ISSUE THE WELDING NEWS, TIPS, AND INFORMATION The I-CAR ® Collision Reporter™ magazine is dedicated to helping navigate the rapid changes happening within the collision repair industry by providing exclusive insights, resources and solutions. CONTRIBUTORS Melissa (Mel) Brothers Joel Dufkis Dustin Harrier Raven Hartkopf Kurt Lammon Carl Pence Jeff Poole Jaime Shewbridge Brian Wasson Chad Woodman Ryan Woodman EDITORIAL POLICY Collision Reporter accepts no outside or third-party advertising, sponsorships or endorsements. Opinions expressed in Collision Reporter are not necessarily those of I-CAR. ABOUT I-CAR Founded in 1979, I-CAR is a not- for-profit education, knowledge and solutions organization designed to support the evolving needs of the Collision Repair Inter-Industry. I-CAR is focused on improving the quality, safety and efficiency of auto collision repair for the ultimate benefit of the consumer. 2023 ISSUE 22 As an IACET Accredited Provider, I-CAR offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. 3 One Way, Shape or Form 6 Business Tools & Tips: Welding 101 – What to know, where to begin 8 Fantastic Plastic – An In-Depth Q&A About Plastic Welding 10 Tips to tune the welder and tune the welder 14 12 Top 5 EV Safety Considerations Women Who Weld 17 Welding Skills Reflection 24 26 Fueling I-CAR’s Vision and Mission 28 What’s New at I-CAR In This Issue 2 I - CAR COLLISION REPORTERCONTINUED ON PAGE 4 > 3 THE WELDING ISSUE It’s Monday morning at Woodman Collision Center, a more than 25,000-sqare-foot shop in Alton, Illinois, a suburb near St. Louis, and Ryan Woodman welcomes the familiar “crazy busy” cadence of a new work week. Open five days a week, the Center’s nine staff technicians work four 10-hour days, to allow for greater work-life flexibility, which means Mondays are particularly busy. For a town of 26,700, keeping up with a heavy stream of repair needs is a blessing; and Ryan, who co-owns the long-serving family business with his brother Chad, wouldn’t want it any other way. A canary yellow 2003 Ford Ranger is poised and ready for this actively certified welder in one of the shop’s 13 bays. Its owner brought it here following a hit to the driver- side bed. Woodman will soon flip down his trusted visor, don a pair of thick, insulated gloves, Woodman Collision Center Alton, IL One Way, Shape or Form Veteran Welder “Never Assumes” When it Comes to Safety Ryan Woodman knows continuous education and practice make him better at welding.4 I - CAR COLLISION REPORTER ONE WAY CONTINUED and bring the heat, just like he’s done countless time. He’s been welding in one way, shape or form for decades, crediting his earliest encounters to visits to his grandfather and father’s garage as a young child, watching steel bricks transform into curved pieces of art. As a teen, he enrolled in a high school welding class, thinking it would be an “easy A” given his front-row seat to his family’s creations. Not only did he ace the class, but welding has also become the core of his nearly 21-year collision repair career, including the last three as co-owner of Woodman’s with his brother Chad. Over the years, Woodman estimates he has personally performed thousands of welding repairs. Yet one fundamental concept has never changed: he still reviews the OEM repair procedure each time. “There are so many changes from one model year to the next, you can’t assume,” he said. “I don’t care how long you’ve been welding.” NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL TO OVERLOOK SAFETY “Each and every repair, no matter what, you are looking at those OEM repair procedures; no job is too big or small.” It is a responsibility he and his team do not take lightly. “I’ve seen a lot of things come in that I definitely would not want to put my family in that car,” he said. That means if they are performing non- related bodywork and spot an inferior weld, they are right on the horn alerting customers to potential dangers. “I may have a bumper replacement but see where a prior weld was made in a noted crash zone which can absolutely compromise the integrity of that structure in a future crash,” he said. “I call and let them know. They appreciate that and can tell we care.” While his brother Chad handles the operational side of the business, Ryan is most comfortable doing hands-on repairs, serving as the shop’s go to “welding guy.” Both Woodman brothers credit their family’s 80-year legacy in the collision repair industry with instilling strong values and a love for their work. It is a passion they hope to carry on to a fifth generation Woodman; their 17-year-old nephew Clay recently joined the business. “Each and every repair, no matter what, you are looking at those OEM repair procedures; no job is too big or small.” - Ryan Woodman5 THE WELDING ISSUE CHANGING METALS Over his 40+ years in the business, Ryan has watched materials change and new ones emerge, including light-weight aluminum, high-strength steels, silicone bronze, carbon fiber and more, which is why Ryan ensures practice welds are always performed. “Make sure you do practice welds on everything,” he said. “With the range in thickness of metals now, you need to verify proper penetration and burn throughout. Metals have gotten thinner, and they are trickier to weld. Practice welds are critical.” NON-NEGOTIABLE SAFETY CHECKS All these changes reinforce why Woodman’s non-negotiable safety checks let him sleep well at night. “I’m the last person to see that car (before it’s returned to the customer), so it has to be right,” he