University Outreach Speeds Product Creativity
DETROIT, March 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As a strong supporter of higher
education initiatives, Dana Corporation (NYSE: DCN) is showcasing four Ford
Explorer vehicles from the FutureTruck competition at its booth, No. 2979, at
the 2004 SAE World Congress.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990903/DANA )
The 2004 Ford Explorers have been modified into fuel-efficient hybrid
electric vehicles by teams of students from Michigan Technological, Ohio
State, and West Virginia universities and the University of Wisconsin,
Madison.
"The ability to partner with the brightest of engineering students
provides us a first-hand look at the future of automotive innovations," said
Michael J. Burns, Dana CEO and president. "Our commitment to higher education
initiatives, such as the FutureTruck organization, continues to generate
creative excitement among our people."
The vehicles include a variety of Dana products, such as Dana's aluminum
slip-between-center propshaft on the Ohio State vehicle and front axles on the
Michigan Tech and Wisconsin vehicles.
Also, the team from Wisconsin utilized a Dana starter/alternator
prototype. "This system contains a lot of potential for not only this
project, but for the automotive industry, as well," said John Hickey, director
of advanced engineering for Dana's Global Engineering Technology Group. "This
demonstrates our technology leadership from a technical capability standpoint,
as well as potential growth from product development."
"Our partnership with the FutureTruck organization is beneficial for both
the universities and our company," said Jack Dawson, Dana's director of
technology planning and development. "Call it a passion for innovation, but
it's really turned into an opportunity to interact with some great potential
job candidates. At the same time, we can learn from new perspectives and
innovative processes."
As part of its ongoing commitment to bridge industry and higher education,
Dana also offered complimentary admission to the SAE World Congress to more
than 600 deans of engineering colleges and other key education leaders.
FutureTruck is a unique engineering program that brings together the
resources of industry, government, and academia in a cooperative effort to
address important environmental and energy-related issues posed by the growing
demand for sport-utility vehicles. The FutureTruck 2004 competition
challenges teams from 15 top North American universities to continue
reengineering conventional, mid-size Ford Explorers into lower-emissions
vehicles. FutureTruck is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Ford Motor Company, and a variety of
other sponsors and is managed by Argonne National Laboratory's Center for
Transportation Research.
Dana Corporation is a global leader in the design, engineering, and
manufacture of value-added products and systems for automotive, commercial,
and off-highway vehicles. Delivering on a century of innovation, the
company's continuing operations employ approximately 45,000 people worldwide
dedicated to advancing the science of mobility. Founded in 1904 and based in
Toledo, Ohio, Dana operates technology, manufacturing, and customer-service
facilities in 30 countries. Sales from continuing operations totaled $7.9
billion in 2003. Dana's Internet address is http://www.dana.com .
SOURCE Dana Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.dana.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/226839.html
Photo Notes:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990903/DANA
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Jeff Cole of Dana, +1-419-535-4704, or
jeff.cole@dana.com
NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information on the FutureTruck program,
visit Dana in Booth 2979 at the 2004 SAE World Congress, March
8-11, 2004.
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