If you find yourself having to deal with a panel beater to get your vehicle fixed after an accident, you might come across some lingo that leaves you scratching your head wondering what they’re talking about. Following are some of the common terms you might hear and the basics of what they mean so you can make sense of your smash repairers lingo.
Genuine Parts – This could refer to any number of the parts that need to be replaced to repair your vehicle. Genuine parts are generally the most expensive and will carry your car manufacturer’s logo. Genuine parts are typically not manufactured by the car maker themselves but come from another company who adds the car maker’s logo to the part.
OEM parts – OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. OEM parts are made by the same company who manufactured the parts for the car maker, however the parts don’t carry the car maker’s logo.
Aftermarket or alternate parts – Aftermarket parts are generally cheaper than genuine or OEM parts. They are made by a parts manufacturer other than the Original Equipment Manufacturer to fit and perform similar to the OEM part but may look slightly different.
Non-structural repairs – These are repairs to panels and exterior parts of the vehicle such as the doors or bonnet.
Structural repairs – These are repairs to the structural components of the vehicle such as the chassis or suspension.
Panel replacement – Sometimes a panel can’t be repaired or it is not economical to repair it. In these cases a panel may be removed and completely replaced.
Stretching and shrinking – Stretching and shrinking is used to restore the metal back to its original dimensions by applying heat and using a special hammer to reshape the metal.
Planishing – Planishing is a technique that is used in conjunction with stretching and shrinking to help push out damaged metal and restore it to its original form by finely shaping and smoothing it.
Welding – This is more than likely not an unfamiliar term, but it is a common part of the panel beating process so it has been included here. Welding is used to join pieces of metal together using heat to essentially ‘melt’ them together.
Filling – Putty fillers are used to restore a panel to its original contours. A paste is mixed and applied to the vehicle surface to fill it in then once the filler hardens it can be smoothed and shaped by sanding.
Sanding – Sanding can be done at a number of points throughout the repair process. It can be used to shape and contour as well as smooth the surface and prepare it for spray painting.
Spray Painting – Another term which is more than likely already familiar which is also a common part of the smash repair process. Once the vehicle’s panels have been restored to their original shape and contours, the repaired panels will be spray painted to match the colour of the rest of the vehicle.
Re-alignment – In an accident the under body of the vehicle may have been damaged. The re-alignment process is designed to make sure that the under body parts are properly aligned.