said. “Model to model, year to year, everything is changing non-stop. You could have a car six months ago; get the same one in and think you know it. There could be an updated procedure. You better look it up (OEM repair procedure).” An unwavering adherence to safety has been one of the shop’s legacy values. In fact, they count second and third- generation families as loyal customers. “We’ve got a really great group of guys; they all take pride in what they do,” he said. “We repair vehicles as if they were going to be driven by own families.” THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB The shop is on its third squeeze-type resistant welding tooling/equipment, given about 90% of Woodman’s welding jobs involve this welding approach. He estimates each one has lasted about five years. Investing in tooling upgrades has helped with repair efficiencies, according to Woodman. “It makes your life easier and it’s good for your business. Repair times are getting harder and harder to meet. Better equipment saves you time and helps make you money.” ALWAYS A STUDENT, ALWAYS LEARNING Woodman says he trains all the time, especially with the accessibility of I-CAR’s variety of online classes. He also ensures his team keeps up on hands-on skills. The shop recently hosted an I-CAR instructor providing hands-on skills training in squeeze-type resistant welding. The team appreciated the convenience and used Woodman’s equipment in the simulated upper-rail type weld bonding exercises. “If I can take something away, I’m still learning. If I can bring back one thing, then it was worth it.” “Metals have gotten thinner, and they are trickier to weld. Practice welds are critical.” - Ryan Woodmanconstruction of different vehicles. Each alloy or metallurgy comprises its own unique properties designed to perform in that vehicle’s structure to provide “as built” integrity. As such, there are unique considerations for collision repair, particularly in avoiding any adverse effects on future crashworthiness and occupant protection attributes of each vehicle repaired. No stronger, no weaker. This continued evolution of vehicles comes with the need for the most up-to-date repair attachment methods. Receding in the rear-view mirror are gas flame welding techniques when it comes to collision repair. By definition, welding is the joining of metals or thermoplastics through the introduction of heat to the melting point to join parts. Fusion welding uses similar filler material, and non-fusion methods use filler material that is different than the base materials being joined (brazing/soldering). In today’s world of advanced vehicle repair, welding can play a central role. Yet, with many welding methods available, which one is “right?” It’s no secret that vehicle makers and the industries that supply the materials that make up the fleet on the streets strive to build safer vehicles. This quest drives the automakers and their suppliers to continually research and develop newer, stronger metals (and other materials) and determine the required joining methods for each location in a vehicle structure. Steel and aluminum are the predominant metals used in body and frame JEFF POOLE Lead Subject Matter Expert BUSINESS TOOLS & TIPS Welding 101 – What to Know, Where to Begin 6 I - CAR COLLISION REPORTERHere’s a brief look at some common methods available to our industry today. • Gas Metal Arc (GMA) has been a collision repair mainstay for the past four decades. It uses a wire feeder to deliver electrode filler wire to a gun handle assembly where the operator directs the deposition of the weld puddle to the joint area. An electric current (arc) generates the necessary heat to melt the filler wire, and in the case of fusion welding, the metals being joined. This method is highly productive but does introduce high temperatures in the immediate weld “zone” which can affect the properties of the materials being joined. It is commonly referred to as Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding or Metal Active Gas (MAG) welding depending on the shielding gas utilized. GMA welding is highly dependent on operator knowledge and skill to set up the welder, tune or program it for the material stack in the joint, and to execute the necessary weldment. • MIG Brazing is a GMA process which introduces an electrode filler wire that is commonly silicone bronze or another alloy. The benefit of this process is lower temperatures introduced into the joint which helps preserve the strength properties of ultra-high strength steels commonly in today’s vehicles. • Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding is an electric arc process whereby the operator holds a torch handle that houses a tungsten electrode (varying specific unique compositions dependent on materials being joined). The tungsten electrode is used to direct the arc to the weld area while a shielding gas is dispersed to the area and the operator introduces the required filler rod by hand. This process is not common in mainstream collision repair; however, it is common in industrial fabrication, performance, and racing, and may be recommended in some exotic and high-end specialty vehicle repairs. • Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot Welding (STRSW) is the primary joining method used by most vehicle makers on the assembly line. Sealers or adhesives may be used in the panel stack as well. Modern STRSW equipment is available to the collision repair industry and very capable of reproducing that factory look while minimizing the