Mike Schlup, Managing Director of Kalimex, the UK distributors of QuikSteel, discusses why the product is more popular than ever with technicians.
It’s an unremarkable looking toolbox product, albeit encased in eye-catching black and silver packaging. However, looks can be deceiving, because in the last 30 years, QuikSteel has notched up millions of sales globally. From the keen home enthusiast and handyman fixing their garden furniture and leaking pipes, to the professional motor mechanic in need of getting a broken vehicle fixed as fast as possible, people love QuikSteel.
In the UK, QuikSteel rose to national fame when the AA added several tubes to every one of its vehicles to assist in repairing leaking radiators, amongst many other things.
And now, as we navigate through the pandemic with business anything but usual, an emerging trend in the automotive sector is gathering pace; repair don’t replace. Despite its undoubted importance, it is not the care for the environment that is the dominant reason behind this trend. Instead, it’s the reality of motorists on tight budgets, motorists having to keep their existing cars on the road for longer, and new car sales falling month on month as a result. This all points to one thing, motorists looking to their technician to fix problems on a manageable budget.
Simple yet effective
The great thing about QuikSteel is that it makes a guaranteed, long-lasting repair. This is the main reason why it outsells other epoxy putty brands that, on the face of it, look similar, and why technicians are often able to keep a customer’s bill down by repairing and not replacing.
It’s a fast cure epoxy putty that sets steel hard in a few minutes withstanding up to 300°C. A repair made with QuikSteel is permanent, and once cured, it’s resistant to atmospheric exposure, oils, fuels and even battery acid. It’s tough stuff; it remains bonded for the life of the repaired item, and will neither corrode nor break down.
In the professional workshop, QuikSteel can be painted and coated, and is used to repair a variety of metal items, including alloy wheels, castings and steel/alloy frames in preparation for finishing. It seals leaking fuel tanks, and fixes kerb-damaged alloys, as well as ignition coils, batteries, exhausts, and even windscreen wipers. The list of uses is virtually endless – just ask any AA Patrol.
Visit any workshop that uses QuikSteel and you will see it being drilled, tapped and machined. When cured, a technician can work it just like metal, including being turned on a lathe.
For the professional motor factor, QuikSteel is a high margin product, the perfect product for a technician to add to their regular order, or for the motorist to keep in their glovebox. We would recommend factors making it their ‘product of the week’ in order to drive awareness and to remind their customers of its many benefits. One thing’s for sure, once a mechanic has tried QuikSteel, the repeat orders will come in thick and fast.
