GM Collision Tames Globalization
ETI - GM meetings target improving vehicle repairability in the aftermarket
Contributed by Bob Chabot

“Even though you may physically be able to do something, that doesn’t mean you should,” says Randy Boyd, team leader for General Motors Aftersales Service Engineering Body Structures, Closures & Exteriors group. He made the statement during a presentation to Equipment and Tool Institute (ETI) Collision Repair Group at the recent Summer Tech Week. For those ETI members present who are dedicated to supplying, equipping and training body shops, Boyd then explained why.

“Our team is committed to supporting the ETI Collision Repair Group (CRG) annually by providing it with the most current technical information to support the collision repair equipment required to repair GM vehicles,” Boyd noted. “But you are not the only ones who benefit from these meetings. The feedback from ETI helps us too undefined it tells us what GM can help provide to you that will improve the reparability of our vehicles in the aftermarket.”

“We aren’t just engineers; nearly all of the team has recent collision repair experience,” added Mark Szlachta, a body structure service engineer and the team member responsible for the GM Genuine Parts Website & Collision Repair Equipment. “When body parts are released for vehicles, part of our role is to determine the service and repair procedures for them. Because we have collision experience, we make sure that what comes out of the box isn’t just cost-effective for GM; it must also be as user-friendly as possible for those who fix vehicles.” 

Attendees were first provided with a list of contact information for team members designated as the single point contacts for each specific type of equipment and each collision industry group. “While we do talk directly with shops when needed, we really are not staffed to fill the role as direct contacts for individual repair shops,” Boyd advised. “Instead we prefer that the majority of requests be filtered through key industry groups undefined such as ETI, I-CAR and others undefined so that we can maximize our reach with the most current information.”

The GM Genuine Parts website is currently being updated, to incorporate 2013 vehicles, revised UHSS repair information and model-specific GM collision repair recommendations.	The GM Service Technical College website is a tool that helps technicians develop the skills and repair procedures necessary to provide complete collision repair.	To help technicians avoid mistakes, redesigned Service Manuals are being redsigned to show collision information that is specific only to the region in which a specific version of a global platform is sold.

“Commonizing” Collision Repair … With a Caveat
“GM is moving toward developing global strategies for collision repair,” Boyd advised. “At the same time, because standards vary from country to country, GM also has to accommodate differences that do exist.”

“As GM moves toward global vehicle platforms, it still faces the reality that different markets might not use or require the same construction materials as vehicle built in North America do undefined depending on the availability of certain steels, supplies, differing crash standards or other regulations. There may also be different repair equipment, unique repair materials and even different repair practices in other regions. This requires a thorough review and reorganization.”

“Right now, when you pull up a service manual for a global vehicle, there may be differences in collision and/or mechanical service procedures for several models built on the same platform (some with different names) that are sold across the globe, each with a service manual. For example, a global vehicle might be built identically no matter where it is sold, but attachment methods might vary.” 

“A technician has to know which version of the service manual to use. Using the wrong manual is problematic. Our team’s role is to help build the architecture so that technicians get the right information wherever they are located, when they need it, as easily as possible.” 

GM is currently working to align service manuals and the repair procedures within them to match the specific market from where a technician is seeking information. “Beginning in MY2013, to help the aftermarket, we will be making service manuals accessible by specific country or region. While repair information will be housed on a global basis, it will be sorted and available on a regional basis in a more intuitive and easier manner.” 

“The revised service manual for any given region (e.g. the U.S. vs. Asia vs. South America), will help collision professionals avoid mistakes and optimize their billable time. They will have access to what is common to all regions that is edited to reflect region-specific information undefined whether from a website, service manual or some other resource. Expect production and service replacement parts, recommendations, etc. to be similarly commonized, then adjusted to accommodate region-specific concerns.” 

Ultra High-Strength Steel (UHSS) Vehicle Content Will Continue to Ramp Up
GM continues to include numerous types of UHSS, which it defines as having a tensile strength of 780 megapascals (MPa) or higher, in vehicle construction. “Increasingly, these higher strength steels are showing up in new areas, not just as visible structures, but also hidden from sight, sometimes as reinforcements to other steel components,” Boyd explained.
 
“To help collision facilities and technicians, GM is now identifying UHSS types with unique stamps on both production and service steel parts that have a tensile strength of 780 MPa or greater. Examples of stamped UHSS include Martensitic (stamped M), Boron (B), Multi-Phase (MP) and TRIP (TR).” 

