SHELTON, Conn., (July 12, 2002) – Emhart Teknologies today announced the opening of a multi-million dollar engineering technology center devoted exclusively to fastening design and automated fastening systems.  The center will deliver value analysis and engineering benefits to a significant cross section of industrial manufacturers including the recreation, electronics, appliance and automotive segments.

Located within Emhart’s Industrial Division headquarters in Shelton, Conn., the 50,000-square foot facility is a critical link in the company’s global technology network that includes innovation centers in Detroit, Germany, Japan and electronically at emhart.com.  In addition, three fully integrated, mobile innovation centers bring engineering and design technologies directly to customers in North America and Europe. 

“The opening of our newest center underscores the changing nature of Emhart’s business and our commitment to bringing fastening design and application solutions to customers worldwide,” said Paul A. Gustafson, president, Emhart Teknologies.  Over the past several years, Emhart has developed into a global designer and creator of unique assembly applications.

“As OEMs seek to reduce product assembly costs and improve quality, Emhart adds value by anticipating their needs with technology services and market-driven products,” Gustafson said. 

Electronically linked, the Innovation Centers are capable of sharing application data and new design concepts company wide, with customers and Tier 1 suppliers.  “No matter which innovation center customers choose, they can be confident that the latest in technological solutions will be applied when and where they need them,” Gustafson added.

Each center features a full array of advanced testing and analytical equipment, electronic communications and simultaneous engineering systems.  In addition to product displays and training facilities, the centers include:

• Product teardown laboratories where engineers and technicians analyze every component on various customers’ products to determine optimum design, process engineering and assembly technology.  The Shelton Innovation Center teardown laboratory will analyze a myriad of products including, recreational vehicles, electronic devices such as computers, cellular phones and appliances.
  
• Information technology centers that make it possible for customers in any part of the world to design and engineer fastening systems and assemblies on line.  Automatic cost analyses or material, parts, labor and capital are included in the interactive knowledge system. 

Customers expected to utilize the Shelton Innovation Center include companies such as Apple, General Electric, Nokia, Maytag and dozens of other well-known manufacturing enterprises.

To meet the challenges these customers face, Emhart R&D uses value engineering and value analysis.  Value engineering matches customers’ manufacturing priorities with the most high- performance alternatives.  Value analysis applies financial modeling to confirm that the right technology is selected.   Combined, these processes ensure the customer employs the optimum cost/benefit of applying Emhart technologies to their assembly operations.

About Emhart Teknologies

New Haven, Conn.-based Emhart Teknologies is the global leader in the design and creation of unique assembly technologies from concept through installation.  Emhart’s technology-based assembly products and systems deliver innovative, integrated system solutions to virtually any manufacturing challenge anywhere in the world.  From automotive to construction, computers to appliances, Emhart products are sold in more than 100 countries. A Black & Decker Company, Emhart has 3,000 employees in 24 operating facilities worldwide.  Please go to www.emhart.com for more information.

Contacts

Francis Onofrio
Mason & Madison Public Relations
(203) 393-1101 x169
fonofrio@masonmadison.com

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