INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS GIVES FIRST EVER AWARD FOR ENGINEERING SOFTWARE

June 14, 2002, Lebanon, NH, Fluent Inc., world leader in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, has been given a prestigious Engineering Heritage Hallmark Award for its innovation and excellence in mechanical engineering from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

The Award is the first ever to be given for software. Commenting on the award, Managing Director, Chris King said "I am delighted to see this recognition of the quality and impact of the FLUENT CFD software. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the UK's premier Mechanical Engineering forum. That they should have made the first such award for a software product to FLUENT is very special. In doing so they are recognising the contribution that the efforts of all sections of the Fluent organization have made to the establishment of CFD as an important engineering tool in so many industries."

Only two or three awards are given out annually from the IMechE. The criteria are strict and applicants must demonstrate industrial innovation and have made a significant contribution to mechanical engineering. Recent awards have been presented to organisations such as Rolls Royce, Eurostar and The Channel Tunnel.

Fluent's nomination for the award was supported by John Slater, Chairman of the Yorkshire Region of the IMechE, who adds "I was very happy to nominate the FLUENT software for the Heritage Award, it is a leading edge code that has inspired engineering students and commercial users for over a decade. It is a well deserved honor for the company and for South Yorkshire."

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.

FLUENT® is a registered trademark of Fluent Inc.

# # # For more information, contact:

Paul Whalen

Fluent Inc.

10 Cavendish Court

Lebanon, NH 03766

(603) 643-2600 Ext. 666

pww@fluent.com