The network is full of messages about PDR repair. Usually, articles on this topic are riveted by the services themselves, trying to attract attention to themselves. This has its effectiveness, but we, the end users, do not always trust such publications.
The magazine, in which I periodically work, at one time released a whole series of materials on the topic of paintless repair. The articles were intended for the "petty bourgeois", that is, for those who want to use this technology in their service. I share it with the same owners of the Passat, because you will not find such a complete analysis in the usual auto-press. Experts from Av-Masters, the only company producing such a domestic Av-Tool tool, helped us figure it out.
Guys, I will not overload the info. I will give two articles on the basis, technology, stages, types of tools, techniques, etc. I highly recommend finding these guys in your area.
In short, PDR technology is less expensive and more efficient than classic bodywork. The original (factory) paint is preserved on the car, and the hail damage repair time is reduced to 1-3 days. This is an effective way to deal with any damage to the car body, as long as the paintwork is intact. The service is especially successfully implemented in local repair and local painting centers.
Using the Volkswagen Passat CC as an example, we will show how clean and fast a dent can be removed using paintless dent removal technology and the AV-Tool.
First you need to assess and inspect the car, and classify the type of dent:
The simplest type of damage is gentle dents without damaging the paintwork.
Sharp dents occur from contact with a sharp object. In the center of such damage, a chip occurs in 40% of cases.
Longitudinal dents (scars) mean that there was a tangential blow, a barrier or other object fell.
A complex type of damage occurs on the edge, since it is responsible for the rigidity of the part. The edge is difficult to break, and if it is damaged, it means that the blow was strong.
Volumetric dents can be located over the entire plane and have all of the above damage.
Now the material from which the part is made is determined. It can be steel or aluminum alloys. Manufacturers have different steels: thin, thick, ductile and less ductile. Aluminum is more difficult to straighten, so the price for working with it is higher. It is also necessary to assess the condition of the paintwork and determine if it has been repaired before. If the surface was not painted under factory conditions, then cracking or peeling of the paint may occur. The master warns the client about possible risks and, having received consent for the repair, proceeds to assess access.
The vehicle is inspected internally and externally. This is necessary to estimate the time it will take to repair. Usually small localized damage is repaired in a couple of hours, but extensive damage, such as dents in the roof, can take a couple of days.
The car must be washed and dried, after which you should pick up the tool. The task of eliminating smooth and voluminous dents lies with the adhesive system, but for deep scars, hooks are used. Our dent is hybrid, so to speed up the process, the specialist prepared both systems at the same time. The adhesive system will perform a jerk that will raise most of the surface, and the hooks will help bring the surface to its previous state.
Now the part is disassembled, the trim clips and protective covers are removed. It should be borne in mind that the straightening of the same type of damage on different parts is unequal in terms of labor intensity. In the case of a roof, the ceiling will have to be dismantled if it is impossible to carry out repairs with an adhesive system. To get to the damage, you need a pressure lever with an individual bend. Therefore, before starting work, it is better to prepare the optimal set of several hooks. This is done to make it convenient for the master to work in difficult and hard-to-reach places.
For example, on a door panel, a dent can be located both in the upper and in the middle or lower parts. Therefore, the specialist will need several hooks of different lengths and shapes that work on twisting. It is also worth stocking up on power-type hooks suspended by special rings. They can come in handy if there is no booster nearby to stop. Dents are also found in places where the upper reinforcement passes, respectively, a pair of hooks with an upper reverse bend is needed. And in the middle of the door, thin “whale tails” are used that will pass between the outer sheet and the amplifier. And if you do strength work, then one more hook will be added.
It is difficult for a painter to accurately determine how correctly he brought the surface.
Usually a specialist does this by eye or by touch. Smooth defects are simply invisible. In the case of PDR technology, a special halogen lamp is used, under the light of which all flaws are clearly visible.
The technology is based on the refraction of light and shadow: in order to see the damage, it is necessary to expose the light in a special way.
When working with damage, the master uses special techniques for lifting the dent. The dent rises and the lamp falls proportionately. In the lower position of the light source, installed along the plane so that the rays spread along the surface, you can see places that have risen above the "horizon". These high points are removed with a punch with a hammer.
For the final check of the surface, the specialist uses a dark stripe on the lamp, which is reflected from the area being repaired and distorted in unfinished places. The reflection of the strip must not be distorted or refracted.
At the end, the part is assembled and, if necessary, polished.
The adhesive system is suitable for straightening a smooth shallow damage. You don't need to parse anything. It is easier to install the fungus, warm up the gun, insert the glue stick, apply glue to the clip.
It is installed exactly on the dent, after which the metal can be leveled with a minilifter. The surface is brought to an ideal state with a punch with a hammer.
