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Timken Subsidiary Rates with Industry Leaders on Quality Systems

28 August 1998

Timken Subsidiary Rates with Industry Leaders on Quality Systems

                MPB Corporation Earns Aerospace Certifications

    KEENE, N.H., Aug. 27 -- The Miniature Precision Bearings
Division of MPB Corporation, a Timken Company Subsidiary, has been
awarded two significant aerospace industry quality certifications from a
consortium of major aerospace companies and from The Boeing Company.
    "These certifications are the direct result of MPB's continuous
improvement initiatives, which better position the company in the marketplace
and strengthen MPB's competitiveness in key aerospace markets around the
world," said Thomas J. Uhlig, vice president and general manager   MPB
Corporation.  "The associates of MPB should be proud of their significant
achievement in this area."
    The AS9000 Aerospace Quality Certification, which represents a valuable
methodology for developing and maintaining quality programs for the aerospace
industry, was developed by a group of major aerospace companies and prime
contractors to establish a uniform set of requirements for their suppliers.
This standard contains the more commonly known ISO 9001 quality systems
requirements in addition to a number of aerospace industry-specific
components.
    The D1-9000 AQS Certification was presented by The Boeing Company.  This
standard contains the ISO 9001 and AS9000 elements, and focuses on management,
engineering and statistics systems.
    MPB Corporation designs and manufactures aerospace and super precision
bearings and bearing-related assemblies for applications in aircraft engines
and gearboxes, aircraft controls, missiles, satellites, medical instruments,
x-ray equipment, dental handpieces and for a variety of industrial
applications.
    With headquarters in Keene, New Hampshire, MPB Corporation is a subsidiary
of The Timken Company (http://www.timken.com), a leading international
manufacturer of highly engineered bearings and alloy steels.  The company
employs about 21,000 people world wide and reported 1997 sales of more than
U.S. $2.6 billion.