frames and a variety of hand tools can be used for the repair to the car’s body work, such as pliers, hammers, wrenches and screwdrivers.
Body shops can be noisy places and also have to be well ventilated due to the dust and paint fumes that need to be dispersed. It is a demanding role and an auto repair technician works in a physical environment that can be cramped and difficult.
It might be that you need to take your car to a specialist repair shop as there are repair shops that specialize in things like brakes, exhausts, transmissions, air conditioning, glass repairs and wheel alignment. Some shops only work on certain brands of vehicle and some prefer to specialise in customisation or modification of vehicles.
To become a vehicle technician, there are many qualifications available in vehicle maintenance and repair. You will need the ability to handle a wide range of tools, work methodically and with great attention to detail. You will need to be good at communicating with people and following instructions on the work that needs to be completed. Working on your own and working with your hands, you will also need to be reasonably physically fit and agile. Once in the job there are further awards to aim for including the Automotive Technician Accreditation from the Institute of the Motor Industry.
A paint sprayer in the body shop will be responsible for mixing paint by eye or using technology to create the closest colour match to the existing car’s paintwork. The paint spraying equipment needs to be set up and areas not to be painted are taped up. Primer is applied, then paint and then a finishing substance. A good eye for detail, hand-to-eye co-ordination and normal colour vision are all requirements of the role.