Almost 500 auto mechanics and workshop owners participated when the FTZ Academy held the Technology Theme Day in MESSE C Fredericia. The event, which was conducted in collaboration with Bosch and Bridgestone, put particular emphasis on future technology in the cars.

- Among other things, there is a tremendous development within assistant systems, such as automatic braking, fatigue registration, automatic parking, etc. It helps make our driving more comfortable and safe, but it also places increased demands on the workshops in relation to troubleshooting, maintenance, etc., explains Hans Erik Kristoffersen, head of the FTZ Academy.

Just changing a windshield in many cases requires new skills, because in several models the camera/laser is mounted in the windshield for use in assistant systems.

 

Six workshops
Another trend is, according to Hans Erik Kristoffersen, an increasing number of electric and hybrid cars on the market. They also require some extra skills from the mechanics, so it also put focus on Fredericia.

- We had established six workshops, and at each workshop a specific topic was taken under careful consideration. The participants were then divided into six teams that rotated between the stations - it worked super well, notes Hans Erik Kristoffersen.

Bosch had sent engineers from Germany to Fredericia, so there could hardly be better experts to explain the latest German technique.


Super facilities

According to the head of the FTZ Academy, MESSE C's facilities suited the event perfectly:

- We had plenty of room to run our workshops, and the restaurant provided morning coffee and a delicious lunch, which was served right in the conference. The icing on the cake was that we, at MESSE C's neighbour - Köreknisk Anlæg -, could hold a workshop where participants could test drive different electric and hybrid models. It was a very popular feature, as several were slightly overwhelmed. We have received a lot of praise for the days, and we commend MESSE C for fine facilities, precise settlement and a skilled team, concludes Hans Erik Kristoffersen.