In addition, Boyd said that GM websites are continually being updated to help improve reparability for collision repair professionals. For example:

• GM online service manual repair guidelines for UHSS will be updated to include any new steel classifications used in vehicle manufacture. In addition, repairers in a specific region will be directed to the service manuals that match their region.
• GM’s genuine service parts website with access to collision repair information, at no charge, continues to be redesigned and updated to help collision repair professionals. Of note, as soon as a new vehicle is ready to sell, the most current service information will be on the website and updated when any changes occur, or new information is available. In addition the steel repair matrix, located on the website, is being revised to provide specific repair recommendations in a more technician-friendly format.
• Resources on GM’s Service Technical College website are continually updated to help collision and mechanical technicians improve their awareness of new materials and technologies, learn proper repair procedures associated with them, and develop the skills and techniques essential to complete collision repairs for customers.

The Steel Repair Matrix shows procedures and recommendations that are GM-approved for various types of steel. UHSS original and replacement service parts will also be uniquely stamped for easier identification.	GM recommends replacement for UHSS, which is increasingly being used in emerging GM global platforms. The GM Service Technical College website is a tool The 2013 Cadillac ATS roof reinforcements, front rails, lower rockers, pillars and more are made from UHSS.	The ATS and other global platforms feature the increased use of rivet-bonded assemblies, such as wheelhouses, which are made of aluminum parts that are joined to UHSS reinforcements by GM-approved adhesives.

2013 Cadillac ATS undefined A Case in Point
“Being able to see the way a vehicle is built is important,” Boyd stated. “Understanding inbound vehicles, especially what’s new and required, also serves as a compass for toolmakers, equipment manufacturers as well as those who ultimately service and repair automobiles.” 

“To help, GM provides structure identification illustrations and charts, such as those for the new Cadillac ATS, which denote steel types to the aftermarket for a number of several reasons,” Boyd advised. “It serves GM staff such as our team with an early opportunity to help us determine service-related concerns that we see which can then be communicated to other departments designing and manufacturing a vehicle.”

“They also help give lead time to those who develop products essential for vehicle repair; assist educators and third-party information providers in developing or revising training programs or databases; provide a useful resource that collision technicians can easily use; and offer opportunities for companies, such as ETI members, who are able to leverage the trends that are revealed.” 

Boyd asked CRG members to consider the new 2013 Cadillac ATS. The new ATS features a considerable increase in the use of UHSS (ranging in strength from 780 to 1300 MPa), other metals, such as aluminum, and adhesives. 

For example, many of the vehicles parts such as the front lower rails, lower rockers reinforcements, roof reinforcements, pillars and even the structures behind the body side panels are UHSS and stamped accordingly. From a service perspective, these UHSS parts should not be repaired; they require replacement.

Moreover, UHSS is now also being used as reinforcements inside of other parts, so repairers must know where they are located. Another trend that the ATS demonstrates is the increasing use of bonded and riveted assemblies, such as the front wheelhouse assembly, that are made of aluminum that is bonded and riveted to a UHSS lower frame rail and Dual Phase Steel reinforcement.

Boyd noted that dissecting the outer panels and removing additional UHSS inner reinforcements will most likely increase the amount of work required to safely replace many UHSS parts. He then reiterated several other trends that the collision industry can expect to see:
• GM will continue to implement global platforms. The “commonization” of structures, assemblies and other components and parts reduces GM parts manufacturing, inventory and distribution costs considerably. 

• Expect entire production assemblies and parts to also be sold as replacement collision service parts. Examples include UHSS front rails, wheelhouses, pillars, rockers and more. This doesn’t preclude body shops separating these service parts at a factory joint and effecting a recommendation-compliant combination replacements, but GM will not be able to provide specific repairs for every possible variation of replacement, so the onus to do so properly will be on the repair shop.
• GM collision service information, recommendation and procedures will trend toward being globalized wherever possible. For example, GM is seeking global approval for alternative methods for parts replacement, such as rivet-bonding (with GM-approved adhesives and rivets) as a recommended procedure. Technicians should become well versed with rivet-bonding techniques.

“Basically, GM must consider how it gets collision service parts. To build a service-only part has a very high cost, so GM tries to use the same production parts and assemblies that are already available from production parts suppliers or assembly plants. I think this is a trend that will continue to grow over time.” 

