3M solutions pack a punch for auto repair

US-based 3M’s most widely known product, to a non-automotive person, is a rectangular, sticky note or Post-it and Scotchgard brands but this American company makes a whole lot of products that cover not only stationery and household products but products used across industries such as power, infrastructure and indeed, automotive.

At its Bangalore headquarters, 3M’s facilities include an innovation centre, a manufacturing facility that makes decals for the automotive sector (you can see them on bikes) and a spanking-new R&D centre. This correspondent was taken around a products display area in the larger foyer of the R&D centre where exhibits describe 3M’s wide-ranging products. Bang in the heart of the products area is the technology display wall, where 3M’s product categories are arranged alphabetically, reminiscent of Mendeleev’s periodic table in chemistry.

Classified under four major technology application areas — non-woven, films, abrasives and micro-replication — the sheer variety is amazing. These encompass a core of 46 technologies.

Complete car care solutions on offer

In the automotive, 3M’s involvement includes car care products which are quite distinct from do-it- yourself ones and crash repair solutions whose target audience are the bodyshops of car dealers. These bodyshops carry out work of considerable complexity and 3M’s products are targeted at them.

In the basement of the R&D centre is a collision repair facility which comprises, among other things, a paint booth. Interestingly, 3M’s involvement in this area of business dates back to 1993. In contrast, the car care products, targeted at servicing, kicked off in 2004 but the rate at which it has grown reflects increasing car ownership numbers in India. What is common, however, to both streams of business is OEM approval.

Crash repair portfolio

In the crash repair portfolio, 3M’s products include bodyshop solutions, paint shop solutions, glass shop solutions, mechanical service (including window lubes, brake cleaners and battery terminal coating among others) and safety solutions. Interestingly, safety solutions include products such as face masks made of material that 3M makes. Ninad Gadgil, division manager, automotive aftermarket, says: “We offer product solutions and support.”

Given the fact that 3M manufactures a range of products for collision repair, the company’s marketing strategy centres around promoting itself as a one-stop solution.

Typically, a 3M team will assess the servicing profile of a dealer’s crash repair workshop and make recommendations about the kind of products required. 3M’s reasoning for its own product range is premised on the fact that non-paint consumables typically account for five percent of billing while repair vehicle spends account for 30 percent in the non-paint products solutions. Given that dealers can earn much more if solutions are more productive, 3M believes its products offer this very advantage.

At a granular level, a painting solutions product typically involves paint preparation and post-paint work. In a paint booth that has been installed within the crash laboratory, there is a product that is called a dirt trap which is used to line the walls of the paint booth.

This product absorbs dust that finally ensures that the painting process is more efficient. I am also shown a unique nozzle developed by 3M that can be used for the entire coating process from primer to final coat and ensures an efficient painting process.

In the crash repair segment, 3M has more recently obtained approvals from the likes of Honda for paint bonding, paint preparation systems, multi-hole file sheeting and for all bodyshop consumables, Renault India has also given its approval. 3M has now approached Volkswagen India for approvals for products for collision repair products. VW India has been setting up dealer and service points that this will be aimed at providing quality repairs in the network.

Banking on training

Given that each of 3M’s products are an embodiment of technology, using them requires adequate training. According to a company spokesperson, “We conducted over 2,000 training sessions for technicians. Training programmes have been conducted for 120 bodyshop managers and 40 programmes held for OEMs. A total of 38,400 manhours of training were conducted in 2011.” Going forward, 3M has decided to ensure that a service technician gets a minimum of 10 days of training that covers soft and technical issues. Apart from the passenger car segment, 3M has also made some early in-roads into the commercial vehicle segment. However, the onus of this business segment is borne by 3M’s industrial adhesives business. But like in the case of cars, OEM approvals are the first starting point.

Given that India’s is in the midst of a road-building project, it may be pertinent to mention that the reflective sheets used on the road median markers as well as crash barriers use 3M-made material. These are imported and incorporated in plastic housing.

3M has five plants in India. Apart from Bangalore, it has a plant in Ahmedabad, Pondicherry and two plants in the Pune area, one of which makes aftermarket fillers and the other adhesives. Many of 3M’s products are typically imported and so the question that arises is whether the company will, at some point, consider local manufacture. This has begun in a small way with liquid and polishing compounds being localised as well as lightweight fillers.

Even more significant perhaps is a product that has been christened Ventura which can be used for refinishing body panels in an efficient manner. 3M has applied for a patent and this bodes well for 3M in India.

3M’s future in India can only be considered bright given that auto servicing and related bodyshop activities are a growing sector. India’s expanding market offers opportunities to tailor-make products for India. 3M will hope it can achieve in time the same popularity of its sticky notes.

BRIAN DE SOUZA