A
panel beater is a term used in some
Commonwealth countries to describe a person who repairs vehicle bodies back to their factory state after having been damaged (e.g., after being involved in a collision). In the USA and Canada, the same job is done by an
auto body mechanic. They do this using many skills such as
planishing as well as various other
metalworking techniques,
welding, use of
putty fillers, and many more. Accident repair may require the panel beater to either repair or replace various parts of a vehicle. These parts may be made from various metals including various
steels and
alloys, many different
plastics,
fibreglass and others.