Vehicle manufacturers are experimenting with plastic engine blocks, wheels, frames, glass and more that we may have considered to be sacred steel-only parts. The truth is, most plastics are entirely repairable by welding methods and adhesive bonding or by a combination of both. In most cases, plastic parts are as strong as, if not stronger, than their steel or aluminum counterparts. In all applications where plastic is used on the outside of a vehicle, it must still pass any and all crash standards put forth by the government and the auto manufacturers themselves. In any plastic repair method, the process is different from conventional auto body repairs, but not necessarily difficult.
Plastic repair requires training and an investment in some special tools and equipment.
The cost savings can be very beneficial and the time your vehicle spends in a repair shop can be reduced. Plastics are becoming more and more a way of life in our country and around the world. Today, in the United States, it is possible that you could be driving a car that is made almost entirely out of plastic on roads with plastic, crossing bridges made entirely of plastic. Amarillo College offers a Plastic and Composite Repair class in the Automotive Collision Repair Technology Department. Upon completion of the coursework and graduation from the program, AC collision repair students are ready to repair plastics for potential employers.