Shortcut to danger

Don’t skimp on re-calibration inspections for chassis straightening equipment, warns Globaljig.

Think straight. Unchecked straightening systems can lead to complications that can increase set-up times, as well as inaccuracies that can compromise the safety of repairs, says Stafford-based equipment supplier Tri-Sphere.

‘What we are finding is that calibration intervals are either being ignored, extended, or subcontracted to companies that provide a basic calibration service across the bodyshop equipment range,’ says Tri-Sphere director Jim Masterson. ‘Calibration service providers tend not to service equipment or carry out remedial work. They either issue a certificate or they don’t.’

Stafford-based Tri-Sphere is the sole UK importer for Globaljig chassis straightening systems, one of the market leaders in vehicle systems, which include models such as the Globaljig Mobile and the Globaljig Rotax.

‘In the current economic climate, work is tight and the number of vehicle write-offs at the lower end of the scale has increased. It’s becoming a fact of bodyshop life that jigs are more likely to be used on the more expensive models – those that can absorb the impact of an expensive repair and still hold a market value,’ he adds.

Tri-Sphere says this means that jigs are used less frequently. The downside is that for some bodyshop managers, jig servicing and calibration is becoming less of a priority.’As a result, there is more diagnostic and remedial work to carry out, which is much more expensive to do anyway so anything saved on recalibration and servicing goes out of the window. The number of sub-standard repairs that may have gone out of the bodyshop in the meantime is anybody’s guess.’