rom the onset of the industrial age early in the 20 th  century to the fast-paced development of today’s new economies,Timken ingenuity has helped power the engines of progress. F Since the birth of the automotive industry, our products have improved reliability from the  inside. We have increased the efficient use of fuel that powers the world and raises the standard  of living everywhere. Our knowledge aids exploration to the farthest reaches of space, and the  greatest achievements of modern medicine. in these ways,Timken plays a vital role in many of  mankind’s finest accomplishments. What’s more,Timken’s involvement in these essential  innovations extends well beyond the products we create, to  our designers, engineers and service teams who collaborate  to continuously improve customers’ performance across a  broad spectrum of industries. For example, building the Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland  required specially designed systems capable of enduring  incredible stresses to cut through 35 miles of Alpine  bedrock. By minimizing project-halting misalignments,  Timken-equipped cutter assemblies persevered to open the path that paved the way for  the world’s longest, deepest rail tunnel. The passion for perfection applies when it comes to the delicate precision of the human heart,  where tiny Timken bearings small enough to fit on the head of a push pin play a big part in  life-saving procedures. Operating with exacting care in optical systems, these mechanical  wonders allow a surgical camera to capture detailed, thermal imaging snapshots in the second between each heartbeat.  7 iNDUSTriAL rEvOLUTiONS Timken products harness power inside complex machines to cut a mountain pass for railways, propel exploration to the  outer edges of space, and perform amazing maneuvers, from  infrastructure building to life-saving procedures.  Whether precious life or prosperity is on the line,Timken reliability plays a crucial role in revolutionizing industry for the enrichment of human life. Surgeon-guided robotic  procedures change the  face of medicine, aided  by Timken ®  bearings in  these and many other  health care devices.