Press Releases 2003


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	Press Releases

November 14, 2003

SGL Carbon to supply brake discs for DTM

Sole supplier for most popular German motor racing event
Supplier to a number of Formula 1 teams for many years
Also manufactures high performance brake discs for road traffic

WIESBADEN, November 14, 2003. From 2004, SGL Carbon will be the sole supplier of carbon-carbon brake discs (CC) and brake pads for all cars participating in the “Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters” (DTM). SGL’s US subsidiary HITCO Carbon Composites Inc., based in Los Angeles/California, will supply brake discs and brake pads within a 3 year contract for all competition cars of the DTM.

HITCO has supplied a number of Formula 1 teams with carbon-carbon brake discs and pads for over 15 years, including McLaren-Mercedes, Minardi-Ford, Jordan-Honda or Renault. Also the Toyota-Team will be supplied with the beginning of the racing season 2004. The SGL subsidiary won the contract with its combination of high-end properties, excellent quality and safety features and the extremely good price/performance ratio of the brake discs. HITCO forms part of SGL Carbon’s growth business, the SGL Technologies Business Unit.

SGL also manufactures brake discs for road traffic
SGL has systematically expanded its technical expertise in the field of high-performance brake discs for the automotive market. Its subsidiary SGL Brakes GmbH, based in Meitingen near Augsburg, which is also part of SGL Technologies, manufactures carbon-ceramic brake discs for the automotive industry. The company was the first manufacturer in the world to start series production of these innovative brake discs for road transport applications. Carbon-ceramic discs systems offer a number of major advantages over conventional brake systems using cast-iron discs: significantly shorter stopping distances, better response in an extremely wide range of driving conditions, no reduction in braking power, no brake judder, extremely good brake control, less pedal effort, much longer life, lower weight, and high corrosion resistance.

The main differences between carbon-carbon and carbon-ceramic brake discs are that carbon-carbon discs must be heated to a minimum temperature of around 300°C while driving to reach their full braking power. CC discs are only suitable for racing. Hence SGL Carbon offers the Carbon-ceramic discs for cars of common road traffic which show excellent performance at all temperatures.

SGL Carbon is the world’s largest manufacturer of carbon, graphite and composite materials for industrial and aerospace applications. These play a vital role in many industries, such as the steel, aluminum, semiconductor, automotive and chemical sectors. SGL’s portfolio covers the Carbon and Graphite, Graphite Specialties and Corrosion Protection Business Areas, and the SGL Technologies growth business, which focuses on the development and establishment of new businesses based on high-tech applications. With over 30 production sites worldwide and a service network spanning more than 95 countries, SGL Carbon is a global enterprise on the way to becoming a world-leading materials and technology group.

Important Notice:
This document contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current belief of SGL Carbon ’s management as well as assumptions made by, and information available to, the SGL Group. Actual future results and trends could differ materially from those set forth in these statements due to various factors. These factors include, among others, changes in economic, political, technical, business and competitive conditions; unforeseeable alterations in electric steel production; changes of interest and exchange rates; price developments; unanticipated developments relating to recently acquired businesses and Group companies; potential liability in connection with existing or future regulations; unforeseen difficulties relating to the investigations by the European antitrust authorities and to the completed investigation by the Canadian and U.S. antitrust authorities and the civil actions related thereto; and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. SGL Carbon does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, and does not assume any obligation to do so.