Automotive Body and Related Repairers

Follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take.

AI: Fully automatable - Interpreting and executing supervisors' explicit instructions and producing time estimates can be fully automated by 2025 using task management, scheduling software and instruction-following agents.

Review damage reports, prepare or review repair cost estimates, and plan work to be performed.

AI: Fully automatable - Reviewing damage reports, producing cost estimates and planning work are well within current AI capabilities (computer vision damage assessment, pricing databases and scheduling algorithms) and are commonly automated by 2025.

Mix polyester resins and hardeners to be used in restoring damaged areas.

AI: Fully automatable - Mixing polyester resins and hardeners is a measured, repeatable dispensing task that is readily automated and controllable by AI-driven machines.

Clean work areas, using air hoses, to remove damaged material and discarded fiberglass strips used in repair procedures.

AI: Fully automatable - Fully automatable: clearing debris with air hoses or extraction systems is a low-skill, repetitive task that can be handled by automated air/vacuum systems and simple robotic sweepers guided by vision in 2025.

Inspect repaired vehicles for proper functioning, completion of work, dimensional accuracy, and overall appearance of paint job, and test drive vehicles to ensure proper alignment and handling.

AI: Partial - Partial automation: AI vision and 3D scanning can assess dimensional accuracy and paint appearance and sensors can run many functional checks, but subjective judgments and nuanced road-test evaluations of alignment/handling still require human involvement in 2025.

Sand body areas to be painted and cover bumpers, windows, and trim with masking tape or paper to protect them from the paint.

AI: Partial - Robotic sanding and automated masking tools exist and can handle repetitive panels, but varied vehicle geometries and fine masking for trim/glass still require human skill for many repair jobs.

Fit and weld replacement parts into place, using wrenches and welding equipment, and grind down welds to smooth them, using power grinders and other tools.

AI: Partial - Industrial robots perform welding well in controlled repeatable settings, but fitting and welding replacement parts on damaged, variable vehicle structures plus finish grinding remain largely semi‑automated and human‑led in repair shops.

Prime and paint repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders.

AI: Partial - Automated spray and sanding systems can prime and paint consistent surfaces, but blending repaired areas to match finish and working on heterogeneous repair sites typically need human oversight and touchups.

Remove damaged sections of vehicles using metal-cutting guns, air grinders and wrenches, and install replacement parts using wrenches or welding equipment.

AI: Partial - Cutting out damaged sections and installing replacements involves highly variable, unstructured tasks where powered tools and robotic assistants help, but full autonomous removal and fitment/welding is not broadly reliable or certified by 2025.

Chain or clamp frames and sections to alignment machines that use hydraulic pressure to align damaged components.

AI: Partial - AI can guide and control alignment machines and suggest clamp points, but physically chaining/clamping irregular damaged frames still requires human judgment and dexterous manipulation in most repair settings as of 2025.

Fill small dents that cannot be worked out with plastic or solder.

AI: Partial - Automated dispensers and robotic applicators can apply filler in controlled scenarios, but the nuanced shaping and judgment required for small, variable dents still needs human skill.

File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.

AI: Partial - Robotic sanding and grinding exist for repeatable surfaces, but variable repair geometry and tactile feedback needed for finish quality mean AI systems are only partially able to perform these tasks in repair shops.

Remove upholstery, accessories, electrical window-and-seat-operating equipment, and trim to gain access to vehicle bodies and fenders.

AI: Partial - AI can provide instructions and some robotic tools can remove standard components, but the wide variety of upholstery/trim designs and fragile connectors makes full automation impractical in typical repair work by 2025.

Position dolly blocks against surfaces of dented areas and beat opposite surfaces to remove dents, using hammers.

AI: Partial - Robots can perform hammering in constrained manufacturing settings, but positioning dollies and applying correct beating force on unpredictable dents requires human judgment and fine dexterity in repair contexts.

Adjust or align headlights, wheels, and brake systems.

AI: Partial - Measurement and diagnostic alignment tasks are highly automated, but final adjustments and safety-critical brake system work still require human intervention and verification.

Read specifications or confer with customers to determine the desired custom modifications for altering the appearance of vehicles.

AI: Partial - Partial automation: AI can parse specifications, generate design options, and engage customers conversationally, but the interpersonal negotiation, bespoke aesthetics decisions, and final approvals typically need human oversight and relationship management in 2025.

Cut and tape plastic separating film to outside repair areas to avoid damaging surrounding surfaces during repair procedure and remove tape and wash surfaces after repairs are complete.

AI: Partial - Automated masking exists in production, but the irregular, case-by-case masking and cleanup in repair shops makes full automation limited and largely assisted by AI tools.

Remove small pits and dimples in body metal, using pick hammers and punches.

AI: Partial - Removing small pits and dimples demands fine tactile control and judgment; while some tooling can be automated, variability in repairs keeps this task only partially automatable.

Fit and secure windows, vinyl roofs, and metal trim to vehicle bodies, using caulking guns, adhesive brushes, and mallets.

AI: Partial - Robotic installation of windows and trim is common in assembly lines, but the variability and delicate fit/seal work in repairs means AI systems can assist but not fully replace skilled technicians by 2025.

Measure and mark vinyl material and cut material to size for roof installation, using rules, straightedges, and hand shears.

AI: Partial - Partial automation: cutting vinyl to size is straightforward for CNC cutters or robotic cutters in controlled setups, but variability in on-vehicle fitment and the need for manual adjustments during roof installation limit full automation in typical repair/shop environments in 2025.

Replace damaged glass on vehicles.

AI: Partial - Partial automation: machines and jigs exist to assist or automate portions of glass replacement (adhesive dispense, alignment aids), but complete, broadly applicable robotic removal and replacement across vehicle models and unpredictable damage conditions is not yet fully realized by 2025.

Remove damaged panels, and identify the family and properties of the plastic used on a vehicle.

AI: Partial - Partial automation: AI combined with handheld spectrometers/vision can identify plastic families reliably and robotic tooling can assist panel removal, but the variability, access constraints, and dexterous manipulation required for safe, general-purpose panel removal in repair shops prevents full automation in 2025.

Soak fiberglass matting in resin mixtures and apply layers of matting over repair areas to specified thicknesses.

AI: Partial - Partial automation: industrial composite layup and resin infusion technologies can automate laminate application in controlled manufacturing, but ad-hoc, irregular repair-area fiberglass wet layup with precise thickness control in repair shops remains largely manual in 2025.

Apply heat to plastic panels, using hot-air welding guns or immersion in hot water, and press the softened panels back into shape by hand.

AI: Partial - Partial automation: controlled heating and some forming can be automated in fixtures or with robots, but the fine tactile judgment and manual reshaping of softened panels by hand remain difficult to fully replicate reliably in repair settings as of 2025.

Cut openings in vehicle bodies for the installation of customized windows, using templates and power shears or chisels.

AI: Partial - Partial automation: CNC/robotic cutting can produce precise openings using templates in repeatable contexts, but one-off custom window installations on varied damaged bodies requiring judgment and careful corrective work limit full automation in repair shops as of 2025.