What’s Does a Word or Phrase Actually Mean? 
Recommendations are the strongest language that an automaker can use. They are the best guidance for collision repairers to return a vehicle to its precrash safety ratings. Tool and equipment manufacturers can develop products based on such recommendations. Educators, such as I-CAR or automakers themselves, can use those recommendations to develop courses and best practices for collision repair. But what about those who actually make the repairs? 

“Many questions remain unresolved,” Boyd shared. “What does repair actually mean? How much heat is too much? How much frame straightening is truly acceptable? Does a body shop with the correct equipment actually know whether it has the correct air pressure and power to make proper use of such equipment? Questions like these that will dominate the industry, including equipment and tools manufacturers, in the near term.

“The industry, including automakers such as GM, faces a conundrum when it comes to collision repair: What exactly does a ‘recommendation’ mean? For that matter, what does ‘repair’ mean?” Boyd cautioned. For instance, during collision repair, GM recommends that “ … Martensitic, Boron, Multi-Phase and TRIP and other UHHS steels should not be repaired; rather, they should be replaced only at factory joints, without the use of heat (e.g. from using stitch and continuous welding).” 

“Recommendations are like traffic signs, such as stop, one-way or no left turn street signs; they offer the safest guidance. If ‘no’ means ‘no,” why is it that most people will follow the guidance, but not everyone will. Unlike signage, recommendations are not laws, but not following them can have has dire and expensive consequences,” Boyd continued. 

“Like a sign, someone can read a recommendation that GM provides,” explained Boyd. “They may even admit to knowing what was recommended. They may even confirm that they understand what that recommendation meant. But what do you do if and when they say they just don’t want to follow it?” 

“Can a person physically heat and repair these UHSS?” asked Boyd. “Yes, they can; Should they? No, because UHSS and other nearby high-strength steels will be weakened to the point that the vehicle will not transfers forces as originally designed in the event another accident occurs. It’s akin to going the wrong way down a one-way street. Yes you can do it, but safety is compromised.” 

UHSS is also expensive, but its use in vehicle construction is increasing. The replacement of UHSS parts, rather than repair, will increase the cost to fix vehicles with UHSS. Vehicle owners, the aftermarket collision facilities and automakers face a risk should insurers, who are cost-conscious, exert direct or more subtle pressure on body shops, especially if they have indemnified insurers from responsibility. Collision facilities need to be vigilant to avoid improper shortcuts and cost-saving repairs that compromise returning to customers a vehicle that will deliver the same protection post-crash as it offered precrash. 

The collision industry simply doesn’t have the teeth in place today to ensure the safest, cost-effective repair is always performed, in case the vehicle is ever in another accident. Reactive litigation related to an unsafe, incomplete repair that contributed to damage, injury or worse undefined that was performed contrary to an automaker’s recommendations undefined may absolve the automaker. But as an industry, couldn’t we collectively all be more proactive to ensure the safety of the motoring public, before some regulator tells the collision industry how to do it? 

Can We Have a More Frequent and Fuller Dialogue?
“GM meets at least annually with ETI, usually at Summer Tech Week, to keep members better informed,” Boyd stated. “In return, ETI members provide us with feedback that our team can incorporate into serviceability concerns that GM considers. To improve on this, GM would like to have more frequent meetings with ETI, the CRG and even individual members to discuss what kind and form of information we can give to you to help the aftermarket better service GM vehicles.” 

“Many of the same reparability issues come up all the time, whether its UHSS, new procedures, or other concerns but we are not resolving them as broadly as we could, perhaps because we aren’t addressing them in the right manner,” Boyd stated. “GM would like more meetings with the ETI, its CRG and even with its individual members. Going forward, we’d also like to know what topics, concerns and issues that ETI members and their customers need addressed.” 

“Like GM, the ETI and its members do a pretty good job answering the questions we get,” CRG Technical Chair Bob Holland replied. “But, again like GM, it’s the questions we don’t get that worry all of us.” He also acknowledged that GM’s willingness to expand the dialogue with ETI and openness to new approaches was most welcome. 

CRG Vertical Chair Tim Morgan agreed and added. “Please contact Charlie Gorman, ETI Executive Manager. Together with Charlie, CRG co-chair Holland and I can help move this forward. Whether an automaker, equipment and tool manufacturer, educator or a collision repair professional, this is a learning curve we all need to be on together undefined it’s in everybody’s interest.”