NITA Panel Beating & Spray Painting Trade Test key terms

The process of spotting anything in the workplace that could cause harm, such as fumes, sparks, sharp edges, hot metal or lifting tasks, before an accident happens.

A supplier document listing the hazards, safe handling, storage and first-aid measures for a product such as paint, thinner, filler hardener or welding gas.

A reactive chemical group found in many two-pack paints and clear coats that can cause asthma and skin sensitisation, so supplied-air or air-fed respiratory protection is required.

A hood or mask fed with clean compressed air from outside the spray area, protecting the painter from solvent vapour and isocyanate mist during spraying.

A shaped steel or wood block held behind or against a panel to back up hammer blows or to hammer directly on the metal surface while a panel is supported.

A panel-beating hammer with a defined face shape, such as flat, crowned or pick, chosen to stretch, planish or raise metal without marking it.

A long, curved steel hand tool with a polished face used to press out dents from behind a panel and to feel or planish the surface.

A vehicle body design in which the floor, sills, pillars and panels form one welded load-bearing structure, so damaged sections must be pulled and replaced accurately.

A design where a separate steel chassis frame carries the load and the body shell is bolted on top, allowing easier panel replacement than a unibody.

Replacing only the damaged part of a panel by cutting at a manufacturer-approved joint and welding in a new piece, rather than renewing the whole panel.

Steel grades with greater yield strength than mild steel that resist deformation in a crash, but which lose strength if overheated during straightening or welding.

A repair joint that combines structural adhesive with rivets, spreading load through the glue while the rivets hold the panels in position until the adhesive cures.

A two-part structural adhesive used to join body panels, often on steel, aluminium or composite parts where welding would distort or damage the material.

A structured inspection of a vehicle to record every dent, misalignment and hidden defect, and to decide whether a part can be repaired or must be renewed.

The even clearance between adjacent body panels such as doors, bonnet and wings, measured to check alignment and to reveal structural movement after a collision.

A reference location on the vehicle underbody defined by the manufacturer, used with a measuring system to confirm that the body shell is back in its correct position.

A bench, tram gauge or electronic measuring rig used to compare actual vehicle dimensions with the manufacturer's control dimensions before and after pulling.

To hammer a stretched or repaired area with overlapping, light, flat blows to smooth the surface and restore the metal to an even thickness.

Reducing the surface area of stretched metal, usually by heating a small spot and quenching or by hammering off-dolly, so the panel regains its original shape.

Increasing the surface area of sheet metal by hammering it on-dolly or over a curved stake, which is how a crowned shape or a repair area is formed.

A technique where the dolly is held away from the hammer blow, allowing the metal to be pushed down and shrunk or lowered rather than stretched.

A technique where the dolly is held directly behind the hammer blow, stretching the metal and raising a low area while leaving the surface smooth.

A weld made by filling a hole drilled in the top panel so it fuses to the panel beneath, commonly used to refit spot-welded sections and panels.

A short temporary weld used to hold parts in position during alignment or assembly before the final continuous or spot welds are made.

The area of metal next to a weld that has been changed by heat but not melted, where strength and corrosion resistance can be reduced.

A two-part polyester paste applied over prepared bare metal or primer to level small imperfections before sanding and painting.

A catalyst paste mixed into body filler in the correct ratio so the filler cures fully; too much causes pinholes and poor adhesion.

A thin mist of contrasting paint or powder sprayed over primer or filler so that low spots and sanding scratches show clearly while the surface is being levelled.

A filling primer coat applied over prepared panels to build thickness, seal the surface and provide a smooth base for the topcoat.

An enclosed, filtered and temperature-controlled cabin in which vehicles are painted, protecting the finish from dust and the workshop from overspray and fumes.

The waiting period after a coat is applied so that solvents evaporate before the next coat, preventing runs, solvent popping and poor adhesion.

A paint defect in which the surface dries with a bumpy texture like citrus skin, usually caused by incorrect viscosity, pressure, gun distance or drying conditions.

Small blisters or pinholes in a paint film where trapped solvent boils out during drying, often from coats applied too wet or flash-off times being too short.

A colour match that looks correct under one light source, such as daylight, but appears different under another, such as sodium workshop lighting.

An adjacent undamaged panel onto which new paint is faded so the repair area is invisible and any slight colour difference cannot be seen.

The colour-giving layer of a two-stage paint system, applied over primer and then covered with clear coat for gloss and protection.

The workshop record that lists the customer, vehicle, reported fault, authorised work, parts, labour times and sign-off for each repair.

An additional authorisation request raised when hidden damage or extra work is found after the original estimate has been approved by the customer or insurer.