Vetronix Receives Prestigious Henry Ford Technology Award

    SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--Nov. 29, 2001--Vetronix Corp., a leading provider of Telematics systems and automotive diagnostic equipment, announced that the Vetronix End-of-Line (EOL) Vibration Analysis System has been awarded the Henry Ford Technology Award (HFTA).
    Established in 1981, HFTA is the highest and most prestigious honor the Ford Motor Company awards its technical community of engineers, scientists, suppliers, contractors, retirees and academia.
    Ford Motor Company honored the Vetronix EOL Vibration Analysis System development team and Ford's Michigan Truck Plant at their annual ceremony of events in Dearborn, Mich., on Sept. 19-20, 2001. Jacques Nasser, President and Chief Executive Officer, addressed this year's recipients followed by Dr. Gerhard Schmidt, Vice President of Research, and the presentation of the awards.
    The Henry Ford Technology Award salutes both Ford Motor Company and Vetronix employees for their technological, first-of-its-kind invention, the EOL Vibration Analysis System.
    The system, based on Vetronix's MTS 4100 Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) handheld diagnostic tool (patent pending), is resulting in substantial cost savings and product improvements for Ford. The system is operating in five plants in the United States and Canada, and will soon be expanding to Mexico.

    A Revolutionary New Platform For Vibration Analysis

    The Vetronix End-Of-Line Vibration Analysis System is part of the EOL Rolls Test Station at the Michigan Truck Plant. The Vetronix system monitors the vehicle's serial data stream.
    It then correlates various set data parameters with vibration data being sensed by an accelerometer, which is placed on the vehicle by an articulated arm. The system utilizes complex algorithms, combined with detailed "Pass/Fail" criteria, to ensure vehicles have no unacceptable levels of vibration prior to being shipped to customers.
    The Vetronix NVH handheld tool (the MTS 4100 NVH Analyzer) is the foundation for the EOL Vibration Analysis System. The MTS 4100 NVH Analyzer is the recipient of the Automotive Aftermarket's top annual industry honor, the Motor Magazine Top 20 Tools Award for 2001.
    The MTS 4100 includes a handheld unit with a 22-key keypad and an LCD display, two accelerometers for measuring vibrations, a cable to connect directly to the vehicle, and a phototachometer to measure the rotational rate of the vehicle's driveshaft and to assist with the driveshaft balancing procedure (patent pending).
    With this diagnostic tool, the service technician is able to pinpoint problems quickly and determine whether the vibration is originating from the engine, the driveline, the wheels, or some other rotating component. The tool moves beyond diagnosis and into repair.
    Traditionally, driveshafts have been very difficult to balance, requiring the technician to remove the shaft, send it off to an independent balancing house, and hope for the best when it is reinstalled in the vehicle. With the Vetronix MTS 4100, the technician is able to balance the driveshaft without removing it from the vehicle, resulting in significant time-savings, as well as a better overall system balance.
    "We are dedicated to providing the most advanced, sophisticated technology we can," said Jim Zaleski, Vetronix Founder and President, "and at the end of the day that technology must create a product that delivers on its promises. I'm glad to say Vetronix delivers every time."

    Vetronix a Worldwide Leader in Technology

    Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Santa Barbara, Vetronix has offices nationwide, as well as Japan, England and France. Vetronix Corp. is a leading supplier of automotive electronic diagnostics, and the company is notable for having developed the very first OEM serial data scantool.
    Vetronix currently has cooperative development relationships with such OEMs as General Motors, Toyota, Honda and Nissan. Today, over 40% of all vehicles manufactured worldwide are serviced at the dealership level with equipment and software developed by Vetronix.
    Vetronix is also a pioneer in the leading-edge arena of Telematics. Working in partnership with Microsoft and Clarion, Vetronix helped to develop the first-ever consumer-based in-vehicle product utilizing a wide range of voice-activated, wireless, vehicle-integrated technologies.
    Since then, Vetronix has developed worldwide solutions for commercial fleet and OEM use incorporating Telematics and diagnostics to create a new paradigm for Integrated Telematics and Diagnostics.
    Vetronix products have won numerous industry awards, most notably five Top 20 Tools Awards from Motor Magazine, the leading trade publication in the Automotive Aftermarket, as well as the Innovation Award from Professional Tool and Equipment News magazine. In 2000, Vetronix was honored by South Coast Business Technology as "Company of the Year."
    With a foundation of innovative expertise from 17 years of OEM partnerships, Vetronix is positioned to lead the way into the 21st Century with Telematics and Diagnostic Solutions that take advantage of the latest technology while keeping pace with the changing needs of the marketplace.