Dec 20 2013
Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly turning to aluminum and other "exotic" materials as they design new vehicles to meet stringent CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) and safety standards. Properly repairing these vehicles after they have been damaged in a collision requires different equipment and repair techniques than most North American dealerships have used in the past. Chief Automotive Technologies and Elektron will show dealers the new collision repair equipment they need to keep their body shops up to date at the NADA Expo 2014.
Chief Automotive Technologies and Elektron will show dealers at the NADA Expo 2014 the collision repair equipment their body shops need to repair the next generation of vehicles made with aluminum and other "exotic" materials. Chief will demonstrate its new LaserLock(TM) live mapping(TM) system at the show, and will introduce a full line of tool boards designed to improve technician productivity. Elektron will showcase its new family of aluminum repair equipment, including MIG/MAG welders, aluminum stud welders and an aluminum repair station complete with dent pullers and dedicated accessories. (PRNewsFoto/Chief Automotive Technologies)
"Collision repair technicians and their managers are nervous about the new vehicles. They're not all confident that they are prepared to fix them properly," says Mike Cranfill, vice president of collision for Vehicle Service Group (VSG), parent company of Chief and Elektron. "At the NADA Expo 2014, Chief and Elektron will feature the equipment and training technicians need to return collision-damaged vehicles to pre-accident condition, regardless of whether the vehicle components are made of steel, aluminum, boron or other materials."
Chief, one of the world's largest collision repair equipment manufacturers and training providers, will demonstrate its new LaserLock™ live mapping™ system at the show, and will introduce a full line of tool boards designed to improve technician productivity. Elektron, a leading manufacturer of resistance spot welders, will showcase its new family of aluminum repair equipment, including MIG/MAG welders, aluminum stud welders and an aluminum repair station complete with dent pullers and dedicated accessories.
Chief and Elektron will share a 2,000-square-foot booth with sister VSG brand Rotary Lift (booth #1627) at the NADA Expo 2014, which is held Jan. 24-27 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. NADA Expo attendees can also check out new Chief or Elektron equipment in the Ford (#1022) and General Motors Corporation (#6345) booths.
Additional information about the full line of Chief and Elektron collision repair equipment and the course offerings available from Chief University can be found at www.chiefautomotive.com or by calling (800) 445-9262.
About Chief Automotive Technologies and Elektron
Chief Automotive Technologies, a Vehicle Service Group (VSG) brand, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of high-quality collision repair products and services, including frame-pulling equipment, vehicle-anchoring systems, measuring systems, and vehicle frame specifications. Chief is also a leading provider of comprehensive training on structural analysis, measuring, collision theory and design based repair.
Established in 1942, Elektron is a leading manufacturer of resistance spot welders, plasma cutters and battery chargers. Elektron equipment has more vehicle OEM homologations or approvals than any other products on the market and is sold in 110 countries around the world.
VSG comprises nine major collision repair and vehicle lifting brands: Chief Automotive Technologies, Elektron, Rotary Lift®, Forward® Lift, Direct-Lift®, Hanmecson®, Revolution® Lift, Blitz® and nogra®. Based in Madison, Ind., VSG has operations worldwide, including ISO 9001-certified manufacturing facilities on three continents.