No boiler room required

Installing complex heating equipment is not something engineers can learn from a manual alone. They need to understand the order of each step, recognise how the components fit together and practise what they will need to do when the real system is in front of them.

That usually requires the equipment, an experienced trainer and an available boiler room. Bringing all three together is not always easy, especially when service engineers work across different countries and construction sites.

Aalberts found a way to bring the boiler room to them.

A safe place to practise

Aalberts hydronic flow control developed virtual reality training for the Flamcomat, a pressure maintenance unit used in commercial heating and cooling systems such as those in hospitals and stadiums. Getting the installation right matters from the start.

With a VR headset, commissioning service engineers step into a digital installation and work through it in sequence. Like a flight simulator for installers, it lets them become familiar with the equipment, practise each stage and make mistakes without affecting a live system.

The complete module takes around 15 minutes. It uses pictograms instead of written instructions, allowing engineers in different countries to follow the same process without language getting in the way.

Virtual training gives engineers room to make mistakes before they work on the real equipment.

Installing a Flamcomat correctly takes care. Problems found later can often be traced back to the way it was fitted,” says Jeroen van Halem, training development manager at Aalberts hydronic flow control.

Virtual reality lets engineers work through the whole process at their own pace and repeat it if needed. When they reach the real installation, the equipment and sequence are already familiar.

Training that travels

The module can be used at an Aalberts training centre, customer office or construction site. It can be loaded onto a headset wherever needed, making practical training easier to organise and repeat.

Wherever they train, every engineer follows the same steps in the same order. That consistency matters because mistakes during fitting can create avoidable issues later, adding time and complexity for engineers and customers.

Virtual reality does not replace experienced trainers or practice with real equipment. It gives engineers a clearer understanding before they begin, helping make installation faster, easier and more accurate.

From virtual practice to real performance

The first programme was developed for commissioning service engineers, with plans to extend it across markets that offer the Flamcomat. The approach could later support other assembly and installation tasks where physical equipment is hard to access.

Fifteen minutes in the virtual boiler room gives an engineer a clearer sense of the equipment and the sequence before work begins on site. The real installation is still the test, but it is no longer the first time they have worked through the job.

Facts & figures

• 15 minutes: Complete VR training module
• 1 virtual boiler room: Engineers can practise without access to live equipment
• Multi-country: Pictogram-based training removes language barriers
• Repeatable: Engineers can practise the installation sequence as often as needed
• Multiple locations: Training can be used at training centres, customer offices or construction sites