When new technology makes the collision repair industry safer and more efficient, it’s always a win-win.
The short version about the Mini-Ductor® II is that it’s a hand-held flameless torch featuring the power of technology with Invisible Heat® to heat ferrous metals in seconds. The device’s motto is “Heats nuts red hot in seconds!” and based on customer reviews, it does exactly that.
Hixson’s Body Shop, a one-person body shop/car restoration company operating out of a renovated barn in Sunbury, PA, is using the Mini-Ductor® Induction II Heater Tool to make life a whole lot easier.
Hixson’s Body Shop
Location: Sunbury, PA
(570) 850-3663
Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: One
In Business Since: 2004
Number of Locations: One
Production Space: 20,000 square feet
When the shop’s owner, Amie Aumiller, began using it, she was a believer almost immediately. “I call the Mini-Ductor® Induction II Heater Tool my magic wand because it works so well. Sometimes I will use it twice a week or I may not need it for a month. But every time I reach for it, I know it’s going to do the job by just plugging it in and pushing a button.”
Aumiller is a second-generation combo body technician/painter who learned the business from her father, Greg, at the shop she still owns and operates.
“I painted my first vehicle when I was only 8 years old,” Aumiller said. “It was an old farm truck and I remember the color---it was Bahama Blue. I also learned a lot dissembling stuff, but sometimes I forgot how to put them back together.”
By the time she was 20, Aumiller had done a full restoration on a 1968 Nova. One of her most recent restorations was taken to a Barrett-Jackson auction.
In 2014, Aumiller’s father passed and her life changed instantly, she said.
“I was seven months pregnant with my first child and we had a shop full of cars, so I took a deep breath and told myself, just go with it,” Aumiller said. “I was working full-time as a bartender at a local restaurant at the same time and when I wasn’t there, I was here at the shop doing body work and restoration jobs.”
The Mini-Ductor was designed to solve problems such as removing stuck or corroded parts and adhesives in a faster, safer and more precise way than using an open flame torch. The company’s founder and president, Tom Gough, developed the first Inductor® Series model 22 years ago, having 28 years in collision repair and seeing the many time-consuming processes in the industry, according to the company’s website.
Aumiller loves her Mini-Ductor II. It provides a flameless solution for releasing corroded or frozen hardware and other metallic components from corrosion and threadlock compounds, without the collateral damage normally associated with torches.
Saying goodbye to oxy-acetylene torches was a real game changer for Aumiller at Hixson’s Body Shop.
“Induction heat is really the only way to go,” she said. “From my experience, the results from torches are unpredictable. Things like uneven heating and open flames can cause more damage and catch plastics, wiring, fuel or trim on fire. Since we are located in a barn that consists primarily of wood, the Mini-Ductor II gives me that much-needed peace of mind.”
With her Mini-Ductor II, Aumiller said she doesn’t need to use any other substances to get the job done right every time.
“That’s another huge thing because with those lubricants, they’re flammable. And a lot of times, especially with the rust work that I do, it’s either cab corners or rocker panels or boxes for the trucks and cars I repair or restore,” she said. “So, with the introduction of heat to the process, you can often burn away the finish. Or if you happen to be near a gas line that can also obviously be a concern. With this device, you don’t have to worry about those types of things.”
With her Mini-Ductor II in her arsenal of go-to tools, Aumiller is happy to be a brand ambassador for Induction Innovations and its drama-free flameless approach to dealing with frozen hardware.
“This device hasn’t failed me yet, so I will continue to use it and I will continue to recommend it to other shops,” she said. “When something works well, I am never afraid to tell other people about it. The Mini-Ductor II saves time and it’s so much safer to use, so it’s perfect for our applications and here at Hixson’s Body Shop.”
Induction Innovations, Inc.
1175 Jansen Farm Court
Elgin, IL 60123
877-688-9633
www.theinductor.com
Facebook: @InductionInnovations
Instagram: @induction_innovations
Twitter: @invisibleheat
LinkedIn: Induction Innovations, Inc.
YouTube: Invisible Heat by Induction Innovations
To read more auto body shop profiles in the October 2022 Shop and Product Showcase, click here.
