Celette UK alignment and repair

Systems

Celette UK offers a wide range of fixed or mobile

jigs, from the mobile bench to the four-post jigs lift.

Celette benches

The Celette bench (Figure 14.13) is mounted on four

heavy-duty wheels, two of which are fitted with

brakes to allow the bench to be locked in position

during use. Being completely mobile, it can be

Figure 14.12System 5000 pulling tower and frame

(Celette UK )

414Repair of Vehicle Bodies

moved to wherever it is most convenient and the

space cleared after use. It can also be fitted with four

bench legs, which allows it to be used with existing

in-ground pulling systems. The vehicle can be fastened

in place on the bench using either four sill

clamps or the modular cross beams. These cross

beams are bolted directly on to the bench and have

the MZ bracket system attached above them. Once

the tops and towers of the bracket system are fitted

they give immediate visual indication of the location

and extent of damage, and continue to do so throughout

the course of the repair (see Figure 14.14). The

brackets also act as a solid welding fixture, clamping

new parts in their correct position at the critical

points during welding up (see Figure 14.15). The

most important feature of the brackets is that they

provide progressive anchorage, locking newly

repaired areas in place so that they are not disturbed

by subsequent pulls to other areas.

A hydraulic push and pull unit can be quickly

clamped to the jig bench at any point. Its double

adjustments at the base of the vertical arm and on

the horizontal beam allows the push or pull to be

widely adjusted to any angle or height without the

need to relocate the unit. In addition this equipment

can be used for vector pulling and pushing

and upward or downward pulls. The bench can also

be used with the Metro 2000 measuring system.

Celette jig lifts

The jig lifts (Figure 14.16) are of wheel-free design

which enables rapid loading and anchoring of damaged

vehicles. The wheel-free system allows the

vehicle to be moved easily lengthways and sideways

Figure 14.13Mobile bench showing pulling system

and MZ bracket system (Celette UK )

for easy bracket or sill clamp location. The design of

the decking plate enables the sill clamp outriggers to

be left permanently in place which gives the benefit

of a drive-on and drive-off pulling facility.

When not in use as a body repair system, the

jig makes an ideal general service lift, as the

vehicle can be supported either on its own four

wheels or on its underside using the wheel-free

system. The lifting capacity of the jig lifts ranges

from 2.5 tonnes to 3 tonnes, and so large cars and

light commercial vehicles can be worked on. The

jig bed can be fitted with the full range of Celette

brackets, including the MZ repair system and the

Metro 2000 measuring system. The hydraulic

push and pull unit and adjustable sill clamps can

be used for anchorage and pulling, providing a

dual repair system (see Figure 14.17).

Celette UK MZ system

This system for crash repairs incorporates all the

traditional benefits of jigs and brackets, but, in addition,

has been designed to reduce the model-specific

content of the system to a minimum while maximizing

the number of brackets which can be fitted,

without the need to strip out the mechanical parts

first. It consists of 22 universal lower brackets called

‘base towers’, into which upper brackets called

‘tops’ are fitted that are specific to the model being

repaired. These tops are much smaller and lighter

than the conventional brackets, and so are easier to

insert or remove when the vehicle is on the jig. This

system was made possible by the use of computeraided

design (CAD) equipment. Details of vehicles

currently in production were inputted on to the

computer; it then identified the most common reference

points and evaluated a number of alternative

arrangements. From this a set of universal towers

was developed to suit the wide range of different

vehicle models. The CAD system is also being used

to produce manufacturing and user drawings for the

top sets, resulting in the faster introduction of tops

for newly designed vehicle models.

The basis of the MZ system is in effect a twopiece

bracket set. A model-specific top slides

under a piston action into the universal tower unit,

and a locating pin holds the two together at the

correct height. The top locates into the bodywork

of the vehicle in the same way as a conventional

bracket, and likewise the base of the tower is fitted

to the jig using four bolts into the modularly

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spaced holes. The towers come in five different

heights to cater for various requirements. A complete

set comprises 22 units, with between 2 and 6

of each height depending on the frequency of use.

To cater for variations in width or length, the

tower unit is mounted offset on its base. It can

therefore be set in one of four mounting points. In

so doing the area within the 100 mm modular grid

spacing can be covered; any further variations are

covered by additional offset on the model-specific

top unit.

The choice of tower, plus its required location

and rotation, is clearly marked on the information

sheets which accompany all MZ sets, showing

both plan and three-quarters view. To simplify

identification and rotation, each tower has a coded

Figure 14.14Use of the Celette bench (Celette UK )

416Repair of Vehicle Bodies

arrow which corresponds with arrows on the sheet

(see Figure 14.18). When the tower has been

fixed, the required top unit can be slid in and held

in place by pushing in the locating pin. To cater

for mechanicals in requirements two sets of holes

are drilled in some towers and tops, the upper set

being for mechanicals out and the lower set for

mechanicals in.

Celette UK Metro 2000 measuring system

This is a universal diagnostic and repair measuring

system based on simultaneous three-dimensional

verification of important points of the vehicle. The

measuring system is dual purpose as it fits directly to

any Celette bench or jig lift, and there is a choice of

using brackets or measurement. Thus any degree of

damage can be repaired using the most appropriate

system. A complete damage diagnosis can be carried

out without any stripping of mechanical components,

facilitating speedy and effective repairs.

