WESTFORD, MA -- November 14, 2000 -- GenRad Inc. [NYSE: GEN], a leading producer of advanced performance-assurance products for electronics manufacturers, today released CIMBridge™ 3.7, which further enhances the accepted industry standard and gives electronics manufacturers even more power and control over the assembly lines.

"CIMBridge helps electronics original equipment manufacturers [OEMs] and contract manufacturers improve their time-to-market, time-to-volume and quality challenges by increasing their control over the manufacturing process and improving the productivity of their best-in-class equipment," said Ron Lindell, Vice President of GenRad's Process Solutions line of business.

CIMBridge 3.7 features over 60 customer-driven product enhancements, among them an enhanced line balancer for multiple products and a new setup changeover report utility. These enhancements appear in an integrated design geared toward reducing the time required to set up and build new products on electronics manufacturing lines.

"Our CIMBridge 3.7 makes electronics manufacturers more productive, more cost-effective and more competitive," said Lindell. "This is the most technologically advanced process optimization tool in the industry. Electronics manufacturers now have the tool that will take them from having best of class equipment to best of class assembly process. CIMBridge 3.7 allows electronics manufacturers to achieve the balanced, optimized line that is critical to meeting their demanding production schedules."

CIMBridge's assembly line performance monitoring tools also provide real-time information; and the improved line balancer includes multi-product grouping to allow a set of multiple products to be built on a single manufacturing line. Further CIMBridge now imports and exports part and package data with Microsoft Excel™, a setup changeover report utility, new machine program generators, enhanced optimization support, and Microsoft Windows™ 2000 support.

"These state-of-the-art features allow electronics manufacturers to increase efficiency, flexibility, process knowledge and product quality," Lindell said. "The new features of CIMBridge 3.7 help electronics manufacturers maximize their manufacturing line investment through increased line efficiency.'

While supporting a wide range of electronic manufacturing equipment, CIMBridge 3.7 software includes:

• Fuji™ GL Program Generator, including GL1, GL2, GL5 and GL541 support using Fuji MCS2 file format;
• Philips™ GEM Program Generator (included in Topaz Program Generator);
• Enhanced Universal™ GSM™ optimizer with support for FlexJet™ head and matrix trays. UIC UPS v4.0 is also supported;
• Sanyo™ TCM1500, TCM1600, TCM3000 and TCM3500 optimizer support; and
• Panasonic™ MV2 optimizer support.

GenRad Process Solution Software Family

GenRad provides printed circuit assembly manufacturers with an entire integrated solution to optimize the manufacturing process. In the design phase, GenRad software allows for, among other things, the translation of CAD data and the set-up and balancing of machines along the entire manufacturing line. During the assembly process, GenRad systems and software solutions provide support for inspection of the boards and real-time data collection. GenRad also offers multiple tester platforms, including fixtureless flying prober, manufacturing defect analyzer, in-circuit and x-ray test for the complex printed circuit boards.

About GenRad

GenRad Inc. [NYSE: GEN] is a global leader of electronics manufacturing productivity solutions for contract and original equipment manufacturers [OEM] of handheld and wireless devices, PCs and business servers, DSL and other broadband switching and routing technologies, and other devices integral to emerging Internet e-commerce markets. GenRad also applies its technologies to development of diagnostic solutions for the automotive and general transportation industry.

GenRad is comprised of four lines of business bringing to market integrated hardware, software and service solutions that empower always-on services and un-interruptable business applications:

• Process Solutions focuses on in-circuit test, x-ray test, and re-work solutions as well as plant and line management solutions for electronic product manufacturers.
• Functional Solutions focuses on functional test platforms for manufacturers of telecommunications, computers and automotive electronics.
• Diagnostic Solutions focuses on service bay and manufacturing solutions for transportation OEMs and independent service providers.
• Support and Services focuses on maintenance programs, on-site and remote support, programming services, and training to help customers optimize their hardware and software solutions.

Founded in 1915, GenRad employs approximately 1,400 people and maintains its worldwide headquarters in Westford, MA, USA. The company's Web address is http://www.genrad.com.