When your car is damaged in a collision or accident, one of the first professionals you’ll likely need is a panel beater. Whether dinged, dented, or downright damaged, your car can collect battle scars. That’s where panel beaters come to the rescue. Let’s discuss what panel beating involves, how it works, and why it’s important to choose the right professional for the job.
What Is Panel Beating?
Panel beating is the art (and science) of restoring a damaged vehicle’s body to its original form after an accident or collision. Panel beaters are the go-to experts for needs like repairing small dents and dings or fixing significant bodywork damage. In simpler terms? If your car’s exterior has had a rough day, a panel beating session will make it look like it never happened.
What Is a Panel Beater?
Car panel beaters are highly skilled professionals with a deep understanding of vehicle structure and operation. Their work involves steel, aluminium, and synthetic materials such as various types of plastics. However, many people seem to confuse them with mechanics. We will come to that later.
What Do Panel Beaters Do?
So, what are the panel beaters experts in? They possess an in-depth knowledge of the paint and finishing process. Their work involves several actions, such as removing, repairing, and replacing the damaged panels. The work also includes spray painting, chassis alignment, and refitting body hardware.
Some of the actions commonly performed by a car panel beater include replacing the damaged body panels, straightening the bent frames, and carrying out paint repairs to blend in the repaired areas with the rest of the vehicle so that they are not spotted separately.
How To Find a Good Panel Beater
Before you hire a panel beater, be sure to check on the company and its reputation (where you’re hiring the person from). Be sure to check for reviews and call up a few customers to check how good or legitimate the firm is. Once all the research is done, you should still proceed cautiously and choose a beater based on his individual rating and ranking. In Australia, most car repairs after a collision go through insurance. A reputable panel beater will often liaise directly with your insurance provider, helping to streamline the claims process and reduce the stress of handling paperwork on your own. This kind of support can make a big difference when dealing with the aftermath of an accident.
Panel Beater vs. Smash Repairer
Many people confuse panel beaters with smash repairers, but there are two main differences between the two:
- Panel beaters mainly handle damage to external body parts, such as rust, dents, and various kinds of scratches. Smash repairers, on the other hand, can provide a full range of services—they concentrate on structural, aesthetic, and mechanical repairs.
- Panel beaters can focus on full-body restoration, while the smash repairers have a much more comprehensive skill set, which includes structural and mechanical work.
The Benefits of Choosing a Specialist for Your Panel Beating Repairs
So, why do you need to choose a specialist for panel-beating repairs? One-line answer: Because it involves highly technical work, it requires specialised attention. You would be able to understand this better if we gave you a step-by-step description of what panel beating actually entails:
Below are the steps that are involved in panel beating:
Welding
Welding is primarily used to join the pieces of metal together. Once the workpieces are taken together and melted, they become a very strong joint. However, it depends on the type of materials that need to be joined.
Shrinking/Stretching
Shrinking or stretching is one of the foremost processes involved in panel beating. It involves applying the correct amount of heat to the damaged area of the panel. Simultaneously, the beater uses a special hammer to reshape the metal. This technique is used along with planishing to restore the panel to its original shape and appearance.
Filling
The process of ‘filling’ involves using the putty filler to fill in some of the small holes in the surface so that the original shape and contours of the vehicle can be achieved. It needs to be applied carefully as fast as possible. Once it becomes hard, it’s no longer usable. Once it hardens, it is shaped by the process of sanding.
Planishing
A planishing hammer is used to shape and smoothen out the panel surface. This technique involves pushing the metal against a shaping tool, which is known as a stake or a dolly.
Sanding
This brings us to the last step of ‘sanding.’ This is the procedure that is used to finely shape and smoothen an area that is ready for spray painting. A different texture and feel can be achieved if the coarseness of the sanding pad is changed (depending on the stage of the work).
FAQs About Panel Beaters
There might be a host of questions in your mind about panel beaters. And it is natural: we all love our cars and do not want to compromise on the repair. As such, there are many FAQs (frequently asked questions) on the subject of panel beaters.
What Is the Difference Between a Panel Beater and a Mechanic?
A panel beater repairs the bodies of the vehicles. On the other hand, the mechanic does the internal transmission, engine, and brakes.
How Long Does It Take to Repair My Vehicle After an Accident?
It can vary significantly based on the intensity of the damage and the availability of parts. Accidents can differ in intensity and impact, so a lot is going to depend on that. Minor repairs will probably only take a few days to be done with, while more serious damages can take up to several weeks or even months.
Will a Panel Beater Use Genuine Parts?
We have to say that ‘it depends.’ There are quite a few shops that prioritise cost-effectiveness over providing original body parts. If you want genuine parts, you should discuss this with your panel beater. You should also research the company from which you hire your panel beater.
How Do I Know If My Car Is Safe to Drive After Repairs?
The simple, straightforward answer here is ‘test drive.’ While driving, you should inspect the brakes and tyres and also check for unusual behaviour. Don’t forget to check whether the dashboard lights, air conditioning, etc., are in proper working condition.
