Some might argue that unless you are repairing prestige cars or you want to specialise in aluminium repairs, then your money could be put to better use elsewhere in the shop.
How many aluminium repairs will you actually carry out when manufacturers mandate many parts must be replaced rather
than repaired?
We asked some of the leading suppliers whether it was worthwhile investing in an aluminium bay.
Lowbake
Mark Williams of Lowbake points out some of the inherent dangers of working with aluminium:
Aluminium protects itself from corrosion with an oxidation film that forms on the surface of the alloy. The oxidised film exists after cleaning of the aluminium surface.
If metal comes in contact with freshly cleaned aluminium, then galvanic corrosion causes deterioration of the aluminium surface.
Contact with metal should be avoided at all times.
The second thing to consider with aluminium repair is that certain manufacturers do not allow repair shops to weld aluminium sections, as there is a risk of electrolysis passing through different parts causing corrosion and possible interruption of other welds and bonded parts.
This is why some manufactures have repair kits that are glued and riveted to make the repair.
As these glues are highly toxic, care must be exercised when used, with proper PPE and ventilation in the work area highly recommended.
Another risk with aluminium is that the dust from sanding and filing is conductive and in some situations explosive, so selection and use of vacuum-sanding equipment that is suitable for explosive dust approval must be considered and used.
It's always hard to get specific details from manufacturers' requirements and recommendations.
Audi specifications, for instance, do not seem to specify ventilation but rather curtains with a specific light level and to put all of the tools on a sliding rail system to make the job easier.
Different levels
Lowbake has different levels of customers.
The first and most basic is the one who just wants to make a work provider happy. They require an area with a big sign on the front that says ‘aluminium repair’.
It may have some sort of cupboard with tools in it and it may have a curtain and perhaps some sort of exhaust extraction.
When the work provider comes in they show the bay or area and they are happy and keep the job.
This is not recommended, but is the lowest cost. Prices for this basic area range from simple $500 for a sign and header panel through to $15,000 to 20,000 for curtains, ventilation and cupboards.
The second type of customer is the more serious one that has installed a separate room with ventilation and ergonomic storage and display of all tools necessary for the repair in controlled atmospheric conditions.
These are similar to a spray booth construction and are usually bigger, with a concrete floor that will enable a mobile pulling bench to be wheeled in with the car clamped on for jigging whilst the damage is being replaced.
These rooms are also fitted with a selectable ventilation rate for gluing and repair and an increase of the ventilation rate to allow spot priming or sealing of the aluminium repair before it is returned to the general shop area to be completed.
Prices for this sort of room start at $45,000 upwards, depending on the configuration and size.
Masterbooth
Masterbooth's Steven Kaye explains why aluminium welding rooms are essential:
There has always been a mystical tag attached to repairs of aluminium, mainly because of poor education and training coupled with inappropriate welding equipment, fillers, lack of cleanliness, incorrect preparation and lack of knowledge of the different types of alloys and their weld ability.
Another major consideration is the effect of aluminium welding (and other types of welding) on those undertaking the repairs.
By-products of aluminium welding include, but are not limited to, carbon monoxide gas, ozone, ultraviolet rays and other compounds and situations which can be detrimental to the repairer and others in the immediate vicinity.
A serious repair shop owner and their employees should be knowledgeable in their responsibilities to protect themselves and other employees from the hazards, risks and exposure to aluminium welding, which could lead to health problems in the future.
Education and training would serve to reduce or eliminate sources of health problems.
Dedicated aluminium room
A true aluminium welding room should contribute substantially to the successful and time-efficient repair of aluminium automotive components, given that the repairer has the knowledge and follows the manufacturers' recommendations explicitly.
The room should provide good lighting, comfortable work space, clean room atmosphere and ventilation.
At the top end, it will have piped gases, compressed air, single and three-phase power, work bench, dedicated aluminium welder capable of welding thin aluminium to heavy structural assemblies, even a mid-lift hoist for operator efficiency and comfort for chassis work.
Externally, the room would appear very much like a quality spray booth, perhaps a little wider.
Internally it would look like a mini workshop, well set out with its dedicated equipment, and well thought out ventilation, lights, power sources etc.
