Surface World November 2019 Surface World November 2019 | Page 60

PRODUCTS & PROCESSES
Autonomous cars.
A bodyshop challenge?
The future of the
automotive industry is
incredibly exciting. All sorts
of developments are not just
in the pipeline but starting
to appear on streets in the
UK and around the world.
Of course, some are wildly
speculative. However, even
these are having a knock-
on effect by producing
technology that has massive
implications for drivers and
the industry in general.
One of these, which would have been
considered science fiction a couple of
decades ago, is autonomous vehicles. Some
manufacturers have invested heavily in this
approach for advanced technology. Others
have selected a few ‘intelligent car’
technologies that make their vehicles safer
and simpler to drive, for example Lane Assist,
Intelligence Parking Assist and Active Cruise
Control are all examples of autonomous
vehicle technology that are now
commonplace.
In principle, these are positive advancements,
giving drivers peace of mind and making the
roads safer. But for those businesses involved
in repairing autonomous cars, the presence
of so many different technologies can
provide significant challenges.
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Sensors. A sensitive issue
Many new cars now contain an array of
sensors, mainly on the front and rear
bumpers. As drivers become more reliant on
autonomous technologies, the responsibility
is on manufacturers to ensure that the
sensors work without fault. In the event of an
accident this can be a problem for
bodyshops, as Mick Finch, AkzoNobel
Technical Coordinator explains: “Refinishing
bumpers can affect the sensors’ capabilities,
so they don’t perform at their peak. They
might cause the car to stop at 30 meters
instead of 20 meters, which could mean the
difference between an accident and a near
miss. That’s why manufacturers are currently
specifying these body parts and sensors must
be replaced rather than repaired.”
Not only does this mean less work for the
refinishers, but it also has environmental
implications. Damaged body
parts have to be disposed of,
potentially putting more plastic
into the waste stream. What’s
more, it adds to the cost of
repairs, which has to be met
through increased insurance
premiums.
Another issue is that some
paint colors, like red, are
easier for the sensors to pick
out than darker hues, like
black. The challenge now for
paint manufacturers is to
create a desirable range of
colors that are identified equally well by the
sensor.
Of course, while this technology might be
seen as problematic by vehicle bodyshops,
it’s hard to argue against, as the end result is
improved safety and fewer people hurt on
our roads every year.
Preparing for an
autonomous future
AkzoNobel has been working with
automotive research centers to help find and
develop solutions to this conundrum. “We’re
researching and developing special pigments
that we can add to modern color trends that
makes it more visible to the sensor,” says
Mick. “This will help us develop a wide
NOVEMBER 2019
spectrum that features the most popular
colors.”
Mick and his team are also looking at
self-cleaning, or hydrophobic, paints and
coatings. Mick adds: “These applications
could be an invaluable safety aid as they can
ensure the performance of the sensors
doesn’t degrade because of road grime. Any
grime that hits the sensor lens will simply fall
away, leaving it clean and able to carry out
its vital function.
“We’re also looking at launching specific
training programmes, these will provide early
guidance on how to deal with sensor
awareness when it comes to vehicle repair
and refinishing.”
Meeting challenges
through collaboration
Currently the automotive industry is in a state
of change. Automotive technology features
on a minority of cars on UK roads at the time
of writing, although the government
announced in February that driverless cars
could be in full use on Britain's roads by
2021.
Others are sceptical about whether that point
can be reached in such a short timescale.
There are still many challenges to be
addressed in terms of the technology,
legislation and behavioural changes for road
users and pedestrians. What speed will
driverless cars consider to be safe and will
this be too slow for our current road
network? Many experts believe that even 5G
speeds will be too slow to accommodate
such a vast amount of data, so will we need
to wait for 6G or 7G for optimum use? How
will drivers of second-hand cars make sure
that any repairs have been carried out to
stringent safety standards?
“While it may be a while before we see truly
autonomous cars on our roads, we need to
be looking at addressing these challenges
right now,” says Mick. “To do that, the
industry needs to be more collaborative.
There are lots of separate forums looking at
aspects of autonomous vehicles, but they
need to be more aligned. Everyone in the
different areas of our industry needs to share
expertise and discuss the really big topics.”
Visit: www.akzonobel.com
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