Sneak peek: Chief University Design-Based Repair Course

To rebuild something correctly, you have to understand how it was put together in the first place. When it comes to vehicle design, that “put together in the first place” part can get pretty complicated. In order to truly understand how today’s vehicles are built, it pays to invest in auto tech training for your staff. Our Chief University Design-Based Repair course gives technicians the inside scoop with up-to-date information about the latest in vehicle design. It covers:

1. The Newest Materials

Cars have changed dramatically in the last 50 years. With the introduction of seat belts in the ’60s (plus increased safety awareness) and the fuel spike of the ’70s, manufacturers had to find new ways to make safer, more efficient vehicles. Today, the industry is still working toward those goals, and the materials used are an important factor. 

Modern vehicles use high-strength steels, aluminum, plastics and other materials to provide both strength and efficiency. The Design-Based Repair course examines these materials and details how they’re used, plus the various manufacturing methods used to form them, helping technicians truly understand the metals they’re working with.

2. Design Considerations

The other important component of these new materials is placement. The cars that come through your shop today are strategically designed to crumple in certain areas while staying rigid in others in order to protect passengers. You’ll learn about the dynamics of a car crash, including how energy is distributed in a collision and how that can affect repairs in some unexpected ways. Knowing where to look for structural misalignment after a crash is vital to providing the proper repairs.

3. Repair Methods

Of course, we wouldn’t leave out how to use this new knowledge in the shop. Over the course of this two-day class, technicians will learn how to actually apply the theories and methodologies discussed. Students will:

•          Learn to systematically analyze structural damage
•          Learn to accurately measure collision damage and verify findings from a visual inspection
•          Participate in hands-on repairs to truly understand the latest methods

It’s true that you can’t fix what you don’t know. And getting to know today’s vehicles requires some additional auto tech training. This course will teach technicians how to understand OEM repair procedures to properly return a damaged vehicle to its original design specifications. When you and your techs understand that, they’ll be able to get customers safely back on the road.

The course costs $655, and our 2016 schedule is out. Sign up today so you and your techs can get to know the cars in your shop just a little bit better.