The new General Motors (GM) repair procedures format makes extensive use of symbols to designate the location of items like structural and self-piercing rivets, specific types of welds and structural adhesives. GM also shows where heat can be applied safely to debond an adhesive without compromising the integrity of higher-strength steels contained in the vehicle. (John Huetter/Repairer Driven News; General Motors slide)
By CRM Staff
Toronto, Ontario — July 8, 2018 — The OEM Collision Repair Roundtable, a twenty year old quarterly gathering of automotive manufacturers, is currently exploring the possibility of introducing more consistent symbols in repair procedures, reports Repairer Driven News.
Repairers have expressed complaints about the substantial variance of repair procedure icons and keys, which differ from OEM to OEM, and consequently hinder the ability to understand repair procedure language. These concerns are what led to the discussion on the matter.
“One OEM might use an X, for example, where another uses a T,” GM customer care and aftersales collision manager John Eck told GM Repair Insights magazine.
“The Roundtable is now working on a way to consolidate that information,” GM wrote in the magazine.
According to Repairer Driven News, I-CAR also appears to have made a pitch for greater OEM consideration of repairers’ needs, based on slides shared by the Steel Development Market Institute during the Great Designs in Steel conference held last month.
The presentation by Jason Bartanen, I-CAR industry technical relations director, also references a 2017 GDIS presentation that called for greater standardization.
For more information, go to gmrepairinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Repair-Insights-Spring-2018-final.pdf.
