Shadow Automation, Inc. To Exhibit In WESTEC 2002, March 18-21

Shadow Automation, Inc.lls, CA — <%=company%> will be one of an estimated 850 companies participating in WESTEC 2002 (APEX), taking place on March 18-21 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California. This premier event demonstrates metalworking technologies that facilitate the manufacturing of world-class products. Sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA); and AMT-The Association For Manufacturing Technology; the four day exposition is expected to attract 30,000 - 35,000 manufacturing professionals ranging from company executives to production engineers.

Shadow Automation, Inc. will display GD&T Inspection Reporting Software for Machine Tool probing. Haas Automation is supporting SAI's exhibition effort, by supplying a VF-1 Vertical Machining Center. This provides SAI the opportunity to perform "Live" demonstrations of combined groundbreaking 3D volumetric laser calibration integrated technologies co-developed with Optodyne, which will also be displayed. Volumetric error compensation reduces machine tool uncertainty, allowing In-process and final part inspection, per ISO/IEC 17025 and also ASME B5.54 "Quality" specification requirements and full support. Implementation of this sort produces dramatic time reduction, while improving quality of the machined parts process and the bottom line. "Lean" manufacturing studies from Fortune 100 companies now support production increases of up to 75% upon implementation of In-process, on machine inspection reporting and the same for final part acceptance!

Shadow's latest spin off is, "Shadow Map", a derivative of machine tool calibration, provides for more accurately machined parts. Volumetric error compensation is a mandatory quality requirement for CMM calibration, because it reduces uncertainty to define an inspection capability tolerance. This definition is also the highest level of accuracy for quality inspection. Therefore, why not use the same technology to machine and produce higher quality parts? Shadow Map is not only producing higher quality parts, it is also proving to add years of production life to machine tools that may be 20 years old! Once scheduled for replacement, they are now being re-scheduled for long term production runs! Budgets for Capitol Expenditures to replace machines or purchase new CMM's, can now be re-allocated to increase capacity with new machine tool purchases, to support all those rumors of up and coming new contracts underway. First article machining of parts processed using Shadow Map typically come off the machine right the first time. This process is similar to, but better than adjusting G-code to achieve tolerance, or adding bondo to a scraped part and machining it again. Adjusting G-code is a form of machine tool error correction or compensation. The only difference is that it is a temporary, time consuming, one of a kind or custom adjustment, based upon where it may be located on the machine. The error is different throughout its machine's working envelope, therefore difficult to isolate. Ask yourself if you truly could say how accurate your machine tool really is or, even more important, could you prove it? Shadow Map was created to process and compensate CL, G-code, NCI or DMIS files in seconds, removing repeatable error, resulting in more accurate parts, machined right the first time!

M & H In-Process puts icing on the cake in booth #186, cutting probing time by 50%, demonstrating double hit accuracy with a single hit, for both optical and long range RF machine tool probes. In addition to probes, M&H's "New" automated tool setter for large tools, plus their dynamic laser tool wear system, close the integrated loop, totaling an instant return on a sound investment.

Education and training are critical to production and cost efficiency. The WESTEC 2002 conference includes SME-sponsored technical programming addressing advanced manufacturing technologies and processes.

SME, headquartered in Dearborn, MI, is the world's leading professional society serving the manufacturing industries. To find out more about SME and WESTEC 2002 visit our website at www.sme.org/westec. AMTDA, based in Rockville, MD, represents over 480 companies dedicated to strengthening the machine tool distributor position as a vital link between builders and end users of machine tools and related products. AMTDA was founded in 1925.

With headquarters in McLean, VA, AMT is the manufacturing technology industry leader in economic planning, domestic and international marketing, government liaison, trade show sponsorship, and export assistance. Founded in 1902, the association (with 375 member companies) produces the biennial International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) scheduled in Chicago, to unveil further metrology advancements developed by Shadow Automation, Inc.