Autobody News spoke with Mike Kukavica, collision training instructor for Porsche Cars North America, Inc., about its program this month as part of our continuous efforts to inform our readers about the most recent industry trend, OE shop certification programs.
Porsche: It’s known as the PACC Program, or Porsche Approved Collision Center Program. The initiative began in May 2009 with the completion of the initial pilot audits. In October 2009, the status of “Porsche Approved Collision Facility” was attained by our first prospective collision center.
Porsche: The PACC Program aims to improve the standard of repairs made to Porsche automobiles. We are concentrating on what the mechanic is doing to the car. The application will make sure that the technician is working in a setting with the workspace, supplies, and technical knowledge required to carry out the repairs as detailed by Porsche AG in the workshop manual.
ABN: What are the program’s prerequisites (tools, gear, instruction, setting, etc.)?
Porsche: There are specifications for how customers should be handled, facilities, staff training, and equipment, including information technology. There must be two structural technicians, one estimator, and one refinish technician at each PACC, and they must all meet the training and certification standards necessary for their respective jobs. These people must be distinct persons who come to the institution every day, are dressed appropriately for the work, and can be seen doing it. In other words, only one person can complete the training and become eligible for each of the four roles.
No, Porsche. We concentrate on people rather than the shop as a whole when it comes to training. The four individuals who fulfill the training criteria must all be I-CAR Platinum employees. The Platinum criteria is less onerous for firms that engage in many OE programs than a list of particular classes, as opposed to the list of classes we previously required.
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When fixing Porsche vehicles, quality is more important to us than quantity.
Who better to handle these repairs given their complexity than the people who created the vehicles?
After all, we have enough of knowledge. We have been fixing Porsche cars for more than 70 years. But we don’t ever let our guard down. Porsche Service provides ongoing personnel training programs for certified body shop experts as well as thorough procedure documentation to ensure high-quality repairs. These training courses teach new diagnostic techniques as well as new assembly techniques like bonding, punching, and clinching.
All Porsche workshops use thermostats to ensure that the adhesives used on structural components can harden. Modern workshop equipment, such as an electronic measurement system for precise diagnosis of mild to moderate damage, is now available at Porsche Approved Collision Centers. The measurement tolerance in use today is +/- 1 mm as opposed to +/- 5 mm in the past. After all, repairs are carried out according to established procedures. The value, safety, and driving characteristics are maintained in this way.
Moreover, your Porsche dealership has a Porsche Approved Collision Center (PACC) of its own or is affiliated with a standalone PACC, is trained and audited in accordance with Porsche standards, and is permitted to carry out repairs on our behalf in accordance with Porsche standards. Your Porsche dealership will always be your point of contact.
PACCs typically send invoices to your insurance provider directly. However, make sure this is the case first by checking with your authorized Porsche dealer and their designated PACC.
Porsche is looking for more approved auto body shops to collaborate with dealers.
According to a Porsche collision representative, Porsche has 130 dealership and independent certified auto body shops, which is near to but not quite enough for its 192 dealerships.
According to Porsche aftersales technical training collision repair technology instructor Mike Kukavica, the OEM wants each Porsche dealership to have its own certified body shop or sponsor an independent repairer who can receive its collision work.
In his presentation on Porsche’s wheel repair prohibition on December 13, Kukavica informed the VeriFacts Guild 21 audience that independents need sponsorship. He said that independent body shops make up 100 of the 130 certified shops. According to Kukavica, 28 of the 30 dealer shops are dealership collision centers shared by several retail locations in a specific dealer chain, and two of the 30 dealer shops are located inside of Porsche stores.
Therefore, if your business is in a region without a Porsche certified shop, it can be desirable to develop a relationship with your neighborhood dealer if the region’s vehicle mix contains enough Porsches to make certification worthwhile. In the United States, Porsche sold a record-breaking 55,420 automobiles in 2017, up from 54,280 in 2016.
According to Kukavica, the goal of Porsche’s certified collision network is to “improve the experience” for Porsche customers and guarantee that the OEM’s vehicles are fixed properly.
Some accredited programs, according to Kukavica, are more concerned with the selling of components than the caliber of repairs. However, except from mandating that approved shops utilize OEM components, Porsche’s says nothing regarding parts, he claimed.
Kukavica declared, “It’s not a parts-driven program. “It’s a program focused on quality.”
