Page 48 - Australasian Paint & Panel May-June 2021

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RECALIBRATION
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PAINT&PANEL MAY / JUNE 2021
48 ADAS IN VIEW • 52 LAUNCH OF ADAS SOLUTIONS • 54 WORKSHOP SOLUTIONS FROM HELLA
ADAS IN VIEW
DEAN LANDER, HEAD OF REPAIR SECTOR SERVICES AT THATCHAM RESEARCH REVEALS HOW THE UK REPAIR INDUSTRY HAS INSTITUTED STANDARDS FOR ADAS IDENTIFICATION.
HEN HENRY FORD ROLLED OUT
the first Ford Model T in 1908 he could not have imagined the ADAS technology of today. Nev- ertheless vehicles are now equipped with multiple components that act as an extension of awareness - and collision avoidance - for drivers around the world. Volumes are growing: global sales of ve- hicles fitted with Advanced Driver As- sistance Systems (ADAS) are expected
to reach just under $2bn by 2026.
The ADAS revolution is well under way and we should expect exponential growth in the number of systems added to vehi- cles from now on. Market analysis by I- Car Australia in 2020 revealed that stand- ard fitment of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) featured on 3% of Austral- ian new light vehicles in December 2015
but had risen to 54% by mid-2019.
Of course, widespread fitment of ADAS already goes well beyond AEB. Australia’s Federal Chamber of Auto- motive Industries provides the follow- ing list of features currently fitted to new models - and even this line-up isn’t
exhaustive: blind spot monitoring; adaptive cruise control; lane keep as- sist; lane departure warning; self-park- ing; adaptive headlights; fatigue warn- ing; traffic jam assist.
Some safety systems are uniquely adapted for Australian roads, such as Smart City Brake Support and High Beam Control. The latter, for example, are tuned to ensure unique red roadside reflectors found in Australia will not turn off automatic high beam.
GET YOUR SKILLS UP TO SPEED
The bulk of the industry isn’t blind to the challenges posed by the prospect of ADAS-enabled vehicles pouring off the production lines and onto roads.
Nevertheless, insurers, assessors, work providers and repairers must ensure they are completely aware of emerging ADAS technologies and possess the skills to re- turn fully safe vehicles to motorists.
The I-Car study claims a “significant portion” of the insurance and repair in- dustry has not adopted new ADAS repair competencies, in the belief that those re-
quirements are on the horizon rather than needed today.
This is a reckless mentality. I’m in full agreement with the sentiment of the which declares: “The reality is the systems are here now, action is required now, and delays may result in injuries and potential fatalities among Australia’s mo- toring public.”
This is an issue Thatcham Research has tackled during the past few years, in a
bid to bring standardisation to ADAS identification and repair.
A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
As part of our drive to support insurers and bodyshops in the safe repair of ADAS- enabled vehicles, the UK Insurance Indus- try Requirements for the safe repair of ADAS-equipped vehicles - the IIR for short - were published in July 2020.
Publication followed months of con- sultation and discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, from insurers and repairers to membership bodies.
At that time this was a “heads up” to the repair industry that change was coming and bodyshops should prepare. The transi- tion period to the new standard concluded at the end of March 2021, and it is good to be able to report widespread adoption and compliance. The IIR is intended to help as- sessors and bodyshops collaborate to insti- gate good ADAS practice. It is a set of core requirements repairers should adhere to:
• When repairing, removing and refit- ting, aligning or replacing any ADAS sensors or associated vehicle parts likely to affect the operation and func- tionality of ADAS sensors
LEFT: Thatcham Research MET engineer replaces a rear corner radar.
TOP: Wheel alignment is an important part of the calibration process.