Technical insulator

As a technical insulator you ensure that pipes ducts and tanks do not waste heat or cold. You wrap technical installations in insulation and finish them with an attractive and durable cladding of board or foil. When you are fully trained you are the professional who saves energy and keeps temperature where it should be — on everything from district heating and ships to factories and large buildings.

§What do you do in everyday life?

A typical day is about measuring up cutting insulation and installing it around pipes and ducts — and then making a jacket of for example aluminum or stainless steel that both protects and looks right. You work with your hands with geometry and with an eye for detail because bends, tee pieces and transitions must fit precisely.

• 01You learn to choose and install insulation on pipes, ducts, and tanks.
• 02You learn to make metal jacketing so the installation is protected and holds.
• 03You learn to unfold and cut jacketing for elbows and transitions.
• 04You learn about heat loss, energy classes and the dew point
• 05You learn to read drawings and measure accurately.
• 06You learn to work safely on construction sites and in industry.

§How do you get started?

You start with a basic course at a vocational school and then find an apprenticeship in an insulation company, where you get paid while learning the trade. The education alternates between school periods and practice so you test the theory on real installations alongside experienced insulators.

§The way forward

As fully trained you can work in insulation companies in building industry offshore and shipbuilding. With experience you can become a crew leader or work supervisor specialise in sheet metalwork and complex installations or build further with courses in energy and building technology.

“What you pack in can no one see — but it can be felt in both temperature and the energy bill.”