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Dana Opens New Automotive Composite Sealing Center

14 August 1998

Thermoplastics Take the Limelight as Dana Opens New Automotive Composite Sealing Center

    PARIS, Tenn., Aug. 14 -- The Plumley Division of Dana
Corporation has opened a new Composite Sealing Center in Paris,
Tenn.  The 60,000-square-foot facility is dedicated to thermoset and
thermoplastic camshaft/rocker cover assemblies.  The state-of-the-art
operation is scheduled to launch its first production shipments in September.
    The new facility will begin manufacture of 13 new part numbers within the
1998 calendar year.  By the year 2000, the center will be producing over
20 part numbers and processing in excess of eight million pounds of thermoset
and thermoplastic materials annually.
    "The need for modular assemblies is growing steadily within the automotive
community.  The new Plumley Composite Sealing Center, combined with Plumley's
recently opened Sealing and Plastic Design Center, offers the industry real
opportunities to reap the rewards of enhanced design, engineering and
production capacity and efficiency in these assemblies.  This will strengthen
Dana's leadership position as a total sealing system supplier," said Tom
Dattilo, Dana's vice president for sealing products and distribution.
    With modular assemblies, the Tier 1 supplier manufactures or acquires the
components and assembles them into a module of system.  When the composite
cover assemblies are shipped to the customer, the customer's assembly worker
simply tightens the bolts onto the engine or snaps the part into place.
Because Dana manufactures or purchases all of the components in the composite
assembly, the cost of purchasing and assembling the individual components is
decreased for the automotive manufacturers, and the number of suppliers the
manufacturer must contact and deal with is reduced.
    Plumley's dedicated 10,000 sq.-ft Sealing and Plastics Design Center
houses product design engineers, materials development, finite element
analysis, and sales for the development of plastic sealing and plastic
products.  The center develops composite cam covers, sealing systems, and
powertrain plastics for automotive, heavy duty/off-highway, marine and small
engine, and industrial applications.
    Plastics offer lower cost, lighter weight, and greater design flexibility
than many other materials.  Tooling costs for plastics are also much less than
for most metal stampings and die castings, particularly if secondary
operations are required.  Compared to metals, plastic parts typically exhibit
20 to 30 percent weight savings.  As far as design flexibility is concerned,
plastics possess characteristic properties that allow them to be molded to
tight tolerances and complex shapes.  Consolidating several components into
one can also reduce assembly costs.
    Plumley is part of Dana Engine Components, one of seven Dana global
strategic business units.  Dana Engine Components provides advanced,
synergistic, total systems solutions to engine builders and fluid systems
parts design and sourcing, worldwide.  Dana Engine Components combines the
strength and capabilities of Victor Reinz(R) gaskets and sealing products,
Perfect Circle(R) power cylinder and heavy duty camshafts, Fluid Systems
products, and Plumley powertrain components.
    One of the world's largest independent suppliers to vehicular,
off-highway, and industrial manufacturers and their related aftermarkets, Dana
Corporation produces components used on more than 95 percent of the world's
650 million motor vehicles.  Founded in 1904 and based in Toledo, Ohio, the
company operates 270 major facilities in 33 countries and employs more than
79,000 people.  The company had pro forma sales of $11.9 billion in 1997.
Dana's Internet address is http://www.dana.com