When it comes to repairing aluminum, the lightweight metal is no more demanding than working with steel, it’s just different,” says Geoff Preston of Dent Fix Equipment (www.dentfix888.com) – a manufacturer and importer of the body shop equipment. Aluminum behaves differently than steel, adds Adam Smith of BTB Auto Glass and Body Shop Tools (www.btbtools.com) – a manufacturer of tools for the auto glass replacement, collision repair and other industries. “Steel has a memory. It will tend to want to go back to where it was, whereas aluminum doesn’t.”
Despite the differences between the two metals, the basic body shop repair concepts are the same, Preston notes. These include:
- Always expose the bare aluminum.
o Remove OEM paint.
o Remove oxidation, which can form quickly when aluminum is exposed to oxygen. That oxidation affects welding joint.
- Heat the panel to the manufacturer’s recommended heat range when pulling dents.
- Take into consideration the thinner and different nature compared to steel panels. [ not sure what you meant by this. Clarify or delete ]
- Hammer-on and hammer-off dolly techniques, when used properly, are both effective.
o Hammer-off dolling with heavier, highly polished steel hammers and heavier dollies should be used on high spots and severe impact sections. However, aluminum can stretch too thin beyond repair so caution should be exercised.
o Hammer-on dolling is used by experienced technicians with lightweight aluminum hammers and POM nylon dollies.
- Aluminum panels with creases are mostly replaced.
- Work hardening occurs when the metal is worked. Work the metal too much, and it can break – similar to bending a spoon.