Paintless dent repair using PDR technology
Hail, unsuccessful parking or a solid pebble flying out from under the wheels - and now a dent appears on the surface of the car body. Of course, it spoils the look of not only an expensive and solid car, but also other cars, not to mention the mood of the owner of these cars. Previously, with such dents, it was necessary to paint the car, which means giving it in for repair for several days, in addition, an extra minus for the car, because painted parts of the car appear. Now there is a new technology for straightening dents without painting, which is becoming more and more popular. This technology is called PDR, Paintless Dent Repair. This technology was developed in 1974 in Germany. Although in our country this practice appeared relatively recently. But for modern car owners, such repairs are very convenient - after all, they do not need to leave their car in the cabin for several days and get to work by public transport. Secondly, even after the dent is repaired, they can drive their own car just as before - without any restrictions and precautions, which is usually required after painting. And, finally, the most important thing is that such difficult problems as paint selection and “colour matching” can be avoided – in the case of PDR, the body is covered, as before, with factory paint. It is worth noting that the price for such repairs is even lower than for painting and body work, and the time is spent only 1-2 hours, depending on the experience of the master. PDR paintless dent repair technology is the perfect solution for those who are preparing their car for sale. After all, as they say, “they are met by clothes”, and the impeccable appearance of the car is a guarantee that it will be bought faster.
What is the essence of such a repair? And the bottom line is that from the inside of the part, special tools put pressure on the damaged surface, which leads to the retraction of the dent itself. Depending on the depth, size, location of the damage, as well as the condition of the paintwork and the thickness of the body metal, metal tightening methods can be from the outside or from the inside. To level the dents from the inside, special tools of various configurations are used. Due to their different thickness and length, it is possible to penetrate into the most inaccessible places without parsing and removing body parts. If there is no access to the dent from the reverse side, the adhesive technique is used. This is a special piston that is firmly glued to the dent and pulls it out. To eliminate a dent with slight damage to the paintwork, the LKP technique is used. So, if there are scratches and chips in the dent zone, then this zone is “blind”. And the larger it is, the more difficult it is to achieve quality in repairs. Although small and shallow scratches are easily removed by abrasive - special restoration polishing. A small chip is also touched up, and even the paint from other cars on the damage is removed without a trace. 
However, not all dents can be removed with PDR technology and you need to be aware of this. For example, if the paintwork is damaged, or the metal is severely deformed. Often there are very small dents, but they are so deep that they cannot be repaired without painting - the metal is too tight. And the main indicator that the metal is stretched is the absence of paint in the deepest place of damage.
For example, the most typical dents - 4 cm - are jokingly called "bunnies" among auto repairmen. 95% of these "bunnies" can be removed, and only 5% according to statistics do not lend themselves to PDR due to their unfortunate location and depth.
So, it is practically impossible to repair without painting: the thresholds of the car, in 95% of cases, with rare exceptions, when the dents on them are gentle and without sharp creases; edges of parts of the hood, trunk and doors, because they are usually glued and welded, and there is no access to the tool inside them - such a dent can only be slightly improved; roof racks, if there are sharp creases on them; those dents in the panel that appeared as a result of pressing, indirect impact and when the body was skewed.
But if the body itself, apart from a small dent, is in almost perfect condition and the paint is not damaged, there will be no trace left after the repair using PDR technology.
But at home, making such repairs without painting is not an easy task. Even experienced craftsmen will not always take on such complex tools. And it is not uncommon today that such a service is provided by barely opened auto repair shops with “green” and young specialists, and as a result, a dent on the body of their client becomes even more unsightly or there are two of them altogether. And there is a logical explanation for this - the lever for pulling damage is itself capable of leaving unsightly marks under pressure, and therefore only an experienced person can work with such a technique. Otherwise, the experiments of beginners in this matter still end with traditional repairs already with painting.
For those who dream of mastering the wisdom of PDR, experts recommend training on parts from a landfill. After all, it is important to learn how to press in the “right” places and follow certain stress relief techniques, otherwise the metal will be tightened - and it is by no means easy to eliminate.
But if a center of corrosion is noticeable on the damaged body part, or the metal is exposed due to a peeled piece of paint, or the scratch is too deep - it is best to contact a specialized painting service station - the “home” PDR technology is already powerless here.
As for the dents, where straightening and painting used to be, the possibility of using PDR to straighten it depends on the examination of the damage itself. So, if there is no putty in the zone of the dent itself, then the technology for removing dents without painting is implemented without problems. But it is better not to repair the sealed place in this way - the putty can simply crack. All you can try to do in this case is to carefully remove the dent itself to an inconspicuous level.
And among motorists there is even such a myth: if you leave the car in the sun, the dents will disappear by themselves. But in fact, the metal only warms up in the sun, which means it expands, which is why dents can become both visually smaller and larger. And as soon as the metal cools, all the damage will return to its original size.
Not all dents are corrected with the help of dry ice, a hair dryer and compressed air. Only 2% can be slightly corrected in such ways. This technology is called thermal drop, and it works only when the dent is not located close to the decorative line, on the curve or near the amplifier. And also, if she does not have sharp creases and broaches of tubercles inside herself. Only very small "bunnies" are removed in such and similar cunning ways, and all the same, you still need to refine the surface with a tool.
PDR - paintless dent repair technology
You've probably heard of car services that offer body repairs without painting. “To straighten a wing without straightening, without putty and without painting is the same as asking for help from Filipino doctors to remove appendicitis,” is the opinion of most of those who have seen such ads. But the technology for repairing dents in an "unconventional" way does exist. It is called Paintless Dent Removal, which in literal translation sounds like “painless dent removal”.
Specialists who eliminate minor damage using a special tool appeared back in the sixties, and the main place of their work, no matter how strange it may seem, was automobile plants. The main task of these craftsmen was to eliminate minor defects on the bodies of cars that came off the assembly line. Dents from a tool or from a negligent employee leaning in the wrong place are not uncommon in large-scale production to this day. As a result, the car loses its presentation. In theory, it is necessary to send it to body repair, and then to painting, but in production conditions this is unprofitable, and in general it is quite difficult to do in terms of technology. You can’t put a fully assembled car into the spray booth again, and disassembling it to the skeleton is a complete hassle.
This is where the craftsmen come to the rescue, who are able to eliminate minor defects in body elements on commercial vehicles. It must be said that up to a certain point, each of them worked, relying solely on their experience and skill, until Oscar Flag and Erich Nüssle, who worked at the Mercedes-Benz plant, generalized this knowledge and created PDR technology in the 1970s.
Today, specialists who own this technology are on the staff list of any car factory. Their qualifications are so high that if you do not know where the dent or other defect was, then it is simply impossible to find this place on the body. However, even if you know, then in this case it will not work to convict them of unprofessionalism. Can you, for example, find such a place in your car? No? But it may exist, and not just one ...
What is the beauty of this approach to repair? The main plus is that you can really remove a dent on the body without painting. True, this method has one serious limitation: the paintwork should not be damaged, that is, it should not have any scuffs, chips, or cracks. Until recently, specialists did not take up work even if there were creases on the ribs. But this technology is constantly being improved, and now even damage that previously seemed hopeless from the point of view of PDR repair is not without difficulty, but still eliminated. Special hooks, spatulas and other devices allow you to get to the most difficult places of the defect, after which they are “squeezed out” from the inside. In those places where this is impossible, special glue or vacuum systems are used that pull the metal towards itself.
The question naturally arises: why suffer so much if you can simply straighten the metal, putty and paint?
The first is, as already mentioned, saving time. The same dent using PDR technology can be removed in 1.5–2 hours, while for disassembly, straightening, priming, puttying, finishing, painting, drying, polishing and subsequent assembly even by a very good specialist or specialists, because a tinsmith and a painter are not always the same person; if the technologies are observed, they will leave for at least two days.
The second point is cost savings. Dent repair using PDR technology, from the point of view of a specialist who performs it, is not too expensive. Of course, you need to have a set of tools, but this is the consumable part, if you do not use adhesive systems, and ends. Painting work, on the other hand, requires the purchase of not only paint itself, but also a bunch of related consumables: degreasers, solvents, crepe, putty, skins, primers. Plus, let's not forget that while your car is in the drying chamber after painting, you also need to pay for the electricity that is necessary for the operation of the equipment, and the painter, of course, includes it in the cost of work, as well as box rental and other overheads. For repairs using PDR technology, sometimes you don’t even need a box: everything can be done right in your garage or in the parking lot.
We also take into account the fact that most of the bodies of modern cars are galvanized, which protects them from corrosion. Alas, during traditional repair, straightening and preparing metal for painting, this microscopic layer of zinc is removed without a trace, and no matter how good modern painting materials are, they cannot provide the same protection as zinc applied to the body during car production.
This means that over time, the restored site may need to be repaired again due to corrosion. And the PDR technology in no way damages the paintwork and protective coatings underneath.
And, of course, a car restored using PDR technology is almost impossible to catch that it was under repair, while a body element repaired using conventional technology, even with a good color match, will be too glossy, and a thickness gauge attached to the alleged the place of repair, and will completely give it out with giblets.
So if as a result of an accident or for some other reason a dent or dents appeared on your car, do not rush to go to the painter. To get started, contact a specialized PDR center. Most likely, already today you will be in a repair zone or even a specialist will come to your house, and in a couple of hours you will admire a whole car.
In addition, most of the services that have mastered this technology can preliminarily calculate the cost and time of repairs using a photo. And if they refuse to repair you due to the impossibility of using PDR technology, then feel free to go to a service that understands a lot about bodywork and painting.
What is PDR technology? How does paintless dent removal equipment work?
What is PDR technology?
How does paintless dent removal equipment work?
Unfortunately, every car owner, even the most accurate, sooner or later faces such an obvious problem as a dent. It can be a dent from flying debris on the road, from careless parking, snow falling from the roof, or from natural disasters such as hail. Doesn't matter! The fact remains, there is a small dent, but I don’t want to paint it in any way. Yes, and they ask for a lot of money for this, and even paint the whole detail ... In general, some frustration.
But technology is developing, including body repair. So, imagine for a second that you can not paint a dent, but simply squeeze it out. Don't believe? Let me tell you the story of such an exciting technology for removing dents without painting called Paintless Dent Repair (PDR or PDR in Russian).
The history of the emergence of PDR technology
This story began in the 60s. Oskar Flyg and Henrich Nüssle were employees of the Mercedes factory. During the next exhibition, they repaired cars. which were damaged by visitors during the exhibition. Oskar Flyg squeezed out small dents with a hammer handle, preparing the car for painting, but he managed to do it so finely that no further painting was required (up to this point, all body defects required painting). This was one of the first applications of this technology on painted elements and became the starting point in its development.
Of course, at the moment, technology does not stand still, and how the tools looked before and what the technology consists of now are two different things. So, what does the technology look like now and what systems does it include:
The first system we come across is the (most obvious) hook system. When working with hooks, the dent is straightened by influencing the defect from the inside of the part (squeezing the dent).
The next, most popular among beginners self-learning how to remove dents without painting is the glue system, one of the simplest. The glue system includes such components as glue, glue adapter, reverse hammer, minilifter, reverse hammer and many other auxiliary tools. In this case, the straightening of the dent occurs by influencing the part from the outside, in other words, gluing into the dent. One of the top tools in this system is cold glue, very popular among experienced craftsmen.
Of course, when squeezing and pulling out a dent, you may encounter the fact that bumps appear, peak pluses. The backing system is designed to remove these extra bulges. When upsetting, cores, stemmers, and blending hammers are actively used. The upsetting system works by tapping the pins, that is, the impact from the outside.
Blending is a subsystem of upsetting, the impact on the dent from the outside by the method of upsetting the pins at a distance, due to which the dent rises.
The next system is the surge system. It includes trowels and counter supports, or cushions for lifting. It works by hitting the tangential surface of the metal with a trowel, creating a stop on the inside of the dent.
For comfortable work, of course, one cannot do without the widest component - these are accessories. This includes such important and indispensable equipment as various fasteners, tape winding, stops, puffs, screens, nozzles, plugs and much, much more.
Paintless dent remover
An innovative solution when working with cars with a large area of small damage, for example, after a hailstorm, was the device for induction impact on a dent. The Swiss-made THOT Box induction device has established itself as the most reliable and convenient to use. The principle of operation of the inductor consists in a magnetic head and point heating of the metal, due to which the dent is pulled out. The main advantage when removing a dent with an inductor is the absence of reinforcing work, since the impact on the defect comes only from the outside of the part.
Dent removal light with PDR technology
And last but not least, one of the most important components of a paintless dent removal kit is, of course, lighting. Why? Everything is very simple here, if you do not see a defect, then you do not repair it. At present, the German manufacturer Nussle has become a breakthrough in the light direction, namely a six-lane lamp with an innovative diffuser and a tripod thought out to the smallest detail and a control system. With reliable and professional light you will see and eliminate even the smallest defect.
Main advantage technology is the fact that the dent is removed without painting the part, which means that when reselling, no one will be able to see that you had a dent, the car does not go into the status of a bat.
No risk of color mismatch, smudges and a thick layer of putty.
No special boxes required and a big place. One box is enough for the entire tool and for repairs.
Paintless dent removal technology is a new opportunity in body repair with a huge number of advantages for both customers and craftsmen.
Even masters of traditional body repair will be able to find a lot of interesting things for themselves to facilitate their work and speed up work during painting work.
In our center we are ready to offer you a full range of services in the field of paintless dent removal.
Here you can pick up a decent tool with the longest quality guarantee, of course, repair your car and learn innovative technology. Masters come to us from all over Russia and cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Krasnodar, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don ... and from all over the world: CIS countries, Israel, England, USA, Canada , Estonia and many, many others. And for the duration of the entire training, we will provide you with accommodation;)
Dent Removal Technology - PDR. Practical advice for work.
Did you have a dent in your car after careless parking? Or did the hail pass and leave damage on the roof? According to the classical technology, puttying is necessary for leveling, and then painting the repaired part. Or even a replacement of a tin element with an inevitable subsequent coloring. Although in this case it is quite likely that the price of the car will decrease in the secondary market, because there will be traces of repairs. At least in the form of a thicker paintwork, which, in our time, is easily checked with a special device.
But it is possible to repair the PDR, and painting is not required. The advantages are obvious - there will be no traces of repair, neither in the form of a thickened layer of paint (and putty), nor at the joints of parts. At the same time, the total time spent on repairs will be lower. After all, you do not have to wait for the drying of paint materials. And you can use the car immediately after the repair "to its fullest." Because no gentle maintenance is required while the paint is fresh.
The essence of technology
The essence of PDR technology is to straighten damaged parts to their original state, without destroying the paint layer. The technology itself looks quite simple - using a special tool, the deformations simply bend back. But this simplicity is apparent.
With glue
Although a number of so-called "slammers" or dents from the outside to the inside outside the bends and stiffeners can be straightened without even disassembling anything in the car. For this, special clips and caps of various sizes are used, which are glued with specialized glue to the conditional center of the dent.
It is necessary to correctly and accurately determine where to glue the piston. And this is not the geometric center of the dent at all. Here everything depends on the stresses in the metal, and the ability to determine the correct place comes only with experience.
And the very nature of alignment requires no small skill. After all, you can’t just pull the piston and return the original state. It will take a series of actions, gem quality. Otherwise, the elongated metal along the edges of the dent will bulge somewhat, which will not have a positive effect on aesthetics. The metal must be "carried out" along the path of obtaining a dent in the opposite direction. Only in this case there will be no traces left. In this case, the paintwork must not be damaged, because otherwise the repair of dents according to the PDR principle is already useless. Therefore, often, a seemingly simple dent is straightened in several steps. But from the outside it all looks simple and akin to magic.
And upon successful completion, the glued piston must be removed. For this, a special solvent is used, which acts only on the glue, without affecting the paint. The same solvent removes traces of glue.
Thermal recovery
Another option for repairing PDRs for some types of damage is simple heating. Of course, not all types of damage can be eliminated in this way, as a rule, these are ordinary dents with a small degree of deformation.
But the process itself is simple. After the specialist has established the possibility of leveling the dent in this way, the damaged area is simply heated with an industrial hair dryer. The metal, expanding from temperature and increasing its plasticity, itself restores its shape.
However, here, too, knowledge and experience are necessary for success, otherwise, on the contrary, the problem can be aggravated. For example, if you heat an area that is more seriously damaged and is not suitable for thermal recovery, then additional damage to the boundary layer is produced. It's harder to fix this later.
Direct mechanical action
Everything is not so simple here. This method is used when deforming stiffeners or bends of elements. Usually the impact is made from the inside, sometimes even with partial disassembly of the car interior.
It differs from the first technology in the use of many different devices, in the form of hooks and clubs. In this case, it can also be combined with the adhesive method. With a special tool, the dent is squeezed out from the inside in several steps. Repeating the path of the metal when receiving deformation, only in the opposite direction. Because dents can be serious, and when the shape is restored, a trace may remain along the edges, then even “bend” in the opposite direction is used, followed by a return. This method achieves the return of the metal along the edges of the dent to its original state.
Of course, this procedure is already longer and requires a sufficient amount of effort from the master. But it is still faster than classical technology.
Also, in some cases, pulling is used. This is typical when power elements with a complex shape are damaged. It is effective to return them to their original form by stretching.
What tools will be needed?
PDR dent repairs require special tools and a dedicated room.
A tool anyhow, where you can’t buy for a penny. For it, special alloys with high strength are used. After all, it is often necessary to carry out a significant effort with a thin twig that crawls into the technological hole. Yes, and the glue is used branded, which is compatible with paint coatings used in the automotive industry, has high adhesion and can be easily removed using branded materials. That is why such a set costs about 90 tr. Yes, and they are produced only in the USA and Germany.
The room for repair should also be specially equipped. After all, only a special contrasting illumination with parallel lines will help to accurately see the relief of the dent. By their reflections in the dent zone, you can accurately see the relief. In small areas, a portable option is also sufficient, but for repair, for example, a roof, lighting throughout the wall is needed. Moreover, the contrast lines must be strictly parallel and equidistant from the observation point.
In addition, it is unlikely that it will be possible to simply purchase tools and start making repairs with your own hands. It will take quite a long time to comprehend the basics of technology with your own experience, so that at least something starts to work out. Professional training is required. And it is expensive.
How to choose a master
According to the reasons described above, the presence of special tools and a trained master in the technical center does not yet give any guarantee of high-quality work. After all, the experience of a professional plays a significant role here. The process of such repair is complex, requires patience, a lot of knowledge and experience.
Therefore, the main selection criterion is which master will perform the work. Here it is wiser to use the recommendations of friends and acquaintances who have already done repairs with a master. The rest of the arguments are unconvincing.
In what cases is it worth doing such a repair?
The ability to restore the former shape depends on the degree of damage. And both the metal itself and the paintwork. The metal in the damaged area should not have breaks. Also, the fixing points (spot welding or gluing) must not be damaged. If there is damage on the paintwork that cannot be eliminated by polishing, then the point in carrying out repairs according to the PDR principle is lost. The paint must not be damaged.
That is, ordinary dents on the roof or doors, or fenders are not a problem, with the integrity of the paint. Of course, if they are not extensive and not fatal (the metal is whole). Such damage is corrected.
Another thing is if the blow fell on a bend, corner or junction of elements. It all depends on the nature of the damage and is determined by the master individually. In any case, the specialist, before starting the repair, will examine all the damage and issue a verdict - what can be fixed and what cannot.
A serious obstacle is the deformation of the power cell of the car body, made of high-strength metal with increased thickness. In some cases, these elements are not subject to recovery using this technology. In this embodiment, it is already necessary to apply classical repair methods. Therefore, recovery after a serious accident using PDR technology is unlikely.
But most minor damage, in case of small contact accidents, troubles in the parking lot or when objects fall on the roof of the car, are solved without problems. But it is precisely such injuries, according to statistics, the majority. In addition, after such a repair, no traces of it remain. The car seems to have never been damaged, which has a positive effect on the value of the sale.
In large cities with heavy traffic, minor damage to the body due to light collisions is common. Repairing a dent thus obtained usually requires, among other things, painting work. At the same time, the original factory paintwork of the machine body suffers.
Many motorists, in order not to spoil the coating, agree to drive through the streets of the city for a long time in a car with a damaged body. They will be pleased to know that now they have the opportunity to quickly get rid of the traces of these unpleasant “kisses” on the body of their car. At the same time, even the slightest trace of a dent will not remain, and the paintwork will not suffer at all.
PDR technology (DOL)
Paintless Dent Repair (in Russian - removal of dents without painting) is a relatively new service for the Russian market, provided by some car services. But those who managed to use it, were very pleased with the result.
This method was proposed back in the distant 50s by the German Oskar Flyge. PDR was used by the Mercedes-Benz factory. The spread of this technology in those years was hampered by several factors at once: secrecy, the high cost of equipment, the high thickness of the metal used by the then automobile industry to create bodies.
In the 90s of the last century, these barriers disappeared and PDR began to spread throughout Europe and the United States.
With minimal time and consumables, this technology gives an amazing effect. Therefore, perhaps she is destined to replace other methods of eliminating minor dents in the car body.
Essence of technology
The process of paintless dent removal consists in the fact that levers of various configurations are introduced into the technological holes of the machine under the body. These levers, operated by a technician, apply pressure to the dent from the inside of the body. Additional methods are also used that “pull out” dents from the outside. To do this, a special fungus is glued to the dent area. Pulling this fungus, the master evens out the dent. The special glue used for this is removed from the surface of the car without leaving any traces.
When performing these works, putty or straightening is not used. This technology allows you to restore the body to its original, factory appearance, completely removing all traces of a dent without resorting to painting the damaged area. Thus, the appearance of the car is restored completely.
PDR technology can be used to restore the geometry of car body parts only when the dent did not cause damage to the factory paintwork. This is the only condition that allows painting-free restoration of the geometry of machine parts.
Due to the use of fewer consumables than other dent repair technologies, PDR is more cost effective. In addition, paintless repairs take much less time than repairs with painting. A small dent left in an easily accessible place can be repaired in as little as 15 minutes. Of course, this is the easiest case. But even the most complex repair (large dents, hard-to-reach places) using PRD technology will take no more than 2-4 hours. For motorists, this is a definite plus - there is no need to part with your vehicle for a long time.
Htool kit for PDR technology
As for the cost, it is reduced by about two times, compared with the price that will be repaired by a similar damage using traditional technology. The selection of the right paintwork material and its application on the body is a rather expensive pleasure. It is not uncommon for situations when the necessary paint is not available at the service station or in the car service. In these cases, sometimes you have to wait several weeks for the necessary materials to arrive.
In addition, this procedure requires the replacement of part of the factory coating. And the presence of repainted parts in the design of the car significantly reduces the cost of the car when reselling it. Even if you manage to perfectly match the paint and varnish composition, and the externally painted place will not stand out against the background of the entire body, there is a special device that determines the thickness of the paintwork, which cannot be deceived. So the repainting of the damaged area will be noticeable anyway. This is another indispensable plus of PDR technology for a car owner who needed to fix a dent.
Also, PDR technology usually does not require the dismantling of car body parts. Only in exceptional situations (when there is no physical opportunity to get close to the damaged elements) such a need arises. Less chance of damage to the integrity of the factory assembly is another advantage of paintless dent removal.
Video on how to remove a dent with your own hands using PDR technology:
Do-it-yourself PDR tool kit:
Sooner or later, even the most careful driver will have dents on his car. What to do in this case is understandable. You need to drive the car to the service station, leave it there for a few days and get an already straightened “iron horse”.
But you can go the other way - faster, easier and cheaper. What? Do it all yourself with PDR technology.
Pulling out a dent with PDR Technology principle
Initially, it should be noted that PDR technology is applicable only if the damage is shallow, and painting can be dispensed with. To determine this, check out the classification:
- shallow dents up to 5 millimeters, rounded, without metal creases and damage to the paintwork;
- deep - from 5 to 10 millimeters, irregular geometric shape, with metal creases and damage to the coating.
If mechanical damage on your machine can be attributed to the first group, then the PDR method will save the situation.
Dents on the car are corrected with the help of special hooks. By pressing on the damage, the metal is straightened. The PDR set looks something like this:
The number of levers can reach up to 40 pieces or more. But such kits are already for professional auto repair shops.
In addition to special levers, a fixture in the form of a table lamp is required. This is necessary in order to accurately determine the extent of the dent and correctly straighten the metal. In general, it is not difficult to do such work yourself.
Preparatory stage
Before you start repair work to remove dents without painting, you need to carefully inspect the damaged surface of the car. Do it better in bright light. Also, when diagnosing, carefully inspect the condition of the paintwork. If it is severely damaged, then it will not work to straighten the metal using PDR technology. In this case, you should use the classic straightening method, followed by painting.
Also note that the PDR method is not applicable if straightening has already been done in the area of \u200b\u200bmechanical damage and putty has been used. During the work, it will simply fall off.
There are such factors in which technology without painting is not applicable:
- if the damage is more than 5 millimeters, and there are strong metal creases;
- damaged paintwork;
- the car has an old lining;
- there is no possibility of carrying out work from the inside;
- Previous work has been done poorly.
In all other cases, this method can be safely applied in practice.
Removing a dent using the PDR method Straightening process
First you need to provide free access to the inside of the machine. It is necessary to remove everything superfluous: trim, mirrors, handles, etc. After the surface of the car is “free”, repairs can begin.
A special "lamp" is installed on the surface. As a rule, it is included in the kit:
Lamp from PDR kit Next, the lever of the optimal length is selected. With smooth gradual movements, using the selected lever, pressure is applied to the metal from the inside in the dent area. This must be done very carefully and gradually, so as not to "transfer" the metal. That is why a special lamp is installed. Thus, the surface of the vehicle can be clearly seen.
Schematically, the repair process can be displayed as follows:
Repair scheme After the dent is “squeezed out” upward, the surface should be treated - to make it perfectly flat. For this, a special hammer and a plastic cone are used. The damaged surface is tapped. Thus, the metal is completely leveled.
If the scale of the dent is large, it is better to carry out such repairs in stages, alternating work with a lever and a hammer.
After the surface of the car is completely straightened, and there are no dents left, it is necessary to carry out the last repair work - to put the car in order. This can be done according to the principle of polishing the body.
The process of straightening with levers The final stage
For polishing after such a repair without painting, you will need:
- abrasive paste;
- fine abrasive.
By means of a fine abrasive, minor defects are eliminated after leveling. And with the help of abrasive paste, the body is polished, the car returns to its original appearance. Thus, having spent a minimum of time and money on repairs, you can put your vehicle in order without painting with your own hands.
Abrasive body polishing Technology Benefits
In this case, it can be said without exaggeration that the paintless PDR technology has no drawbacks. The only thing that can stop a car enthusiast is the price of a set of levers. But the cost of the PDR kit fully pays for itself.
20.02.2017
Shallow dents that appear on the car body as a result of a small accident or after the last hail are a problem that is well known to many car owners. Defects spoil the appearance of the vehicle, and also reduce its market value when sold. To eliminate them, craftsmen often use paintless dent repair PDR technology. This method of restoring damaged areas allows you to return the body to its original appearance, while maintaining the factory paintwork.
From the history of technology
The first part of the name "PDR-technology" is an abbreviation of the phrase Painless Dent Repair, which means "paintless dent repair". It was this English-language name that stuck and became well-known. However, the body restoration method itself was invented in the 1950s. an employee of the Mercedes-Benz factory Oskar Flyg, and in German its name sounded like DOL - Dellen Ohne Lackieren. The technology was first demonstrated at the IAA Frankfurt exhibitions in Germany and in America at the Genfer Autosalon. Oskar Flyg, using a special tool, removed all the small dents left by event visitors from car bodies overnight, without carrying out a classic repair with straightening. Gradually, many automakers have mastered a new method of removing defects. Today, the technology is one of the most widely used.
The essence of technology and the necessary equipment
PDR dent removal technology involves pressure on the damaged area from inside the car or pulling the defect from the outside. For work, a set of special tools is used, including levers of different sizes, hooks, hammers, a fluoroplastic bumper and a lamp with a powerful diffuser.
Benefits of PDR Technology
- Save time and money by easily repairing damage.
- Restoration of defects in hard-to-reach areas without disassembling the part.
- No traces of interference on the surface of the body.
Preparation for repair
Work on the restoration of the body begins with the inspection and classification of damage. This is necessary to select the optimal PDR method for repair. Defects are conditionally divided into the following types.
- Longitudinal deflections - such damage occurs after a tangential impact, for example, when a barrier falls.
- Gentle dents - easy to remove defects without damaging the paint, usually appear in the event of contact with an obstacle at low speed or when hitting a stationary car.
- Complex defects - formed on the stiffeners after a collision at high speed.
- Sharp dents - in the center of the damage, chipping of the paintwork is usually observed due to impact with a sharp object.
- Volumetric dents - occupy a large area and may include all of the damage listed above.
After the classification of defects, the master determines the material of the body. Aluminum is more difficult to work with, so PDR repairs for this metal are usually more expensive. Then the preliminary cost of repairing the damage is calculated.
Repair Methods
Use of glue. The method is used to remove concave defects located outside the stiffeners and bends of the body. It is not necessary to disassemble the damaged part. A special piston or clip is smeared with glue and pressed against the alleged center of damage, which is not always possible to determine accurately. Only an experienced craftsman who is fluent in PDR technology for removing dents without painting can identify stresses in the metal and the correct place for attaching the clip. After that, the defect is pulled out, and the actions of the specialist should be practically jewelry so as not to damage the paint. One deflection is removed in several steps. After that, the glue is removed with a special solvent that is safe for paintwork materials.
Thermal recovery. The PDR method is used on dents with a small degree of deformation and consists in local heating of the area. As the temperature rises, the metal expands and regains its shape. No additional manipulations for repair using this technology are required. To heat the damaged area, use a building hair dryer. The skill of a specialist allows you to correctly identify defects suitable for thermal restoration.
mechanical impact. The method is used to remove dents on stiffeners and in places where the body bends. Repair may require partial dismantling of body parts. Recovery is performed using hooks and sticks. This PDR method is sometimes combined with adhesive technology. The dent is first squeezed out from the inside, repeating the path of the deformation in the opposite direction. If the damage is severe, it may be necessary to fold in the opposite direction so that the metal at the edges of the defect returns to its normal position. The process is time-consuming and requires extreme accuracy, but it still goes much faster than traditional repairs with straightening and painting.
Features of the work
With any recovery method, the correct metal output is controlled by the light of a halogen lamp. The surface rises - the light source descends. According to the distribution of the rays, areas that have risen too much are clearly visible. Such defects are straightened with a punch with a hammer. For the final check, a dark band of the lamp is used, which is distorted when reflected from unfinished areas. With a quality repair, the reflection will be even.
