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The Timken Company Secures Grant from The U.S. Department of Energy

1 July 1999

The Timken Company Secures Grant from The U.S. Department of Energy

    CANTON, Ohio, June 30 -- The United States Department of
Energy recently awarded a grant of $1.4 million to The Timken Company
for the development of a new steel gauging system that will
utilize laser technology to make the manufacturing process for seamless
mechanical steel tubing more efficient.  The grant will fund 60 percent of the
total cost of the new technology, projected at $2.4 million.
    "Timken has always been committed to finding more efficient ways of
producing quality steel," said Karl Kimmerling, group vice president -- alloy
steel.  "This new technology will bring value to both customers and
shareholders by increasing our competitiveness."
    Timken, in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada and
the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, began developing the process in March of
1999.  The laser-based system measures the product to ensure that steel tubes
are produced at near exact shape, eliminating excess material from the tube
wall.  The new technology will further enhance the world-leading quality of
Timken(R) steel by producing tubing at even tighter tolerances and with a more
uniform wall thickness.
    Timken is the largest producer of alloy mechanical seamless tubing in the
world and is an industry leader in applying new technologies to a proven
manufacturing process.  The company invests nearly $50 million a year in
research and development to meet customer needs for quality products that are
efficiently produced.  Timken steel products, including bars, tubes and
precision steel components, are highly engineered for specialty applications.
    The Timken Company (http://www.timken.com) is a leading international
manufacturer of highly engineered bearings and alloy steels with operations in
25 countries.  The company employs 21,000 people worldwide and reported 1998
sales of more than U.S. $2.6 billion.