In today’s hyper-competitive shop industry, efficient repair methods mean shorter cycle times, better resource management and better margins. Two years ago, 3M revolutionized the application of filler and glaze with the 3M™ Dynamic Mixing System and now is expanding the platform with three of its most popular repair products.
Now, 3M™ Panel Bonding Adhesive (for bonding steel, aluminum, SMC and FRP), 3M™ Heavy-Bodied Seam Sealer (for matching OEM body seams) and 3M™ EZ Sand Flexible Parts Repair are joining the 3M Dynamic Mixing System line. The bonding adhesive comes in a 450ml cartridge and the latter two in 600ml sizes. The three new products join the current cartridge lineup including 3M™ Platinum™ Plus, 3M™ Platinum Glaze, 3M™ Dent Filling Compound, 3M™ Dent Finishing Glaze, 3M™ Dent Filling Compound-95 and 3M™ Reinforced Filler.
“Our goal is to make the 3M Dynamic Mixing System the body man’s primary tool,” said U.S. Marketing Supervisor for 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division, Steve Widen. “With this newest round of product cartridges, we’re addressing the shops’ other needs beyond fillers and glazes. We have been testing these three products on the West Coast since May, and they’ve been so well received we’ve seen an increase in the use of the 3M Dynamic Mixing System overall.”
Professionals have learned to stop mixing and start fixing with the innovative 3M Dynamic Mixing System and its ability to blend the material and hardener in the pneumatic gun’s nozzle to always deliver the perfect formulation. Because technicians no longer have to mix 3M fillers, glazes and bonding materials by hand, users reported a reduction in waste of more than 40 percent and reduced re-work and clean-up times of more than 30 hours per month.
Inside the 3M Dynamic Mixing System nozzle, compounds mix without introducing the tiny air bubbles that can become pinholes when the products harden – a typical drawback to traditional open-air mixing. A tight, pinhole-free wet-coat removes the need for extra filler or glaze and delivers higher customer satisfaction on completion of the work. The carefully controlled mixture process also removes the risk of over-catalyzing the compounds, a benefit that greatly reduces waste in the shop. To measure material use for billing purposes, 3M produces each cartridge with a visible graduated fill line.
The heart of 3M Dynamic Mixing System is a lightweight, heavy-duty ergonomic gun whose pneumatic system creates a vortex-like tornado mixing process in the disposable nozzles. Unlike static nozzles, which can be as long as six inches, the 3M Dynamic Mixing System tips are only an inch in length, which means a lot less unused catalyzed material after the job. Most body repair products are thick and hard to extrude through a static mixing nozzle, but the 3M Dynamic Mixing System gun’s controlled force speeds up delivery by 50 percent over traditional methods. It is a just-in-time delivery process that produces material the moment it is needed in a smooth, even flow.
“The 3M Dynamic Mixing System is an example of how 3M has collaborated with shop owners and technicians to develop tools and solutions,” said Widen. “Feedback from repair professionals led to the creation of this time-saving and waste-reducing equipment. We are on track to introduce more new body repair products for the 3M Dynamic Mixing System platform each quarter of 2013.”
The 3M Dynamic Mixing System is available throughout the United States. Contact 1-877-MMM-CARS or your local 3M Distributor or 3M Sales Representative for more information or visit our website at www.3M.com/DynamicMixingSystem.
About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs 84,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.
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3M Public RelationsConnie S. Thompson, 651-733-8914orDeborah Robinson, 312-505-4336drobinson@vmg1.com
