PTC Pro/ENGINEER Accelerates 'Time to Track,' Powering Victory For Team Bentley at Le Mans
NEEDHAM, Mass., June 24 -- PTC , the product development company, today announced that Team Bentley's winning Speed 8 cars, which placed first and second on June 15 at the famous Le Mans auto race, were designed in Pro/ENGINEER(R), PTC's industry-leading design software.
"We are delighted to have been part of Team Bentley's historic win at Le Mans," said Jon Boyce, PTC director of automotive operations. "Without question, these were the most technologically advanced cars ever to have entered the race. In supporting the design process, we hope that Pro/ENGINEER has done justice to the pioneering spirit of Bentley's founder, W.O. Bentley."
Bentley Motors returned to Le Mans in 2001 for the first time since 1930. The victory was the result of a three-year plan by the company. With the help of Pro/ENGINEER, they were able to shorten the design process of the two winning Speed 8 cars, allowing for quicker "time to track". Bentley Motors commissioned racing technology norfolk (rtn) ltd, to design and manufacture the entire car.
Hiroshi Fushida, operations director at rtn ltd, said today: "To deliver a dramatic improvement in the down-force-to-drag ratio, we have had to design and make more complex and challenging shapes than ever before. Pro/ENGINEER has helped save time and has enabled us to work to far higher tolerances than a few years ago when we formed wooden patterns for the carbon fibre by hand. The accuracy we achieve using the PTC suite of MCAD tools is of paramount importance to the success of the car."
One of the UK's most respected motorsport engineering companies, rtn ltd has been a PTC Performance Partner since 1999. In July 2002, they started work on an entirely new car that would contest the 2003 race. Exterior body surfaces, chassis and powertrain were all developed in PTC's industry-leading Pro/ENGINEER solution. Team Bentley Speed 8 Le Mans cars were also the only fully enclosed prototypes to enter the 2003 race.
"With Team Bentley employing PTC's industry leading MCAD solutions, they have been able to achieve their ultimate dream of winning one of the greatest motor sport events in the world," Boyce said.
About PTC
PTC develops, markets, and supports software solutions that help manufacturers win with superior products. PTC is the world's largest software company with a total commitment to product development. The company services more than 35,000 customers worldwide. Further information on PTC is available at http://www.ptc.com/ or call 1-888-782-3776, ext. 901.
Except for the historical information contained herein, matters discussed in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These include: our successful development and integration of the technology necessary to offer an integrated Product Development System that adequately responds to evolving customer requirements; our efforts to successfully compete in the MCAD industry by differentiating our MCAD offerings by targeting synergies with Windchill; the success of our partnering, distribution and customer satisfaction initiatives; and the effects of a weakening economy which may impact the overall demand for software and related services; as well as other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in reports filed by PTC with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recent reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q.
PTC and its logo, Product First, The Product Development Company, Create Collaborate Control, Simple Powerful Connected, Pro/ENGINEER, Wildfire, Windchill, and all PTC product names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Parametric Technology Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries.
Investor Contact: Public Relations Contact: Meredith Mendola Joe Gavaghan 781-370-6151 781-370-5074 mmendola@ptc.com jgavaghan@ptc.com