Lawson Products launches Kent Automotive Aluminum Repair Solutions

Lawson Products, a distributor of products and services to the MRO and automotive marketplaces and No. 39 on Industrial Distribution's 2015 Big 50 List, on Tuesday announced the launch of Aluminum Repair Solutions under its Kent Automotive brand.

Kent Automotive Aluminum Repair Solutions is a single-source for aluminum repair materials, offering a full line of OEM-quality, specialized products, expertise, and education for collision centers and auto body repair shops in the U.S. and Canada.

“With the growth in aluminum-intensive vehicle design comes a subsequent rise in the repair market,” said Michael DeCata, president and chief executive officer, Lawson Products. “We’re helping our automotive customers leverage the aluminum repair market opportunity, wherever they are in their aluminum readiness -- whether building capacity now or planning for the next three to five years.”

Collision repair and body shop professionals need to be prepared to repair increasingly complex aluminum and mixed-material vehicles, which require specific training and dedicated tools and equipment for complete, safe and quality repairs.

“Early movers with a high-quality approach, and clean, safe shops are already carving out market share in aluminum repair,” said Matt Brown, vice president, field sales, Lawson Products. “They’ll benefit from word of mouth advertising.”

In addition to its optimized inventory management services, Kent Automotive offers storage solutions, welding and safety equipment and a wide range of products that are designed for use on aluminum as follows:

5 Steps to Aluminum Repair

Disassembly: Remove OEM-applied coatings and seam sealers with Kent Automotive’s mechanical abrasives and chemical products to reveal bare aluminum in the damaged area.

Preparation: Properly condition the aluminum surface by thoroughly cleaning it with Kent Automotive’s line of chemical and abrasive products.

Fastening: Kent Automotive’s crash-tested adhesives, OEM-style specialty rivets and seam sealers ensure proper rivet bonding and match OEM-quality for aluminum panel replacement.

Finishing: Restore OEM-quality protection with Kent Automotive’s complete line of specialty finishing products.

Corrosion Protection: Prevent galvanic corrosion by insulating and isolating aluminum body panels from steel fasteners and steel surfaces. Restores vehicle back to OEM standards when following the procedures needed to meet OEM requirements.