The high-tech future of automotive repairs

Swinburne University has partnered with IMCRC and Tradiebot Industries to catalyse the transformation of the automotive repair industry in Australia through the use of automation technologies, additive manufacturing, and advanced materials.

The collaborative project, ‘Repair Bot’, will employ robotics and 3D printing, along with complex materials, to enable an automated rapid repair service for plastic car parts. Inspiration for the project stemmed form the need for a technology-driven solution to overcome numerous issues facing the automotive repair industry. These issues range from material wastage, complex and restrictive design elements, the limited availability of skilled labour, and the long lead times and inventory holdings for replacement parts.

Tradiebot Founder Mario Dimovski believes the project’s potential benefits go far beyond just the automotive collision industry.

“The ability to repair previously non-repairable parts using world-first technology will reduce overall repair times and repair costs,” explains Dimovski. “It will also create real and significant export opportunities and has flow-on benefits for the environment by reducing land-fill. Tradiebot will also deliver new future skills to the industry as more processes become automated.”