Successful aluminium welding cannot and should not be attempted in an open panel shop environment which is hostile to successful aluminium welding due to impurities in the air that can only be detrimental to the super clean environment demanded for good work.
The operator should have a good mask and breathing apparatus and ensure correct preparation. The latter cannot be over-stressed.
The welding machine should be first class, preferably with pulsing and spotting functions and the ability to save successful settings for future use.
Do not use abrasive discs for prep work, unless specifically designed. Use carbide cutting tools and ensure your trainer is consulted.
Use residue-free solvents to clean off dust and oils if present. Use mask and gloves for ultraviolet ray protection.
Makeshift curtained off areas are not really an option to achieve the quality necessary, especially for structural work.
For the specialist, an aluminium repair room is essential equipment.
The costs of aluminium welding rooms can vary from $12-15,000 at the budget end to $50-100,000 at the high end.
GFS
Trent Louder from Peregrine argues that curtains can be adequate as long as you have a separate area to carry out aluminium work and separate tools:
If you're thinking of expanding in the future and there is more aluminium work that will be entering the market, then a state-of-the-art aluminium booth with painting facilities would be the go.
Aluminium can combust so it needs to be handled as a hazardous material for collection and storage.
There are companies that specialise in containment. You must use specific tools dedicated only to aluminium repair. They should not be used for iron repair.
There are some special tools the shop would need, such as an aluminium welder and possibly an aluminium dent puller.
ProSpot makes the I5 that will do both iron and aluminium welding and dent pulling. It is acceptable to use this welder on both iron and aluminium so the shop can get by with one welder.
The bay that is used for aluminium repair can also be used for iron repair but the stall should be washed out before the repair substrate is changed.
The cost for the aluminium repair booth is going to be somewhere between $10,00 and $40,000 plus GST, depending on the what options the customer wants.
Junair
Peter Belding of Junair advises his customers to think hard about whether they need an aluminium booth:
We typically supply and install aluminium repair bays (ARBs) in shops that repair a significant percentage of luxury brand vehicles.
Each car manufacturer has its own ARB standard. I believe the ARB specified by Land Rover will comply with all other brands.
The key features of an ARB are that it is an enclosed cabin with good lighting and its own ventilation system.
The approach of using curtains and separate tools in an ARB to repair aluminium parts would not be at all effective in mitigating potential contamination issues.
Although the concern about cross contamination and galvanic corrosion are real, there will be many people who will say that they have never come across any issues when repairing aluminium and steel parts in the same space.
They may question whether the investment in an ARB and potential loss of production space make it a viable proposition.
I am often asked by a prospective client to quote a longer, taller and wider spray booth.
This is so the shop does not have to turn away those larger vehicles that occasionally turn up.
I will typically suggest the following: when you do the maths and calculate how many larger vehicles could possibly be repaired (compared to the typical job) and balance this against the additional cost of a larger spray booth, plus the additional amount of production space that would be taken up by the larger booth, does it make sense?
My advice for a general crash repair shop owner contemplating investing in an ARB would be the same.
Will the same be true in the future?
I am not sure, but I do not imagine aluminium will overtake steel in car construction.
The many new ultra high-strength steels that have been developed in the recent past have allowed car manufacturers to produce lighter, stronger vehicles.
I am sure there are many more steel developments on the horizon. Over the last hundred years or so, the steel industry has grown to be able to supply the huge car manufacturing industry.
In the medium term, I cannot see how the much smaller aluminium industry could scale up to replace steel in the main for car sheet metal body panels, other than increasing its share in certain expensive, luxury brand models.
Today, if it is strictly used for the repair of aluminium parts, and given the small percentage of vehicles on the road with aluminium parts, then an ARB will not be fully utilised. And it will take up precious production space.
If, on the other hand, a shop needs to install an ARB then it should be used as a general non-ferrous repair bay.
It could be used to repair bumpers and alloy wheels as well as carrying out repairs on aluminium parts.
By utilising the ARB in this manner, its production capacity would be increased.
We recently introduced to our Junair Spraybooths product range an ARB in which spraying and full baking operations can be safely carried out.
This further increases the potential utility and production capacity of an ARB.