Many Enhancements Included with the Release of POLYFLOW 3.9

May 7, 2002, Lebanon, New Hampshire…Fluent Inc., the world's leading Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) software provider, announces the release of POLYFLOW 3.9. This software, created to aid in the simulation of laminar flows through dies and molds during such processes as extrusion, blow molding, glass forming, and fiber spinning, features new enhancements that help simplify and automate much of the user's work, while further extending the capabilities of the software.

This new release is based on five major pillars: adaptive meshing, non-conformal meshing, enhancements and extension of viscoelastic models, elasticity-based remeshing, and a new user-friendly environment.

Meshing Advances Adaptive and non-conformal meshing help the user to build an accurate computer model of the equipment design to be simulated, particularly for complex, real-world models, such as dies for window profiles and rubber seals, and coextrusion or fiber spinning equipment.

Greater Flexibility The advanced viscoelastic modeling capability in POLYFLOW 3.9 widens the realm of possibility for modeling tricky viscoelastic flows. Elasticity-based remeshing capabilities provide further flexibility in the modeling of flows, which deform in three dimensions.

POLYMAN is User Friendly The new POLYMAN user environment is a Windows-like interface that consolidates all the tools in the POLYFLOW suite for easy access.

Pricing and Availability POLYFLOW 3.9 is available on UNIX and NT platforms. It is provided at no additional cost to all current POLYFLOW users who have chosen to purchase upgrades along with their POLYFLOW license. POLYFLOW license fees are determined by the number of processes that a user requires. Users may also purchase unlimited usage support.

About Fluent Fluent is the world's largest provider of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software and consulting services. Fluent's software is used for simulation, visualization, and prediction of fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, and chemical reactions. It is a vital part of the computer-aided engineering (CAE) process for companies around the world and in almost every manufacturing industry. Using Fluent's software, product development, design and research engineers build virtual prototypes and simulate the performance of proposed and existing designs, which helps them to optimize, troubleshoot, scale-up, and retrofit. Use of CFD software reduces time-to-market by reducing the need for costly physical testing and prototyping.

Fluent's corporate headquarters are located in Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA. Fluent's European headquarters are located in Sheffield, England, with local offices in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Sweden. Fluent's Asia Pacific headquarters are located in Tokyo, Japan. Its CFD software is also available around the world through joint ventures, partnerships, and distributors in Korea, Australia, Brazil, China, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, Middle East, and most European countries.

Fluent is a subsidiary of Aavid Thermal Technologies Inc. Additional information on Fluent's products can be obtained on the World Wide Web at www.fluent.com or by e-mailing info@fluent.com. More information on Aavid Thermal Technologies is available at www.aavid.com.

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Graphics Available Graphic images and accompanying captions to support this release can be found on the web at www.fluent.com/about/news/pr/index.htm by following the links to this release. Fluent Inc. grants permission for use of these graphics and their captions in conjunction with any or all of this press release.

For more information, contact:

Paul Whalen

Fluent Inc.

10 Cavendish Court

Lebanon, NH 03766

(603) 643-2600 Ext. 666

pww@fluent.com