Page 18 - Australasian Paint & Panel Mar-Apr 2019
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NEWS
18
PAINT&PANEL MARCH / APRIL 2019
WWW.PAINTANDPANEL.COM.AU
IAG QUALITY REPORT
IAG HAS RELEASED ITS SIXTH QUALITY
Report that provides annual data on mo- tor and property repair standards.
The Quality Report provides an in- sight into the monitoring, assessment and quality repair standards across IAG’s nationwide property and motor re- pair network.
In 2017-18 IAG undertook more than 440,000 motor vehicle repair assessments and completed 54,108 quality inspections (43,478 in 2016-2017). Potential quality is- sues were identified in approximately 4% of inspections (0.51% in 2016-2017) and potential safety issues in 0.07% (0.05% in 2016-2017) of inspections. Where an is- sue was identified during an inspection, IAG worked with repairers to rectify them. This year the quality issue percent- age come from the number of vehicles in-
spected, in previous years the percent- age was obtained from the number of vehicles repaired.
IAG Executive General Manager of Short Tail Claims, Steve Fitzpatrick, said the report reflects the importance IAG places on delivering safe, quality re- pairs and great customer service.
“In the motor vehicle industry, the in- creased use of advanced technology is making the modern vehicle not only saf- er but smarter. We’re focused on ensur- ing our assessors and partners continue to build their knowledge, keep up to date with the latest technology and are suitably trained." Fitzpatrick said.
“At the same time, we want to pro- vide our customers with the best possi- ble experience and the peace of mind that their vehicle is being repaired to
the highest possible standard through our national metropolitan and rural partner network.
“This latest IAG Quality Report re- flects our dedication to quality repairs, continued improvement and leading in- dustry initiatives across the Motor and Property portfolios, to ultimately meet IAG’s purpose – we make your world a safer place.”
SELF HEALING CAR PARTS?
A 3D PRINTING TECHNIQUE THAT CREATES
self-healing materials could be ‘game- changing” for soft robotics and lead to repairable vehicle parts, researchers have claimed according to a story by the Insitituiton of Mechanical Engineers.
“Instead of throwing away your bro- ken boots... why not let them fix them- selves,” the team from the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering asked?
The team created a new material that can be manufactured quickly and can repair itself if fractured or punctured, using a 3D printing method involving photopolymerisation. The process uses light to solidify a liquid resin in a de- sired shape.
Photopolymerisation uses a reaction with a chemical group called thiols. The team added an oxidiser to transform the thiols into disulfides, which are able to reform when broken. Finding the right ratio between thiols and disulfides was the key to unlocking the materials' unique properties.
The team reported manufacturing speeds of five seconds for a 17.5mm2 square, completing objects in 20 minutes that could repair themselves after break-
ing over several hours. In the study, they demonstrated the material’s ability in a range of products, including a shoe pad, soft robot and an electronic sensor.
“This material could be game-chang- ing for industries like shoes, tires, soft robotics, and even electronics, decreas- ing manufacturing time while increas- ing product durability and longevity,” a press release said.
The healing technique currently de- pends on high temperatures – two hours at 60oC for the rubbery material, four hours when carbon was included for electricity transmission – but first au- thor Kunhao Yu said the material still self heals at room temperature.
After working on soft materials, the team is now developing different self- healing materials with a range of stiff- nesses. Self-healing hard plastics could be used for vehicle parts, composite materials and even body armour, they claimed.


































































































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