EANS-News: SMT Scharf AG presents future-proof new drive technology

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new product

Hamm (euro adhoc) - Hamm, May 29, 2009 - SMT Scharf AG (German
Securities Code (WKN) 575198, ISIN DE0005751986), technology and
world market leader for rail-bound railway systems for the mining
sector, will present its latest solution for demanding underground
transport tasks for the first time early June at the mining
technology trade fair Ugol Rossii & Mining. This innovative monorail
hanging railway has a rack-and-pinion drive that can be switched in.
It is thus excellently suited for use in particularly difficult
mining conditions, such as steep inclines on individual track
sections or very damp conditions.

This new railway's most striking feature is its flexibility: The
drive has been designed so that the driver can switch between the
friction and rack-and-pinion drive en route without having to stop.
The racks, which are used for the rack-and-pinion drive, thus only
have to be laid in track sections with particularly steep inclines or
particularly damp conditions. Both the rack-and-pinion drive and also
the racks can be added to existing installations.

"We are very pleased to be able to present this future-proof railway
to an international audience right in time for the exhibition in
Russia," commented Dr. Friedrich Trautwein, SMT Scharf AG's CEO. "We
believe that there will be strong interest in this type of drive on
the Russian and Polish markets in particular, as mining conditions in
these countries are becoming increasingly difficult as underground
mining progresses." Trautwein added: "We expect that investment
activities will normalize as soon as the sales situation for Russian
mines stabilizes. There are initial cautious signs of this happening,
for example we have received an order for a DZ 1800 monorail hanging
railway from Russia this month."

Ugol Rossii & Mining 2009 runs from June 2 - 5, 2009, and is the most
important trade fair for mining technology and equipment in the
Russian Federation. It is held once a year in Novokuznetsk (West
Siberia). The organizers are expecting around 600 exhibitors and
20,000 trade visitors. Novokuznetsk is in the middle of the Kuzbass
basin, the center of Russian coal production. More than half of the
326 million tons of coal that are mined in Russia each year come from
this region.

Company profile

The SMT Scharf Group develops, builds and maintains rail-bound
railway systems for mining and use in tunnels. The trains are used
all over the world, primarily in hard coal mines, gold mines and in
underground mining for platinum, diamonds, copper and nickel. They
are used to transport material and personnel with working loads of up
to 35t. Rail-bound trains are the only means of transport that can be
used underground on branching lines to cope with inclines of more
than 13 degrees. The SMT Scharf Group has subsidiaries in Germany,
Poland, South Africa, China and Russia, as well as agencies around
the world. The railways developed by SMT Scharf are characterized,
above all, by high-performance engines, high working loads, high
speed and low operating and maintenance costs. SMT Scharf records
more than 70% of its revenues on high-growth foreign markets, such as
Russia, China and South Africa. The replacement parts and repairs
business constitutes around 50% of revenues. The advances in
exploitation of resources make underground conditions increasingly
difficult which in turn requires more high technology transport
solutions in mining. The total market for underground transport
technology comprises around EUR 5 billion to EUR 7 billion per year
according to company estimates. SMT Scharf AG has been listed in the
Prime Standard (regulated market) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
since April 11, 2007.

end of announcement euro adhoc
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ots Originaltext: SMT Scharf AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Contact

Investor relations

cometis AG

Susanne Gremmler

Phone: +49(0)611 - 205855-23

Fax: +49(0)611 - 205855-66

E-mail: gremmler@cometis.de

Branche: Machine Manufacturing
ISIN: DE0005751986
WKN: 575198
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Berlin / free trade
München / free trade