FARO Rides With 'American Chopper'

FARO Rides With 'American Chopper' 


Lake Mary, Fla., March 14  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- FARO Technologies, Inc.
(NASDAQ:FARO), the only company with a complete line of portable 3D coordinate
measurement systems for the Computer-Aided Measuring (CAM2) market, announced
it has signed a shop support agreement with Orange County Choppers (OCC) -- the
custom motorcycle shop featured on The Discovery Channel's popular show
"American Chopper."

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000522/FLM035LOGO )

The agreement came about when OCC Artist/Designer Jason Pohl had a chance to
use one of FARO's portable CMMs, the Platinum FaroArm.

"I must say I was impressed," Pohl said. "I spoke to Paul Teutul, Sr., and our
General Manager, Steve Moreau, and they both felt this was a great idea. We got
the ball rolling right away."

Pohl, now a self-described "digitizing freak," got hooked on the FaroArm while
reverse engineering parts. He digitizes parts -- and even the contours of the
random objects that add to a vehicle's individuality -- then modifies them into
designs for OCC's original, 120-horsepower works of art.

In addition to utilizing the FaroArm's reverse-engineering and design
capabilities, OCC also uses it to program their CNC machines. For example,
exhaust pipes and handlebars must be symmetrical, but once the first piece is
formed, "eyeballing" the second piece to exactly match is almost impossible.
The FaroArm empowers OCC fabricators to trace the shape of the first piece,
then transfer the data to the company's tube bender where it makes an exact
match of the original in just a few minutes.

"OCC's teams are artists to the highest degree," FARO Hardware Product Director
Shaun Mymudes said. "Our FaroArms help make their designs a reality and ensure
that the entire process is more accurate and efficient than ever."

Because the machines that OCC produces are created from the ground up -- not
modified -- the geometry and dynamics of the bike have to be precise to allow a
rider to tackle winding roads without winding up in the ditch. In addition to
simplifying fits between tanks and seats, fenders and frames, the designers at
OCC check the alignment of critical dynamic parts such as axles, forks, and
sprocket drives. The instrument captures each surface, and the relative
position of each is displayed on the Arm's companion laptop. A complete digital
file of the items are generated, then stored for future recreation in the
company's CAD archives.

"FARO's technology is groundbreaking on the chopper scene," Pohl said. "We are
all very excited to have this capability."

  "American Chopper" airs Mondays at 10 p.m. EST on The Discovery Channel.

  About FARO


With more than 7,500 installations and approximately 3,800 customers globally,
FARO Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:FARO) and its international subsidiaries
design, develop, and market software and portable, computerized measurement
devices. The Company's products allow manufacturers to perform 3D inspections
of parts and assemblies on the shop floor. This helps eliminate manufacturing
errors, and thereby increases productivity and profitability for a variety of
industries in FARO's worldwide customer base. Principal products include the
FARO Laser ScanArm; FARO Gage and Gage-PLUS; Platinum, Titanium and Advantage
FaroArms; the FARO Laser Tracker X and Xi; and the CAM2 family of advanced
CAD-based measurement and reporting software. FARO Technologies is ISO 9001
certified and ISO-17025 laboratory registered. Learn more at
http://www.faro.com/ .

About Orange County Choppers

Orange County Choppers has gained international recognition from the popular
Discovery Channel TV show "American Chopper." Based in Montgomery, N.Y., the
store custom builds motorcycles for well-known clients from around the world.
Paul Teutul, Sr. opened the shop to fuel his passion for motorcycles after
successfully growing Orange County Ironworks into a thriving business. For more
information, visit the Web site at http://www.orangecountychoppers.com/ . 

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DATASOURCE: FARO Technologies, Inc.



CONTACT:  Darin Sahler, Global Public Relations Officer, FARO

Technologies, Inc., [phone], or 



Web site:  http://www.faro.com/

http://www.orangecountychoppers.com/ 

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