The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) announced the next CIECA Webinar will be held at 11 a.m. PT/1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET March 27: “3D Printing in Collision Repair.” The one-hour live broadcast will feature Harold Sears, head of the advisory council for Auto Additive, and Gerry Poirier, a consultant with Vector Squared.
During the free webinar, Sears and Poirier will discuss how 3D printing is used in the collision industry today and its future impacts. All collision industry stakeholders, including CIECA members and non-members, are invited to attend the presentation.
Topics will include:
• The types of 3D-printed parts being made and the materials used
• 3D-printed parts pricing compared to traditional replacement parts
• Quality control measures in place and certification
• Potential impact on customers
• Liability issues with 3D-printed parts
Sears brings more than 36 years of experience in the automotive industry, with 32 years at Ford. His time at Ford included 29 years in additive manufacturing. His last role at that company was technical leader and manager of Ford’s Additive Manufacturing Technology. Sears retired from Ford in December 2022.
He has a proven capability to develop and implement additive manufacturing processes that leverage state-of-the-art technologies for the production of commercial parts and prototypes. He received a Henry Ford Technology Award for developing an innovative process that uses 3D printing to manufacture sheet metal stamping tooling. Sears is also a recipient of the Additive Manufacturing Users Group’s Distinguished Innovator Operator (DINO) award for additive manufacturing expertise and contributions to the industry.
Poirier has more than 50 years of experience in the collision and auto physical damage (APD) industries. He has held auto physical damage management positions with The Hanover Insurance Group, AIG and Farmers Insurance. In those roles, he was tasked with multiple process improvement projects to improve the claims experience for consumers as well as provide guidance and technical expertise to the staff.
He is an active member of the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), Intertek and multiple school collision advisory boards in Georgia. Poirier holds a position on the National Auto Body Council (NABC) board and the Changing and Saving Lives Foundation. He is I-CAR Platinum, has held multiple ASE certifications and was a certified welder.
Register for the March 27 CIECA Webinar here.
