I-CAR responds to aluminum trend, complimentary webinar on aluminum repairs April 9

An increased number of vehicles made of light-weight aluminum structures are going to continue to occupy our roads, which means collision-damaged, aluminum-structured vehicles will become commonplace in many of today’s collision repair facilities. For collision repairers, this makes the need for advanced knowledge on repairing aluminum vehicles more critical than ever. On April 9, I-CAR will host a webinar in conjunction with Auto Body Repair News (ABRN) to delve into some of the considerations around repairing aluminum-intensive vehicles.

Jamie Boettcher, I-CAR Instructional Designer and Trainer stated, “Repair for aluminum structures is quite different from the process used with high-strength steels. Repairers need to understand whether their shop is ready to handle modern aluminum-intensive designs,” he continued, “Working with these new materials may require additional training and skill sets when compared to working with steel parts.”

The webinar will take place on April 9 at 12:00 p.m. EST and is 45 minutes in duration with Q&A at the end. Registration is open at no cost: abrn.com/icaraluminum.

The webinar will include an overview of aluminum, including considerations around stampings, extrusions, castings, galvanic corrosion, and damage analysis. Information on attachment methods and processes will be provided, in addition to general best practices for working with aluminum and details on heating and straightening.

Key highlights from the I-CAR Live course, Aluminum-Intensive Vehicle Repairs (ALI01), will be shared throughout the webinar. ALI01 premiered in November 2012 and is an interactive course with discussion, education, and decision-making exercises. Throughout the course, students make repair decisions on a simulated aluminum-intensive vehicle, exposing them to some of the considerations they may be faced with on a regular day in their own collision repair facilities.

To locate a class near you, visit www.i-car.com and access the Live Class Search function on the home page.