Collision repair centers are faced with paint repairs daily and today’s modern vehicles often have very refined and complex finishes in which even minor defects are not acceptable. There are occasions when a painter encounters a problem with their completed work; and when this happens, the resolution is frequently rework – costing both the technician and the facility a significant amount of time and money. Although many experienced painters are very capable of determining why a particular issue occurred, it is not uncommon for some areas of the repair and refinish process to be overlooked and the true root cause to not be correctly identified so that future occurrences may be eliminated. AkzoNobel has recognized this need and created a free, comprehensive, and easy-to-use defect identification reference tool: the Paint Defect ID tool.
FenderBender sat down with Greg Askew, technical services specialist for AkzoNobel, to help learn more about AkzoNobel’s new mobile app, why it was developed, and how it can help painters work toward eradicating paint finish issues. According to data collected by AkzoNobel: 75-80% of paint issues are due to problems with the preparation process, 15-25% result from errors related to application, and 2-5% can be attributed to improper product selection. With these figures in mind, there is only a small fraction of refinishing problems that are determined to be from the paint products themselves. Recognizing the significance of this data and the effect it can have on customer profitability, AkzoNobel set its sights on creating the Paint Defect ID tool.
When designing this tool, AkzoNobel kept the focus on a simple interface that could quickly provide information on how to correct the issue at hand, while offering data on the possible root cause of the observed defect. Ultimately, this provides the opportunity to rectify the root cause of the problem, eliminating costly rework in the future.
Because AkzoNobel carefully considered how the tool could best be used, they made the Paint Defect ID app free and easily accessible on smartphones. To launch the tool, simply click onThis mobile app was specifically made to be quick and easy to use so that employees can work efficiently to determine the issue, why it occurred, and how to resolve it. AkzoNobel was motivated to provide an easier alternative to flipping through multiple pages of documents or online materials while searching endlessly to find information on causes and solutions. As a result, AkzoNobel’s Paint Defect ID tool’s easy-to-use process eliminates wasted time and allows refinish technicians to learn while quickly getting back on track.
AkzoNobel’s Paint Defect ID tool can assist shops in achieving greater profitability by helping to eliminate future paint problems and rework while simultaneously increasing the skills of employees. When using the Paint Defect ID tool, employees can learn on their own how to identify their specific paint defect, how it was caused, and how to correct it. The Paint Defect ID tool was designed to help broaden shop employees’ knowledge, so why not take the opportunity to learn while simultaneously decreasing the paint errors which are so costly? Choose AkzoNobel’s Paint Defect ID tool, so you too can contribute towards increased profit, productivity, and knowledge.
