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INTRODUCTION > WORK NOTICES AND PRECAUTIONS > PRECAUTIONS FOR

REPAIRING ALUMINUM ALLOY PANELS

PORTIONS WHERE ALUMINIUM ALLOY PANELS ARE USED

Text in Illustration

Al-Mg-Si Alloy (6000 series)

WORK SAFETY
Although aluminum is a nontoxic material, it is very light in weight, which can easily cause
metal particles to become airborne during sanding. It is important for technicians to protect
their lungs and eyes from these particles.
It is the personal responsibility of the technicians to be aware of the dangers involved, and to
protect themselves by using proper safety equipment. It is also necessary to provide adequate
lighting and ventilating facilities in the workshop.
Please follow the recommended safety precautions below when repairing aluminum panels.

Always wear protective glasses, ear plugs, dust masks, and other protective equipment to
protect your eyes, ears, and respiratory system.

Make sure to wear protective gloves when conducting heat repairs and when sanding or
using organic solvents.

As safety equipment for an emergency, have fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and an eye
wash area at the workplace.

Dust
Dust mask
mask
(Disposable
(Exchange
type)
type)

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Face Safety
protector glasses

Safety
Ear plugs
shoes

Ear Cotton
protectors gloves

Solvent
- -
gloves

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 5000 SERIES AND 6000 SERIES ALUMINUM ALLOY PANELS
Proper Heating Temperature
Type Heating Limit Temperature
for Repairs
Al-Mg Alloy (5000 series) 300°C (572°F) 250°C (482°F)
Al-Mg-Si Alloy (6000 series) 250°C (482°F) 200°C (392°F)

NOTICE:

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There is a marked decrease in the panel strength if heated over the heating temperature
limit.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALUMINUM ALLOY

a. If the base metal of aluminum alloy is left untreated, it will naturally develop an oxide film
that will protect against corrosion. As a result, an anti-rust agent does not need to be
used even when aluminum alloy is exposed to heat during shrinking.

b. Aluminum alloy conducts heat very well so a wide area will become heated when heat is
applied to one area.
- Aluminum Iron
Heat Conductance 236 W/m*K 84 W/m*K

c. Aluminum alloy does not become magnetized.

PRECAUTIONS WHEN CONDUCTING REPAIRS

a. If aluminum comes into contact with another type of metal (especially steel), galvanic
corrosion will cause the base metal to corrode. If tools used to repair steel panels are not
cleaned before they are used on aluminum alloy surfaces, the tools will leave behind steel
particles and corrode the base metal.
Therefore make sure to completely clean off iron particles on the surface of tools if using
them to repair steel parts before use, or prepare a separate set of tools (hammers,
dollies, chisels, air sander, carbon electrode, etc.) for use on aluminum alloys only.

HINT:
Galvanic corrosion is rusting that is created by a potential difference between two metals
that is produced when they come in to contact together. This phenomenon occurs with
any type of metal, and the aluminum causes the corrosion when the base metal surfaces
of aluminum and steel are put together.

b. An oxide film forms on an aluminum alloy within a matter of minutes when the base metal
is exposed to the air.
This oxide film has a negative effect on putty and paint adhesion, so it is important to
immediately treat the base metal after sanding and degreasing.

c. Aluminum is brittle and easily develops work hardening and cracks. Heating aluminum
when restoring a deformed portion improves workability and prevents work hardening and
cracking so it is an effective method when repairing.
However, heating at the optimal heating temperature provides the very best results and
any increase in temperature above this will result in a corresponding decrease in strength.
(There is a marked decrease in strength if the optimal heating temperature is exceeded.)

CHOOSING THE REPAIR METHOD

- Damaged Condition Judgment Criteria Repair method

There is no plastic
deformation to the
Repair by pulling.
outer panel.

There is no deformation
A dent on the flat outer to the ends of the outer

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panel surface panel.

No deformation to the
inner panel.

No separation between
outer and inner panel.

Slight plastic
Repairable*1 deformation to the
outer and inner panels.
Repair with a
Deformation to the outer (Deformation that does
hammer and
or inner panels. not crack while
dolly by heating.
repairing.)

No separation between
outer and inner panel.
Tears and hole openings
Replacement of
Not Repairable Damage with severe -
the assembly.
plastic deformation*2

*1: The repairable size of the damage is judged by the same standard as for steel panels.
*2: Not repairable because cracking will occur while repairing.

THE WORK PROCEDURE OF EACH REPAIR METHOD (Repair by Pulling)

Recommended tools

Industrial heat
Puller
gun

Washer
welder
(For use
on Carbon electro
standard
steel
panels)

Air tools

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NOTICE:
Make sure to completely clean off iron particles on the surface of the tools above if using
them to repair steel parts before use, or prepare a separate set of tools for use on aluminum
alloys only (to prevent galvanic corrosion of the aluminum).

a. CHECK OF THE DAMAGE

i. Inspect visually and brush your

hand across the damaged surface
to determine the condition of the
damaged area and whether there
is any stretching. Also, check for
any cracking and paint peeling. In
cases where no paint defects are
found, conduct the work starting
from (c).

b. PAINT REMOVAL (NOT NECESSARY IN

CASES WHERE THERE ARE NO PAINT
DEFECTS)

i. Completely remove the paint at

the points where bonding chips will
be attached.

c. DEGREASING WHERE THE BONDING

CHIP WILL BE ATTACHED

i. After air blowing the surface, apply

the degreaser cleaning solution
that comes with the puller set to a
cloth and degrease the area to be
repaired.

