Mirka recently held a press open day at its Refinish Training Centre in Milton Keynes, to provide an insight into new innovations it is bringing to the accident repair market both on the equipment and consumables side. 

The Mirka team on the day explained how new products and innovations are often the result of feedback gained by the Mirka Technical Representatives on their frequent visits to all types and sizes of accident repair customers across Ireland and the UK. They listen carefully to the ideas and concerns of bodyshop operators and technicians and are able to feed this information to the Mirka Research and Development operation in Finland. Here the experienced team uses its expertise to develop new solutions aimed at improving bodyshop performance, efficiency and convenience. 

A good example of this is with the new Mirka Essentials range. Mirka customers impressed by Mirka’s abrasives and equipment had for some time been asking the company provide similar high quality products across a wider range of bodyshop consumables. The result is the introduction of a range of products considered essential in paint refinishing, collision repair, polishing and surface finishing work, complementing the rest of the Mirka range. It includes; paint mixing supplies, masking tapes and films and other preparation materials. 

Careful design and attention to detail has been central to all of the Essentials product development, with time and cost saving innovations featured throughout. For example the new paint cup system offers greater painting and mixing flexibility together with time and material savings. These are available in a variety of volume sizes and with convenient dispensing solutions. A complete range of adaptors to suit various gun models guns from all major manufacturers is also available.   

The Mirka Essentials range also has a fresh approach to masking tape with a range of different coloured tapes, in various width sizes and thicknesses, suitable for different uses and temperature ranges. It also includes and innovative split masking tape to speed up the masking process, especially around rubber seals, and various flexible foam tapes. Electrostatic cling masking film is also available in various sizes and thicknesses together with traditional masking paper and easy to use cutting devices. 

Reaction to the introduction of the Essentials range has already been very positive with customers keen to apply a total Mirka solution to their preparation and finishing process. 

Also on display and available to be put through their paces on the day were some of the most recently introduced Mirka equipment items. This included the Mirka PBS 10/13NV, the new Mirka Pneumatic Belt Sander which is an ergonomically designed, low vibration sander which offers an innovative narrow belts solution, helping to further reduce repair process times. It is compact and exceptionally easy to handle, making it ideal for grinding welding spots and seams and for removing paint in the bodyshop. It also offers an adjustable angle for hard to access areas and has an easy belt change mechanism. 

To demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability of Mirka equipment, visitors got the opportunity to use the Leros and Leros S sanders These were originally designed for wall sanding in the decorating industry, but have been put to effective use in accident repair and refinish applications, particularly for preparing vans, trucks and buses. The sanders have a much longer reach meaning that they are ideal for sanding larger vehicles, without the danger of climbing ladders, or for easy access to car roofs. They offer dual voltage, quiet and dust free sanding and have been proved to save significant job time. 

Also demonstrated on the day was the Mirka app with its Bluetooth tool connectivity for easy monitoring of user time and the Mirka Optimized Surface Preparation System which combines high-tech abrasives, tools and processes in a simple easy to follow numbered system. This offers the opportunity to dramatically increased speed and efficiency, saving time on every job. Because it is so easy to follow, it also allows more inexperience technicians to be more productive in less time, an important consideration when skilled labour is so scarce.

Mirka believes that through its process of product research and innovation, and with more innovations coming down the line, it is well place to help Irish bodyshops boost their efficiency and meet future preparation and repair challenges with confidence.