U.S. Naval Fleet Technical Support Center -FTSCPAC- Acquires SWANTECH's SWANview System for Fleet Maintenance; SWANview Portable System to be Used for Shipboard Mechanical Inspections.

Business Editors/Technology Writers

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2002

SWANTECH, LLC today announced that the U.S. Naval Fleet Technical Support Center Pacific (FTSCPAC) in San Diego, California has purchased the SWANview(TM) Portable System for pre-deployment inspections of shipboard mechanical systems including gas turbine engines and gearboxes. The SWANview Portable System will be used initially as a predictive maintenance tool on surface ships including the CG class and the fleet of LCACs (Landing Craft, Air Cushioned), otherwise known as hovercrafts. SWANview Portables are one of several product lines offered by SWANTECH and are based upon the patented Stress Wave Analysis (SWAN(TM)) technology, an ultrasonic instrumentation technique.

The mission of FTSCPAC is to provide or obtain direct support for operational units, fleet and type commanders and regional maintenance centers in matters of technical and logistics services and maintenance training associated with the installation, operation, alteration, maintenance and readiness of shipboard equipment and systems. The organization services the Pacific Fleet through its San Diego headquarters and five regional locations on the West Coast and Hawaii, Japan and Singapore. According to Ben Wainscott, Engineering Manager for Gas Turbine Systems, the SWANview Portable System was selected because of the capabilities of the technology to diagnose mechanical problems and estimate remaining useful life. Wainscott stated, "We became very interested in SWAN technology because of its prognostic capability after testing on several gearboxes. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) had documented similar results on gas turbine propulsion systems and subsequently selected the technology for fleet evaluation. It is also easy to use and lends itself for onboard diagnostics."

SWAN technology is based upon ultrasonic sound waves, which are detected and measured in terms of energy content and then analyzed to identify and trend the incidence of damage in a machine. The software analysis tools also pinpoint the source of damage and provide early warning in terms of the progression of damage. This information is used to schedule maintenance before severe damage to the machine, or equipment failure occurs.

Joseph E. Carpenter, Jr., President and CEO reinforced the prognostic capability of SWAN technology. "SWAN is unique in that it truly provides predictive maintenance. It enables technicians to determine damage at the earliest possible point and then trends the extent and location of damage. We believe that FTSCPAC will find the technology extremely useful in determining readiness of operating machinery." Carpenter added, "We look forward to working with FTSCPAC and other branches of the U.S. Navy in supporting the Fleet, its officers and crew."

SWANTECH is dedicated to the innovation, design and development of diagnostic tools that detect and measure even slight shock and friction events that occur between contact surfaces in operating machinery. SWANTECH delivers the power of precise machine condition information with patented Stress Wave Analysis (SWAN(TM)) technology. SWAN detects Stress Wave Energy and enables the separation of these high-frequency stress waves from the much lower frequency range of operating machinery vibration and audible noise. This process detects flaws and problems well before other technologies including vibration and lubrication analysis and provides prognostic condition monitoring solutions that enable users to intervene before secondary machine damage or catastrophic failure occurs. SWANTECH solutions contribute to a lower total cost of operation and a greater return on assets managed.