The launch of a new industry for Windsor has been announced.
ENWIN and Windsor-based imaging company Tessonics have formed a partnership to create ONtech Rapid Coatings.
It's a startup with a unique technology for cold-spray coatings.
The technology has been used by Enwin in a number of applications and has proven to be extremely useful.
ENWIN Vice President John Wladarski is President of the new entity and says one example is refurbishing transformer enclosures.
In the past the transformer would have to be shut down at great cost to be repaired, the new technique allows it to remain in service.
Wladarski says the company has only been in existence since November.
"As you can appreciate, we're just fresh and we've participated in a couple of trade shows thus far we certainly have some customers lined up but all of our employees are part-time and it ranges over about five individuals
Tessonics founder Dr. Roman Maev sees great potential for the new industry.
Tessonics founder Dr. Roman Maev, Windsor City Hall, January 22, 2019 (by AM800's Peter Langille)
"I'm really proud to help to create something useful here in Windsor and I'm sure that in the next three to five years we will double, triple the positions of people it will be more and more people"
Windsor Mayor and ENWIN board chair Drew Dilkens is excited to see where this leads.
"This is a prime example of economic diversification, so this is an industry that we don't have here in the city. Frankly it doesn't really exist across Canada in any material form. So this is something new we're going to be doing it right here in the city of Windsor and we hope to roll it out across Canada and throughout North America and perhaps there will be international opportunities as well"
Dr. Maev says the technology took several year to develop and Canada research grants were instrumental in being able to perfect the coating system.
A number of automakers have expressed an interest and there are potential applications in the petro-chemical sector, aerospace and other industries.
ONtech will be making a presentation soon at a conference in New Orleans which is the largest gathering of the electric utility industry in the United States.