Focus On: Paintless Dent Repair

Paintless dent repair (PDR) is a growing service with close ties to the collision repair industry. And those ties are getting even closer as more body shops now view PDR as a necessary part of their service offerings, instead of competition. As a matter of fact, an increasing number of collision shops are bringing the service in-house as they look to retain profits and improve customer service.

"PDR is a natural fit for a body shop," says Erik Spitznagel of Dent Fix Equipment. "In the past, a shop would typically hire an independent PDR tech for a couple of jobs. But then shops would not be able to take drop-in customers. Plus, they gave away a large share of the profit to the PDR tech. Now, more body shops are starting to bring this service in-house, allowing them to expand it and retain the profits. Body shops are just starting to recognize the importance of this market, so we expect to see tremendous growth."

Spitznagel goes on to say that dealerships are also starting to see the benefits of PDR. "Lease returns and aluminum panels with minor damage are reason enough," Spitznagel says. "Mercedes-Benz USA recently requested a 16-piece PDR rod kit for evaluation because they are stepping up their PDR program for dealerships."

Bodymen Learning PDR
Although the number of body shops that have a PDR technician on staff is growing, a lot of shops still sublet the work to an independent PDR technician, so this number is also on the rise. According to Spitznagel, the typical independent comes from a profession that has nothing to do with collision repair. In most cases he purchases his PDR tools from a training course, which obviously makes it difficult for a mobile tool distributor or PBE jobber to capture their business.

Bob Bonham of H&S Autoshot thinks the next evolution in PDR is for more bodymen to learn the skill so they can handle the repairs themselves. He says, "Bodymen are looking at PDR and saying, ‘I would have gotten that repair 15 years ago. Now the PDR tech is getting it. I guess I better learn how to do PDR so I quit losing work.'"

Unfortunately, learning how to effectively perform paintless dent repair is not an overnight process. It takes months of training for most, which can cost thousands of dollars. This poses quite an obstacle for both bodymen looking to learn PDR, as well as the shop owners who employ them.

That's why Bonham says some shop owners assign PDR to their son or partner—someone with more of a vested interest in the business. "When a tech gets good at PDR, he often wants to stop doing body work," Bonham explains.

"Because PDR is such a learned skill that requires a fair amount of training and practice, the PDR tech is at the top end of the pay scale. Many a shop owner has invested in PDR training, only to see his technician wander away to pursue PDR independently on a full-time basis," he adds.

However, as pointed out earlier, more bodymen are viewing PDR as a way to secure their own viability within the shop they work for, in addition to developing a skill that enables them to "get a little work on the side."

Better Tools, Easier Repairs
PDR tools have greatly improved over the years, making it easier to perform the service. "If you look at the rod selection today," Bonham explains, "companies that used to offer 40-50 rods now offer 100+. The more tools you have available to you, the better work you can do."

Still, John Cochran, director of sales and marketing for Dent Zone International/PDR LINX, says the average PDR tech doesn't need a huge selection of tools to handle most repairs. For hail damage and larger dents, the tool selection increases dramatically, but for new technicians looking to remove basic door dings, 7-10 tools and a handful of accessory pieces will typically do. They include:

• 3" and 4" standard double-bend blades.
• 26" whale tail.
• 20", 45-degree wire.
• 22", 90-degree door tool.
• Mini dent light.
• Chain hook.
• Window shield.
• Window wedge.
• Knockdown punch.
• Hood prop.
• Door jammer.
• Stool.

Dent Fix Equipment offers two stainless-steel rod kits (9 and 16 pieces). Rods are used to physically massage the metal. Spitznagel says this is the fastest and most efficient method, as long as the underside of the ding is accessible. "The tech will find that he uses four or five rods all the time," Spitznagel says. "The rest are for difficult situations where access is limited."

For panels that are inaccessible from behind, glue pullers come in handy. On the downside, they can't pull out every dent, but on the upside, they don't require a great deal of skill to master. Dent Fix offers two glue kits. One is a slide hammer kit and the other contains a range of pulling devices that can be used by hand. H&S Autoshot offers the 7500 Glue Puller.

According to Bonham, some body techs are also buying the 7500 Glue Puller for dent repairs other than the paintless variety. "The term I'm hearing is ‘mudless' dent repair," Bonham explains. "In order to save time and materials cost, some bodymen want to pull a dent out and fill it in with putty, rather than body filler (mud). They're using our 7500 Glue Puller to pull the dent, as opposed to our stud welder. That way, the E-coat and the coating on the backside of the panel are not affected."

In addition to tool kits and supplemental glue pulling systems, PDR techs are also in need of other products. Cochran says lighting kits are the most critical part of the PDR process. When working outside, some utilize reflection boards, while a technician working on a hail vehicle might use 3' fluorescent bulbs. "Ultimately, any lighting that casts a broad fade is optimal," Cochran points out.

The tool distributor doesn't have to be an expert to sell PDR tools. "Nobody expects the distributor to be able to fix a ding," Spitznagel says. "But the distributor does need to know what tools are available, and what will work best for the customer."

Gregg Wartgow is the editor of Collision Repair Product News. For more info on this magazine, go to www.collisionrepairproductnews.com