detrimental effects of the high heat input compared to GMA welding. OEM REQUIREMENTS Vehicle makers may require specific equipment to participate in their certified networks and may provide more than one option. Welding recommendations/requirements vary widely across the OEMs; one size does not fit all. For instance, STRSW is the preferred or required method for many OEMs, while weld bonding is specified in some procedures, and other variations in the process may be required. Keep in mind, too, that OEMs may identify other attachment alternatives such as rivet bonding for repair attachment. LOOKING AHEAD Is laser welding in your future? Demonstrations at SEMA 2022 included a laser wire-feed welding unit that produced precise weld beads on various metals. While this may not be on any short-term shop equipment requirements list, I-CAR’s technical experts continue to monitor the viability of this and other emerging technologies. In the interim, I leave you with this question to ponder: Look around your shop or at the claims you are handling. After your repairs, will these vehicles perform as designed in another collision? That’s the goal. Nothing less. 7 THE WELDING ISSUE8 I - CAR COLLISION REPORTER The Sustaining Partner Program benefits collision repair professionals with greater access to quality education and knowledge sources and subsequent employment opportunities and advancements. Which types of plastic are compatible with Polyvance’s welding equipment, and how does the plastic composition impact the welding process during collision repair? There are two major families of plastics – thermosets and thermoplastics. Thermosets are plastics that form a solid via a chemical reaction between two liquid components. These plastics form crosslinks between the molecule chains that lock them into position. Thermosets are very common in collision repair – two-part seam sealers, plastic repair adhesives, panel bond adhesives, polyester filler, and even urethane clearcoats are examples. But thermoset A nitrogen plastic weld using a round profile welding rod. an in-Depth Q&A about plastic welding fantastic Plastic KURT LAMMON President SUSTAINING PARTNER™9 THE WELDING ISSUE plastics cannot be welded because the crosslinked molecule chains cannot be broken down by heat. Thermoplastics are those that do not have crosslinked molecule chains. The application of heat allows the molecule chains to slide past one another, melting the material. When the plastic cools, it resolidifies. This type of plastic is widely used in manufacturing, such as in injection molding and extrusion processes. A bumper cover made of polypropylene is a perfect example; small pellets of resin are melted and injected into a mold in the injection molding process. Once the plastic in the mold has cooled sufficiently, the mold is opened and the finished part is removed. Since thermoplastics may be melted and resolidified, they can be fusion welded. Most plastic automobile parts are thermoplastic materials, and thus may be welded. There are dozens of different types of thermoplastic materials commonly used on automobiles. One of the most common materials is polypropylene, a material which is relatively abundant, inexpensive, and which may be blended with a variety of additives and other plastics to modify its properties for a wide range of uses. Bumper covers are often molded of polypropylene blended with synthetic rubber to give it greater flexibility. It may also be blended with glass fibers for greater strength, or talc to reduce its cost. Nylons have an inherently higher melting point and are thus used for high temperature applications under the hood, for example, on radiator tanks or intake manifolds. All thermoplastics are welded in essentially the same manner, but it is important to select the proper, matching filler rod and to weld the plastic at the correct temperature. Hotter is not always better – for example, the strength of PVC welded at 1300 degrees Farenheit is much lower than when it’s welded at 850 degrees. The melting points of ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and nylon are hundreds of degrees different, so it is important to follow the recommendations of the plastic welder manufacturer when setting the temperature of the plastic welder. What are some specialized Polyvance tools and techniques used for plastic welding in collision repair, and how do they differ from traditional welding methods? Polyvance offers two tools for plastic welding – airless and hot air/nitrogen welders. The airless welder is like a soldering iron with a special tip that allows both the substrate and welding rod to be melted and blended. The hot air/nitrogen welder melts the substrate and welding rod with a flow of hot gas, and the two plastics are fused together with a light downward pressure on the welding rod. It’s a process similar to TIG welding where the rod is held in one hand and the torch in the other, with the heat directed at the point where the rod and substrate come together. Hot air/nitrogen welding is a process more suited to the professional collision repair shop because the speed of the welding process is much faster and the strength is greater. The strength is greater because the original extruded structure of the welding rod itself is not compromised during the welding process as only the bottom surface of the rod and the top of the substrate are melted and joined. This is the most important difference between metal and CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 >Next >