Panel beater


Panel beater or panelbeater is a term used in some Commonwealth countries to describe a person who repairs vehicle bodies back to their factory state after having been damaged. In the United States and Canada, the same job is done by an auto body mechanic.

Description

Panel beaters repair body work using skills such as planishing and metalworking techniques, welding, use of putty fillers, and other skills. Accident repair may require the panel beater to repair or replace parts of a vehicle. These parts may be made from various metals including steels and alloys, many different plastics, fibreglass and others.
The common panel beater will work on everyday vehicles, cars, vans, 4WDs for example. Specialised areas include repairs to motorcycles, trucks and even aircraft. Some panel beaters also work exclusively on vehicle restorations, and do not repair smash work at all. Others may specialise in body customisation such as is seen on hot rods etc.
Special equipment examples:
Special equipment for restoration, advanced panel repair or panel fabrication from scratch include:
Training to become a panel beater is done by completing a trade apprenticeship. For the most part these apprenticeships are around three years long, but can be completed earlier. These usually consist of three years on the job training mixed with schooling at a trade school or TAFE. The fourth year is usually on the job training alone.