Going Beyond Solutions

For more than three decades, WIDMA has been leading the special purpose machine tool industry in India, elevating it to the best global standards. Here's knowing its journey, and the highly inspiring philosophy behind it that aims to empower customers in order to change the game...

WIDMA was established as a captive machine tool building division of Kennametal in Bengaluru, India. Since 1984, the brand has established itself as a leader in building Special Purpose Machines (SPMs) in India, catering to several leading automobile manufacturers. The company gradually diversified from SPMs to offer a host of standard machines for the entire spectrum of machining requirements across industries, right from micro tools to large structural parts for the Locomotive and General Engineering industries.

“Several customers across India and other parts of the globe are benefiting from the expertise of WIDMA in engineering the most complex components with precision, including the manufacturing facilities of our parent company, Kennametal Inc., both in India and abroad, that make advanced metal-cutting solutions,” shares Vijaykrishnan Venkatesan, Managing Director, Kennametal India Pvt Ltd.

Broad range of offerings

Informing on WIDMA’s indigenous and innovative products and the industries they cater to in India, Venkatesan states, “Our portfolio is broadly categorized into component manufacturing and tool manufacturing solutions.”

The former comprises customized boring and milling machines, multi-spindle drilling, tapping and boring machines, fine boring machines, gundrilling and BTA boring machines, and a variety of customized machining centers for manufacturers of two-wheelers, passenger/commercial vehicles, railways, farm equipment, earthmovers, general engineering, and defense. “We offer a host of other semi-standard machines, including vertical turn-mill centers for up to 4-meter components, multi-axis gundrilling machines, BTA boring machines, and flexible machining centers to customers seeking higher flexibility over SPMs,” he adds.

The tool manufacturing solutions include two major 5-axis CNC platforms - the Ecogrind & Ezeegrind Series - which are suitable for manufacturing simple and complex round tools for extremely accurate machining as needed by various industries. These are used for Kennametal tools manufacturing as well.

WIDMA also offers engineering support for component manufacturing and process design through fixtures and tooled-up solutions on standard machines of other reputed makes to end-customers.

Focus on the customer

Today, the numerous machines and fixtures that are running successfully in India and abroad provide rich evidence of the success of WIDMA’s philosophy of complete focus on the customer. Venkatesan elaborates, “Over the years, WIDMA has established itself as a leading player in a niche that covers the entire spectrum of critical machining needs. This calls for technological prowess and the ability to translate knowledge of design into high-performing machines. We believe that our value proposition entails harnessing a blend of machining and engineering to develop solutions for the future that manifests in our brand promise of ‘machineering tomorrow’.”

The company’s philosophy of customer-centricity, he shares, rests on three strong pillars, viz, ‘We team’ – by doing it all – from getting grease on our hands to delivering customer delight; ‘We build’ – by not resting on our legacy of expertise, but breaking new ground, so we can build what’s next; and lastly, ‘We pioneer’ – by going beyond solutions to empower our customers to change the game.

Ahead of the curve

WIDMA has established a well-defined quality assurance system that covers every step of the process, right from the supply chain up to final trials and installation. Sharing what it is that helps the company stay ahead of its contemporaries, Venkatesan says, “Our key USP is our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, strategically located in Bengaluru, the technology hub of India. This helps us leverage the strength of the local supply chain to imbibe best-in-class quality in all of our processes.”

The manufacturing facility, he informs, is equipped with advanced equipment manufacturing tools and industry-leading software that simulate the end-to-end process and ensure precision and accuracy. “Realizing the need of the hour to drive productivity through connected data, we have integrated IIoT into our machines that provide both intuitive and data-driven analysis of machine performance. Apart from these, our competitive edge lies in the robust in-house capability through the value chain, where teams across R&D, procurement, manufacturing, quality, and commissioning collaborate seamlessly with a structured review mechanism to ensure on-time performance and ‘right-the-first-time’ deliveries. Last but not least, we take pride in the competence of our passionate team who always puts the customer first,” he adds.

Pandemic woes

The challenges faced by WIDMA were no different from the industry in general, where the first wave brought operations to an abrupt halt overnight, and the more catastrophic second wave led to tepid demand just when the economy was beginning to witness signs of recovery. “Amid these challenges, we prioritized the safety of our employees and other stakeholders, which is a core value for Kennametal. We implemented robust COVID-19 protocols in conjunction with leading health authorities, so as to ensure the health and safety of our employees, while continuing to serve our customers who are relying on us,” shares Venkatesan.

The company’s engineers leveraged virtual reality technology for equipment installations when they could not be onsite due to travel restrictions. “There cannot be a better testimony to the focus, dedication, and capabilities of our engineers to ensure customer satisfaction than this. We also proactively supported the community during this unprecedented crisis by providing masks, sanitizers, and other PPEs to frontline workers, home quarantine kits to low-income households, and medical equipment such as ICU beds and oxygen concentrators to Government and private hospitals,” he adds.

Plans for the future

Venkatesan reveals that WIDMA will remain committed to its brand promise of ‘machineering tomorrow’ by working closely with its customers to deliver solutions that equip them to stay competitive in the evolving environment. “Our new product development team is relentlessly working on expanding our portfolio, leveraging our strength in special purpose machines to augment our offerings in the custom- and semi-standard space. Our innovation helps solve customers’ biggest challenges, so they can deliver the products and solutions we rely on every day,” he adds, summing up.

Poonam Pednekar
Chief Copy Editor
Magic Wand Media Inc
poonam.pednekar@magicwandmedia.in 

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