Federal-Mogul wins $100 million diesel engine piston contract

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (April 10, 2002) — Federal-Mogul Corp. said it has won a five-year, $100 million contract to supply its Monosteel piston to an undisclosed heavy-duty truck engine manufacturer.

The new piston will be used in an on-highway diesel engine that is scheduled to begin production in the spring of 2003. It will be used on several versions of the engine, Federal-Mogul said.

Federal-Mogul touted the piston’s one-piece, steel design, saying it can perform beyond the mechanical and thermal limits of aluminum pistons and conventional articulated pistons. The company said it would help engine manufacturers meet tougher emission standards that will take effect in October, and new European regulations slated for 2005.

“As engine manufacturers seek to reduce emissions through technologies such as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), engine environments will become harsher and cylinder pressures will increase,” said Keri Westbrooke, Federal-Mogul’s director, heavy-duty product technology, pistons. “The Monosteel piston is designed to provide the necessary durability and reliability, with maximum cooling efficiency, in these harsher engine environments.”

Federal-Mogul, a maker of a broad range of components for cars and trucks, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October. The company lost $1 billion US on sales of $5.46 billion in 2001.