No excuses for failing to train
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Today, more than ever, it is necessary to have a well trained workforce ven if that force is only one man. Bill Brock describes hat's on offer from the manufacturers
IGNORANCE of where to find training in specific aspects of vehicle maintenance is no excuse for not bothering. Most vehicle and some component manufacturers are keen to provide this service as an aid to improve their product's reliability, and many attract an RTITB grant.
Each of the four major engine manufacturers runs its own course. Perkins offers a series of short courses of instruction on its range of engines, CAV, DPA pumps and equipment and Simms Minimec pumps and equipment. The school, in Peterborough, consists of classrooms, a cinema, engine workshops and test shops, equipped with engines, models and special tools and visual aid equipment. Most courses, designed to meet the needs of tradesmen, cover operation, maintenance, repair and overhaul and last up to five days.
L. Gardner and Sons Ltd is in the process of improving its training facilities. For the time being a limited number of fitters is accepted for training at the Barton Hall Engine Works at Patricroft, Eccles, Manchester. The normal procedure is that they stay for one week, spending time in the various departments which include engine assembly, test, servicing and fuel injection equipment.
The course costs £50, on top of which the applicant must arrange his own accommodation.
Within the next few months Gardner expects to be able to raise the standard of its training courses once its school, equipped with sectional engines, etc becomes available.
A five-day course at the Rolls-Royce Customer Training School at Shrewsbury will cost £60 inclusive of VAT, but hotel accommodation must be paid for separately. It covers operation, servicing and fault diagnosis and will include an introduction to overhaul procedure with the use of special tools and fitting techniques.
The centre is well equipped and staffed by qualified instructors who provide a complete set of course notes and diagrams for students. To ensure that the course adds to the fitters' knowledge, a multiple-choice examination paper is set at the end of the course and the results forwarded to the examinee's sponsor.
Cummins has spent 12 years developing its course to its present standard. The content has been devised to cover different aspects of diesel engine service, which includes th basic engine, engine rebuild component rebuild, trouble-.hooting, fuel systems and even driver training.
Information o is available from Engine Company Service Traini Daventry. Tuiti cluding the use Of special tools and the provision of a protective coat. The cost of accommodatron locally is between £11 and £15 including breakfast. Transport is arranged between the hotel and the training school at the Royal Oak Industrial Estate in Daventry_
ERF provides a comprehensive range of courses, to suit the needs of operators at its purpose-built training centre at Middlewich, close by the service centre. They are well attended and places are heavily booked. Two five-day courses are available. The first gives a broad coverage of the operation and maintenance of the ERF B Series vehicles, with particular emphasis on the brakes, but also covers gearboxes, clutches, axles, electrical equipment and steering. This course is aimed at the experienced fitter who requires a more detailed knowledge of ERF vehicles. A second five-day course gives an indepth coverage of maintenance and overhaul of the M Series.
A shorter one-day course, covers those parts not used in the B Series and iS particularly suited to those who have already attended the OMC B Series course. Special emphasis is given in a two-day course to locating and rectifying faults in the electrical system, while a four-day session is provided to give in-depth coverage for the full-time electrician.
In addition there are oneand two-day courses covering CAV Electrical Systems, Fuller gearboxes, David Brown gearboxes, Eaton axles, Kirkstall Forge axles, Lipe Rollway clutches, Dana Spicer clutches, how to apply the Cummins International g School, n is free in )unlop Maxaret anti-lock 'raking systems, Dorman enines and ZF gearboxes. All hese standard courses are pproved for grant by the ppropriate training boards.
MAN-VW has recently exianded its training school and is iow equipped to offer 15 pecialist courses covering such opics as brake systems, enlines and gearboxes. The sesions include a complete stripown of the engine, gearbox nd rear axle, then a rebuild 3ady for road test. Facilities include a training workshop area.
Dodge courses are held at its Service Training Centre in Coventry. The syllabus covers the product range. A fee of £5 a day is charged for each person attending the course but this includes the use of tools, protective clothing and lunch. The numbers are limited to eight persons in each group, so that individual attention can be given. It is expected that every year approximately 1500 trainees will attend the course,
which consists of fully trained vehicle technicians or apprentices in their final year.
The Dodge programme also relates to Perkins engine courses and paint refinishing courses offered by Berger Paints. Further details are available on request from the Coventry Service Training Centre, Chrysler United Kingdom Ltd, PO Box 25, Humber Road, Coventry CV3 1BD.
Nine different courses are offered by Volvo Truck's Training Centre located at Ailsa Trucks Northern Ltd, Kelburn Street, Barrhead.
Course one covers practical and theoretical aspects of the complete vehicle. Course two specialises on transmissions, three — on brakes, four — elec trical, five—designed for non technical staff, six — for general service of the B58 bus, seven — concentrates on the AiIse double-deck bus, eight is designed for fault diagnosis and nine is a new course on the theory and operation of aid conditioning.
A place on any of these courses will cost £5 per day and will include lunch. Accommodation is left to the participant or his company to arrange.
Mack Distributors UK Ltd arranges courses twice a year for its dealer personnel only. They are practical and theoretical. There are plans in hand to pro vide courses for operators and engineers but as yet they have not come to fruition.
Mercedes Benz Training Department is at Unit 4, Milling ton Road, Hayes, Middlesex. A comprehensive syllabus can be provided covering different aspects of the vehicle range from the Bremen van upwards.
Most of the courses last for four days, but specialised courses such as that on power steering can be as short as two. A different syllabus is arranged each month. Mercedes Ben_. tells me that most operators approach it via its dealer network and it then arranges the courses, free of charge, to suit the demands.
Fodens Service Training School is located at its main factory at Sandbach in Cheshire. Course fees are £40 for a chassis maintenance course, £35 for vehicle electrics, £40 for braking systems, £30 for clutch and gearbox and £25 for the front and rear-axle worm gear course. Midday meals are inclusive but hotel accommodation must be paid for separately. Theoretical instruction is given in a lecture room with ample training aids. Practical work is also undertaken under the gt ance of qualified instruct( with courses lasting for four five days.
The service training mana at Seddon Atkinson Ltd, Win Lane, Oldham, arranges curriculum of over 20 separ courses to cover all aspects the SA vehicle range. Some for just a day, others talc, week, at a cost to the traine( between £8 and £43, but attract the RTITB grant. A r training school is to open doors soon to accommodate growing demand for this facil
DAF at Marlow, Bu( arranges its programme courses a year in advance, caters for the experieni mechanic, providing five day intensiue training on repair overhaul techniques for model range. Each day is voted to different aspects of vehicle to include engir transmissions, power steer brake systems and electr systems.
Normally applications made through the DAF rr dealer network. The course is £25 per person attending accommodation is left to discretion of the particip although a list of hotels is al able on request.
A number of courses is ered by Vauxhall Mot through its service training ( tre to the fleet operator and f engineer. A nominal charg, £1.50 a day is made to cc administration costs and lun The courses are supervi by full-time instructors. In weeks two or three subjects covered, according to dema The TM components cou lasts for four-and-a-half d and covers all equipment four-and-a-half day courst also run to deal with Bedf engines and another the Del diesel engine and Alli automatic transmissions. light/medium vans are COVE by a four-and-a-half passenger car course.
All Fiat technical courses available to fleet operators. of £10 is charged but is ret able on completion of course, which is held at Westwood Park Trading Es:1 Concorde Road, London. TI are three main categories: vice procedure; service rei and specialist diagno courses, each taking from t to four days on averE Accommodation is difficul the best of times in London, is best to leave hotel arrat ments to Fiat, but the cost lith work out at between £6 to per day.