Kukavica stated that a body shop would receive a Porsche program guide after locating a dealership prepared to support it.
According to Kukavica, the collision repairer would need to analyze it and determine whether Porsche certification would be a good fit. He claimed that the program goes farther than simply “handing you a plaque” and checking an Excel box. He said Porsche wanted to make sure a mechanic working on one of their cars had everything they required.
Because Porsche only allows certified shops to sell particular parts, businesses that join the network do benefit from captive audiences. Any aluminum part in the vehicle’s construction that is “permanently mounted” to the car, as opposed to “hang-on pieces” like fenders or doors, according to Kukavica, as well as any steel part that is connected to an aluminum part, are included in this.
According to Kukavica, Porsche was able to accomplish this because a “certified generalist” working in the steel-based collision repair sector couldn’t be expected to perform a “safe repair” on its cars.
The Porsche 911 (991) has 50% fewer welds than its 997 predecessor from 2004, according to a customer-facing portal promoting Porsche-certified businesses, which is used to illustrate the knowledge required to maintain a Porsche. Porsche added that the 911 (991) has 2,110 punched rivets and 120 meters of adhesive, compared to the 911 (997)’s 12 meters and none.
The real sting, though, is that the cutting-edge structure Porsche used to highlight its accredited shops dates back to the previous 911 generation and is soon to become obsolete. The 2020 Porsche 911 (992) that was unveiled in November may be much more complicated, demonstrating the value of the aptitude of certified shops even more.
According to Porsche, “with the new 911, Porsche has further refined the mixed body architecture across the vehicle and designed a whole new body structure.” With the exception of the front and rear fasciae, the exterior skin is now entirely constructed of aluminum, down from the previous model’s 63 percent steel content.
Why Pick a Body Repair Facility Approved by Porsche?
With locations in Beverly Hills and LAX/Inglewood, Eli’s Collision Repair is pleased to be a Porsche-approved body repair facility. To ensure the quality of each repair, we only utilize components made by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Our collision repair specialists are educated to recognize the value of each and every OEM Porsche item and are familiar with using them. We also need all of our technicians to successfully complete certification programs from I-CAR, ASE, and significant automakers. This guarantees that every time they repair a car, it will be brought back to factory specifications and like-new condition.
Due to our exceptional quality and dedication to accurate car repair and restoration, OEM dealerships frequently refer customers to our Porsche body shop repair facility. To ensure that we maintain our certifications, we have stringent safety and repair criteria. Visit our Porsche body shop in Los Angeles, California, for high-quality repairs if your Porsche need maintenance or restoration.
Only Porsche trained technicians who have met the PCL-established training standards are allowed to perform repairs on Porsche vehicles under the PCCC Program.
I-CAR training is now necessary for Porsche-approved collision repair centers.
I-CAR has announced that as part of the “Porsche Approved Collision Center Program,” Porsche now requires I-CAR classroom instruction, the I-CAR Steel GMA (MIG) Welding Qualification Series, and the I-CAR Structural Parts Steel Welding Qualification Series. Porsche Approved Collision Centers are collision repair facilities that have attained all program requirements.
Instructor of collision repair technology Mike Kukavica said: “As a part of the “Porsche Approved Collision Center Program,” we are thrilled to be able to offer Porsche technicians the most recent collision repair training from I-CAR. Technicians will be well-prepared to finish Porsche training and carry out high-quality repairs on Porsche vehicles if they have a solid foundation in some of the most widely used materials and techniques of today as well as the completion of two of I-Welding CAR’s Qualifications Series.”
In addition to thorough welding instruction that includes theory, hands-on practice, and the I-CAR Steel GMA (MIG) Welding Qualification Test and I-CAR Structural Parts Steel Welding Qualification Test, individuals will receive I-CAR training on some of the most popular collision repair techniques used today. Opportunities for I-CAR training are available online or in a classroom setting with an instructor.
I-CAR Technical Director Jason Bartanen remarked, “As a member of the “Porsche Approved Collision Center Program,” I-CAR is pleased to offer its training. Porsche technicians will receive the most recent training materials and be ready for their Porsche-specific training if they have a solid basis in the collision repair process. Maintaining momentum is crucial because vehicle technology is constantly evolving, and ongoing training can be one of the most effective ways to stay up to date with market trends.”
Our technicians that hold OEM certifications are here to make sure that your car is fixed correctly the first time.
Program for Porsche Approved Collision Centers