MTS Selected for Multiple Military Projects
Eden Prairie, Minn., Dec. 17, 2003 - MTS Systems Corporation (NASDAQ: MTSC) announced today that it has received orders for two new military equipment testing applications. The orders reflect the increased business opportunities in the infrastructure, particularly the testing activities that supports U.S. antiterrorism and national defense efforts.
One order is a $2.9 million contract from the U.S. Army for the Upgrade Program of the Omni-Directional Treadmill, which is used for mobility in virtual reality mission rehearsals to evaluate new equipment, combat techniques, tactics and procedures for soldiers. The other is a multimillion-dollar order from the University of California, San Diego, to supply unique equipment to simulate explosives in a blast effects testing lab. It will help engineers design structures to better mitigate explosive effects.
Combined with ongoing work on a projected $5 million-plus contract for a Ballistics Tilt Table supporting research by the Survivability/Lethality Analysis Directorate – a project announced last February – and other smaller projects, MTS has generated over $10 million of new military applications for testing equipment in the past year.
“MTS is proud to be participating in these nationally critical projects,” said Sidney W. Emery, Jr., MTS chairman and CEO. “Our company is in a unique position to supply critical high performance test and simulation equipment based on over 35 years of experience with force and impact testing for the automotive, aerospace, and infrastructure markets.”
About the Projects:
Omni-Directional Treadmill Upgrade
The Omni-Directional Treadmill upgrades will be developed by MTS for the Human Research and Engineering Directorate of the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD and the Dismounted Battlespace Battle Lab’s Simulation Center located at Fort Benning, GA. The upgraded treadmill senses and responds to the multi-directional movements – such as walking, running or crawling – of a soldier in a virtual reality test room. The subject remains centered in the room as the treadmill’s control system detects the subject’s motion and commands the treadmill to compensate for his or her total movements. Virtual-reality mission rehearsal will allow the military to research mission scenarios quickly and cost-effectively test and evaluate the impact of new equipment, techniques, tactics, and procedures on team performance and mission effectiveness.
Blast Mitigation Testing Laboratory
MTS is serving as the development partner of the University of California at San Diego’s Explosive Loading Laboratory Testing Program for Blast Mitigation. The project, funded by the Technical Support Working Group, which identifies and coordinates interagency and international research and development for combating terrorism, involves the construction of a one-of-a-kind facility that can simulate actual explosions without the use of harmful explosive materials. Ultimately, the program is meant to help scientists and engineers minimize blast impact and maximize structural durability and to increase the protection of U.S. interests at home and overseas.
The Ballistics Tilt Table
This project involves the development of a positioning device to test the survivability of helicopters when damaged by munitions. With this new positioning platform, test engineers will be able to fire projectiles from various angles at the underside of operating helicopters to simulate conditions the aircraft are exposed to when used in combat.
About MTS Systems Corporation:
MTS Systems Corporation is a global supplier of testing products that help customers accelerate and improve their design, development, and manufacturing processes. MTS products are used for determining the mechanical behavior of materials, products, and structures and include computer-based testing and simulation systems, modeling and testing software, and consulting services. The Company is also a leading manufacturer of industrial position sensors. MTS had 1,630 employees and revenue of $340 million for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2003. Additional information about MTS can be found on the worldwide web at www.mts.com.
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