What is a SMART repair?

Being so ingrained in the automotive industry we come across hundreds if not thousands of different acronyms on a daily basis and can often forget that not everybody will instantly understand what we mean when we recite them. For example, we might say “We’ve got a SMART repair on the OSF of a BMW EV that needs GPR or possibly PDR, making sure the ADAS is still operational afterwards”. If speaking to a colleague or technician in the automotive industry this series of acronyms comes across as perfectly straightforward. But to a person on the street this could be a completely different language.

So, Revive! thought it would be helpful to give you a breakdown of some of the common terms our technicians might use while repairing your car, so you can know exactly what we’re talking about.

SMART

Small to Medium Area Repair Technique – While there is no formal definition of what ‘small’ means in this instance, Revive! specialise in minor repairs up to and including a single panel. We focus mainly on MOBILE SMART Repairs, this can include bumper scuffs, vandal scratches, small dents and even parking prangs. Revive!’s ability to perform the repair at a location of your choosing sets them apart from body shops, who can perform a SMART Repair for you, however they will be tied to their location often leaving you without a vehicle.

ADAS

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems – These systems that can assist the driver with the operation of a vehicle are becoming increasingly common, especially in the drive towards autonomous vehicles. These systems use automated technology, including sensors and cameras, to detect nearby obstacles or driver errors, and respond accordingly by either taking control of the vehicle or alerting the driver visually and/or audibly.

IMI

Institute of the Motor Industry – When we mention our technicians are IMI accredited this is what we mean, the IMI is the professional association for individuals working in the motor industry. Revive! have worked with the IMI to develop a bodywork repair qualification that we encourage all our technicians to take part in, as this additional training sets them apart from other body shops and SMART repairers who don’t have the same quality resources of Revive!.

EV

Electric Vehicle – Fairly self-explanatory but it must be noted that certain companies are unable to work on Electric vehicles due to the complications in lifting and using certain tools on them. Revive! however have implemented specialist EV training to enable our IMI accredited technicians to complete repairs safely and securely on all vehicles.

NS(F/R) / OS(F/R)

Nearside (Front/Rear) / Offside (Front/Rear) – A common term in automotive engineering is the near side and off side of a vehicle. You may have heard your mechanic mention these terms when working on your vehicle for it’s MOT. Near side refers to the side of the car closest to the kerb, also known as the passenger side. The other side of the coin to Nearside, the offside of a car refers to the side of the car furthest away from the kerb, otherwise known as the driver’s side.

PDR

Paintless Dent Removal – Refers to a process that can remove minor dents and damage if the paint surface hasn’t been broken. While Revive! don’t currently perform PDR we do work with a number of specialists we can bring in to perform the techniques if necessary. These specialists will use a number of hammers and dollys to hammer out dents without damaging the surface of the paint.

GPR

Glue Pulling Repair – A glue pulling repair involves a technician glueing a tool in the bottom of a dent, then using a specially designed puller to bend the dent out making it even with the rest of the panel. These are quite common repairs for our technicians to complete and require little to no additional work depending on the seriousness of the initial damage.

PPE/VPE

Personal Protective Equipment / Vehicle Protective Equipment – This refers to the basic equipment all our technicians will wear when spraying a vehicle, consisting of goggles, mask and overalls. Our technicians also utilise Vehicle Protection Equipment during their repairs to ensure that only the intended areas for paint receive a coating.

These are just some of the terms you might hear from our technicians, but if you ever don’t understand anything from our technicians or phone operators, please just ask as they will be more than happy to explain anything about your repair in detail.

If you are interested in using our services please get in touch with our team now!

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