Clipper Windpower Selects Aurora Software to Schedule Wind Turbine Manufacturing

Advanced Scheduling Software with Critical Chain Project Management Will Help Clipper Windpower Build Wind Energy Products More Efficiently

SAN MATEO, CA, September 6, 2011 — Stottler Henke Associates, Inc. today announced that Clipper Windpower will use Aurora™ software to schedule the manufacturing of its Liberty series wind turbine at its Cedar Rapids, Iowa facility. With a capacity of 2.5 megawatts, the Liberty is the largest wind turbine made in the United States.

Clipper Windpower will use Aurora software to generate schedules that optimize manufacturing operations while satisfying production requirements, resource limits, and complex manufacturing constraints. Aurora’s artificial intelligence algorithms and Critical Chain Project Management features will produce dynamic schedules that adapt to real time production variability, so Clipper Windpower can assemble wind turbines more efficiently.

“We are delighted that Clipper Windpower will use Aurora software to manage the manufacturing of their renewable energy products,” says Dick Stottler, President of Stottler Henke. “Aurora software excels at optimizing complex operations, so companies can produce high-value products more economically,“ continues Stottler.

Aurora is a sophisticated scheduling system that combines a variety of scheduling techniques, intelligent scheduling conflict resolution, and decision support to generate highly efficient solutions to complex problems. The software’s customizable scheduling algorithms take into account resource requirements, complex constraints, and pertinent domain knowledge. Aurora’s built-in capabilities and extensibility enable it to significantly outperform other scheduling systems that use generic heuristics to assign resources to tasks. The software can be configured to use the principles of Critical Chain Project Management, a powerful, resource-driven method derived from the Theory of Constraints (TOC). The Boeing Company uses Aurora across its enterprise to manage engineering and manufacturing operations, including the assembly of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner™ commercial airliner. NASA used Aurora at Kennedy Space Center to schedule International Space Station payload and shuttle processing activities. The United Space Alliance (USA) incorporated Aurora into Temporis, designed to schedule flight activities on board NASA’s next- generation manned spacecraft. Aurora was featured in NASA’s Hallmarks of Success video series that showcases successful spin-off technologies.

Founded in 1988, Stottler Henke Associates, Inc. applies artificial intelligence and other advanced software technologies to solve problems that defy solution using traditional approaches. The company delivers intelligent software solutions for education and training, planning and scheduling, knowledge management and discovery, decision support, and software development. In 2006, Stottler Henke was the subject of a NASA “Hallmarks of Success” video profile for its work developing and later commercializing advanced planning and training software systems. Stottler Henke received a 2004 “Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning” award for innovative technology. Stottler Henke was named one of the “top 100” companies making a significant impact on the military training industry by Military Training Technology magazine for 2011 and seven previous years. Stottler Henke has received a Blue Ribbon from Military Training Technology magazine, recognizing it as a company that leads the industry in innovation. Web: https://www.stottlerhenke.com. Email: