NITA Panel Beating & Spray Painting Trade Test flashcards

62 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Isocyanate exposure control

Isocyanates in 2K paints and clearcoats cause occupational asthma. Supplied-air respiratory protection is required during spraying; cartridge masks do not provide adequate protection.

Flash point classification

A liquid with a flash point below 23 degrees Celsius is highly flammable. Thinners and booth solvents typically fall in this class, so ignition sources are excluded from the spray area.

Booth face velocity

The air speed across the open booth face, typically 0.4 to 0.5 metres per second for a cross-draft booth. A reading below specification means the booth is unsafe for spraying.

Spray gun fluid tip size

The nozzle diameter matched to material viscosity: 1.2 to 1.3 millimetres for basecoat and clearcoat, and 1.4 to 1.6 millimetres for primer and high-build surfacer.

Dolly and hammer matching

A flat dolly under a flat hammer planishes a panel. A curved or heel dolly supports off-dolly work. The dolly face is matched to the hammer face and panel curvature.

Unitised body construction

A monocoque design in which the welded body shell carries all loads. Structural repair therefore affects crash performance, and manufacturer repair limits apply.

Crumple zone function

Front and rear body sections designed to deform and absorb crash energy, while the passenger safety cage of pillars, sills and roof rails resists deformation.

Torque-to-yield bolts

Fasteners that stretch permanently when tightened to specification. They are single-use and must be replaced after loosening, not reused.

Self-piercing rivets

A joining method for aluminium and mixed-material bodies. The rivet pierces the sheets and flares without a pre-drilled hole, often combined with structural adhesive.

Induced versus direct damage

Direct damage is at the impact point. Induced damage is distortion transmitted to adjacent panels and gaps, and indirect damage affects suspension, steering or electrical systems.

Repair versus replace decision

Weighs panel accessibility, steel grade, repair cost and corrosion risk. Ultra-high-strength parts are usually replaced rather than straightened, per manufacturer restrictions.

Datum point measurement

Body dimensions are checked against manufacturer datum points in three axes. A reading outside tolerance indicates structural movement that must be corrected before panel fitting.

Door alignment sequence

Set the hinge for front gap and flush, then the striker for the rear gap, then the latch for closing effort. Gaps are measured at several points along the seam.

On-dolly versus off-dolly

On-dolly work with hammer and dolly in contact through the panel stretches metal. Off-dolly work with a pick hammer against a dolly shrinks or raises low areas.

Heat shrinking technique

Small spots of heat are applied and quenched with a wet rag or air blast. Overheating a large area warps the panel and reduces its strength.

MIG brazing application

A bronze-wire joining process at lower heat input than fusion welding. It is used on galvanised and high-strength steels to limit zinc burn-off and heat distortion.

Squeeze-type spot welding

A resistance welding process that reproduces factory welds. Electrode force, current and cycle time are set for the sheet stack, and a test weld is checked destructively.

Body filler mixing ratio

Polyester filler is mixed with MEKP hardener at the manufacturer's ratio, typically one to three percent by weight. Excess hardener causes shrinkage and porosity.

Guide coat purpose

A light mist of contrasting colour applied over filler or primer. Sanding it away reveals low spots and scratches, confirming the surface is level before topcoat.

Sanding grit sequence

Coarse grades of 40 to 80 shape filler, 120 to 180 level it, 240 to 320 prepare primer, and 400 to 600 finish before basecoat blending.

Wax and grease removal

Surface cleaning with a dedicated remover applied with one cloth and wiped dry with another. A single cloth spreads contamination and causes adhesion failure.

Two-pack pot life

The usable time after mixing a 2K product with its hardener. Pot life shortens as temperature rises, and material used after pot life gels and fails.

Spray gun overlap and distance

A fifty percent overlap between passes, a gun distance of 15 to 20 centimetres, and the wrist kept perpendicular to the surface produce an even film.

Fish eye defect cause

Circular craters in the paint caused by silicone or oil contamination on the surface or in the air line. The surface is cleaned and the air supply filtered.

Solvent pop defect

Small blisters or pinholes caused by trapped solvent. It follows too short a flash-off time or too heavy a coat, and is corrected by sanding and recoating.

Metallic colour variant matching

The paint code alone may not match a faded vehicle. A variant chip or spectrophotometer reading is confirmed with a spray-out card before the panel is painted.

Blending a metallic panel

The new colour is extended into the adjacent panel and a blender melts the edge. The clearcoat then covers the whole panel so no colour difference is visible.

Windscreen adhesive safe-drive-away

The minimum cure time specified by the urethane adhesive manufacturer before the vehicle may be driven. The vehicle is not released before this time.

Driver-assistance sensor calibration

A required procedure after windscreen replacement, suspension work or a ride-height change on equipped vehicles. The calibration result is recorded on the job card.

Supplementary authorisation

Written customer approval obtained when hidden damage is found after the original estimate. Additional work does not proceed until authorisation is received.

Job card record content

The vehicle details, customer complaint, authorised work, parts used, technician time and completion sign-off. It is the workshop's legal and commercial record.

Structural adhesive bond gap

The controlled adhesive thickness in a bonded joint, set by glass beads or the adhesive bead. Bond strength depends on surface preparation, gap and cure.

Weld-through primer use

A weldable-grade coating applied thin at mating flanges before welding. It protects the joint from corrosion but must be dry and not applied heavily.

Booth filter pressure drop

The resistance across booth filters, which rises as they load. A loaded filter reduces airflow and raises solvent concentration, so filters are changed on schedule.

Respirator fit testing

A check that the mask seals to the face. A beard or an ill-fitting mask breaks the seal and provides no protection against isocyanates.

Stud welder dent pulling

A capacitor-discharge tool that welds a stud to the panel for pulling. The stud, grounding clamp and panel surface must be clean for a sound weld.

Air tool duty cycle

The proportion of time a tool or welder can run without overheating. Exceeding the duty cycle causes poor performance and equipment damage.

Structural damage indicators

Creases in rails or aprons, diagonal measurement differences, and changed panel gaps indicate energy absorbed by the structure and require measuring-system verification.

Pre-repair electronic scan

A scan of the vehicle's systems before repair that records impact-related fault codes. It protects the shop and customer and informs the repair scope.

Vehicle anchoring for pulling

The vehicle is secured at the manufacturer's specified points. Anchoring at the wrong points distorts the structure during the pull.

Staged pulling with measurement

A structural pull is applied in stages with measurement between pulls. A single heavy pull over-stretches metal and creates new damage.

Shrinking disc function

A tool that generates friction heat over a controlled area to shrink stretched metal without a flame. It is used where a torch is not suitable.

Aluminium annealing

Heating and controlled cooling of aluminium to soften it for shaping. The wrong anneal leaves the panel too soft or too hard, so the alloy specification governs.

Backstep welding sequence

A stitch welding pattern that moves backward along the joint. It spreads heat input and limits distortion when welding thin body panels.

Aluminium TIG welding

AC current with a dedicated tungsten electrode and filler. The AC cleaning action removes oxide, and steel tooling must not contact the weld zone.

Filler mixing board

A clean, non-porous surface for mixing filler and hardener. A wooden or cardboard board absorbs hardener and contaminates the mix.

Fibreglass-reinforced filler

A stronger filler used over repaired metal or where extra strength is needed. It does not substitute for structural repair of a damaged panel.

Sanding block versus hand

A block follows the panel contour and prevents waves. Sanding by hand alone creates hollows and an uneven surface that shows after painting.

Random orbital sander action

A dual motion that reduces pigtail scratches compared with a fixed orbit. A soft interface pad follows panel curvature and prevents flat spots.

Gun inlet pressure setting

Pressure measured at the gun inlet with the trigger pulled and air flowing. A static reading with the trigger released is too high and misleads setup.

Clearcoat flash-off window

The time between coats that allows solvent to escape. Too short causes solvent pop, and too long causes poor intercoat adhesion.

Orange peel cause

A rough textured finish from poor atomisation, high viscosity, too fast a reducer or wrong gun distance. It is corrected by sanding and polishing or recoating.

Blushing in clearcoat

A milky haze caused by moisture in the air line or high humidity. Drying the air supply and controlling booth humidity prevent it.

Spectrophotometer colour reading

An instrument that reads colour at several angles and gives a variant match. The reading is confirmed with a spray-out card in natural light.

Rotary polisher heat risk

A rotary polisher generates heat that can burn the clearcoat. Excessive pressure also leaves holograms, so speed and pressure are controlled.

Glass bonding primers

A glass primer and a body primer are applied to the bonding surfaces. The wrong primer causes adhesive failure and compromises the windscreen bond.

Trim clip replacement

Many trim clips are single-use. A clip that has lost retention is replaced rather than reused, because a reused clip leaves gaps or rattles.

Estimate itemisation

Parts, labour operations with guide times, paint and materials, sublet work and consumables are each priced so the customer authorisation matches the job card.

Labour guide operation times

Standard repair times published by the manufacturer or industry guide. Overlapping operations are identified so they are not double-charged.

Boron steel repair restriction

Hot-stamped steel near 1500 megapascals used in pillars and roof rails. It is not repaired by heating or straightening and is replaced as a section or assembly.

Galvanic corrosion prevention

Dissimilar metals such as aluminium and steel are isolated with coated fasteners or isolation washers. Contact between them causes galvanic corrosion in service.

Sectioning cut point rule

Sectioning is permitted only at manufacturer-approved cut points. A joint must not fall in a crush zone or within a specified distance of a reinforcement.