May 10, 2023 – Collin College’s Technical Campus Collision Technology program recently received a Level 2 Glue Pull Repair System donated by the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and KECO Manufacturing. The donation included training from PDR Express, a dent repair service in Texas.
“I feel grateful to have organizations out there willing to advocate for our students,” said Raven Hartkopf, discipline lead and professor of Collision Technology. “When we see that kind of support from the industry, we know we’re doing something right. They want to help us out; they equally want the best for our students, and I think that means a lot for the institution.”
According to KECO, the glue pull system allows technicians to glue specially designed tabs to the exterior panels, pulling dents out more efficiently versus the traditional method which is a more invasive repair technique of welding studs onto the body panels.
Students and staff trained on the new repair system together. The campus has smaller glue tool kits, but according to Hartkopf, this repair system is the full setup and is considered a rare commodity among automotive shops. She added that it is a more modern way of dent repair and is safer for electric vehicles.
The Collision Technology program was nominated to receive the donation by Jill Tuggle from the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT), an organization of which the college is an active member.
Last year, the Collision Technology program earned an Automotive Services Excellence (ASE) Master collision accreditation, the highest level of program accreditation recognized by the National Institute. For more information about the Collision Technology program at the Technical Campus, go to www.collin.edu/academics/programs/ABDR_1Overview.html.
Collin College serves more than 57,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity, and a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Construction Management. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.