IRS Group and Sika seal partnership in the NonPaint segment

“For us, IRS is the first workshop group with which we have developed a non-paint concept,” explains Jochen Gaukel, Head of Automotive Repair Sales at Sika Germany. “Here it was important to define a standard product range that
meets the requirements of the variety of applications while remaining lean and consistently oriented towards price/performance criteria. Since the Group has already taken the first step towards standardization, we were able to tie in seamlessly here.

Sika takes over introduction and training

For IRS Managing Director Frank Gerardy and his project team, it was crucial that a new partner not only sees itself as a supplier, but also ensures through regular monitoring and training in the companies that the products
are used correctly. Part of the agreement is therefore that Sika’s product specialists will also take over the introduction of the new products and processes at the IRS locations.

In doing so the automotive repair experts rely on intensive training and technical inspection of the machined workpieces. “With measurements of the roughness depth, for example, we make differences in grinding processes visible that can not be seen with the naked eye, but have a considerable influence on the result”. This is how Key Account Manager Thorsten Ehrlichmann convinces even those users who have to say goodbye to old habits first.

Quality is made by people

Result orientation plays an important role in the project. The goal is to save time and material by optimizing the NonPaint processes and at the same time to achieve a technically and optically perfect repair result. And despite all the technology in the product, this requires above all the motivation and skills of people. That’s why everyone involved is confident that the employees in the pilot plants have supported the test phase with great dedication and are now focusing on the NonPaint process program from Sika.

The IRS will use the applications not only in paint preparation but also for bonding and sealing in the body shop and automotive glass sector, where repair requirements are increasing strongly due to the technical leaps in vehicles.
Inserting panes with Sika’s Power Cure system is therefore a clear advantage in high workshop utilization due to the reliable curing within one hour. Sika as a strong partner at our side

Sika’s innovation competence and its leading role in the worldwide original equipment of vehicles was another point that perfectly fits the strategy of the IRS Group. “We have committed ourselves to the principle of “repair before renewal
and strive to keep our repair know-how on all brands and drive types permanently at the highest level. An innovative market leader like Sika is a valuable partner for the transfer of knowledge from series production to repair”. concludes Frank Gerardy.

The launch will start immediately and is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2021.