Top 3 Things You’ll Learn in Collision Mechanic Classes
The Collision Reconditioning Technology program at Automotive Training Center prepares students to repair collision damage to vehicles and make sure they’re able to drive like new once again. Mistakes will happen. Accidents happen. If you’ve ever been in an accident, you’ve turned your car over to an experienced collision repair mechanic.
Want to know what it takes to become one yourself? Here are the three most important things you’ll learn in collision mechanic classes at ATC.
1. How to Repair a Vehicle After an Accident
Whether you’re turning a wrench or operating a welder Collision Reconditioning Technology demands a diverse set of skills. You’ll need to understand how a car’s internal systems work, but also how the external elements play a factor, too. Metalworking, frame repair, and welding plays an important role in the repair process.
As a repair shop employee or owner, you may also be working with an insurance company that’s covering the cost of the repairs.
Speaking with these companies is an aspect of collision repair, and it’s a skill needed to ensure the shop is able to receive timely payment for the work that has been completed. You may even become an insurance collision appraiser at a collision repair shop, where your sole job is to identify vehicle damage and prepare cost estimates.
2. Making General Auto Repairs
If the car has been in an accident, the first thing you’ll see is the exterior damage to the vehicle. That being said, general auto repairs may be required, and going beyond body work and painting ensures the vehicle is getting full attention.
The engine may have incurred some damage in a head-on collision, or the interior could need repairs. For example, electrical or air conditioning problems may be present. These are commonplace following an accident, and should be addressed Repairs sent out to other shops take time and money, so many collision shops try to keep all repairs in-house when possible.
3. Damage to a Vehicle Isn’t Permanent
It’s a collision repair technician’s job to make it look like the accident never happened. With welding, hammering, sanding, and placing new panels on a vehicle, a car can begin to return to form and look like it did prior to the accident. Of course, these skills take time to develop, and it can take months or years to perfect the craft.
A car will also need to be properly prepped for a paint job if there have been major damages to the paint itself. A fresh coat of paint will give any vehicle that’s been in an accident new life.
Collision Repair Work You Can Be Proud Of
There’s a rewarding feeling to returning a vehicle to a customer that looks like new. As a collision mechanic, you’ll have the opportunity to do just that. Learn more about our course offerings at Automotive Training Center by visiting us for a campus tour at either our Exton or Warminster location.
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