Repair and Maintenance in focus as leading global players line up cutting edge solutions at three-day auto aftermarket trade fair

Dubai, UAE, April 2, 2017:  The finest in automotive repair and maintenance solutions will be under the spotlight at the Middle East’s largest auto aftermarket trade fair next month in Dubai, from non-wax based vehicle detailing services to automated body shop systems that save time and money.

Auto professionals searching for the latest innovations in workshop repairs and equipment will be in for a treat at Automechanika Dubai 2017, with leading global suppliers set to descend upon the annual showcase from 7-9 May at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Italian company Symach will launch Fixline – an automated body shop repair process that utilises robotics, reducing vehicle repair costs by 25-30 per cent and yielding a ‘key to key’ time of two days on average.

Osvaldo Bergaglio, CEO of Symach, said the key to Fixline’s performance is that all phases of repair is customised for every shop, ensuring a more organised workflow, while its patented paint drying technology and specialised drying robots ensures optimal repair times.

“Fixline has three different layouts and repair processes, which are segmented based on the amount of damage and the number of panels involved in an accident,” said Bergaglio.  “This makes it possible to optimise each phase of the repair, the skills of the technicians and the equipment.  It also maximises quality, efficiency and production.

“The FixLine conveyor allows a continuous workflow throughout the day, allowing a shop to use approximately 30 percent fewer technicians than a conventional shop to repair the same number of cars per day.”

Bergaglio said Symach’s Drytronic paint drying technology dries body filler, primer, waterborne and clear in one minute and 30 seconds per panel, which allows a continuous workflow during each phase of the repair.  He added: “This means that damaged cars can be repaired without interruption and technicians don’t have to handle three or more different cars at a time during the working process like they do today.

“Automation and robotics is the future of body shops and the FixLine process goes exactly in this direction, giving technicians all the freedom to perform at their best thanks to automated processes and the advanced technologies offered by robotics.”

Elsewhere in Automechanika Dubai’s Repair & Maintenance section, French company Saint-Gobain Abrasives will deliver live demonstrations of its Norton Car Spa system, a vehicle detailing service that stands out like a shining beacon. 

Marc Borlinghaus, Regional Sales Manager at AAM Saint-Gobain Abrasives, said its unique car spa concept is carried out only by highly qualified, trained technicians, while no wax products are used to bring about a car’s showroom glow. 

“Norton Car Spa technicians will achieve the same level of gloss as a wax would achieve, but without the drawbacks of wax,” said Borlinghaus.  “In the end, the typical wax is like a makeup – it’s designed to hide small flaws and create a perfect looking result.

“But like makeup, it’s a short-term solution and will easily be removed by a few rainfalls or visits to the car wash station, which then returns a car back into the old and scratched optical appearance situation it had been prior to having given it to a detailing centre for polishing and waxing.

“In the case of a polish done by a Norton Car Spa, the final result is purely achieved through mechanical means – abrasives products and polishing compounds.  This means the shine actually comes from the car’s clear coat, not from a makeup product, which in turn guarantees that even after a few rainfalls or car washes, the car will still look good.”

Saint-Gobain Abrasives is one of more than 130 exhibitors in the dedicated Repair & Maintenance section of Automechanika Dubai 2017, which overall will feature more than 2,000 exhibitors from 55 countries.  

Borlinghaus said the Norton Car Spa, launched late last year, has already been well received in the UAE, and he now hopes to find more potential partners from throughout the Middle East at Automechanika Dubai 2017.

He added: “Recently we opened our second Norton Car Spa in cooperation with Gargash Auto Body and Al Dahiya in Al Qusais, and over the coming months more will follow. While our first focus is on the UAE, we will eventually spread the system all over the Middle East.”

Spanning more than 5,200sqm of exhibition space, Repair & Maintenance is one of six product groups at Automechanika Dubai, and has more than doubled in exhibitor numbers over the last seven years. 

Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, Automechanika Dubai’s organiser said:  “Repair and Maintenance is a key component of the Middle East automotive aftermarket, and as Automechanika Dubai 2017 illustrates, it brings in a wide range of innovative products and solutions from leading global players all under one roof.

“The strong growth in the section underlines the rising regional demand for high quality workshop equipment and tools, bodywork repair, paints and corrosion protection products, all targeted toward fleet, garage, and workshop operators across the Middle East.”

Other big names at Automechanika Dubai’s Repair & Maintenance section include Ravaglioli – one of the world’s top-ranking companies in the garage equipment industry; Clas Equipment; Spanesi; Honeywell, and Altia.  Italian company Rupes will also showcase its latest range of professional electric and pneumatic tools, accessory items and vacuum systems.

Now in its 15th edition, Automechanika Dubai 2017’s five other product groups are Parts & Components; Electronics & Systems; Accessories & Customizing; Tyres & Batteries; and Car Wash, Care & Reconditioning.

The annual three-day event returns with its popular Truck Competence initiative, where more than 1,000 exhibitors will showcase their products dedicated to the entire value chain in the truck sector, from truck parts and accessories, to workshop equipment, body repairs and care.

Its global influence is underlined by the presence of 25 country pavilions and 35 international trade associations, while 90 per cent of exhibitors, and 51 per cent of visitors are expected to come from outside of the UAE.