Rochester Collision Center
The equipmentbehind the repair
Modern vehicles are built from boron steel, aluminum, and advanced high strength alloys. Repairing them correctly takes measuring and welding equipment most body shops don't have. Here's what we run, and why it matters to your vehicle.
- Two Chief alignment racks
- Pro Spot i4 spot welder
- Two heated downdraft booths
- 10+ insurance DRP shops
Why it matters
Today's vehicles aren't made of one metal anymore
Manufacturers now mix exotic metals into the same body structure to hit crash standards while keeping weight down. Each one behaves differently under heat and pressure, and each has its own repair procedure. Get it wrong and the structure no longer protects the way it was designed to, even if the panel looks fine.
Boron steel
Extremely strong and used in pillars and crash structures. Very sensitive to heat, so it can't be repaired with conventional welding.
Advanced high strength steel
AHSS delivers crash protection at lower weight. Overheating it destroys the properties that make it work.
Aluminum
Increasingly common in hoods, doors, and full body structures. Requires separate tooling and isolation from steel work.
Magnesium
Found in structural castings and brackets. Another material with its own handling and joining requirements.
Frame and structural alignment
Two Chief alignment racks with laser measuring
Chief racks / Computerized Velocity laser measuring
Computerized frame alignment racks aren't new technology, but they're expensive and a lot of body shops don't have one. We have two, both running Computerized Velocity laser measuring systems.
The system measures the vehicle's structure against factory specifications and shows exactly how far off each point is, then confirms it's back in tolerance when the pull is finished. That's how you get alignment right rather than close, and it produces the documentation insurance companies want to see.
- RacksTwo
- MeasuringComputerized Velocity laser
- ReferenceFactory structural specifications
Welding
Pro Spot i4 inverter resistance spot welder
Pro Spot i4 / OEM programmable
This is the piece of equipment that separates a shop that can properly repair a modern vehicle from one that can't. The i4 is built for the materials that are hard to weld: boron steels and advanced high strength alloys used specifically for crash protection.
It uses high voltage and high pressure to fuse the metal the way the manufacturer intended, and the weld is cool to the touch the moment it's made. The OEM programmable feature carries detailed repair illustrations and weld programs specific to your vehicle, so the machine is set to your model rather than to a general setting.
- TypeInverter resistance spot
- Rated forBoron steel and AHSS
- ProgrammingVehicle-specific OEM weld programs
- Heat transferCool to touch after weld
Why the equipment choice matters. A general purpose welder sparks these materials together with far more heat, which distorts the metal and destroys the high strength properties the manufacturer engineered into it. The panel may look repaired. Structurally it isn't. We invested in this equipment because a repair that compromises crash protection isn't a repair.
Refinishing
Two heated downdraft paint booths
Heated downdraft / two booths
Downdraft airflow pulls air past the vehicle and out through the floor, which carries overspray and airborne dust away from the wet finish instead of letting it settle on the panel. The heat brings the finish to a proper cure regardless of what the weather is doing outside.
Two booths also means jobs aren't stacked behind a single bay waiting for one to clear. For details on our color matching and refinish products, see the auto body paint page.
A Direct Repair Facility for more than ten insurers
Over ten major insurance companies have chosen us to handle their customers' repairs, which means we work inside their process every day and can answer your claim questions as they come up. You still choose where your vehicle is repaired.
What this equipment lets us handle
Door dings through frame replacement
Accurate measurement, correct welding, and controlled refinishing cover the full range of collision work. Qualified, experienced technicians run all of it, and every repair carries a lifetime guarantee for as long as you own the vehicle.
Looking for a specific service? See collision repair, paintless dent repair, hail damage repair, or the Rochester Collision Center overview.
Two locations
Where to bring it
Both shops repair all makes and models. Pick whichever is closer.
North Rochester
Rochester Collision Center
2828 Pennington Ct NW
Rochester, MN 55901
507-288-3828
Mon to Fri, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
South Rochester
Rochester Collision Center South
1000 12th St SW
Rochester, MN 55902
507-285-4790
Mon to Fri, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Common questions
Repair technology, answered
Why does the welding equipment matter on my repair?
Boron steel and advanced high strength alloys are in your vehicle specifically to protect you in a crash. Welding them with too much heat weakens those properties permanently. Resistance spot welding with vehicle-specific programs joins them the way the factory did, so the structure performs as designed.
How do you know the frame is straight again?
Laser measuring compares your vehicle's structure to factory specifications at multiple points, before and after the pull. It isn't a visual judgment call, and the measurements can be documented for your insurer.
Do most body shops have this equipment?
Computerized alignment racks and inverter resistance spot welders are significant investments, and plenty of shops operate without them. It's a fair question to ask any shop you're considering, including ours.
Will my vehicle be as strong as it was before the collision?
That's the objective, and it's why the equipment and procedures matter. Structural repairs are measured back to factory specification and welded to the manufacturer's method rather than approximated.
Can you work on aluminum body vehicles?
Yes. Aluminum requires its own tooling and has to be kept separate from steel work to avoid contamination. Bring the vehicle in or call and we can talk through what your specific repair involves.
Does my insurance company decide where I go?
No. In Minnesota the choice is yours. We're a Direct Repair Facility for more than ten major insurers, so working with your carrier is routine either way. See our insurance FAQs for more.
Repaired to specification, not to approximation.
Free estimates at both Rochester locations, on all makes and models, with a lifetime guarantee on our repairs.
Call 507-288-3828 Schedule online