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Aftermarket parts need to be reverse-engineered to match auto manufacturers, not re-designed


November 10, 2010   by Canadian Underwriter


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Aftermarket replacement parts need to be reverse engineered to match the original equipment manufacturer’s specifications, not re-engineered, an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) report says.
The Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) recently released a certification standard, CAPA 501, for aftermarket bumpers, IIHS reported.
The aim of the standard is to ensure that aftermarket copies match the dimensions, material and construction of automaker-supplied parts.
IIHS tested three vehicles fitted with aftermarket bumper beams. A beam that conforms to CAPA’s requirements performed the same as original equipment, while two other aftermarket bumpers had somewhat different outcomes.
The aftermarket bumpers that did not meet the CAPA standard were thicker and heavier than the OEM bumper, and as a result did not buckle in a low-speed crash test (the OEM bumper did). But the sturdiness and lower price tags of the sturdier, uncertified bumpers are not necessarily a good thing.
“Aftermarket bumpers need to perform exactly the same as original bumpers in a crash. Even small changes in design can skew airbag sensors and alter vehicle damage patterns,” said Adrian Lund, IIHS president.
“There’s a difference between reverse-engineering an aftermarket part to the original specifications and re-engineering one,” he continued.
“You don’t want to make it better or worse. You want to make it the same.”


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