HINT:

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If there are no paint defects

present, scuff with the extra fine
compound and then degrease.

d. PREPARING THE PLATE HOOK

i. Heat the plate hook with an

industrial heater gun and attach
the bonding chip before it cools off.

e. SETTING THE PLATE HOOK

i. Attach two-sided tape (or masking

tape folded over on itself) on the
back of the magnet for positioning
and set the plate hook on the
panel surface to secure it in place.

HINT:
The magnet must be attached
with tape because aluminum
does not magnetize.

f. ATTACHING THE PLATE HOOK

i. Heat the bonding chip with an

industrial heater gun. Then use a
handle of a hammer or the like to
apply pressure on the plate hook
and adhere it to the surface.

ii. Next, air blow to cool down the

panel surface and plate hook.

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g. SETTING THE PULLER

i. Fasten the magnet rubber plate

attachment under the arm of the
puller (with tape or the like) to
prevent secondary damage.

ii. Attach the eye nut to the plate

hook and then attach the puller
hook to the eye nut. Pull outward
to about 1 to 2 mm (0.04 to 0.08
in.) past the height of the
undamaged surface.

h. PULLING

i. While keeping the puller pulled

outward, lightly strike the convex
surrounding area with a body line
chisel or wood piece.

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Text in Illustration
*1 Pull
*2 Strike

HINT:
Perform procedures (d) to
(i) for areas a, b and c in
alphabetical order. Pull so
that each area is -1 to -2
mm (-0.04 to -0.08 in.) in
relation to the undamaged
surface.

i. REMOVING THE PLATE HOOK

i. After pulling, use an industrial

heater gun to heat the bonding
chip until it melts and then remove
the plate hook.

ii. Heat the leftover bonding chip and

use a spatula to quickly remove it
from the panel. Then apply the
degreaser cleaning solution to
degrease the panel surface.

NOTICE:
After the above work has been completed, conduct the following shrinking work if the
tension of the repaired panel surface is inadequate.

j. SHRINKING

i. Shrink areas that are elevated due

to stretching with a carbon
electrode to ensure tension.

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ii. After shrinking, remove the burn

mark in the same way as when
repairing regular steel panels.

NOTICE:

There is a negative effect on
putty adhesion of the
exposed panel portions due
to oxidization.

Create a featheredge on the
previous coat, and apply
primer and putty
immediately after the
shrinking work.

THE WORK PROCEDURE OF EACH REPAIR METHOD (Repairing with a Hammer and
Dolly by Heating)
Recommended tools

Gas burner

Noncontact
thermometer

Plastic-faced
hammer

Fine
smoothening
hammer

Wooden -
hammer

Dolly

Body line
chisel and
wood piece

NOTICE:

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Make sure to completely clean off iron particles on the surface of the tools above if using
them to repair steel parts before use, or prepare a separate set of tools for use on aluminum
alloys only (to prevent galvanic corrosion of the aluminum).

a. CHECK OF THE DAMAGE

i. Inspect visually and brush your

hand across the damaged surface
to determine the condition of the
damaged area and whether there
is any stretching.

b. PREPARATION FOR HEAT REPAIRS

Text in Illustration
*1 Wet cloth
*2 Temperature indication label

i. Cover the undamaged paint coating with a wet cloth so that it will not be burned by the
flame of the burner while heating.

ii. Put the temperature indication label at a position approximately 50 mm (1.97 in.)
away from the heated area.

HINT:
Position the temperature indication label so that it is not directly exposed to the
burner flame.

c. HEAT REPAIRING

i. Evenly heat the bent portion.

NOTICE:

Do not directly expose the
temperature indication label
to the flame.

Stop heating before the

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temperature indication label

color changes.

NOTICE:

Measure the painted surface
when using a noncontact
thermometer. (The
aluminum base metal surface
cannot be precisely
measured.)

Apply a guide coat or a
lacquer coat (white or black)
on the base metal surface
and then measure the
surface to be painted when measuring the aluminum base metal surface.

The temperature will rise immediately after heating so make sure to frequently
measure the temperature. (There is a large marked decrease in strength if the
heating limit temperature is exceeded.)

d. REPAIRING BY HAMMERING

i. Rough Repairing
Aluminum quickly cools down after
being heating so hammer the
backside of panel with a
plasticfaced or wooden hammer
immediately after heating.

ii. Guidelines for Finishing Rough

Repair
Even if there is unevenness in the
surface, the repair is complete if
the edge lines are restored.

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iii. Repair with a Hammer and Dolly

Smooth the surface repeatedly
using an on-dolly and an off-
dolly on the surface.

Restore the panel edge line
with an on-dolly.

e. CHECK OF THE REPAIRED SURFACE

i. Check the following two conditions

and repair by shrinking using a
carbon electrode if either applies.

There is an area that is higher
than normal.

There is inadequate tension.

f. REPAIRING DENTS ON THE INNER

PANEL PORTION

i. If there are no high points, repair

by putty shaping.

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ii. If there are high points, place the

nozzle of an industrial heater gun
close to the high point, and heat it
for 30 seconds.

iii. Repair the shape of the surface

with a fine smoothening hammer
before the heated portion cools off.

HINT:
Alternate between heating and
hammering.

g. PROCEDURE AFTER PANEL REPAIR (PUTTY SHAPING, PAINTING, ETC.)

i. Conduct the procedure based on the work process below. (The basic work process is
the same as for repairs on steel panels.)

HINT:
Perform the procedure with the paint manufacture specified primer and putty. Also,
when using the primer and putty, make sure to follow the paint manufacturer's
instructions.

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