The system is calibrated using points on the vehicle’s

underbody which are accurately jigged during

manufacture. The jacking sill clamps ensure that the

vehicle’s underbody is brought parallel to the measurement

frame; this is vital if height measurements

are to be accurate. To ensure accuracies, either the

vehicle or the measuring frame must be adjusted so

that they are parallel. The calibration procedure is

that the vertical scale built into the sill clamps and

telescopic pointers set the vehicle at the correct

height. The pointer carries slides on transverse rules

with their own scales to allow width positions to be

set. A tape runs along each side of the frame, and

slides within its housing for instant setting. Three or

four datum points are selected on any undamaged

area, and the system is calibrated to the height, width

and length position of these points. The frame can be

bolted down after calibration. All eight pointers are

Figure 14.15Car fixed on M8 mobile bench

(Celette UK )

Figure 14.16MUF 61 Bodymaster jig lift with Cobra

3 puller and MZ brackets (Celette UK )

Figure 14.17Bodymaster 2000 with Metro 2000

measurement system (Celette UK )

Major accident damage 417

available for taking measurements, since none needs

to be left in the calibrated position; therefore all eight

locations are available for simultaneous checking

during repair.

One data sheet is usually required for each vehicle,

giving published dimensions from manufacturer’s

drawings. These data sheets show the initial

sill clamp settings, and the critical dimensions for

all mechanical units in place and removed. They

also give the MacPherson strut data, which enables

a check on the position of the front suspension fixing

from above without any stripping of suspension

components. The checks include the length,

width and height positions of the strut fixings and

also the angle of the flitch plate; these are all vital

to the correct steering geometry of any vehicle

under repair (see Figure 14.19).

Celette UK Bodymaster 2000 drive-on repair

system

The Bodymaster 2000 drive-on system is easy to

operate. Faster repairs are achievable, as vehicles

can be loaded and off-loaded very quickly. In order

to facilitate the loading and unloading of a damaged

vehicle that cannot be driven on to the bench,

a winch is provided.

The system has other features which make it

attractive to body shop operators because they

greatly facilitate the work on crash repairs. These

Figure 14.18Example information sheet for use with the MZ bracket system (Celette UK )

Figure 14.19Metro 2000 measurement system

(Celette UK )

418Repair of Vehicle Bodies

features include a hydraulic adjustable platform

and an integral high-capacity twin pulling tower

system. The hydraulic platform provides easier

and speedier loading and off-loading of a vehicle

and allows the operator to set the bench at

any suitable working height to a maximum of

700 mm.

Bodymaster 2000 is particularly versatile owing

to its 5 metre long tubular steel rigid base. As a

result the system is suitable for the repair of passenger

vehicles, vans, four-wheel-drive vehicles,

and light commercial and chassis-based vehicles.

The design of the system enables it to be used with

Celette’s Metro 2000 measuring system and also

with Celette’s MZ diagnostic and repair bracket

system (Figure 14.17).

Celette UK Metro 90 measurement system

The Metro 90 is a complete crash repair system

based on both bracket and measurement methods

of repair. Centred around the Celette MT10 mobile

bench and Metro 2000 measuring system, Metro

90 is a complete package including a pulling and

clamping system, loading kit and full range of

accessories (Figure 14.20). Pulling capacity is

provided by the Caiman pulling unit, which also

provides extra adjustment, making the system easy

to use. An additional wide range of checking

accessories also allows more points on the vehicle

to be checked, and a telescopic measuring gauge

can be used in such areas as engine, upper body

compartments, and screen apertures.

The Metro measuring system consists of a rigid

alloy frame with eight trolleys that run along the

frame. Each trolley is fitted with a half-bridge

carrying the vertical pointers and measuring

adaptors which allow location on various points

of the vehicle’s underbody, including horizontal

axis locations. Thus asymmetric points can be

checked and repaired simultaneously.

The vehicle is supported on four three-way

adjustable sill clamps and is calibrated in all three

dimensions – height, width and length – on an

undamaged area of the vehicle underside. With

conventional structural sills being increasingly

replaced by aerodynamic skirts, the clamps can use

swivel jaws that clamp on to the lower sill panels

where conventional clamps cannot be used. The

jaws of the clamps rotate through 360 degrees,

ensuring that damaged vehicles can be securely

held in place, enabling structural alignment to be

guaranteed.

The unit is supplied complete with a full set of

laminated colour data sheets, and regular updates

are available.

Another advantage of the system is that, with the

use of beams and towers, it can be used simply as a

bracket system, as this mobile bench has also been

specifically designed to accept the MZ diagnostic

repair system. The Metro 90 can also be used in

conjunction with Celette’s ECO 2000 mobile lifiting

trolley.

Celette UK ECO 2000 mobile lifting trolley

This unit is a mobile lifting trolley which operates

using a compressed air supply at a pressure of

7 bar. Capable of lifting weights of up to 2000 kg

to a height of 1 m, it provides a simple and effective

means of loading damaged vehicles on to a

mobile bench, thus creating a comfortable and

adjustable working height for various mechanical

and servicing work. It is very maneuverable in any

workshop area. With its controlled lowering speed

and integrated safety system it is ideal for any shop

needing a mobile lifting unit, not just the bodyshop

but also the general workshop, workbays and

mechanical lifting bays (Figure 14.21).

Figure 14.20Metro 90 measurement system

(Celette UK )

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