In order to comply with recent Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) and CO2-emission standards, automakers have been forced to come up with innovative engineering designs without compromising vehicle safety and performance. Those structural changes include replacing heavier steel components with light-weight alternatives like magnesium, aluminum and carbon fiber. But those lighter materials cannot be heat-welded like steel. As a result, many body shops have been forced to embrace newer repair techniques like rivet bonding.
Rivet-adhesive bonding, also known as “rivet bonding” or “cold bonding”, is a process that uses structural adhesives and rivets to hold body panels together. Most manufacturers now use at least some rivet bonding during production instead of spot-welding for front hood closures, side and back panels, and headliners. And, if you drive a Chevy Corvette Z06, Ford F-150, Audi 8 or Jaguar XJ, those all have aluminum-based chassis components that require rivet-bonding in-lieu-of welding whenever structural repairs are needed.
BMW is even requiring rivet bonding to replace their factory spot welds even though their body panels are made of regular steel. Honda has been using high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel formulations for years in some of its Accord parts, but those materials can also be significantly weakened when exposed to high temperatures generated by traditional welding equipment. That has led some repair shops to use cold bonding structural repairs on Honda vehicles including the Accord and their electric models.
Based on the make of vehicle, all automakers have specific original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications that body shops are expected to follow when repairing structural components after an accident. And, sometimes those requirements include rivet bonding. If repairs are not done properly, it can not only invalidate a factory warranty, the shop in question may be forced to do the work all over again.
Different metals have unique chemical compositions that can interact with one another, for example an aluminum body panel and steel rivet, and then cause corrosion when exposed to electrolytes like road salt, acid and moisture. As a result, when a technician is doing rivet bonding, they must properly seal the rivet site first. If they don’t, the resulting corrosion can eventually weaken the bond area’s structural integrity and cause rust formation on the vehicle.
Other rivet-bonding challenges that collision repair shops face include:
Depending on the vehicle manufacturer and type, body shop managers and technicians have-to constantly stay updated on rivet-bonding repair processes and specifications. One way for them to do so is through I-CAR (www.i-car.com), as they provide rivet-bonding education through their website and other training programs. Automakers also post updated repair specifications online so that collision-repair professionals can readily access the information.
To address the growing need for rivet-adhesive bonding, some shops are offering the repairs only for certain vehicle makes and models, like the newer Corvettes or Audis. That means investing in employee training programs, special tools and equipment. If the shop can’t perform the service on another type of vehicle, they will usually refer the driver to a business that can. Auto insurance companies also keep track of shops that specialize in rivet bonding so they can steer policy holders to the right place for the job.
No matter what type of car you drive, when it’s been involved in a fender-bender you can promptly locate customer-reviewed auto body and glass repair shops nearby by using the nationwide Carwise referral network. Collision repair shops listed on Carwise are I-CAR and ASE certified, which means they have the updated services, necessary equipment and highly trained technicians to restore your ride like new again promptly and reliably.
Search your zip code now for a customer-reviewed auto body or glass repair shop nearby: www.carwise.com.
