Auto professionals will highlight automotive repair, maintenance solutions and the latest innovations in workshop repairs and equipment at Automechanika Dubai 2017, to be held next month in Dubai, UAE.

The event will take place from May 7 to 9, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Italian company Symach will launch Fixline – an automated body shop repair process that utilises robotics, reducing vehicle repair costs by 25-30 per cent and yielding a ‘key to key’ time of two days on average, said a statement from the company.

Osvaldo Bergaglio, CEO of Symach, said that the key to Fixline’s performance is that all phases of repair is customised for every shop, ensuring a more organised workflow, while its patented paint drying technology and specialised drying robots ensures optimal repair times.

Bergaglio added: “Fixline has three different layouts and repair processes, which are segmented based on the amount of damage and the number of panels involved in an accident.”

“This makes it possible to optimise each phase of the repair, the skills of the technicians and the equipment.  It also maximises quality, efficiency and production,” he said.

“The FixLine conveyor allows a continuous workflow throughout the day, allowing a shop to use approximately 30 per cent fewer technicians than a conventional shop to repair the same number of cars per day,” he added.

Bergaglio said that Symach’s Drytronic paint drying technology dries body filler, primer, waterborne and clear in one minute and 30 seconds per panel, which allows a continuous workflow during each phase of the repair.  

He added: “This means that damaged cars can be repaired without interruption and technicians don’t have to handle three or more different cars at a time during the working process like they do today.”

“Automation and robotics is the future of body shops and the FixLine process goes exactly in this direction, giving technicians all the freedom to perform at their best thanks to automated processes and the advanced technologies offered by robotics,” he concluded.

Elsewhere in Automechanika Dubai’s repair and maintenance section, French company Saint-Gobain Abrasives will deliver live demonstrations of its Norton Car Spa system, a vehicle detailing service that stands out like a shining beacon.

Marc Borlinghaus, regional sales manager at AAM Saint-Gobain Abrasives, said that its unique car spa concept is carried out only by highly qualified, trained technicians, while no wax products are used to bring about a car’s showroom glow.”

“Norton Car Spa technicians will achieve the same level of gloss as a wax would achieve, but without the drawbacks of wax,” he said.

“In the end, the typical wax is like a makeup – it’s designed to hide small flaws and create a perfect looking result,” he added.

“But like makeup, it’s a short-term solution and will easily be removed by a few rainfalls or visits to the car wash station, which then returns a car back into the old and scratched optical appearance situation it had been prior to having given it to a detailing centre for polishing and waxing,” noted Borlinghaus.

Spanning more than 5,200sqm of exhibition space, repair and maintenance is one of six product groups at Automechanika Dubai, and has more than doubled in exhibitor numbers over the last seven years.

Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, Automechanika Dubai’s organiser, said:  “Repair and maintenance is a key component of the Middle East automotive aftermarket, and as the event illustrates, it brings in a wide range of innovative products and solutions from leading global players all under one roof.”

“The strong growth in the section underlines the rising regional demand for high quality workshop equipment and tools, bodywork repair, paints and corrosion protection products, all targeted toward fleet, garage, and workshop operators across the Middle East,” he said.
 
Now in its 15th edition, Automechanika Dubai 2017’s five other product groups are parts and components; electronics and systems; accessories and customising; tyres and batteries; and car wash, care and reconditioning.

The annual three-day event returns with its popular Truck Competence initiative, where more than 1,000 exhibitors will showcase their products dedicated to the entire value chain in the truck sector, from truck parts and accessories, to workshop equipment, body repairs and care.

Its global influence is underlined by the presence of 25 country pavilions and 35 international trade associations, while 90 per cent of exhibitors, and 51 per cent of visitors are expected to come from outside of the UAE, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service