Daikin UK opens new £1.1m training facility

UK: Daikin UK has formally opened a brand new £1.1m national training and technology centre in Woking, Surrey.

The new flagship facility, covering two floors, is Daikin UK’s largest single training investment to date and represents probably the most comprehensive training facilities available from any of the ac suppliers in the UK.

Just five miles from the Daikin UK headquarters in Weybridge, the new training centre is equipped with the latest range of fully-operational Daikin products to give engineers the widest possible opportunity for practical training.

A wide range of courses is available to hvacr engineers across the technology portfolio, including product selection, installation, servicing and maintenance. These programmes will offer installers both hands-on and classroom-based learning from experienced Daikin UK trainers with extensive knowledge of the market and the products.

The centre features eight heating training bays, with around 25 different working heat pumps, as well as a whole floor dedicated to all of the available air conditioning technologies. In addition it offers numerous demonstration rooms, an online training room with digital conferencing capabilities, and catering facilities. 

Also included is a special area for training on the new R32 split systems which are about to be introduced in the UK. Training with equipment using this “mildly flammable” refrigerant will begin shortly and Daikin will be insisting that R32 units will only be sold to people who have completed one of their courses.

Daikin UK sees the new training centre as a demonstration of its commitment to advancing the future of the industry by helping to meet the demand for suitably qualified and experienced engineers. In addition, despite being described by some customers as the “Rolls Royce” of air conditioning, Daikin recognises its reputation also depends on good system design and installation.

“Excellent products on their own do not guarantee end-user satisfaction. Indeed, our products are only as good as the design and installation,” commented UK md Dirk Slagmulder at today’s official opening.

He went on to say that Daikin is determined to ensure consultants and installers fully grasp the features of its product and maintain best practice in design, installation and commissioning.

John Durbin, Daikin UK’s technical sales manager, who led the training centre development project, said: “Our UK training centres are designed to help raise the standards of UK hvacr engineers. At Daikin UK, we recognise the business potential for expertly trained installers and we want to help the hvacr industry to grow by training professionals to have the very latest product and service capabilities. We have listened to the market and we are addressing the issues they are facing at present by creating a variety of market-relevant courses.

“Practical, hands-on product training is in high demand and the new facility in Woking stands as an exemplar of this kind of teaching for the entire industry. We hope that installers will take the time to visit the new centre in Woking and see the array of courses and facilities we have available to help them develop their skills even further.”