Timken Delivers Friction Management Solution at the South Pole

The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR) announced today that VertexRSI, a provider of communication satellites, earth stations and scientific instruments, achieved improved reliability by incorporating an enhanced Timken(R) spherical roller bearing into a radio telescope installed on the South Pole. Timken's innovative bearing design helped San Jose, Calif.-based VertexRSI build a radio telescope that was more durable than previous designs, more accurate over a longer period of time and able to withstand the harsh operating conditions found on the South Pole. Through the application of Timken engineered surface coatings and a special heat-treatment process, the spherical bearing in the VertexRSI radio telescope has exhibited decreased wear while ensuring accurate and optimum pointing at extreme temperatures. "Timken provided us with a robust bearing design that was able to withstand the challenging application requirements," said Ray Carey, mechanical engineer for VertexRSI. "Timken's ability to provide an innovative friction management solution has helped us expand our technologies to some of the most inhospitable and abusive environments in the world." "We obtained the trust of VertexRSI by thoroughly examining the application and developing a solution that has helped them improve the reliability and performance of their radio telescope," said Michael J. Connors, vice president for Timken's industrial equipment business. "VertexRSI was unsatisfied with the engineering support of its previous supplier, and we were able to leverage our knowledge of friction management and material science to satisfy the requirements of this unique and demanding application." About The Timken Company The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR) (http://www.timken.com) keeps the world turning, with innovative ways to make customers' products run smoother, faster and more efficiently. Timken's highly engineered bearings, alloy steels and related products and services turn up everywhere. With operations in 27 countries, sales of $5.2 billion in 2005 and 27,000 employees, Timken is Where You Turn(TM) for better performance.