Winoa, a global leader in steel abrasive manufacturing, is revolutionizing the shot blasting and peening industry with its innovative groundbreaking augmented reality (AR) technology and W Care service team. In this article, we present a comprehensive Q&A with Pierre Coste, Winoa's Global Services Manager who provides in-depth insights into these exciting developments and the company's future plans.

(?) MFN: Can you elaborate on the role of Winoa's new AR application in enhancing the interaction between your service team and customers' blasting and peening machines?

(!) P. C.: Our AR application is a game-changer. It allows our service team and customers to visualize actual and past situations in their blasting and peening operations. By changing machine parameters in real-time within the AR environment, we can demonstrate the impact of these adjustments, enhancing our customers' understanding and improving our service interactions. 

Please don't misunderstand, there's no direct link between our tool and the machine. In reality, we've developed a unique software tailored to the capabilities of AR glasses. The goal is to enhance the user's experience and simplify the visualization of complex processes like blasting operations.

(?) MFN: How does the AR application contribute to the efficiency of shot blasting operations?

(!) P. C.: The AR application is engineered to enhance shot blasting operations, offering real-time analysis of the operation mix size distribution, wheel efficiency, and many other factors. This allows us to pinpoint areas for potential improvements. As a global leader, Winoa has always strived to provide solutions that are easy to implement. Our 60 years of experience in blasting operations has taught us that if a solution is hard to comprehend, it will never be implemented. This is the reason behind our development of the "immediate information and corrective action" concept through AR. This technology infuses a fresh dimension into an industry that had been static for a while, fueling efficiency and sparking innovation.

(?) MFN: Winoa is expanding its W Care services to include testing, machine adjustment, and repair and upgrade services. How will these new services benefit your customers?

(!) P. C.: In today's challenging times, finding skilled workers can be difficult for many of our customers. Our expanded W Care services offer a 360-degree support system. In addition to supplying the blasting media and shot or providing recommendations, we also implement these recommendations. This hands-on approach helps our customers achieve significant savings and efficiency improvements.

(?) MFN: How does this expansion of W Care services align with Winoa's overall strategy and vision?

(!) P. C.: The expansion of W Care services is a strategic move aligned with our vision to provide comprehensive solutions to our customers. We believe in not only advising but also assisting our customers in implementing those recommendations. This approach ensures that our customers get the most out of their shot blasting operations.

(?) MFN: Winoa recently opened a new technical center in the Czech Republic. Can you share more about this center and how it will support your central and eastern European customers?

(!) P. C.: The global shift towards lighter vehicles and e-vehicles is changing the peening and blasting industry. Our new technical center in the Czech Republic provides a space for our customers to test different media on their actual parts, based on their own machine parameters. This service allows them to adapt to industry changes efficiently without disrupting their production lines.

(?) MFN: How does the opening of the new technical center fit into Winoa's global strategy?

(!) P. C.: The opening of our new technical center in the Czech Republic is part of our global strategy to bring our services closer to our customers. With this center, we now have six technical centers across the group, enabling us to provide localized support and solutions to our customers worldwide.

Conclusion

Winoa's commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, and hands-on support is reshaping the shot blasting industry. With the integration of AR technology, the expansion of W Care services, and the opening of a new technical center, Winoa is setting new industry standards and helping customers navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving market.

MFN would like to thank Pierre Coste for this interview!

For Information: 

Winoa

528 Avenue de Savoie

38570 Le Cheylas, France

Tel. +33.6.43 66 51 65

E-mail: iann.bouchard@winoagroup.com

www.winoa.com

www.wabrasives.com