From January 29 through February 1, MACS held its annual Training Event & Trade Show at the Rosen Centre Hotel and Event center in Orlando, Florida. This event showcases training from industry experts and a trade show featuring the latest in not only HVAC and thermal management products, but also ADAS, chemicals, and even scan diagnostics.
The event kicked off with the annual MACS golf tournament at the Disney Palm golf course Wednesday afternoon but quickly turned to business with training sessions Thursday morning. Wayne Bishop of Standard Motor Products taught a session on Modern A/C Diagnosis and Repair. Reinforcing his diagnostic approach with numerous case studies, the class offered valuable insight into system diagnostics as well as modern leak detection methods, even diving into the emerging technology of heat pumps and their system operation in the automotive segment.
Thursday Keynote
The keynote luncheon, sponsored by Mahle, was given by Jeff Cox, president of AMRA on meeting your customer’s service expectations. Cox discussed how the evolution of technology is not only in the vehicles themselves, but also in how the owners of those vehicles prefer to communicate. Communication types evolve, and it’s in the best interest of the service and repair industry to evolve with them while taking the time to communicate to the customer’s comfort level. How the message is delivered, Cox says, is often just as important as the message itself.
Retrofit Training
Retrofitting refrigerants and the AIM Act are hot topics in automotive HVAC, as reflected by the available training and general discussions. Adam Kimmel of Koura spoke about new retrofit refrigerants R-444A and R-456A as direct replacements for HFO-1234yf and HFC-134A. Curt Vincent of Honeywell also spoke on repairing R-134A vehicles with R-1234YF.
MACS Friday General Session
A handful of speakers presented at the MACS General Session. Marco Buoni spoke about the CSG-MACS collaboration that will allow technicians to obtain both European and US Certifications (EU Fgas and EPA 609). Mary Kobin from The Chemours Company spoke about circularity and how new refrigerants and service refrigerants need to meet sustainability and circularity principles and be cost effective solutions. Lastly, Gwendolyn Peyton from the Environmental Protection Agency spoke on SNAP updates and saw significant audience participation.
On the Trade Show Floor
Industry partners and manufacturers showcased their latest technology and equipment at Friday’s trade show. New products and technologies were on display, with Globus Electronics bringing home the Training Event & Trade Show New Product Award for Best of Show “Case” for their innovative Modular KEYPAD product.
Wrapping up the Weekend
Saturday’s training included familiar industry experts. Pete Meier of Dorman Products talked about understanding and diagnosing hybrid electric vehicles. Rick White of 180BIZ discussed unlocking hidden profits using your financial statements. Pam Oakes of AutoINENG.io dove deep into ADAS and even the Pythagorean Theorem. Bilingual training and 609 certification classes were also available with Agnes Perez of Auto Air Parts of Puerto Rico.
MACS has been providing technicians, shop owners, and educators in the automotive industry with valuable resources and training in the HVAC arena for decades, and with the electrification of vehicles, thermal management has become even more crucial. The work they do is important, and if you would like more information on MACS and their role in the industry, visit macsmobileairclimate.org.
