INTERMET Vice President of Technical Services Thomas Prucha Receives 2003 Industry Award For Scientific Merit

TROY, Mich., April 30 -- Citing his leadership on engineering and manufacturing technology initiatives in the cast-metal industries, Thomas E. Prucha, INTERMET's Vice President of Technical Services, was honored by the American Foundry Society (AFS) with the 2003 Award for Scientific Merit at its annual Congress and exposition in Kansas City.

The award was presented on April 29, 2003, at the AFS Casting Congress President's Luncheon and Annual Business Meeting.

Prucha was recognized by AFS "for extensive contribution to process development, metal properties, computer-aided engineering and non-destructive evaluation for aluminum and iron castings."

Commenting on the award, Gary F. Ruff, INTERMET's President and COO, said, "Tom is a widely recognized authority on casting design, metallurgy and manufacturing processes. He has made tremendous contributions to the industry, to university-level casting education, and most especially to INTERMET as we move forward with our strategy of worldwide leadership in the production of automotive cast components."

Prucha remains active in AFS, most recently serving as Chairman of its Research Board and as past Chairman of the AFS Aluminum Division. In 1994, he received the AFS Aluminum Division Service Award.

In addition, he is active in many other metal-casting technical societies, including the North American Die Cast Association's (NADCA) Die Material Committee. He also serves on the NADCA Technical Advisory Group. He is a member of the steering committee of the CORMAG (Cost-Reduced Magnesium Die Casting) program, which is sponsored by the U.S. National Institute of Science and Technology. CORMAG's mission is to develop low-cost magnesium technology for high-ductility automotive applications. Additionally, he is on the steering committee of the Advanced Casting Research Center (ACRC) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts.

Prucha has authored and co-authored more than 10 technical papers published by both AFS and the Society of Automotive Engineers. He also holds three patents related to metal-casting technology.

With headquarters in Troy, Michigan, INTERMET Corporation is a manufacturer of powertrain, chassis/suspension and structural components for the automotive industry. INTERMET's strategy is to be the world's leading supplier of cast-metal automotive components. The company has approximately 6,000 employees at facilities located in North America and Europe. More information is available on the Internet at www.intermet.com .

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