The Aluminum Association says that manufacturers like the lighter weight material for its strength and environmental advantages. While steel is still the most used material in vehicles, aluminum comes in at a strong second, with almost 90% of it able to be recycled at the end of a vehicle’s life.

As manufacturers make the shift to more aluminum vehicles, this will also change how and where vehicles involved in an accident will be repaired. According to Dan Young, senior vice president of insurance relations for CARSTAR, there are anywhere from 34,000 to 36,000 collision repair shops in the U.S. “Those shops are fixing cars for an industry that is worth $30 billion and they are all vying for this work.”

Not every shop is equipped or has technicians trained to work on aluminum vehicles. “There is a great deal of cost that a shop has to be willing to invest to get into this aspect of the business,” adds Young. “They have to get certified to work on wholly aluminum vehicles, have separate tools and work areas, and that can cost several hundred thousand dollars.” Because of cross-contamination issues, aluminum cars cannot be worked on in the same area as steel cars because the aluminum particles will wear down the steel.

Young says that there are different training requirements depending on the manufacturer. Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover and BMW require technicians be trained to work on their aluminum vehicles. Those currently trained to work on steel vehicles will have to be retrained to work on aluminum as well. I-CAR, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, has developed training courses recognized by many manufacturers and is working with insurers to educate appraisers, adjusters and technicians on what is involved in repairing these new vehicles.

Photo: I-CAR

Training time

“Training for working with aluminum in collision repair differs from training for working with steel in that you’re often using different tools and different techniques because of the properties of each material,” explains Jason Bartanen, director of industry technical relations for I-CAR. “It’s not that aluminum is more difficult to work with; it’s more a matter of getting trained on how to use the different tools that are specific to each material and the proper material-specific attachment techniques.”

However, Bartanen says that the training technicians have already received for working on steel cars definitely translates into repairing aluminum vehicles. “You have the three-dimensional measuring, many of the basic hammers and dollies that they’re going to be using a lot on aluminum, corrosion protection, etc. I often hear from people, ‘Well, aluminum doesn’t need corrosion protection.’ It absolutely needs corrosion protection. So a lot of the foundational pieces translate to aluminum.”

The welding machines from steel to aluminum are completely different, as are the techniques utilized for the repairs. “Right now, the majority of steel vehicles aren’t repaired with rivet guns, so they’re learning a new tool, a new piece of equipment. In the future, we’ll probably be using rivet guns for steel cars, but right now the majority of steel repairs are not made with rivet guns; they’re repaired with spot welders and MIG welding, so there are some tool differences there,” explains Bartanen. “Even from a damage-analysis standpoint, some of the rules for what is repairable for a steel vehicle don’t apply to aluminum.”

I-CAR uses a “kink versus bend rule,” which says if the part is kinked, it should be replaced; if it is bent, straightening may be an option. “So there are some differences from a damage-analysis standpoint,” adds Bartanen. “Micro cracking occurs in aluminum panels, and you can’t see it with the naked eye, so you need dye penetrant to identify it. Now, dye penetrant isn’t something that we use as often on steel vehicles, but it might come in handy on aluminum vehicles. So there are some subtle differences from a damage-analysis standpoint, as well.”

Photo: I-CAR

Working with steel is not a prerequisite for learning to work on aluminum cars and the amount of time required to train technicians really depends on the individual and his (or her) aptitude for picking up the repair techniques. “Sometimes, the experienced technician may have some bad habits that they need to unlearn, while an inexperienced technician who is completely new to collision repair may absorb a bit better. Conversely, of course, a new technician may have trouble grasping some of the concepts, whereas an experienced technician may have some familiarity that helps them,” says Bartanen.

I-CAR training options vary in length and intensity depending on the technician’s experience level and employment goals. There is a three-credit-hour program on aluminum panel removal and installation, classroom-based night classes held at local schools or training facilities, intense certification courses for manufacturers like Jaguar and Land Rover, as well as introductory courses for those who have never worked on a car before to help them learn industry terminology, tools and estimating.

Manufacturers also have their own in-house training programs for technicians. “Audi offers up to a 10-day program for its aluminum network, which is very hands-on intensive,” says Bartanen. “Students go through an internationally recognized ISO welding certification test. It’s much more hands-on, a lot more time, and because of this, more costly.”

Photo: I-CAR

Different tools required

Training isn’t the only differentiator for working on aluminum vehicles. Among the tools that differ significantly from steel to aluminum cars are the rivets. ”Definitely rivets, whether it’s a self-piercing rivet, a blind rivet or a solid rivet, are something that we’re not using to repair most steel vehicles today,” explains Bartanen. “Conversely, we’re not using spot welders on aluminum vehicles, but we’re using them on steel today. The MIG welding equipment that we use – although you can use a MIG welding piece of equipment – you have to convert the machine unless it offers multiple guns with it. You’re using a different shielding gas for steel versus aluminum. You’re using different electrode wire for steel versus aluminum. Even the different techniques – you can either push or pull for steel welding – while for aluminum you have to push, or you’ll get contamination in the weld. So there are some subtle differences in technique as well.”

Photo: I-CAR

Repair process of the future

In addition to requiring new training, tools and equipment, and segregating the repair areas for aluminum and steel cars, there will be some new challenges for repair shops and insurers to consider.

“When you look at the investment that shops will have to make go get into this business, it will impact the repair cost,” says Young. “Fifty percent of the U.S. market has a vehicle that is 12 years old. Everyone will be focused on the average cost of repairs as they creep up. As technology in vehicles gets more sophisticated, breaking a computer now means damaging the command center. Aluminum cars require different tools and skill sets, which will mean more expenses.”

“Going forward, we’re not going to be working on a steel-only vehicle or an aluminum-only vehicle – we’re going to be working on a vehicle that has a combination of steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, magnesium, and probably some other materials that we’re not even familiar with yet, so when we reach that level of hybridization, we’re not going to be able to segregate them,” warns Bartanen.

“The Cadillac CT6, for example, has both aluminum and steel on the side of the vehicle. You can’t use conventional welding techniques because you can’t weld steel to aluminum – not in an aftermarket process anyway. So we’re going to be repairing those types of vehicles with rivet and rivet-bonding techniques that we’re going to be learning as we start to repair more aluminum cars.”

Bartanen believes that it will be critical for repair facilities to provide a learning culture for technicians to encourage them to learn new techniques in order to adapt to the changes they will be seeing in future vehicles. “There’s going to be a learning curve there, and those who have embraced a learning culture, believing training and knowledge-sharing are valuable and contribute to improved business performance sooner rather than later are going to be more prepared—not only to repair aluminum vehicles tomorrow, but also to repair hybrid vehicles that have aluminum and steel on them.”

I-CAR’s Platinum ProLevel designation can provide insurance professionals with the information they need to stay current with changes in the automotive repair industry, particularly vehicles like the aluminum-intensive 2015 Ford F-150. USAA is one of the insurers who has committed to training 100% of its auto physical damage appraisers (APDAs) to achieve the Platinum ProLevel 1 and to date, 96% have achieved the designation.