Need the quick hits? Check out our recap video of day two to see what was happening on the show floor:
SEMA's third day put OEM repair information front and center. NHTSA's deputy administrator opened SCRS's OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit with a clear expectation for repairers: safety systems that worked before a crash should work after the repair. On the show floor, I-CAR focused on Gold Class shops and ADAS training, SCRS ran a virtual paint and welding competition with prizes for trade schools, and exhibitors showed new plastic repair, TPMS, and polishing tools.
NHTSA's Lee White opens the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit
The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) education program on Thursdays at SEMA focused on OEM information.
Lee White, deputy administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), kicked off the 2026 OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit, speaking about the agency's current vehicle and roadway safety priorities, emerging transportation technologies, data-driven research, and the federal government's work with industry to reduce fatalities and serious injuries.
He and SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg discussed the intersection between federal safety objectives, automotive innovation, and the collision repair industry's role in preserving vehicle safety throughout its service life.
White said he's aware of the pressures collision repairers are under, including related to the use of alternative parts, but he said responding to such pressures "can't come at the expense of safety." He said his agency's expectation is that a vehicle's safety systems that were functioning before an accident should be restored to that same functionality after repairs.
The day's second session featured safety specialists from Ford and General Motors, providing collision repair professionals with a look behind the engineering decisions that influence vehicle safety before, during, and after a collision. The two discussed how automakers translate requirements and safety goals into technologies designed to produce measurable real-world benefits, and then what that means for collision repairers, working on these vehicles after a crash. The key question the panel sought to address: If a vehicle entered a collision with a measurable safety capability, how can the repairer know that capability has been restored?
I-CAR spotlights Gold Class shops and ADAS training
Arianna Sherlock, I-CAR's vice president of marketing, said that one of the key ways I-CAR provides value is by ensuring shops are Gold Class.
The more shops that are Gold Class, Sherlock said, the more I-CAR is fulfilling its vision of complete, safe, quality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer.
In addition to connecting with future Gold Class shops at SEMA this year, I-CAR has implemented recognition elements for Gold Class shops and Platinum technicians.
"We've been inviting them to the booth for Platinum and Gold Class giveaways and encouraging them to come by and engage with us to make sure they get to know their reps and the team that's here," said Sherlock.
Throughout the week, I-CAR is holding expert-led courses on the Collision Repair Stage (#32145) as well as live welding demonstrations.
With emerging technology and more cars equipped with diagnostics, I-CAR has recognized a lot more interest in advanced driver-assistance (ADAS) training. As a result, I-CAR is holding an interactive ADAS + Repair Planning Challenge at booth #33139 in Upper South Hall.
As part of the sensor challenge, Kimberly Owens, I-CAR's lead marketing communications specialist, explained that attendees scan a QR code and answer a few questions. The scores are tracked on a leaderboard and prizes will be given to those with the highest scores.
SCRS hosts a virtual and mixed-reality paint and welding competition
Students, instructors, and collision repair professionals can compete all week in a virtual and mixed-reality paint and welding competition using Skillveri's training technology. The competition is being hosted by the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and will be held at the association's booth #31147 in Upper South Hall. Competitions, which are being overseen by Skillveri, take place each day from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4:30 p.m.
All finalists will receive a Full Series Pass to next year's SCRS Repairer Driven Education program being held at the SEMA Show. Winners will be able to select a U.S. automotive trade school to receive equipment and training from Skillveri, Southern California Collision Equipment, Milwaukee Tool, and CAR-O-LINER. Lizzy Greve, account manager for Admin Concepts, said that those with the highest score in each category will have the opportunity to choose a school to receive a full Milwaukee tool set.
Awards recognize an ADAS tool, a cordless hammer chisel, a rising leader, and a Platinum technician
AirPro + Revv's Identify wins a Media's Choice Award. Collision Repair Magazine picked Identify for a SEMA Show Media's Choice Award. The tool checks a vehicle's scan and the estimate against OEM requirements, then prompts technicians with a few questions to confirm and document the calibrations required.
Rashmi Sinha named to SEMA's Visionary 8. Sinha, AirPro + Revv's senior vice president of technology and product integration, is among SEMA's 2026 Visionary 8, an honor for rising leaders in the automotive aftermarket. AirPro + Revv credits her with helping build Revv from its start.
Milwaukee's cordless hammer chisel takes a Media Choice Award. Milwaukee Tool calls its M18 Fuel Striker the world's first cordless hammer chisel. The company says it hits with 7 joules of force, equal to top long-barrel pneumatic tools running at 145 psi, with no compressor or hose.
I-CAR spotlights its Platinum Experience winner. I-CAR's Platinum Experience giveaway at SEMA went to Frank Fanelli of Jerry's Auto Body, a Gold Class shop in Jackson, N.J. Fanelli, a third-generation technician, has reached Platinum in Structural and in Estimating.
From the floor
Pro Spot adds an ultrasonic plastic welder. After debuting its PLZ-1 handheld laser welder earlier in the week, Pro Spot introduced an ultrasonic plastic welder at booth #32049. It uses high-frequency ultrasonic energy to bond thermoplastic parts, and Pro Spot lists mounting tabs, sensor brackets, headlamp assemblies, and bumper covers among its uses.
TEXA shows its new TPS3. TEXA USA has the TPS3, its latest product, at booth #37203 in South Hall Upper through Friday, with its team on hand to talk TPMS.
Dynabrade introduces the DB15 polisher. Dynabrade is showing its new DB15 random orbital polisher at booth #38049, and master detailer Renny Doyle, who has developed polishers with Dynabrade, is at the booth to talk with attendees.
Coming up Friday
SEMA's final day is lighter on education, but there are still some great things going on if you're not flying out yet.
- 11:30 a.m.: A hands-on Toyota demonstration, held with SCRS's ADAS Council, at the ADAS Showcase (booth #31200, South Hall Upper).
- ADAS Showcase: OEM-led demos and open question time continue at booth #31200.
- Collision Repair Stage: I-CAR presentations continue at booth #32145, South Hall Upper.
- SCRS virtual and mixed-reality competition: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4:30 p.m. at SCRS booth #31147, Upper South Hall.
