Sometimes considered difficult to run or a plain old hassle, body shops aren’t standard at all service facilities. Yet, when managed properly and staffed adequately, this additional service area can earn its keep and provide additional profits.
Body shop equipment is varied and wide ranging, encompassing everything from frame straightening devices to paint spray booths and the offerings keep growing. For example, some repair facilities now are including alignment systems in body shops in order to control the entire collision repair process.
Because of the breadth of equipment, it’s important to make informed purchasing choices when selecting products. In the course of your product research, talk to a variety of manufacturers as well as their customers to get a good idea what a particular piece of equipment is all about.
Keep in mind, though, that while a certain paint booth may be a perfect fit for one shop, it might be impractical for yours, or vice versa.
The following products are just a small sampling of available equipment you may want to consider when equipping a body shop.
Heavy-Duty Power Rack (Figure 1)
The Hunter RKHD heavy-duty power rack includes long approach ramps and redesigned rub rail system to create more clearance and accommodate lower and longer vehicles.
The standard product configuration is 24″ in height and includes a turnplate section, four runway sections and a pop-up ramp per side. The product also can be installed in shallow-pit configurations of 24″ or 30″ depths.
