Reducing Fleet Management Repair Challenges in Tough Times
Managing fleets of heavy-duty trucks for the essential work of getting goods where they need to go is an incredibly challenging undertaking in the best of times. Under the ongoing threat of health and safety-related disruptions, the need for effective and efficient maintenance processes is critical.
It’s an unforgiving industry whose leaders are always looking to improve best practices around safety, efficiency, repairs and the smartest and most cost-effective ways to keep trucks on the road longer. New tools and technologies that allow for safer and quicker repairs are always in demand.
“By shaving time off routine maintenance tasks that require the loosening of bolts, pins and other parts, induction heating tools can be leveraged to significant advantage when it comes to getting a Class 8 truck back on the road sooner.” – Tom Gough, Induction Innovations CEO, in Fleet Equipment Magazine
The right system of preventive maintenance has never been more welcome as companies look to minimize the already challenging effects of the COVID-19 shutdown. Induction heating tools can be a key asset in the effort to reduce time trucks spend in maintenance.
“By shaving time off routine maintenance tasks that require the loosening of bolts, pins and other parts, induction heating tools can be leveraged to significant advantage when it comes to getting a Class 8 truck back on the road sooner,” Tom Gough, Induction Innovations CEO and president, writes in the Fleet Equipment Magazine guest article “Cutting Repair Time: Using Induction Heating for Fleet Maintenance.”
Induction heating, which uses high-frequency magnetic fields to heat a targeted area, works faster than acetylene torches to heat up and loosen parts, saving valuable time and eliminating the risks of using an open flame, which can damage nearby materials and parts and poses a considerable safety risk in an environment containing flammable materials.
Time Savings on Common Fleet Maintenance Tasks
Removing ferrous metal parts that have seized due to rust and corrosion caused by salt, calcium and magnesium deposits can be a time consuming and risky job with an acetylene torch, which can require 15-20 minutes to heat a single part. An induction heating tool can turn a 3/4-inch bolt red hot in a little less than 15 seconds.
This time savings applies to a wide variety of removal tasks in the engine compartment, in the cab and on the wheels. Ball joints, exhaust manifold bolts, engine mount bolts and steering system parts are just a few of the areas that benefit from the speed of induction heating tools.
For a more complete list of the tasks where induction heating is an advantage in heavy-duty truck repairs, you can read the full article here.
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