Training an auto body painter isn’t just about teaching a “process.” It’s about developing a refined, repeatable spray technique that consistently meets very concrete quality requirements (finish appearance, defects, rework) — all in a context where real-world practice is expensive and sometimes difficult to organize (spray booth access, parts, consumables, scheduling, safety).
This is precisely why virtual reality (and immersive technologies more broadly) is so valuable for hands-on trades: it makes it possible to create additional practice hours in a controlled environment, with objective, repeatable feedback.
In auto body refinishing, what slows down skill development isn’t the theory
The technique comes down to micro-variables
In spray application, the difference between an “acceptable” result and a “clean” result often comes down to parameters that are hard for beginners to stabilize: distance, speed, angle, pass consistency, overlap, and zone management. An effective training setup must allow learners to repeat and correct these micro-variables — again and again.
Real-world practice is valuable… and rarely “unlimited”
Even when training facilities are well equipped, reality hits quickly: booth time is limited, parts need to keep moving, and consumables have a real cost. As a result, teams often have to choose between “training time” and “production time.”
HSE is not optional
Depending on products and processes, spraying can expose workers to sensitizing substances. Isocyanates, for instance, are identified by NIOSH (CDC) as “the leading chemical cause of attributable occupational asthma” (especially in industrialized countries), and they can also sensitize workers, with asthma attacks possible upon re-exposure.
The goal isn’t to eliminate the spray booth (or PPE/prevention measures), but to reduce the portion of “beginner learning” that takes place in potentially expositional conditions — keeping real-world practice for the stages where it is truly essential.
Environment and regulation: context matters
At EU level, Directive 2004/42/EC explicitly targets the reduction of VOC emissions linked to certain paints/varnishes and vehicle refinishing products, in order to reduce air pollution (notably the formation of ground-level ozone).
What immersive training brings, concretely, to paint training
More hands-on practice hours… without “paying” for every repetition
The simplest (and often most decisive) contribution is increasing the volume of practice without tying up a booth or consuming resources for every attempt. Learners can make mistakes, restart, adjust, and consolidate.
Making visible what beginners don’t perceive yet
Early on, many errors are “invisible” to learners: they see the final outcome, but not always what in their technique produced it. A well-designed immersive environment can provide immediate feedback on key parameters (and enable a structured debrief).
Standardizing assessment (without removing the trainer’s role)
The goal isn’t to automate the trainer’s judgment, but to provide a shared, comparable framework from one learner to another: same exercises, same criteria, same expected progression. This improves consistency across groups, sites, or cohorts.
Findings supported by vocational training research
In a vocational learning study dedicated to vehicle painting, Mulders, Buchner & Kerres evaluated a VR training setup (a simulated paint booth) with 47 apprentices, explicitly aiming to measure the development of professional competence in a broad sense (skills / knowledge / attitudes). The authors note that, in this trade, opportunities for “real” practice are often scarce (costs, material constraints, supervisory capacity), and they conclude that the VR application is broadly suitable to support the acquisition of these different competence dimensions — provided it is built on a proven instructional model (in this case 4C/ID, “Four-Component Instructional Design,” an instructional design model used to develop training for complex competencies — typically job-related skills/procedures — while facilitating transfer to real practice).
What makes a good painting simulator (VR or otherwise)?
A useful training simulator is judged less by its “wow” effect than by its ability to generate transferable learning.
1) It trains the technique, not just the end result
You need to be able to work on (and stabilize) fundamental variables: speed, distance, angle, overlap/film thickness — not just display a final score.
2) It supports debriefing
A good tool should help learners understand “why it didn’t work”: playback/replay, error identification, and traces that are usable for instruction.
3) It fits into real training pathways
Immersive training works best when integrated into a progression:
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fundamentals (technique stability)
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defects / correction
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transfer to real conditions (spray booth) with clear criteria
4) It adapts to your constraints
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paint customization
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part selection
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selection and customization of quality/acceptance standards
Deploying immersive training without adding operational burden
The most robust model: hybrid
In most organizations, the most effective approach remains:
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repetition and stabilization of technique in immersive training
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transfer and validation of skills in real conditions
This is also the best way to avoid unrealistic expectations (“VR will replace the booth”): the booth remains essential to validate final finish, conditions, and real constraints.
The pilot that helps you decide without endless debate
A short pilot (a few weeks) is enough if you frame it with simple criteria:
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target level (e.g., “booth-ready on fundamentals”)
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2–3 representative exercises (fundamentals + defects + a body refinishing scenario)
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indicators: practice time, technique stability (trainer assessment), recurring errors, ease of debriefing
Most importantly: compare over the same period a group “with immersive training” vs “without immersive training” (or before/after), with the same trainer and the same expectations.
A concrete option at MIMBUS: SimSpray
When an organization comes to us for auto body painting, our approach is exactly what’s described above: increase practice time, objectify technique, structure the debrief, and then facilitate transfer to the booth.
That’s the logic behind SimSpray: immersive training focused on spray application technique, applicable to auto body painting (and other use cases as well), with the option to use existing exercises or build your own projects.
SimSpray also enables work on key process parameters (speed, distance, angle), supports debriefing through replay mode, and can move closer to body refinishing contexts such as blending and film thickness control.
Regarding cost savings, SimSpray communicates an order of magnitude of “up to 50%” reduction in training costs (consumables/VOCs) based on a study conducted with equipped training centers; in practice, the benefit always depends on your learner volume, your consumables, and your workshop organization — which is why an instrumented pilot is so valuable.
FAQ
Can SimSpray be used specifically for auto body painting?
Yes. SimSpray can be used to train spray technique for auto body refinishing (and can also cover other use cases depending on your needs).
What exactly do learners train?
The fundamentals of spray technique — especially speed, distance, and angle — with a practice-based progression.
Can we adapt the exercises to our program?
Yes. You can start from existing exercises or create your own projects based on your parts, requirements, and training approach.
How do you debrief a session?
You rely on structured feedback and a playback (replay) mode to understand errors (e.g., defects such as runs/sags) and correct faster.
Can you get close to real auto body scenarios (e.g., blending)?
Yes. SimSpray offers an optional blending module and includes elements related to film thickness control.
Does VR replace the spray booth?
No. Immersive training accelerates practice and technique consistency; the booth remains the reference for validating final finish and real constraints.
Does VR reduce risks related to isocyanates?
It can reduce part of the training carried out in potentially expositional conditions (depending on products/processes), but it never replaces HSE measures (booth, ventilation, PPE, procedures).
Why talk about VOCs and regulation in a training article?
Because vehicle refinishing is explicitly covered by the EU VOC framework (Directive 2004/42/EC): it’s part of the industrial context in which skills development takes place.
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