MTS Systems Corp., Mechanical Dynamics, and nCode International Announce Formation of The SmartSim Community to Support the Automotive Industry's Need for Accelerated Product Development

    DETROIT, Mich., March 6 In support of the automotive
industry's demand for improved product quality, shorter time to market, and
reduced costs, three of the leading engineering technology solution providers
-- MTS Systems Corporation , Mechanical Dynamics, Inc.
, and nCode International -- have formed "The SmartSim Community,"
announced today at the SAE Global Congress 2001 in Detroit.
    The automotive industry faces many challenges including executing product
development programs across a global supplier chain in eighteen months or
less.  The tight integration of the various performance evaluation tools and
open standards required to do this has not been available until now.  For the
past three years the leading suppliers of these tools, MTS, Mechanical
Dynamics, and nCode have collaborated to ensure their product development
activities achieve this tight integration goal.  The SmartSim Community is
extending this collaboration through the use of its new website,
http://www.smartsim.org , and the endorsement of open data interchange
standards.  The SmartSim Community will promote the use of an integrated suite
of industry-leading test hardware, virtual prototyping software, durability
assessment, and information management tools.  Used in combination, these
tools can dramatically cut the time and cost of vehicle performance evaluation
while ensuring the quality of analysis results.
    In addition to converging development of their analysis software products,
joint activities within The SmartSim Community have already resulted in the
development of several new products:
    -- Empirical Dynamics Modeling (EDM(TM)) -- An MTS/Mechanical Dynamics
       co-development
    -- Virtual Test Laboratory (VTL) -- An MTS/Mechanical Dynamics
       co-development
    -- RPC(R) Pro, featuring nCode technology -- An MTS/nCode co-development
    -- ADAMS(R)/Durability -- A Mechanical Dynamics/nCode co-development

    For more information on The SmartSim Community and the products mentioned
above visit http://www.smartsim.org

    About MTS Systems Corporation
    MTS Systems Corporation is the world leader in the supply of
computer-based testing and simulation systems designed to rapidly determine
the mechanical behavior of materials and structures helping customers
accelerate and improve their design, development, and manufacturing processes.
Products also include modeling and test analysis software, control
instrumentation products for automating manufacturing processes, and
consulting services.  Headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minn., MTS had 2,350
employees and revenue of $392 million for the fiscal year ending September
2000.  For more information, visit http://www.mts.com

    About Mechanical Dynamics
    Mechanical Dynamics pioneered the field of mechanical system simulation
with its market-leading ADAMS(R) mechanical system simulation software,
considered the de facto standard for functional virtual prototyping in the
automotive industry.  Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., the company had
annual revenue of $46.6 million in 2000 and employs approximately 300 people.
For more information, visit http://www.adams.com

    About nCode International
    nCode International has led the way in analytical fatigue assessment and
durability management for many years.  Today, it is the world's leading
supplier of software and services in these areas.  Numbered amongst nCode's
strategic customer base are all the leading automotive and off-highway OEM's
and tier one suppliers.  For more information about nCode visit
http://www.ncode.com
    nCode International is a part of AEA Technology, a $650 million enterprise
committed to turning science into profit.  For more information on AEA
Technology visit http://www.aeat.com