Auto & Collision

Ben's Training

Welcome to the Automotive & Collision training page. PPG has a number of courses available throughout the year at their training centers in Orlando, Atlanta and around the nation. Most are fee-based, but well worth the trip. "Invaluable" is an understatement of what you will get out these courses. Click on Schools & Classes below to find out what is available and get a registration form.

MVP Program
For the most cutting edge training in Collision Center business practices, take a look at PPG's MVP courses.
What the heck is Parakaizen and Lean Six Sigma? What does 5S mean? Now you can go direct to the source and get all the answers. In addition, you can read about the courses offered by MVP and the professional services such as benchmarking analysis and shop layout.

Training on the Website
There are also other educational resources found online at the PPG website. Click here to go to the PPG Automotive website, then click on Training & Support. On the same site, click on Products to find detailed information about a particular paint product by part number. Some online training is also now available. Just register and they will e-mail you login instructions. Need help? Call your nearest Ben's store and we'll get you in the right direction. Or call the PPG support line at 1-800-647-6050. Listen carefully to the menu.

Over 10,000 Techs Converted to Water
08/01/10. By following the steps in PPG's "Convert with Confidence" program, over 10,000 painters have been certified and experienced an easy transition to Envirobase HP or Nexa Aquabase. Waterborne coatings are the wave of the future as more states mandate low VOC basecoat and shops seek the advertising advantages of "going green". Read more...

HHHHHH Rule 40 Certification Meetings
PPG has scheduled some special one day certification classes on the EPA 6H rule (also known as rule 40). The next one will be August 30 in Orlando. The course fee is $25.00. Classes are 2 hours. Call your nearest Ben's location and they can help you register.

Ben's and DeVilbiss are also teaming up to help out. Our Orlando store is sponsoring a rule 40 meeting at the store on September 8 at 5:30PM. Registration fee is $10.00 and you must pre-register. For details, click here.

Special 3M/I-Car Class held in Lakeland
On May 13, 3M and our Lakeland store held a special I-Car class on masking techniques and procedures. The class covered everything from taping techniques to bagging and overspray protection. 18 technicians attended the unique class, plus two 3M reps and our folks from the Lakeland store. If you would like us to hold a class like this in your area, give one of our store managers or outside salespersons a call. Just click on Locations to the left to get contact info.

I-Car Releases new Damage Analysis Course
See the press release for the announcement and course description.

I-Car and Cycle Time
I-Car also recognizes the importance of good cycle time and now offers a new course on the topic.

Questions?
Contact us

Unique to all Ben's Customers!! Ben's Online University!!

Need training on computer issues, website creation, business training, Human Resource issues, team building, administration, etc.? Choose from over 4,000 fee-based online business courses and learn on your own schedule. You can even try a sample course for free! Take advantage of this unique opportunity and when you finish, we'll even send you a diploma!

FAQ's and Tips:

Improper use of masking tape:
	If you have tech questions or questions about training in the Auto & Collision field, please Contact Us or click on Locations and call one of the stores. If we don't know the answer, we will try to get you in the right direction. This is a new site (August 2009), and we will be adding FAQ's and tech links as we accumulate data. All suggestions are welcome. Thank-you!

          For answers to common questions about painting problems, click here.

          For answers to common Collision Center business questions, click here.

     I 'm thinking about switching to Waterborne. What do I need to know?
          Click here to view answers to some FAQ's about waterborne. PPG wants to make sure that
          your painters are adequately trained, so they also require a pre-conversion training course.
          Although the one linked here describes Envirobase HP, it also applies to Nexa Aquabase.

     I 'm always having problems painting bumpers. If it's not mismatch, it's peeling and there's no
          money in them to do them over. What can I do?
          Click here: a. Mismatch b. Adhesion

     Even if it's true that OEM variance and factory misstamp are the primary causes of color match
          problems, so what? What can I do about it? Shouldn't the paint just match?
          You didn't cause any of this, but the customer doesn't care and they expect you to fix it. The
          car manufacturer doesn't much care about your problems either. It's the world we live in
          when it comes to the paint aspect of collision repair. The approach to dealing with these
          issues is critical so as not to waste time, money and material when becoming involved with the
          match process. Try this anaylsis tool to help you determine the cause of the mismatch. Also
          read about PPG's Variant system and learn to save time and increase production radically by
          using the proper blending techniques. Use tinting as a last resort. PPG has a classroom
          course on tinting.

     How do I stop metallic colors from mottling? Click here.

     We have our own paint mixing system and a PPG variant deck, but sometimes we still have
          problems with the colors not matching the variant deck chips. What could be wrong?

          A couple things:
               First, remember that even though the chips in the variant color deck are actual paint and not
          ink, they have been sprayed exactly to spec. The correct pressure, choice of reducer, amount of
          reducer, spray distance, speed of the pass, flash time - all those things that can change a metallic
          color come into play when your painter is spraying his sample to check it against the chip. To
          expect that he/she has done it exactly the way it was done at PPG is expecting low odds, sort of
          like expecting paint to match panel to panel on the vehicle. However, it should be in close
          enough tolerance to the chip that the blending process will hide any possible mismatch. In the
          case of bumpers, if the chip matches well, the painter may have to make some gun or technique
          adjustments to get the paint to match the chip (consequently, the bumper too).
               Second, poor mixing room maintenance can cause problems with your toners. Every time
          you change the stir lid to a new can of color, that can must shake at least 5 minutes. Then,
          before replacing the lid, place a paint stick in the can and "feel" the bottom with it.   It should
          slide around smoothly. If it is rough and "catches" here and there, there is still pigment on the
          bottom and it needs to shake longer (scrape the pigment off the stir stick first). Infrequent
          strirring can also cause problems. Make sure they stir for 10 minutes, twice a day - usually in
          the morning and then just after returning from lunch. It wouldn't hurt to do a quick minute just
          prior to mixing a color either. Also, every time you turn the machine on, make sure that all
          toners have engaged the drive gear or fork, if you have the old style. If the machine is
          sluggish, a belt could be slipping, or a stir lid paddle could be broken inside a toner. PPG has a
          document on Best Practices for the Mixing Room - make sure that everyone is trained and on
          the same page.

Mfg. Tech Links:

- coming soon -