Mitsui Contracts Natural Gas Fuel Tank For Honda Civic GX from Lincoln Composites
5 May 1998
Mitsui Awards ATP's Lincoln Composites Contract to Design and Produce Natural Gas Fuel Tank For Honda Civic GX
ATLANTA, May 5 -- Advanced Technical Products, Inc.
, announced today that its Lincoln Composites division has been
awarded a contract by Mitsui Plastics Inc., Los Angeles, California and Mitsui
& Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, to design and produce "all-composite" natural gas
vehicle (NGV) fuel tanks for Honda of America's 1998 Model Civic
GX. Delivery of production tanks began for mass production on April 8, 1998.
Mitsui is Lincoln's exclusive distributor of NGV fuel tanks for Honda and
other Japanese customers.
The tank design is essentially identical to the 16,000 TUFFSHELL(TM) fuel
tanks that Lincoln has delivered to transit buses, manufacturers in Canada and
the United States for use by fleet operators, gas utilities and shuttle and
package delivery services since 1992. This contract capitalizes on Lincoln's
previous involvement as a supplier of tanks for a Honda natural gas project.
The tank has been certified to meet the fuel tank standard set by the US
Department of Transportation (FMVSS 304), ANSI AGA NGV-2 1992, a pending
revision of the NGV-2 industry standard and Japan's High Pressure Gas Safety
Institute's (KHK/MITI) requirements, for use in Japan. In addition, the tank
passed even tougher requirements imposed by Honda during the development
phase.
Lincoln's President Jim Fuller said, "During the past four years we have
worked hard to ensure that the TUFFSHELL(TM) tank meets the demands of
original equipment manufacturers. More importantly, we have focused on
ensuring that industry certification such as the NGV-2, ISO DIS 11439 and
Canadian B-51 standards, reflect the need to improve industry safety and
product integrity. We are very pleased to be the supplier for the Civic GX
and believe that Honda follows the same approach toward product reliability as
we do. Lincoln is the only company that has been able to successfully develop
the plastic lined tank. The success of the TUFFSHELL(TM) tank depends upon
technology driven customers like Honda."
Honda Civic has a driving range of 200 miles or more depending on driving
conditions. The vehicle burns compressed natural gas, stored in Lincoln's
TUFFSHELL(TM) tank and exhausts only 1/10th of the emissions allowed by the
California Air Resource Boards Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV)
requirements. This vehicle is an example of Honda's leadership in engine
design.
Honda will individually mount the 18-inch diameter by 37-inch long tanks
in the trunk of the vehicle. The tanks will be used on vehicles built in
Honda's East Liberty, Ohio plant and sold in the US market. Some of the
vehicles will be exported for sale in Japan.
The tank is produced using a manufacturing process known as filament
winding, where continuous spools of carbon and glass fibers are combined with
an epoxy resin and overwrapped onto a high-density polyethylene liner with
aluminum end fittings. The resulting "composite" structure is then heated to
cure the resin. Each finished part is individually tested to a pressure 50%
greater than its service pressure.
The Lincoln plant was established in 1963 to produce rocket motor casings
for the Polaris submarine launch missile. Today the plant produces a wide
variety of composite parts for aircraft, helicopters, missiles and satellites.
In 1991, Lincoln began to apply its engineering and development expertise to
commercial products and has successfully expanded its product lines to include
filament wound tubulars for oil/gas exploration and production; paper making
machinery and plastic lined pressure vessels for Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV)
and offshore oil platforms.
ATP was formed on October 31, 1997 through the merger of Lunn Industries,
Inc. and TPG Holdings, Inc. ATP designs, develops and manufactures advanced
composite based materials and products. The Company is one of a few with the
ability to utilize multiple processes, such as autoclave lamination, filament
winding, resin transfer molding and metal bonding. ATP produces products for
the aerospace and defense markets, as well as, commercial applications
including oil and gas tubulars and pressure vessels for Natural Gas Vehicles.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters
discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, the
cancellation or delay of contracts and other risks disclosed in ATP's filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Advanced Technical Products, Inc.
