Federal-Mogul Receives Contract to Supply New Monosteel Piston for Truck Engine

Autoparts Report, April 20, 2002

Federal-Mogul Corp. said it has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to supply its new one-piece, all-steel piston -- called Monosteel to an undisclosed heavy-duty truck engine manufacturer. The initial five-year agreement is expected to generate nearly $100 million in sales for Federal-Mogul over the life of the contract, the company said.

Under the contract, Federal-Mogul will supply its technically advanced Monosteel pistons for an on-highway diesel engine that is scheduled to begin production in the spring of 2003, it said. The Monosteel piston will be used on several versions of this engine.

This will be the first production application of the Monosteel piston, engineered and developed at Federal-Mogul's Advanced Technology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the company said. The Monosteel piston offers performance and durability advantages over conventional two-piece pistons that combine forged steel crowns with aluminum piston "skirts," according to Federal Mogul.

Key to the Monosteel piston's high- strength construction is a proprietary manufacturing process used by Federal- Mogul in its North American and European piston plants, the company said. This process not only provides superior construction over articulated pistons, but is cost-effective as well. "This is a tremendous win for Federal-Mogul and a major endorsement of our advanced diesel engine piston technology," said Chip McClure, president and chief operating officer.

"Engine manufacturers are quickly recognizing that our Monosteel piston offers a technologically superior solution to the performance, fuel economy and emissions challenges they face."

With its all-steel construction, the Monosteel piston can perform beyond the mechanical and thermal limits of aluminum pistons and conventional articulated pistons, the company said. The company said the new piston will help commercial vehicle engine manufacturers meet future U.S. 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."