Metal Improvement Company Laser Peening Facility Awarded JAR-145 Approval

26 February 2004

News Release

February 26, 2004

Livermore, CA, Feb. 26 – The Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) have awarded JAR-145 repair station approval to the Metal Improvement Company’s laser peening facility in Livermore, CA (repair station number JAA.5573).

This facility was the first in the world to utilize laser peening technology in production on commercial turbine engine components. The Livermore facility is also an approved Federal Aviation Administration repair station (MPKR633X) for specialized laser peening services.

In the laser peening process a laser beam generates a one million psi pressure pulse on the surface of a metal part. The pressure pulse creates a shockwave that travels through the metal and imparts a layer of beneficial compressive stress to the surface. This compressive stress increases the component’s resistance to failure mechanisms such as fatigue, fretting fatigue and stress corrosion, which translates to increased component life.

Metal Improvement Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW), provides precision metal finishing services that include laser and shot peening, peen forming, heat treating and coating services. The company operates over 50 facilities in North America and Europe.

Curtiss-Wright Corporation, headquartered in Roseland, NJ, is a diversified company that designs, manufactures and overhauls products for motion control and flow control applications in addition to providing metal treatment services. For more information about Curtiss-Wright visit www.curtisswright.com.