Estimate
The estimating process allows Collision Revision to perform a complete appraisal of your vehicle’s damage. By thoroughly understanding the extent of the damage, our employees will know exactly what it takes to return it to the exact way it was before the accident.
There are three components to the estimating process:
1. Preliminary Estimate
The foundation from which the writer and technician build a complete estimate. The preliminary is written after the vehicle is pre-washed, and before it is taken apart.
2. Tear Down
Taking apart all the pieces of the damaged area to reveal the full extent of the damage.
3. Complete Estimate
After Tear Down, the estimator and repair technician perform a thorough inspection of the vehicle together to determine the necessary parts, type of repairs, and appropriate time to do the job right.
Parts
Collision Revision employs trained specialists to manage the flow & quality of vehicle parts at each of our repair centers. A Part Manager’s sole responsibility is to order, expedite delivery, inspect, and distribute parts to our repair teams. Every part that goes on your vehicle is inspected for the proper quality, specific fit, and impeccable finish.
Repair
The actual repair or body work stage, is comprised of three basic procedures:
1. Measuring and Pulling
Picture your vehicle as a human body. If the skeleton is misaligned or damaged, it needs to be fixed – the foundation needs to be correct – before proceeding to anything else.
When a vehicle’s skeleton is misaligned, it’s called structural damage. Collision Revision has made large capital investments in the technicians, their specialized training, and equipment to properly fix structural damage.
It all starts with a computerized measuring device to identify if the skeleton meets the vehicle manufacturers’ specifications. If not, it is adjusted or “pulled” using hydraulic pulling towers mounted on a frame machine. The skeleton is measured again to ensure it falls within the exact specifications. This process is extremely important so Collision Revision has appointed it’s highest skilled technicians to perform this step.
2. Mechanical Work
If any mechanical work is necessary, Collision Revision uses only ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certified technicians to make the repair. ASE certification is achieved through a series of educational testing and is recognized as the standard in quality mechanical repair aptitude.
3. Body Work
After the structure is aligned, cosmetic work can begin on the remaining non-structural damage. The body technicians at Collision Revision are truly craftsman during this stage of repair. They utilize various metal-working techniques to restore the metal as close to the original profile (shape) as possible. The final surface is then established using a very thin coat of body-filler and sanded to perfection.
Refinish
When the repair work is completed, your vehicle transitions over to the paint department. The preparation and painting process, commonly referred to as the refinishing step, includes three main aspects:
1. Prep and Prime
Once in the paint department, the repaired area is sanded with a very fine 320 grit sandpaper. The vehicle is completely masked off with automotive tape and protective plastic – exposing only the repair area – and a chemically activated primer is applied with a spray gun. After the primer dries, it is final sanded with a super fine 600 grit sandpaper.
2. Color Match
Producing an exact color match is part science, part art. A single color may come from the factory with more than a dozen different variations. Collision Revision painters have been extensively trained and certified to accurately identify what is actually on a vehicle and then match it. Each and every color is custom mixed in-house on a digital scale and sprayed out on test cards to ensure a perfect color match is achieved.
3. Painting
After prepping and color matching, the vehicle is moved into the downdraft spray booth. The vehicle is completely cleaned to minimize any possible contamination from dirt or lint and then masked a final time with heat resistant tape and protective plastic.
The painter dons his protective safety equipment and proceeds to apply color, or base coat, with a spray gun. At this point, the paint does not have a shine. The beautiful shine comes from the clear coat. The clear coat not only provides a deep gloss, it contains U.V. screeners to protect the finish from the sun and elements, so it’ll have that gloss and shine for years and years. After the final coat of clear is applied, the booth becomes an oven and the vehicle is baked at approximately 150 F for a period of 45 minutes. This cures the coating to a durable and protective finish.
Re-Assembly
After cooling down, the vehicle is moved back to the body department for part and component assembly. Every part – right down to the exact clips, nuts, and bolts is meticulously assembled and attached to the vehicle.
Test Drive
Once the assembly process is completed, every vehicle is taken for a test drive. This important step ensures that the vehicle and its systems operate properly under typical driving conditions.
Detailing
As a courtesy to our customers, every vehicle receives a 50-point safety and service report featuring a complimentary analysis of critical safety components and a thorough exterior-interior spa service package.
Quality Control Inspections
Collision Revision has always believed a simple concept. If you want to deliver “extreme quality”, then quality needs to be verified throughout the entire repair process - not just at the end.
To ensure that “extreme quality”, Collision Revision created a customized electronic-based program to measure and verify quality during 22 critical stages of vehicle repair.
Every vehicle progresses through this comprehensive quality control process with the final inspection and sign off coming from the Collision Revision General Manager.
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