(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990816/PHLOGO )
Opening Memorial Day weekend, Pearl Harbor pulled in over 75 million dollars in its first four days. After ten days on the screen, it pulled in 119.3 million dollars, and maintained the number one spot in the North American box office. Directed by Michael Bay, the movie follows the lives and loves of two best-friends going off to war.
Among many effects used to recreate the event, Parker's precise motion controls moved the torpedo up and down as it swam through the water, and controlled all movement of the planes, including the propellers, to simulate flight.
The company's hose and fittings, mobile cylinders and valves were used in the recreation of the war. The valves were designed specifically for the filming of Pearl Harbor at Fox Studios in Baja, Mexico. Parker has a competitive edge in serving the fast-paced movie industry because it is able to build and deliver custom valves in seventy-two hours.
VOAC L-90 LS valves were used in an underwater scene to simulate a torpedo moving through the water before it struck its target. The valves were also used to simulate airplanes in flight. "We made planes that were on the ground look like they were flying," says Technical Support Specialist of VOAC, Dan Tesar.
Parker has been involved in several movies where precise motion control is needed to bring a sense of reality to the scene. Some of them include Swordfish, Titanic and The Perfect Storm.
With annual sales of $6 billion, Parker Hannifin Corporation is the world's leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of commercial, mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs 45,000 people in 46 countries around the world. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.parker.com , or its investor information site at www.phstock.com .
SOURCE Parker Hannifin Corporation
CONTACT: Media, Lorrie Paul Crum, VP - Corp. Communications, 216-896-2750, or Financial Analysts, Timothy K. Pistell, Treasurer, 216-896-2130, both of Parker Hannifin Corporation
