This is the process that is employed usually. However, this can cost a lot, especially the repainting part. You now also have another option with you of having all your dents repaired without having to repaint the restructured part. This is called as the Paintless Dent Repair, or commonly known as PDR.
Mechanism of Paintless Dent Repair
Paintless dent repair is done in a very simple ingenious technique. After examining the dented part, special tools are used that fix the dent without damaging the color and hence negate the need for repainting. Typically, the dent is ‘pushed’ out carefully to its original shape. While pushing out the dent, the tools are placed from the ‘inside’ of the dent. What this means is that force is applied on the surface opposite to the painted surface, or the inside surface, and the dent is fixed. Due to this the painted part is not damaged and remains untouched.
Different tools used for PDR usually involve different types of rods that are used to leverage force.
When can Paintless Dent Repair be used?
Paintless dent repair sounds like a great option to repair dents to original shape within a very less time and very low expenses too. However, PDR cannot be made use of in all cases of dents. It all depends on the size and severity of the dent.
•In cases where the dent has damaged paint, PDR cannot be used as repainting will need to be done anyways.
•With big sized dents and places that are relatively inaccessible to leverage force from the ‘inside’ surface, PDR cannot be used.
•Even if the dent is very minor, PDR cannot be used if the paint is brittle. This happens in cases of old cars when the paint is no longer flexible and will break or peel off at any attempt to restructure the dented surface by force.
In these cases repair has to be done through the traditional repair and paint processes. If it can be done in your case, PDR is the way to go as it will save you considerable money, but professionals are the best experts to handle the job.
Innovation often brings great achievements to various industries. Then, there are some industries where innovations are limited because little changes of any significance occur. Automobiles, for example, have not changed very much over the past two decades. Yes, there have been many variants on the size of the cars, the employment of bio fuels and other changes. But, what never changes is the fact that the body and frame of a car changes little from model to model and from year to year. Because of this the common means of repairing cars has not changed much either. Well, such a status quo scenario has been turned over thanks to the inclusion of paintless dent repair work. This work is a radical departure from the prior methods of repairing dents. Best of all, the most radical elements of this type of repair center on the speed in which the repair work can occur as well as the significant reduction of costs associated with paintless dent repair work. In a way, the paintless dent repair process is often considered a tremendous achievement that will continue to grow in popularity as time progresses.
But what exactly is paintless dent repair work? Basically, this is a method of dent repair that centers on molding and shaping a dent to its original position. This is done without replacing any costly parts or having to repaint significant portions of the automobile. Obviously, this keeps costs low and cuts down drastically on the amount of time needed to perform the repairs.
The process is not exactly easy to perform, but it also lacks complexity as well. In short, paintless dent repair utilizes special tools which shape the dents from the rear. This process is gentle in nature and does not involve banging or hammering the dents. As such, the dent is re-shaped without having to take any extra steps that would drive up costs and labor. In a way, paintless dent repair is a return to simplicity as opposed to undertaking a needlessly extensive repair process when the end result can be achieved in a much easier manner.
This is not to say that this is an unskilled process to undertake. In reality, paintless dent repair does require significant skill. The process takes quite a while to perfect and the need for learning the process within the framework of a formal class is required. In other words, while paintless dent repair is a much easier repair process it requires a knowledgeable hand to perform accurately. This is not a "do it yourself" repair plan by any stretch of the imagination.
The process of paintless dent repair is becoming more and more popular as more auto body shops are beginning to offer the service. Whether or not this will replace the traditional method of auto body repair remains to be seen. Then again, this matters little as long as there are enough body shops offering paintless dent repair to meet the needs of those who would wish to take part in it.
Both Mira Williams & Paul Fountain are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.