How Thatcham works

Thatcham helped revolutionise the repair industry in the UK when it developed the Thatcham Time System. It has gone on to undertake research projects that will help repairers throughout the world.

In the 15 years since launching its job times and methods standards for the repair industry, UK-based research and training organisation Thatcham has expanded its operations to offer three production teams to better meet industry needs.

The Thatcham Time System (TTS) created a revolution in the industry when it was released in 1993, featuring the times for replacing parts and panels, as well as incorporating the repair methods used in escribe. The data is also available via the majority of estimating systems.

Thatcham first began researching repair times in the early 1970s, spurred by insurers who wanted a more accurate methodology (rather than mere ‘opinion’) to serve as a reference for estimators and insurers to agree the cost of repair.

Having established a ‘core time’ using a stop watch in accordance with work study rules, other factors were added, including, for example, the time it would take to obtain parts and materials from stores and record details on a job card.

Times were then converted to the British Standard 100 rating, which reflects the average rate at which trained technicians operate.

The principles remain the same today, but the way data is collected has undergone considerable change to reflect advancements in computer and vehicle technology.

According to Thatcham’s advanced data and methods operations manager, Andrew Marsh, the focus today is on methods.

“At various times the focus has moved between times and methods, depending on the prevailing market conditions,” Marsh said. “Fundamentally, both are associated with cost, because if the method is done properly, right first time, then that is an inherently efficient way of working.”

As well as improvements to the way in which it gathers and records methods data, Thatcham recognises that because there is no longer a standard repair suitable for all vehicles, speed to market with information is essential.

Production teams

With the aim of ensuring that basic data is available as near to a vehicle’s launch as possible, the TTS department now features three production teams, each named after circuits – Goodwood, Brands Hatch and Silverstone – and headed by Andrew Marsh.

The department is also supported by Andrew Walker, manager of repair technologies, and his team, who are responsible for looking into new joining technologies, welding and future construction materials.

There is also there is day-to-day communication and support to insurance repairer sectors provided by Stuart Anstie, manager of technical vehicle body repair, and his team.

Each ‘race track’ team specialises in a particular area. For example, team Goodwood is dedicated to German marque producers because they tend to share a similar outlook in using more adventurous technology. Specialisation enables the group to hone in on particular styles of engineering and the associated repair issues.

Within each of the three teams, there is a parts specialist, a panel technician, two TTS project engineers, a technical author, a technical illustrator and two MET (mechanical electrical trim) technicians, as well as a paint specialist who is brought in on a consultancy basis when needed. The team leader is responsible for making sure that the work load is balanced, duplication of effort is eliminated and that projects are executed as fast as possible.

“Last year, we were able to provide information to cover 77 new vehicles and this year we are looking to 90,” Marsh said.

Because of capacity constraints, he said it was not yet possible to provide ‘full methods’ on every model.
“What we are concentrating on is the provision of full methods for high volume vehicles,” he said.

“For smaller volume ones, which many repairers won’t even see, we will provide technical profiles covering vehicle construction, engine line up, analysis of MET and panel methods.”

Once a car is in the Thatcham research workshop, it is stripped and detailed studies are made of MET information, structural panels, what needs to come off in order to remove components and the strip/fit order.

“In a panel study, we need to see how far the panels have been extended when they are fitted and the overlap to another panel,” Goodwood team leader Bill Wing said.

“Sometimes, things are harder to remove than you think. For example, a trim may run the whole length of the car and be made-up of three overlapping sections. For a rear wing you may have to take out part of the facia to get to the next part of the trim and other parts.”

These days few tasks are recorded with a stop watch because the majority are already timed and in the system.
“A lot of vehicle manufacturers still do manual timing,” Marsh said. “There is a whole art to doing it properly and it’s time consuming. So, to speed up the process, we tore down the vehicles, compared the data and came up with statistical algorithms.

“These allow the counting of particular jobs, the classification of a particular type of joint and the associated elements for that type of job, be that a screw or a weld. We can then add in the complexity about access, getting tools in, being able to spot weld both sides or one side, etc.”

“To remove the bumper on the Vauxhall Insignia, for example, the TTS production system has been loaded with the number of operational elements,” Wing said.

“The system has a definition for bolts or screws of a certain size and torque. Each component is given a generic code so there is continuity for every vehicle.

“That code has a pre-set standard allowance of time so we know how long that will take and can concentrate on how and why it is coming off, as opposed to using a stop watch. There’s also some associated wiring to disconnect and all these coded items are added up to give the overall MET job time.”

Theory and practice

Sometimes, the teams find that manufacturers’ methods may sound fine in theory but don’t work in practice. Or it may be that Thatcham finds a better method of repair.

Goodwood team project engineer Jeffrey Herbert said the physical act of what the team does can also uncover wrinkles.

“There is a danger of just taking manufacturer methods because sometimes the data may be generic or from an earlier generation product, which usually gets updated later,” he said.

Ideally, Thatcham would like to work with manufacturers at the point of design, rather than waiting until the car is in the showroom.

“The most cost-effective time to change a design to improve repairability is when it is in the design phase, not when the tooling is being cut,” Marsh said.

“We want to get into the position where we are the outsourced party, similar to other engineering service providers. In this way we could construct the methodology before the vehicle is launched. There are significant advantages to everyone – the manufacturer, the repairer and the consumer – in being allowed to do that.”

Local contact

Information available through Thatcham research is available through Thatchamnet, which has partnered with PPG to offer the data to Australian and New Zealand paint and panel shops. It is available through PPG’s web presence www.ppgaccess.com.au.

Thatchamnet was created to provide a convenient on-line portal where collision repair industry personnel can quickly and easily acquire valuable specialist information on automotive bodyrepair methods.

Users will find detailed crash repair methods for a range of vehicles from almost every manufacturer in the world. Searching through the database is straightforward with information separated by manufacturer, model, body shape, trim level and derivative.

All methods are fully researched to ensure they provide practical solutions for the efficient, safe and cost effective repair of modern vehicles. Thatchamnet’s vast library of information is constantly being added to as new vehicle models are released.