After a car accident, restoring your vehicle takes more than just paint and polish. A panel beater plays a crucial role in repairing structural damage, reshaping panels, and restoring your car’s appearance and safety.
No one likes car accidents. However, they are an unfortunate part of everyday life. There are several reasons for this.
For example, some of the most common reasons for car accidents in Australia involve rash driving, collisions, poor weather conditions, car park incidents, and ignoring traffic rules.
These crashes not only injure the drivers, but also the vehicles involved. They damage the vehicle’s body panels and engines. What do you do in such a scenario?
You get in touch with a professional panel beater in Melbourne, of course! But who exactly are these professionals, and how do they repair your car? Let’s study that below.
Who Are Panel Beaters?
A panel beater is a trained professional who repairs damaged vehicle bodies and restores them to their pre-accident condition. You might also know a panel beater as a smash repairer.
These professionals ensure that the vehicle is safe to drive, since properly set panels or fittings can lead to on-road accidents. They work on cars, vans, and light commercial vehicles.
Panel beaters do the following things using advanced tools:
- Make precise repairs
- Increase the lifespan of the vehicle
- Enhance vehicular safety
- Increase the resale value of the vehicle
What Kinds of Damage Do Panel Beaters Repair?
Panel beaters repair the following kinds of damage:
Minor Dents
Dents impact your car’s appearance and lead to other issues. Some of these issues involve wind resistance, and damaged sensors.
Increased wind resistance affects the performance of the car by making it move more slowly and consume more fuel.
Damaged sensors lead to further accidents since the drivers will be unable to:
- Detect engine damage
- Park properly
- Drive properly, as they won’t be able to detect engine damage
You can avoid all this by opting for a reputed car panel repair expert in Melbourne.
Crumpled or Warped Panels
In case you’ve been involved in a serious crash or collision, your vehicle might have ended up with warped panels. Warped panels can have severe effects on the handling of the car. They can lead to unwanted engine failure, and other issues.
Engine failure could take place since the engine components could grate against the panel from the inside, leading to the generation of heat and friction.
Steering issues would be caused due to how the car’s wheels would bump or grate against the rims.
All these issues would lead to further accidents or collisions.
Bumper and Bonnet Damage
Damage to car bumpers and bonnets is more common than you think in Australia. Bumpers can get damaged due to rear-end collisions. In fact, as per available data, more than 2000 Australians reported ending up in rear-end collisions.
These accidents leave your vehicle components like exhausts, and cooling systems vulnerable to damage in case of future accidents.
Your bonnet could be impacted by falling debris like stones or tree branches, or front-end collisions with other cars. Damage to the bonnet leaves your engine open to damage in the future.
You can avoid this by contacting a professional panel beater in Melbourne. They will cut away the damaged part and replace or restore your existing bonnet and bumper.
Frame Misalignment
This refers to the change in the shape of the car frame, which prevents you from closing the car doors properly. Your vehicle’s wheels also start grating against the frame, which prevents you from driving properly.
This could lead to unwanted accidents on the road.
What Kind of Tools Do Panel Beaters Use?
Panel beaters use the following kinds of tools during their work, as seen in the table below:
| Tool | Use Case |
| Hammer and dolly sets | Reshape dents |
| Grinders, sanders, and spray equipment | Remove paint, rust |
| Hydraulic body straighteners | Restore frame alignment |
| Welding tools | Reattach or rebuild metal components |
| Paintless dent repair tools | For minor fixes |
| Spoons | Slap, pry, or drift |
| Files | Remove any hard metallic edges after the panel beating process is over |
| Measurement tools (calipers, marking pens) | For precise measurements of damage and cutting/beating |
Table 1: Types of Tools Used by Panel Beaters
Let us now take a look at how panel beaters restore a car after it’s damaged in an accident.
What Is The Step-by-Step Process of Car Restoration After an Accident?
Panel beaters in Melbourne restore a vehicle in the following manner:
Initial Damage Evaluation
The first thing that panel beaters do is study the vehicle carefully to understand the extent of the damage. They use measuring tools like calipers and marking pens to assess the damage, and mark the required areas.
Dismantling Damaged Sections
Once they’ve identified the damage, they begin the process of removing entire or required sections of the panel. They can repair the damage easily this way, by beating the required areas of the panel.
Prepping The Panel
Before they begin working, they clean the panel thoroughly to ensure a smooth surface for beating. The panel beaters then use body filler liquid to smooth the physical surface of the panel.
Panel Straightening or Replacement
Depending on the extent of the damage, the car’s panels are either straightened with the help of hammers or replaced entirely.
Welding and Frame Straightening (if required)
Once the panels have been straightened or replaced, the panel beaters in Melbourne weld parts that need to be welded together. For example, they might weld the broken parts of your chassis together.
If your panels or vehicle components do not need to be welded together, then they straighten the frame of the car. This prevents unwanted issues like accidents later on.
Getting A Smooth Finish
Before they begin painting, they apply sandpaper to remove any unevenness that may remain behind. They also prime the car panel surface with primer to make sure the paint sticks.
Repainting
After the vehicle damage has been repaired, the car panel repair experts begin repainting your vehicle. You will begin to see your vehicle return back to normal in this state.
Final Inspection and Reassembly
The last stage in the process is inspecting the panel before reassembling the disassembled sections. Another inspection is carried out after reassembly to make sure that the car is functioning normally.
What Are The Cost Factors Involved With Panel Beaters?
The cost of repairing or restoring your panel will vary as per these factors:
- Extent of damage
- Make and model
- Panel availability
- Paint type and finish
So you should take or tow your car there and let them visually inspect your vehicle. However, before you visit them, you should ensure whether your insurance covers repairs or not.
That way, you’ll avoid spending money unnecessarily.
Wrapping Things Up
A panel beater plays a vital role in restoring both the appearance and safety of your car after an accident. They ensure your vehicle is ready for the road, and help you avoid unwanted accidents as well.
Get Your Car Body Panel Repaired Today!
Involved in a recent car accident?
Contact a certified panel beater near you in Melbourne today!
