The amazing technology could be another industry turning point, but this also might be a good time to pause and see what’s in the potential Pandora’s Box
If you look around, nanotechnology (nano) — the science of making extremely small devices and products the size of atoms and molecules — is having an impact on our aftermarket world. And it’s just beginning.
My first real understanding came when listening to engineers speak at some regional Automechanika shows overseas and it’s already in the aftermarket:
- Car paint and interior surfaces (e.g., Nanorepel)
- Improved braking systems (e.g., Fremax)
- Fluids (e.g., the many brands of exterior and interior products, such as those offering a ceramic coating)
- Oils and other operating fluids (e.g., Hot Shot’s Secret)
- Tires (e.g., Bridgestone)
- Catalytics (e.g., Mazda Motor Corporation)
- Engine and head gasket repair fluids (e.g., CRC/K&W Permanent Repair)
In the OE industry you’ll see nano in development of lightweight, stronger frames, enhanced sensors, smaller batteries that are at the same time more powerful. Also take, for example, an entire instrument panel all condensed to a very small, flexible device.
More generally, nano is already impacting the world of electronics. While much is in the research and discovery phases, a number of scientists and people related to the industry suggest that nano is going to usher in the next age of technology. Here are a couple of examples of work underway from Hawks Perch Technical:
- Cadmium selenide nanocrystals deposited on plastic sheets have been shown to form flexible electronic circuits. Researchers are aiming for a combination of flexibility, a simple fabrication process and low power requirements. We’ll see that in the aftermarket as high-performance, much smaller and lower-cost circuits replacing ECMs and the like. It will also rush in a new set of tools required for diagnosis and repair.
- Researchers at Georgia Tech, the University of Tokyo and Microsoft Research have developed a method to print prototype circuit boards using standard inkjet printers. Silver nanoparticle ink was used to form the conductive lines needed in circuit boards. One day soon we may be able to print out a circuit board replacement right in the shop.
There are untold more opportunities. Imagine with me a test rig that weighs next to nothing, takes up very little space, with a readout that’s brighter, easier to read, and an expanded use of touch screens and more. Or, what is now a mass of wires becoming one very small sheet of circuits. And, as we construct or repair our various projects, having circuit boards we print on a flexible material that includes the needed transistors, resistors, capacitors, etc., all in the printed board within the ink.
The words that describe the nano are “smaller,” “stronger,” “lighter,” “less power consumption,” “more powerful” and others. It sounds like nirvana for those involved in manufacturing and our beloved aftermarket world.
But, there are some great unknowns relative to its impact on health and the environment, and its effect on the lungs appears to be similar to asbestosis, according to one expert. A number of sources state that nano particles have the ability to move through skin layers, be inhaled or swallowed. They also indicated that shops and others should look through what they have on the shelf. Find what you have that references nano in the title or elsewhere on the package and then clearly mark them. In my humble opinion, collision shops are probably safe to assume virtually anything they use is nano-based.
Moreover, these same sources indicate that everyone use the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standards. These include long-sleeve shirts, long pants, safety glasses, gloves, a respirator anytime you spray or use an air gun on something with a nano product, whether wet or dry. And for the collision shops, it’s time that the shop techs take precautions that may include full time respirators and jump suits. The painters are already taking these steps on steroids with fresh air supply suits.
And then there are the aftermarket part stores and warehouses. Take a look at your place. I bet your shelves are filled with nano fluids in cleaning products and more. To keep nano out of the drains, there is no more “mop to the front of the store.” Some basic training for employees seems in order.
Nano is truly amazing and may very well be another technology turning point. However, it may be a good time to pause, along with developments in artificial intelligence, and see what’s in the potential Pandora’s Box. Whatever the future holds, there is little doubt that we live in an incredible time. It doesn’t take a reach to see that the way we approach repair is going to change. And the equipment used now will change, too.
The big question is when? Between the 1970s and now it has been critical to either keep up with training or be left behind. In our future, and with the spreading of nano, that will be more important than ever.
At a young age, industry veteran Tom Langer started detailing cars for his family’s dealerships, which then led to work in the jobber and warehouse business, along with a machine shop and auto body shop. He held a variety of positions with an auto parts manufacturer for 10 years, and remained in the industry working with shops, warehouses and manufacturers in research and more.
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