By Patrick Paul
Whether you're just setting up shop, renovating or expanding an existing location, or are just in the market to upgrade your existing facility, how your collision repair shop is equipped is a vital ingredient for your long-term success. Regardless of whether you have all the money in the world at your disposal or are running on a tight budget, this “generic” equipment guide will help you sort out your priorities when purchasing equipment and aid you in making the most of your dollars.
Three key things to consider whenever making any equipment purchase are:
1. Usability: How quickly and easily can this item be put to use, and how much long-term use can I expect from this item?
Good equipment investments are made on items that can be easily and readily put to use by techs. Items should be very useful on a regular basis and should not require massive amounts of training. Items that are too specialized to a particular task or are more difficult to use than a similar item you already have may find themselves collecting dust after the initial “whiz-bang” period of newness wears off. It is important to consult with your technicians on this issue, especially if the purchase is a large one, to make sure the item will be used regularly.
2. Rate of return: How much money will this item make for me? How quickly will I recuperate my initial investment?
You need to be able to find out how fast you will earn back the money you invest in new equipment to find out if it is worth upgrading. For example, let's say you discover a new welder that allows a technician to install a quarter panel one hour faster than with your current welders, but the item costs $5,000. A little simple math will reveal the number of installations necessary before the new welder will pay for itself (break even). Simply take the cost of the item and divide it by your hourly rate. Your answer equals the number of quarter panels you would need to install to break even. Only after that will the welder begin to make money.
3. Upgradability: How quickly will this item become obsolete and/or how quickly will my shop outgrow this item's capacity?
If either of these happen, can this item be upgraded or improved to meet new demands or standards, or will I have to discard this item and purchase new equipment? It is important to estimate your growth potential when deciding on an equipment purchase and also to anticipate new product developments in the class of equipment you are considering. To illustrate, it would be unwise to purchase heavier-duty post pullers for a floor-based anchoring system if you are beginning several new direct repair program (DRP) arrangements and will probably find yourself in need of a drive-on frame rack or bench soon. Your post pullers would likely end up gathering dust once the still newer equipment was installed. Worse still, you might not be able to afford to upgrade again at all and would be stuck with the floor system until more cash became available.
Furthermore, it would be a good idea to research any equipment type thoroughly to find out if new technologies were about to be introduced that would make any existing models under your consideration obsolete, and if so, hold off on a purchase until the new versions were available for consideration as well.
Finally, are the items you're considering upgradable? That is, if new technology becomes available, can the items be retrofitted to take advantage of new features, or will they need to be discarded in favor of more new equipment?
With these three guiding principles in mind, let us take a look at each major piece of equipment a collision shop will need, and some key issues to consider when purchasing each of them.
Lifting Devices
This can range from a simple floor jack to an in-ground lift. It is important to consider that every technician should have access to a lifting device at all times. In a collision repair environment, lifting devices will more often be used for working under the edge of bumpers or in wheelwell areas more than actually under the vehicle as a mechanical shop would. Thus, lifting devices are more often used for raising a single end or corner of a vehicle than the whole thing at one time. Of course, being able to lift an entire vehicle to a comfortable working height is also a benefit of whole-car lifts, but again, being able to raise a vehicle above a technician's head is probably not necessary. It is also important to note that double-post-type lifts are often not the best choice for a collision repair shop because they limit access to the sides of the vehicle lifted, making working on doors or bedsides difficult and in some cases impossible. If whole-vehicle lifting is desired, a compact “low-rise” model may be the best item to consider.
Welders
The indispensable MIG welder is a necessity for any shop wishing to do proper repairs to unibody cars. The main consideration for MIG welders is how many. In an ideal world, every technician would have his own welder. If this is monetarily impossible, purchase at least one welder for every two technicians. Of course, if you are implementing an assembly line style workflow model, technicians who are responsible for welding should each have a welder. Welders for other techs would be unnecessary. Resistance-type welders should be considered as a supplement to MIGs if they can be afforded, as they can speed structural repairs significantly and at the same time produce a more factory-like repair, but there are instances when only a traditional MIG will do.
Spray Guns
Your painter should be equipped with at least two spray guns: one for applying color, sealer and clear, and another for primer. An inexpensive suction-feed gun can be used for the “primer” gun and more money diverted to the “paint” gun if funds are tight, as the “paint” gun is infinitely more important. If it can be afforded, however, gravity-feed guns for all applications are preferable due to their ease of maintenance and cleaning.
Also, the more money you have to spend, the more specialized your gun choices should become - such as separate clear, color and sealer guns; and even multiple color guns if your budget will allow it. Different quality levels of guns can be used in this mix, of course, as the sealer gun need not be quite as good as the color and clear guns. It is best to keep in mind that you often get what you pay for in spray guns, and also to check the availability of replacement parts, and their cost.
Frame Pulling System
Let it be said that a three-dimensional unibody measuring system is nearly indispensable. Upper body capability is also an important consideration. If your shop works on many late-model import cars, this should be your primary concern after purchasing basic pulling equipment, because being able to pull is of no use without being able to pull accurately. Often a simple tram gauge doesn't cut it. If it can be afforded, a major brand name, complete pulling setup is probably your best bet if you're just starting out. If you are upgrading from floor pulling, a complete rack or bench setup sold as a package is also a good choice. If you already possess one or more pulling fixtures with three-dimensional systems, an add-on (or a completely new rack designed specifically for this purpose, depending on the vendor and funds available) computerized measuring system can be of great benefit.
Paint Spray Booth
To comply with environmental law (not to mention getting a clean finish) you must have an enclosed spray booth of some sort. Downdraft of some variety is the preferable airflow configuration, although traditional crossdrafts will work just fine as well if a downdraft (or side-downdraft) cannot be afforded. Regardless of the airflow configuration, heat curing (baking) is an extremely useful feature that will greatly reduce booth cycle time and enhance paint shop productivity dramatically. Finally, when considering different spray booths, it is important to consider lighting and the quality of the seals around doors, filters and windows. Try not to allow gimmicky “features” or gadgets some booths offer to sway your decision over solid construction and a productivity-promoting design. Replacement filter cost and the maintenance needs of each booth under consideration should also be a factor as well as whether prices quoted include such things as shipping, assembly, construction permitting, digging a pit (if needed), air makeup unit/burner, gas plumbing (if needed), electrical wiring and a fire-control system.
With this guide, you should now be headed in the right direction when making equipment-purchasing decisions. No two shops are identical, and thus, no one piece of equipment is ideal for all shops, but the three main principles listed above will help you narrow your choices down to those that will be of the greatest benefit to your specialized needs. It is advisable to put any equipment purchase through these three “wringers” before making a final decision. They may help you avoid buying a very expensive future paperweight or dustcatcher.
| Patrick M. Paul is the office manager at Mell Paul's Body Shop, an ASA member in Norcross, Ga. He holds a degree in management and is an ASE-certified estimator.
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