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Coggin Collision Centers are some of the most trusted auto body shops in the state of Florida. One of the benefits of using our factory certified collision centers is the expertise that we provide in more specialized repair work, such as aluminum repair. Our shops are proud to offer full aluminum repair service to our customers. A common question is, “What cars are made out of aluminum?”. Many popular brands, such as Ford, Chevrolet, Acura, Honda and more utilizing aluminum frames and body panels, but aluminum repair requires additional training and facilities that can provide repairs safely, and correctly. Coggin Collision Center are equipped to provide the best, high-quality aluminum repair work for your vehicle. Schedule your appointment at one of our 7 locations: Arlington, Avenues, Orange Park, Regency, Fort Pierce, Kissimmee or Deland.
Steel & aluminum present different challenges when it comes to auto body repair. If you cut corners and just find look for body shops near you, you could find yourself in a situation where you have somebody repairing your car that is not familiar with these differences. This can lead to further damage which, in some cases, may not be fixable. Aluminum doesn’t have the same moldable properties that you find in steel. Aluminum also responds differently to heat, is much stronger and weighs less than steel. These differences give aluminum an advantage when being used in trucks to help with payload, towing capacity and efficiency. These reasons are also why aluminum requires more attentive care than steel does. Coggin Collision Centers keeps our teams up to date on the latest training and maintains both I-CAR certification, certification from the manufacturers. You’ll be confident in knowing our expert technicians know how to mend aluminum properly and understand how its differences from steel.
When aluminum is bent or damaged, it takes aluminum specific tools to extract the dents and reshape the vehicle’s exterior. The two metals, also, cannot come in contact with each other, as it can cause a potential explosion. Collision Centers that are properly trained in aluminum repair have their own clean area to handle aluminum repair. That’s why Coggin Collision Centers has equipped their facilities and technicians with the tools, designated repair areas and knowledge to understand these differences in the metal and restore your vehicle back to its pre-accident condition. Utilize our photo estimator and get your free estimate from one of our 7 locations...from the comfort of your home: Arlington, Avenues, Orange Park, Regency, Fort Pierce, Kissimmee or Deland.
First thing you need to do is turn the heat up…way up. Heat is one of the main requirements for repairing aluminum. The metal that was damaged collision is very strong, so heat is used to help soften the aluminum so the technician can reshape the damaged area correctly. When looking at a dent or damaged panel/bumper, the whole panel must be considered in the repair process, not just where the dent is. This is why aluminum repair is a true art form. Heating the damaged area, reshaping the metal, and allowing it to cool while keeping its is a difficult task to perfect. Careful monitoring and specialized equipment is necessary to do this process correctly. This is why Coggin Collision Centers keep their certification and training as current as possible to make sure they have the best aluminum repair technicians working on your vehicle.
Proper equipment to repair aluminum damage can be quite expensive, but it’s an important investment to ensure that aluminum repair. Luckily, Coggin Collision Centers have the proper equipment and tools in our 7 locations throughout Florida to properly repair any aluminum that is damaged on your vehicle, some of which includes specialized welding equipment. Aluminum dent pullers have also the ability to save more panels, thus saving money and not requiring a replacement panel. While the process takes a lot of time, and even more in order to master the technique, these aluminum dent pullers do make the job easier than it previously was and take less time, even in the heating and cooling process.
The most important piece in repairing aluminum is simple…education. Coggin Collision Centers’ technicians are both I-CAR certified and trained by the specific manufacturer so they can properly fix any aluminum damage on your vehicle. Most customers don’t know that there are different types of aluminum, and different aluminums require different care. For example, welding wire isn’t universal and different welding wire covers all types of aluminum. Honda requires different wire used in the repairs of their steels than Ford. This is where extensive education, training and certification allows our team to understand the factory standards and repair your vehicle to those specific brand standards.