Alignment and measuring systems

The capital investment made in aligning and measuring equipment means panel shop owners want to ensure they get the best out of their purchase, and have the equipment last for as long as possible. GnG Sales’ Greg Davie with the help of Robert Gray and Neil McKell from Sydney Automotive Paints & Equipment look at how to maximise the potential of your measuring and aligning investment.

There are only a few pieces of capital equipment in your shop that would rival the cost and expected working life of alignment and measuring systems.

I will work on the assumption that when you invested in them you expected to improve the value of your operation through enhanced efficiency, higher quality of work or compliance with manufacturers and insurance companies; I expect the decision to purchase was a serious consideration. With this in mind, here is a question for you. How much time do you spend maintaining these very valuable assets and training your staff how to use them?

Car benches and measuring systems are not an area of expertise for my company so I engaged the advice of Robert Gray and Neil McKell from Sydney Automotive Paints (SAPE) who are two of Australia’s most experienced professionals in this area.

SAPE supplies and supports a wide range of capital equipment within the trade ranging from Autorobot and Celette car benches and measuring equipment to welding and infrared systems. During many years in the trade these gentlemen have seen it all.

Measuring equipment is a common area of neglect. It’s a precision instrument that needs to be handled with care and stored properly when not in use. Regular servicing is critical to ensure it provides accurate readings. Robert explained: “Some people are doing checks (measurement on a car with equipment that was calibrated 10 years ago.

How do they expect that to be accurate?” If measuring systems are not kept clean and well maintained the moving parts can become seized making them difficult to use and less accurate.

When it comes to benches there seems to be a misconception that because they are big sturdy pieces of equipment they can withstand abuse. But the truth is, despite all of their power and obvious durability this equipment needs its share of TLC and your staff needs to be knowledgeable on how to use it properly.

“It’s pretty common for panel beaters to bluff their way through using the equipment” Neil explained. “Shop owners think their staff has experience with using a bench, but the truth is many of them don’t know how to use it properly” . The result of improper use can be equipment damage, inefficient use of time, poor quality of work or someone getting hurt.

“Technology is constantly changing,” Neil said, “and unlike paint department staff being introduced to new techniques and technologies from paint companies, panel beaters often don’t receive any additional training once they leave TAFE”.

This lack of additional training means panel beaters often lack the skill, confidence and experience to get the most out of new equipment. As a result they don’t use the equipment frequently which means they don’t develop efficient skills and the equipment deteriorates from lack of use. This makes it harder to use, and as result staff don’t like using the equipment.

Neil and Robert have provided a few key points for getting the most out of valuable measuring and alignment assets.

Alignment Equipment
1. Regular inspections – regularly walk around the equipment looking for obvious signs of wear. These include leaks, physical damage, sticky movable parts , damaged rollers etc.

2. Grease what needs to be greased – Lubricate moving parts regularly.

3. Care for the nuts and bolts – The adjustment nuts and bolts on car benches are expensive so you should try to look after them. A few handy tips: don’t use and impact wrench to do them up or take them off; the frequent use of high speed and high torque will significantly shorten their working life. Staff may think they are saving time by doing this but in the long run they are actually costing you money. MAKE SURE YOU LUBRICATE THE THREADS REGULARLY.

4. Hydraulic fluid only please – Check your fluid levels regularly and only use hydraulic fluid. Add a small amount of hydraulic to the air intake of air hydraulic pumps once a week to help with valve lubrication.

5. Don’t ignore the obvious – if something does not seem to be running properly, is difficult to operate or has an obvious problem then arrange for a service call. Getting on top of a problem early can save you a lot of money.

6. Train your staff and check for competency – every 12 to 18 months ask your supplier to pay you a visit and run through the functions of the car bench and then ask your staff to demonstrate how to use the equipment to ensure they understand. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of regularly checking to see if your staff is using the equipment regularly. If they are not it might be because they are unsure of how to. You have spent a lot of money on this equipment, it is important your staff know how to use it.

7. Filter your Air – Water contamination kills hydraulic pumps. Without proper air filtration for air hydraulic systems water will get into the pumps and damage them. Spending $130-$150 on a good quality air filter will save you a lot of money on pump maintenance.

Measuring Equipment
1. Get it calibrated – You should aim to get your measuring equipment calibrated every six months if its getting heavy use or every 12 months for moderate to light usage. It’s basic logic, If the measuring equipment is not accurate your measurements are going to be off.

2. Keep it clean – Clean rollers, roller channels, adjustment knobs and measuring tapes by dusting them regularly. This will keep the equipment moving freely and easily.

3. Store them properly – When the equipment is not in use make sure it is stored in a location where they will not be bumped around or damaged. Cover them properly to prevent dust and moisture form deterioration moving parts.

4. Train your staff and check for competency – The same principles discussed in Alignment Equipment apply here

5. Keep up to date – Suppliers of measuring equipment like SAPE regularly release car measuring data. Having the latest data makes the job a lot easier.

If you think “I don’t have time to do all that, I have a business to run”, then you have wasted your money. Without a small amount of regular maintenance and training you will follow this path:
Staff will lack the skill, confidence and efficiency in using the equipment – the equipment will deteriorate through lack of care or damage through improper use - the equipment will be harder to use – staff will complain that the equipment is no good and will use it less and less frequently.

By spending a small amount of time each month on maintenance along with regularly training and testing your staff to become more comfortable and efficient using the equipment you will maximise the value you derive from your investment. The basic rule of business applies here; all assets must provide value, otherwise they are just an expense.

Here is something to ponder:

“So many people have spent a lifetime preparing themselves for technological skills yet have spent no time training themselves on how to influence people so the technical skills make a difference.”
Marshall Goldsmith – an American author of management-related literature, professor, consultant and executive coach.

Thank you to Robert Gray and Neil McKell from Sydney Automotive Paints & Equipment for their help on this article.