The Panel Beating Process Explained
Responsible vehicle ownership involves more than observing a strict maintenance and service routine. A responsible vehicle owner is one who understands all aspects related to the use and ownership of the automobile.
Panel beating is among the most common smash repairs undertaken on automobiles. Therefore, responsible automobile owners should take a keen interest in what happens to their vehicles when they take them in for panel beating. This article discusses the panel beating process for the benefit of affected vehicle owners and for the benefit of those simply interested in knowing exactly what they're paying a panel beater like ACT Auto Body Works for.
Realignment And Stretching
Realignment is the first thing that a panel beater will do before commencement of any activities related to smash repair. Realignment of the automobile's body is a corrective measure aimed at combating the misalignment occasioned by the damaging impact of a road accident or related forms of collision. Auto body realignment is done using hydraulic lifts that adjust the position of the vehicle's chassis as required, before it is worked on.
Stretching and shrinking of auto body parts is done to restore dented areas of a damaged vehicle's body. Dents often appear as sections where the metal in the vehicle's body is stretched out of its original shape. Panel beaters use heat guns to apply heat onto affected areas before a panel-beating hammer is used to knock the dented area back into shape.
Planishing And Welding
After realignment and stretching, panel beaters will planish and weld damaged parts of the automobile's body. Planishing refers to the process of finely shaping the panel surface and giving it a smooth finish. This involves the use of a specialized shaping tool referred to as a "skate" onto which the auto body panel is pressed.
Once this is done, the panel beater joins different metal panels and related pieces of metal through the use of welding equipment. Welding in the panel beating process is used for reinforcement of the structural integrity of an automobile.
Filling, Sanding, And Spray Painting
In some situations, restoration of smash repairs requires the application of putty fillers on the vehicle's body. Putty fillers come in the form of mixed pastes that are shaped and smoothened as required once they're dry.
Sanding of the vehicle's body is done as a preparatory activity for the application of spray paint.
Spray-painting is the last activity involved in panel beating for smash repairs. This is the stage at which the more artistic vehicle owners incorporate graffiti into their automobile bodies.