To meet the growing demand for qualified experts and to impart knowledge in a practical and timely manner, the OTTO JUNKER Academy has been offering a comprehensive professional training programme for the planning, modernisation, operation, repair and maintenance of industrial furnaces since 2014. The program covers key areas such as induction melting and heat treatment of metals, as well as universal topics such as economy and energy efficiency. In addition to the technical content, participants are also introduced to theoretical peripheral subjects directly related to industry and development. Safety aspects at all levels are also given priority.

Focus on practical approach and technical innovation

The Academy is designed for professionals who want to improve their knowledge of the operation, maintenance and modernisation of industrial furnaces. Topics range from basic physics to special applications and safety engineering. For example, the OTTO JUNKER Academy offers training programmes on the basics of induction melting, water treatment systems with heat recovery and converter technology using the latest IGBT components. The company’s own research and development is constantly incorporated into the training programme, ensuring that the content is always up to date.

A successful Academy generating a lively demand

The most recent seminar programme offered by the Academy took place in October 2024 and was attended by experts from many countries. It was fully booked shortly after it was announced. The virtual reality-based safety training for earth leakage monitoring is particularly popular. It offers participants the opportunity to prepare for emergency situations in a realistic environment. Other topics on the seminar programme include.

• innovations in furnace technology: presentations regarding newly developed protection systems such as Optical Coil Protection Plus (OCP+) which was especially developed for an efficient and safe furnace operation.
• repair and maintenance: intensive workshop for the repair and maintenance of induction furnaces, including the practical demonstration of the replacement of thyristors and IGBT modules under real-life conditions.
• modernization of control systems: this seminar presents the optimization and modernization of control technologies with a focus on increasing efficiency and reducing downtimes, for example by remote monitoring and live demonstrations.

The high degree of practical relevance and continuous updating of the content make the OTTO JUNKER Academy the number one address for professional training in the international metal industry. Every year the Academy welcomes specialists from all over the world and offers events in both German and English. In addition to professional training, participants benefit from the direct exchange with experts and specialists. Networking together makes it possible to learn from the issues facing the industry and to continually develop new ideas for your own practice.

Review and outlook

“Our participants particularly appreciate the high level of practical relevance of our seminars as well as the opportunity to learn directly from  experienced experts”

says Monika Mertgens, Assistant to the OTTO JUNKER General Management.

“We feel that it is our job to meet the increasing requirements of the metal industry and to pass on our knowledge in a practical manner.”

In 2024, a total of 76 specialists from 8 countries attended our training courses at the headquarters in Simmerath-Lammersdorf – a clear sign for the international reputation of the OTTO JUNKER Academy. In addition, a seminar was offered for the first time at our location in Canton, Ohio, which was attended by 52 participants from the USA. This year, the program will cover new subjects, such as the sustainability topics “Decarbonization of the industry from the beginning of the supply chain” and “Recovery of valuable raw materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt by the recycling of lithium-ion batteries” in order to further adapt the seminar contents to current industrial challenges. The Academy is supported by young engineers who have emerged from OTTO JUNKER’s R&D Department and who have now joined forces by working for a company called OTTO JUNKER SOLUTIONS GmbH which has been founded specifically to focus on sustainability topics. This means that interested specialists can look forward to a program which will not only impart technical knowledge but also offer practical solutions for the challenges of tomorrow.

(Source: Otto Junker)