Margins in the automotive sector in 2025 are tight, so businesses are constantly looking into monetary savings that do not affect the end product. Steve Smith, national sales manager, Collision Repair, Mirka has highlighted ways in the bodyshop abrasives and equipment experts can help businesses make savings.

Steve says, “One of the main areas savings can be made is by using the correct abrasives. At Mirka, our technical team is constantly working with businesses to ensure they are using the abrasives that meet their requirements.  In addition, we are seeing a concerted move to premium products. The reason for this is because cheaper options might provide a slight monetary saving in the beginning, but this is quickly wiped out when the user must purchase the same product very quickly again.” Stave adds, “In comparison, premium products will last much longer and the quality will reduce the risk of reworks.” 

Optimising the repair process is also vital. Mirka can provide an experienced technical team to conduct physical audits that review the product usage within the business to see if the team on the workshop floor is getting the most out of the products being used. The audit results show where savings can be made, which leads to an action plan being implemented. This plan includes specific processes for jobs or the recommendation of certain products for the business based on the surfaces being sanded. This can provide short, medium and long term benefits through reduced key-to-key times.  

Mirka also provides training programmes, which can either take place onsite or at the training centre in Milton Keynes. Mirka includes training as part of a full-service offering to customers. The training is based on the business’s needs and requirements.  On completion of the training, businesses start to see subtle cost savings, such as a reduction in the amount spent on abrasives, as they are now using them at an optimal level. 

Steve comments, “The final, and probably most overlooked area when it comes to monetary savings, is extraction systems. Traditionally, workshops would have had a central vacuum system, but in an era of high energy costs, the cost to run this type of system, especially on a large site, can be expensive. This is why we work with customers that have these systems to demonstrate the massive amounts of energy that are being wasted and to showcase the savings that can be made with a move to mobile extraction units.” 

Steve stresses that investment in a suitable mobile extraction system should be viewed as a long-term commitment, so that it can provide an effective solution for a cleaner workspace, a reduction in prepping and tidying up at the end of the day, and to avoid potential dust contamination of other tools and surfaces that can lead to margins being cut due to reworks. 

Steve concludes, “Overall, monetary savings are there to be found, but it is important to work with suppliers and partners to ensure the savings that are made are right for the business.”