KS Bearings Names VP of Engineering, Product Development

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., June 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Kolbenschmidt Pierburg has named Kumar Vaidyanathan as vice president of Engineering and Product Development for its KS Bearings division. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050613/DEM034 ) In his new position with KS Bearings, Vaidyanathan will be responsible for overseeing the engineering, design and production of all new KS Bearings products. He will report to David Mosier, president of KS Bearings. Vaidyanathan comes to KS Bearings from Federal-Mogul Corporation, where, as director of product technology, he led the development and launch of next- generation "green materials" for all fluid film bearings used in global engine programs and powertrain systems. In an earlier role as director of product technology at Federal-Mogul, Vaidyanathan was manager and chief engineer for design and predictive engineering. He and his team established four key systems: power cylinder systems (pistons, bearings and connecting rods), crank and block systems, lubrication systems and engine tribological systems. "By joining KS Bearings, I am able to pursue better growth opportunities within Kolbenschmidt Pierburg," Vaidyanathan said. "The wide range of products also was very appealing." Vaidyanathan earned his PhD in mechanical engineering and graduate degrees from the University of Toledo and his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Bangalore University in Bangalore, India. Vaidyanathan earned the Wharton School of Executive Education Certificate of Professional Development in 2000 for his work in the Focused Management and Leadership Series. He also participated in executive education programs at Columbia Business School. He has authored and co-authored more than a dozen external technical papers published in international scientific journals, including the applications of various computational/numerical and mathematical methodologies in the area of product technology and engineering. Vaidyanathan is a member of the University of Toledo Alumni Association. He currently resides with his wife and children in Sylvania, Ohio. KS Bearings, a key manufacturer of engine bearings, journal bearings, bushings, flanged bushings and thrust washers for the global auto industry, is a division of Kolbenschmidt Pierburg, a leading supplier of pistons, automotive oil and water pumps, electric throttle control, bearings, secondary air systems and electric exhaust-gas recirculation valves. Kolbenschmidt Pierburg's four North American units have production facilities in Fountain Inn, S.C.; Greensburg, Ind.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Marinette, Wis., and Leamington, Ontario, in addition to its North American sales offices in Southfield. Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG is a subsidiary of Rheinmetall AG. The company has approximately 11,400 employees at its five automotive divisions. Global sales for its Aluminum Technology, Pierburg, KS Pistons, KS Plain Bearings and Motor Service divisions totaled nearly $2.4 billion in 2004. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.usa.kolbenschmidt-pierburg.com .