FixLine is a lean repair process to repair cars in line, that includes all equipment necessary for the paint line of the collision repair shop.
FixLine includes the phases of primer application, masking, painting, drying, unmasking and polishing all in line, using the CarMover system to move the cars from one phase of the repair process to the next.
How Symach works
Every FixLine layout is customized starting from the needs of the customer, based on the available warehouse space, the mix of light - medium or heavy damages that is typical of the shop, and the number of repairs per day that the customer is targeting.
Symach consultancy starts from the data of the prospect customer on how he/she is currently doing the repairs and the number and roles of technicians in the shop.
The new layout of the shop reflects the modifications that are needed in the workflow to reach the repairs’ target.
Symach provides the complete project, supporting the customer in the transition to the FixLine system: it prepares the business plan of the investment, along with the list and layout of the necessary equipment. This work is done with the customer and his/her architect and general contractor, during layout design/development to achieve a final project result that meets the objectives of the customer.
Once the layout is agreed, the final equipment selection is made. All the equipment, from the spray booths and the drying booths, to the paint mixing room, the lights and all accessories, are designed and produced at Symach factory in Bologna, Italy, shipped and installed all over the world directly by the Company.
Symach provides the detailed CAD drawings in dwg and pdf formats for the equipment layout, the civil works details, with plans for electrical, gas, compressed air and HVAC requirements, and follows the construction works remotely by periodical video meeting with the customer’s contractors and engineers, to support them with any information they need and help them doing their job in the best way to fit FixLine requirements.
Once the installation of equipment is complete, Symach provides the training on the use and maintenance of the equipment and the correct workflow, first online and then locally, to both technicians and shop managers.
It’s important to note that Symach near turn-key solutions also remove added engineering/sourcing/purchasing/installation and on-site trades costs, usually pretty expensive.
Car reconditioning
The Company specialized also in a FixLine model to suit the needs of large car dealers’ for quick reconditioning of high numbers of second-hand vehicles per day.
The FixLine modular system is so flexible it can suit all production needs, form the small repair shop, doing 5 jobs a day, to the largest car dealer company, that needs to recondition a huge number of second-hand cars per day, to quickly put them back on the market through their dealership chain.
Symach already designed and installed two 18.500 mq reconditioning centers in Europe, one in 2020 and the second in 2022, each one will recondition up to 600 second-hand cars per week.
Symach Technology
FixLine uses Drytronic infrared and UV technologies for the drying phases, and the Symach Paint Application Process (SPAP) that is a lean prep -and- paint process to correctly manage the workflow along the line.
FixLine is a solution that can be used for body shops that produce from 5 to an unlimited number of jobs per day, thanks to its modular system that allows to choose the number of bays and type of equipment to reach the customer’s target.
Additionally, with collision centers often finding themselves repairing growing numbers of hybrids and battery electric vehicles, there are some important considerations when it comes to using drying equipment.
Symach’s Drytronic technology is particularly effective for curing EVs
Symach’s Drytronic infrared drying technology focuses energy to the painted surface and will not raise interior or under-car/under hood temperatures.
This means that it avoids concentrating any excess heat on an EV’s battery pack and electronics.
Several OEMs have issued position statements concerning heat limits on their electrical systems during the baking process: with Symach’s Drytronic technology, you get faster drying than conventional baking without slowing the paint/dry process.
Technology like this can prove hugely beneficial, significantly reducing overall cycle time and allowing technicians to handle the vehicle and parts faster in the post refinish stage.
Symach IR DryTronic technology is available across all the products range of the brand.
From portable drying lamp DryTron, through the drying robots FlyDry, for the preparation bay, and EasyDry drying robot for the spray booth, to the drying cabin KombiKing, an entire booth equipped with IR technology.
The combination of an IR equipped spray booth and a IR working drying booth can lead up to a 16-20 jobs-per-day target, if correctly included in the right layout.
IR technology is not the only one Symach is specialized to.
The company is also offering a range of products to cure UV paints.
One of the most significant advantages of UV technology is its curing speed. For example, traditional fillers can take up to 20 minutes to fully harden before allowing the job to continue through the refurb process. This time eats into profit margins and can be contrasted by the use of UV fillers.
The entire process time of curing is taken down to single-digit minutes, saving time and reducing shop’s key-to-key time significantly.
Symach UV-LEDTronic technology is the result of research by Symach’s R&D division: from the study of the right wavelength for the new generation UV coatings, to the LEDs used, to the mechanical design of the product and finally the performances obtained. These are the result of over 18 months of work that led to having a product with top-level performances, overcoming the barriers and the limits that until now have hindered the spread of this technology.
The LEDs used are of different wavelengths all in the UV-A segment, these are assembled along a line of reflectors studied and designed to achieve the fastest and most efficient drying result on the market.
UV technology doesn’t require heat, thus being the most recommendable for curing electric vehicles. With the lamps operating with LED lights, the energy transference is instantaneous, transferring photo energy from the LEDs directly onto the surface of the repair.
Once the curing process is complete, the vehicle is ready for immediate sanding and polishing, without any residual heat.
Another benefit of UV technology is its energy-saving capabilities.
Symach UV technology equips both the handheld lamp UV-LEDTronic M1 and the FlyDry in its Hybrid version.
For more information about Symach equipment visit www.symach.com and contact North America General Manager Les Pawlowski at [email protected]
