On 26 August, BodyShop News held the first in a series of webinars online, focusing on advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).
The webinar would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors:
- 3M Australia
- Anest Iwata Australia
- Hella Gutmann Solutions Australia
- Pro Spot Australia
- Sherwin Williams Automotive Finishes Australia
The panel consisted of BodyShop News publisher Michel Malik; Robert Snook, IBIS moderator and owner of MG Cannon, a major body shop network in the UK; Andrew Marsh, co-owner of Ezi-Methods; and Adrian Parkes, owner of ADAS Solutions Australia. It was hosted by BodyShop News Managing Editor Albert Malik.
With ADAS being a complex topic, the webinar was divided into three sections:
- What is ADAS and how does it work?
- How does ADAS affect repair operations?
- What do I need to do to manage ADAS in my body shop?
In each section, Michel posed a number of questions to the expert panel who provided clear and detailed answers to everyone in attendance. At the end of each section, audience polls were run to ask attendees about particular areas related to ADAS.
The first section introduced ADAS and in particular, the complexity of some ADAS solutions and the (large) potential number of sensors involved. At the end, a live poll questioned the audience about their ability to carry out ADAS calibration – only 19 per cent of voting attendees were comfortable performing the task, with a staggering 57 per cent feeling uncomfortable about any calibration and 24 per cent expressing limited confidence in the area.
The second section focused on the effect of ADAS on repair operations, with questions regarding the viability of investing in calibration tools or outsourcing the work to a third party. The live poll here asked the audience about their main concern regarding ADAS in their current repair operations, with 44 per cent of voting attendees answering that training was their biggest focus, while 32 per cent said they were focused on investment in new equipment and 24 per cent concerned about access to repair information.
The final part of the webinar dealt with the approach required to perform repairs with ADAS-equipped vehicles and the associated calibration. Parkes said that, regardless of the type of calibration – static, dynamic, or adaptive – it is vital body shops ensure all ADAS work correctly before returning the vehicle to the customer. The final poll asked attendees about the strategies they would focus on to manage ADAS repairs, with 38 per cent of voting attendees expressing a desire to invest in the ability to manage all recalibrations in-house. Another 33 per cent were against investing, preferring to sub-contract the calibration work to mobile or remote providers, while the remaining 29 per cent would find a middle ground, doing some brands in-house while sub-contracting everything else.
The audience posted great questions in the Q&A session after the webinar, with an insightful question about where ADAS could be in five years. The answer was that the sensor and system suppliers have technology already on offer to migrate adaptive calibration to forward-facing systems, although this relies on connectivity services along with requiring government and vehicle manufacturers to take significant risk. Today, every German manufacturer offers static calibration with each new model, along with dynamic calibration as an option on selected sensors.
The big take-aways from this webinar were:
- Spend valuable time planning and researching tools/training/types of vehicles
- Invest once the strategy is clear, but be aware of the many variables that may change the outcome
- Understand that having skills in the use of diagnostics prepares the way for SAE Level 2 or 3 autonomy
If you missed the webinar, you can watch it below. Our next discussion will be on electric vehicles and is planned for October 2021. Keep an eye on our website for more details, or subscribe to our newsletter to be notified directly.