Limitations for PDR technology
Paintless dent repair is applicable only for defects that do not have significant damage to the paint layer. Otherwise, the PDR is no longer meaningful. If the paintwork is intact, it is possible to restore the usual deflections on the roof and wings, which are formed as a result of minor accidents in the parking lot, when branches fall, etc. The exception is the parts of the power cage of the body, which are made of increased thickness metal. Such elements require a classic repair followed by painting, especially after major accidents.
Restrictions related to the location of defects
The method does not allow you to fix:
- damage to the hood, the edges of the trunk, since the PDR technology without painting requires access to the inside of the parts;
- threshold defects with sharp creases;
- body distortion and damage from indirect impacts;
- roof pillars with creases.
Other restrictions
PDR technology is not used in the following cases:
- there are strong creases or breaks in the metal at the site of damage;
- the defective area was previously repaired with puttying and painting (the new coating may be damaged during operation);
- the car has a significant mileage and service life of more than 15 years;
- there are traces of corrosion in the place of damage.
Each defect is assessed individually, and often even serious damage can be eliminated with the help of PDR alignment. This requires some experience, so it is important to trust such repairs to professionals, for example, the masters of the Avtoreforma studio.
Many experienced car owners with an unpleasant aftertaste recall the body repairs that were carried out by garage craftsmen or service station specialists. Even a small dent, which can appear from an unsuccessful leaning on the hood or fender, turns into a serious loss of time and money. The complexity of the repair according to the classical technology lies in the fact that the bodybuilder has to remove the old coating, apply several leveling layers of putty, wait for complete drying, primer, paint, polish. Even with all the speed of work, do-it-yourself body repair of the smallest defect can drag on for a week. And if the delivery of children to kindergarten or school depends on the car, and the owner can’t get to work on time without a vehicle, then these days turn into a real nightmare.
Today, many car enthusiasts prefer paintless dent repair technology.
Advantages of the new technology
The unique PDR technology was born in Germany back in the 70s of the last century. The acronym PDR stands for Paintless Dent Repair. Russian motorists got acquainted with innovative body repair relatively recently. And immediately all the advantages of the advanced technique became clear.
- First of all, local body repair is carried out within 1-2 hours.
- After the restoration of the body, you can immediately go on the road. There are no restrictions or precautions, as in the case of traditional painting, for the operation of a car.
- On a straightened dent, the factory coating remains intact. At the same time, you do not need to think about the selection of paint and hope that it will not stand out on the body element.
- PDR technology is of particular interest to those owners who plan to get rid of their iron horse in the near future.
- The cost of restoring a small section of the body in the case of a modern technique will be lower than the classic painting method.
The essence of PDR technology
How do specialists manage to restore damage in a short time with high quality processing? The principle of straightening dents in theory is to apply a certain pressure from the back of the car part. But it is not so easy to do it in practice.
Restrictions on the use of PDR technology
Unfortunately, not in all cases, an innovative technique is able to eliminate damaged parts of the car body. Therefore, the motorist should be aware of some limitations in the application of PDR technology.
- It is futile to try to straighten dents with a strong deformation of the metal. In this case, you will have to do the car body repair with your own hands according to the classical scheme.
- When the paintwork layer is badly damaged, then again, one cannot do without painting the body element.
- Even small dents cannot always be removed using the PDR method. If a deep and overtightened deformation of the steel has occurred, then it will not be possible to achieve perfect evenness.
- It is problematic to straighten dents on such points of the body as thresholds, edges of doors, trunk and hood. This is due to the fact that such places are glued and boiled, and it is impossible to get to the inner surface with a special tool.
Application of PDR technology in garage conditions
Painting and body repair of a car requires from the master not only special skills, but also a set of expensive instruments and fixtures. Therefore, car owners are trying to master the technique of dealing with dents without subsequent painting.
But only at first glance, straightening a dent seems to be a simple matter. It is quite difficult to do such work at home qualitatively for several reasons.
- First, repairs require an extensive arsenal of fixtures of various sizes and configurations.
- Secondly, it is necessary to feel in time the optimal force that needs to be applied to each specific dent.
- And, finally, if a body repair was carried out in this area using putty, then cracking of the leveling layer may occur, which will require the traditional restoration of the element with painting.
However, even experienced craftsmen started with mistakes, mastering a new technique. And it is best to start the process of repairing dents with discarded body parts. In practice, it will be possible to correctly select the lever, learn how to calculate the applied force, and press at exactly the right points.
There are many craftsmen who are trying to eliminate such body defects using compressed air, an industrial hair dryer or dry ice. However, these methods are quite problematic to control, so thermal drops are recommended if the dent is on a rounding, next to a decorative line, or in the area of \u200b\u200bthe amplifier. But even after leveling the small “bunnies”, you have to refine the surface to an ideal state using other tools.
The advent of PDR technology has made it possible for motorists to choose how to restore a damaged body. When repairing minor damage, the new technique will save money and especially time for repairs. But only experienced specialists can accurately determine the possibility of straightening a dent without subsequent painting of the body part.
