EPR-01 Estimating Plastic Repair

*Note - You must view 100% of slides to progress. Please do not skip forward during the course. A score of 70% or better on each module's quiz is needed to pass.*

This online course is designed to educate collision damage estimators and other collision repair industry professionals on determining the severity and repairability of damaged plastic parts.

In this course, students will learn how to gauge the severity of damaged plastic bumper covers to determine repairability. Students will also learn about plastic types and how to identify them. The course explains the repair methods and materials used for different types of plastic.

Course Objectives

Training Needs:

• Many plastic parts that could be repaired are discarded because the estimator does not know how to determine the repairability of the part. This negatively impacts the shop's labor hours billed, its repair vs. replace ratio, and its cycle time.
• Many estimators do not have experience in plastic repair and are thus unfamiliar with the terminology, tools, and techniques involved. This makes communication with the technicians difficult when it comes making repair vs. replace decisions on plastic parts.
• Determining the repairability of damaged plastic parts depends on the type of plastic, the application, the tools and equipment available, and the technicians' skill level, among other things. Most estimators (and many technicians) are unfamiliar with these subjects.
• Determining the repairability of plastic bumper damage often takes years of experience doing actual repairs since no two types of damage on any bumper are identical.

Training Objectives:

• Identify different types of plastic
• Understand the difference between thermoset plastic and thermoplastics
• Understand the various tools and products used for plastic repair
• Understand the methods used for the repair of different types of plastic
• Make an informed decision on repairing or replacing damaged parts
• Gauge the severity of damaged plastic bumper covers to determine repairability

Prerequisites:

No prior training course or body shop experience is necessary.

Time Required:

Approximately two hours.

I-CAR Industry Training Alliance:

The course is eligible for two (2) I-CAR annual training credits under the Industry Training Alliance program. As Polyvance is an I-CAR Sustaining Partner, the student may redeem these credits at no additional cost.

Certificates

Completion of this course (all lessons must be passed or completed) will earn credit towards the following certificate(s):

• EPR-01 Certificate

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