The hand-held induction heating tool, the Mini-Ductor Venom, has given the next generation of automotive technicians at an engineering college the chance to develop their skills and knowledge in a safe workshop environment.
Norwich City College’s School of Engineering has a well-equipped, modern garage facility and its students study a range of courses including the Apprenticeship in Vehicle Maintenance and Repair and the BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Vehicle Technology.
Steven Smithurst, Lecturer at Norwich City College’s School of Engineering, said: “When I have 15 students to supervise, safety on the workshop floor is paramount and the Mini-Ductor Venom means that students can be left to heat components without the dangers of oxy-acetylene torches. It is a really useful, easy-to-use tool and can be used in a number of different situations.
“We carry out a lot of wheel alignments for staff members and the Venom makes seized track rod ends a lot easier to free off without the danger of a naked flame around driveshaft gaiters, etc. The students have also used the Venom on a number of exhaust components and found it really easy to use. It’s made the replacement of exhausts and other components a lot quicker to carry out.
“Induction heating is ideal for practical applications that students can carry out in a controlled environment. We rarely use oxy-acetylene because of the safety risks and only the lecturers use it when demonstrating to the students. The Mini-Ductor has allowed our students to carry out tasks which they couldn’t have done before. The Venom is also well built and robust, so stands up to the job when handled by relatively inexperienced operators.”
Mr Smithurst also delivers some theory on induction heating technology, supplied by the Venom’s manufacturer Induction Innovations, and the benefits of using induction tools.
Ian Baragwanath from The Inductor UK, the Mini-Ductor’s UK distributor, said: “It makes perfect sense for us to work with educational establishments and the next generation of automotive technicians. Induction heating tools give students the opportunity to learn about the health and safety and efficiency benefits of using such innovative tools in the workshop versus conventional methods. We’d like to hear from other educational establishments who are interested in teaching their students more about the benefits of induction heating.”
