COLUMBUS, Ind. - Cummins Inc. (NYSE:CMI) has honored eight current or former employees with the Company’s highest technical award for their work on two inventions that have yielded significant advancements in engine components made by the Company.

Tadeusz Jaroszczyk, Douglas Benham, Scott Heckel, Michael Connor, Stephen Fallon and Z. Gerald Liu were recognized for their work that led to Cummins’ original patent for its Direct Flow Air Filter. The group patented an innovation in the pleating process of manufacturing the filter that increases the volume of air the flows through the filter - all while taking up less space in the engine compartment. This filter design assists in improving overall engine performance.

The Direct Flow filter has generated millions of dollars in sales in 2010 with potential for many new applications in the future. Jaroszczyk and Benham are recent Cummins retirees, while Heckel received his recognition posthumously. The other three inventors are current Cummins employees.

Bahram Nikpour and David Donnelley received the 2010 Perr Award for their work that significantly improved the compressor flow range for turbochargers. The inventors patented a new design for the compressor diffuser recess in Cummins turbochargers, which allows the turbocharger to operate more efficiently across a wide range of ambient air conditions.

The design change, which adds little cost to the turbocharger, helps vehicles perform better in a variety of conditions from sea level to high altitudes. Cummins currently manufactures more than 200,000 turbochargers a year featuring this design, most for heavy-duty truck engines.

Both projects honored in 2010 have had a significant impact on the Company, the industry and the environment, and the work exemplifies the spirit of the late Dr. Perr, who was responsible for many of the innovations that have made Cummins a leader in diesel technology.

“Cummins is an industry leader in emissions technology, and at the same time we are committed to providing solutions that provide better performance and fuel economy for our customers,” said John Wall, Cummins Vice President and Chief Technical Officer. “Both of these projects are indicative of our innovation at work on behalf of the environment and our customers, and are outstanding examples of our philosophy of producing ‘innovation you can depend on.’”

This prestigious award was created to honor of Dr. Perr, who was named as the inventor or co-inventor of on 80 U.S. patents. Dr. Perr, who died in 2005, joined Cummins in 1958 after fleeing Communist Hungary.

“Innovations such as these continue to demonstrate why Cummins remains a leader in developing technologies that both meet the needs of our customers and lead to a cleaner environment,” said J. Bruce Schelkopf, Chief Counsel & Executive Director - IP for Cummins.

About Cummins

Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, (USA) Cummins serves customers in approximately 190 countries and territories through a network of more than 500 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 5,200 dealer locations. The Company reported net income attributable to Cummins Inc. of $428 million on sales of $10.8 billion in 2009. Press releases can be found on the Web at www.cummins.com Follow Cummins on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cummins