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Cummins Engine Joins Mechanical Dynamics' ADAMS(R)/Engine Consortium

23 October 2000

Cummins Engine Joins Mechanical Dynamics' ADAMS(R)/Engine Consortium

    ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 20 Mechanical Dynamics, Inc.
, a worldwide provider of functional virtual prototyping
software and services, announced today that Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
has joined the ADAMS(R)/Engine development consortium.
    Cummins, Inc., headquartered in Columbus, Ind., provides products and
services for customers in markets worldwide for engines, power generation, and
filtration.  Cummins, which reported record sales of $6.6 billion in 1999, is
the world's largest producer of diesel engines above 200 horsepower.
    A longtime user of ADAMS(R), Mechanical Dynamics' market-leading
mechanical simulation software, Cummins made the decision following an
internal review of commercial and proprietary software packages for use in
engine dynamics studies and future engine development projects.
    "Cummins has been a leader in the engine industry for more than 80 years,
and we are extremely pleased with their decision to join the ADAMS/Engine
consortium," said Robert R. Ryan, president and chief operating officer of
Mechanical Dynamics.  "Their participation will provide tangible benefits for
our product and our customers over the long term.  We welcome their input and
expertise."
    First released in August 1999, ADAMS/Engine is a specialized simulation
environment that enables an engineering team to predict, refine, and optimize
the performance of powertrain systems as part of an overall vehicle design.
Currently, the software provides specialized utilities for valve trains,
timing chains, and timing belt simulation.  As a consortium member, Cummins
will help define specifications for modal valve spring, geartrain, and
flexible cranktrain modules now under development.
    "Cummins selected ADAMS/Engine because it provides the flexibility to add
and extend simulation features within the general ADAMS environment, which is
one of the technologies used to reduce product cycle times," said Jeff
Hamilton, Cummins' vice president of research and development.  "Our
participation in the consortium will allow us to incorporate our experience in
diesel engine dynamics into the software."
    ADAMS(R)/Engine is the result of a multi-year effort that began when
Volkswagen and Audi approached Mechanical Dynamics about creating a
specialized powertrain simulation tool.  The consortium now includes French
automaker Renault; INA, a German manufacturer of automotive bearings and
engine components; IAV, a German company offering powertrain engineering
services; and FEV, an internationally recognized leader in engine design and
development based in Aachen, Germany.
    Mechanical Dynamics pioneered the field of mechanical system simulation
with its market-leading ADAMS(R) software.  Engineering teams use ADAMS to
build and test functional virtual prototypes of their complex mechanical
system designs.  Along with getting to market faster and at lower cost, the
company's functional virtual prototyping solutions provide additional
significant benefits: closer integration between manufacturers and their
suppliers; increased communication among design, analysis, and engineering
teams; and the ability to manage the risks of the design process through more
and better information earlier in the cycle.