AARN director wants welding push

THE AUSTRALIAN ACCIDENT Repair Network (AARN) is critical of welding standards and wants a certification process for its members put in place to make sure all work is up to standard.

Paul Sprunt, a director of AARN and principal of Fawkner Body Repairs, Melbourne, told Paint & Panel that the organisation was pushing for the certification to make sure users of the likes of MIG, Spot or Silicon Bronze welding equipment know what they’re doing. “Mistakes can be costly and dangerous,” he said.

What was needed was established training that would include work on MIG, Spot and Silicon Bronze, Sprunt added.

“The aim was to ensure that every AARN member was welding-certified by next year with work commencing in December of the process.

“The way we will test MIG, Spot and Silicon Bronze work is by having welds taken away and tested by an independent person in a force-ofweld test.

“MIG and Spot welding will happen first - with Silicon Bronze coming later.”

Sprunt said that he had discussions with ICar’s CEO, Richard Pratt, and they would be moving ahead together on the welding test for AARN members.

I-Car has already carried out some work in this area.

“The industry clearly wants to ensure that welding is up to scratch and certification is definitely the way forward.”

“You can have a situation where AARN can go to insurance companies and say the reasons that our members get certain work is because they have a welding certificate. If bolts and welding are not done well the job can be a disaster.”