A very satisfied user. That could be said about Greg Cox, OHV Manufacturing Engineer with GE. OHV stands for Off Highway Vehicle and this offers an immediate insight into the challenges he and his colleagues face in their everyday business. Large and heavy components that need assembling.
“We use TM induction heaters to assemble bearings and hubs. It is by no means rocket science, but what we do need is reliable equipment that does the job reliably. And that is exactly what the TM induction heaters do for us.”
Greg is very pleased with the support he is getting from Rick Trichka, TM Induction Heating’s US representative. “We started production on this site in 2012. We needed to heat inside diameters of bearings and hubs and we bought six mid frequency heaters that have been performing ever since. And we have never actually had any issues with the equipment. We run a cycle and the heater keeps the part at the set temperature until we stop the cycle. This procedure suits us really well, because we want the part to be at the right temperature at all times, we can never predict when.”
For an assembly line, the maintenance of equipment can be a consideration. Greg tells us that TM induction heaters require very little maintenance. “We calibrate annually, and that is it. All it needs is a cloth to wipe off the dust, but that is all that is needed.”
Quick turnover
In a recent request Greg tells us about, the TM equipment showed its colors. It concerned a request for a different wheel model that needed to be assembled. “We needed a real quick turnaround time, so we contacted Rick and asked him for help. We thought we were going to have to buy a new model heater to fulfill this new demand. As it turned out, we were able to replace the yoke for one of a different size, and the new model could be assembled using the exact same heater as before! The expense, but also the turnover time from one product to another were both extremely low. We were very pleased to find that the equipment is not only very reliable, but flexible as well. This allows us to meet our customers’ demands, within a very short time.”
“We are constantly surprised by TM. This applies not only to Rick, but also the whole Dutch office. Whenever we have a question, they are at the ready. TM is the go-to induction heater producer for us. We never know what challenges we may be facing in the future, so we feel secure with their equipment’s performance and with their services.“
